1 Corinthians 8:7 (KJV) Are You a Stumblingblock?

1 Corinthians 8:7 (KJV)

Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

This isn’t fair. But it doesn’t have to be. Let me explain.

John Gill writes of this passage:

“The apostle is not speaking of heathens, in whom there was no knowledge of the one true God, the author of all things, and of the one Lord Jesus, the only Saviour and Redeemer; but of Christians, in whom there was the knowledge of these things, but not in all of them—the knowledge of this, that an idol was nothing; for though they knew that an idol was not God, and had no true deity in it, nor was it any true representation of God, yet fancied that it had an influence upon food that was offered to it.”

He goes on to say:

“And since there were such persons that were so ignorant and weak, it became those who had more knowledge to be careful how they laid stumblingblocks in the way of such, to the prejudice of their consciences…”

There are Christians—saved people—who know they have been delivered from devilish things, yet still believe those things can have some influence. A mature Christian understands that these things are nothing in the world. They have no power and no effect upon the believer whatsoever. But because there are less mature Christians who are genuinely troubled by such things, the rest of us ought to “be careful how they [lay] stumblingblocks in the way of such.”

I believe this applies most practically within a local church context. It would be impossible to avoid offending the conscience of every sincerely held but strange doctrine represented in every church we encounter.

It may not seem fair—but it is Christian grace—to think of others, especially within our own church, and to take care that we avoid unnecessary offense against them, even when we know they really shouldn’t be offended.

#StrongerAndWeaker #ChristianLiberty #LoveLimitsKnowledge #LocalChurchGrace #WalkInCharity

Are You a Stumblingblock? The Hard Truth About Christian Liberty

If this study challenged how you think about Christian liberty and charity, take a moment to share your thoughts in the comments—have you ever chosen restraint for the sake of someone else’s conscience, or struggled when someone didn’t do the same? Your insight may help another believer more than you realize.

For more Bible-centered teaching rooted in Scripture and local-church application, visit marvinmckenzie.org and explore resources designed to strengthen your faith and sharpen your understanding of God’s Word.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
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1 Corinthians 8:7 (KJV) Are You a Stumblingblock?

2 Samuel 23:3-5 Deathbed Truth

2 Samuel 23:3-5

The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.

Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.

There is so much here, and I am sure I cannot remotely do it justice.

The Bible says these are among the last words of David. I assume that means the last words recorded in the Word of God, but I think it would be fair to say these are the thoughts of a man who knew he was on his last breath—his deathbed, if you will. These are important words. They are reflective, they are somber, but they are also filled with faith and thankfulness.

David said, “He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” I notice that he did not say “over Israel.” The God of Israel is the God of the world. Rulers over men—not just over Israel—must be just, and they must rule in the fear of God.

Only those who are just and fear God are qualified to rule.

• It is the ultimate good for mankind.
• It is the ultimate glory of God.
• It is the will of God that it be so.

It will be the eventual culmination of all things.

That the ruler is just: upright, righteous, straight.
That he rules in the fear of God: flowing from his submission to God.

My first thought is, Wait a minute! I don’t think we’ve ever had one of those. The United States has had a few men who approached it. Those who knew him thought Washington was such a man. Even the king of England thought so when he heard that Washington stepped down as General of the Army after winning the War for Independence.

I believe the founders of our country sought this ideal. That is why they expressed so clearly that the leaders of our nation ought to be Christians.

Oh, how far we have gotten from that ideal.

But then David says the most profound and honest thing: “Although my house be not so with God.” He knew that even his own family did not measure up.

And that is where this passage really becomes amazing. Rather than lamenting, David turned to God—to His covenant and to His gracious promise of salvation.

I look around our world today and cannot find a ruler even remotely close to being just, or to ruling in the fear of God. But I tell you what I can find. I can find a God whose promises are just as real today as they were in David’s day. I can find a salvation that is as efficacious now as it has ever been. And I can find a hope that will carry me into eternity, and a reason to expect that God’s will shall one day be done “on earth as it is in heaven.”

#LastWordsOfDavid #RulingInTheFearOfGod #AnEverlastingCovenant #HopeBeyondFailure #GodsPromisesAreSure

Deathbed Truth: David’s Last Words Explain Why Good Leaders Are So Rare Today

If this passage from David’s last words stirred your thinking, I invite you to visit marvinmckenzie.org for Bible studies, teaching resources, and ongoing encouragement rooted in God’s Word.

I’d also like to hear from you—do you believe it’s still possible for leaders to rule in the fear of God, or are we living in a time when our only true hope is the Lord’s everlasting covenant? Share your thoughts in the comments. Your perspective may help someone else think more clearly—and biblically—about the times we’re living in.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Samuel 23:3-5 Deathbed Truth

1 Corinthians 7:8-9 (KJV) Something Better

1 Corinthians 7:8-9 (KJV)

I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

I suppose there are few passages of Scripture more confusing than this one—more explained away, or more generally ignored.

“It is good for a man not to touch a woman.”

Even in solid Baptist churches, this verse is often ignored, laughed at, or mocked. There’s a whole lot of hugging that goes on in Baptist churches these days.

Here’s my topic for this visit with the Lord: something better than marriage.

When I first got saved, I met a pastor (he has since passed away) whose convictions initially appalled me. This Pastor—himself a married man—would not support missionaries who were married. It was his belief that marriage would hinder them from the work God had called them to. I believe he also thought missions work was too dangerous for women.

Frankly, I thought he was off his rocker. I was probably encouraged in that thinking by my pastor and the man who discipled me. Today, I can at least see where he got that conviction. Not that I’m prepared to take his position—but I understand it.

I am married—46 years this coming September—and I cannot imagine anything better. I freely admit I’ve never served the Lord on a foreign field, and that might make a difference. Still, marriage has been the best thing that has ever happened to me outside of getting saved.

Yet in 42 years of pastoring, I’ve also observed that marriage is not always the best thing. For some, it is painful, devastating, and in far too many cases, destructive to the children who come from ill-advised unions.

Here is the lesson of the chapter, at least in very general terms:

Marriage is a wonderful covenant—if it is ordained of the Lord.
Don’t seek marriage. Seek the Lord.
If He places a spouse in your life, praise the Lord.
If not, praise the Lord.

#SeekTheLord #BiblicalMarriage #SinglenessForGod #MarriageGodsWay #BetterThanMarriage

Something Better: Marriage Isn’t the Goal—This Is

If this passage challenged the way you’ve thought about marriage, singleness, or serving the Lord, take a moment to join the conversation below. I’d genuinely like to hear how you understand 1 Corinthians 7 and how the Lord has guided you in this area—your perspective may help someone else who’s wrestling with the same questions.

For more Bible teaching, articles, and resources grounded in Scripture, visit marvinmckenzie.org. And don’t forget to comment, subscribe, and share—your interaction helps get clear, Bible-centered teaching in front of people who need it.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

1 Corinthians 7:8-9 (KJV) Something Better

2 Samuel 21:2 (KJV) Religious Zeal Isn’t the Same as Knowing God

2 Samuel 21:2 (KJV)

And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.)

The story of the Gibeonites dates all the way back to the days of Joshua (Joshua 9). About three hundred fifty years later, Israel demanded a king of their own choosing and anointed Saul.

We know Saul to be a man with a spiritual bent, as all Israelites would have been at that time. But he was not a man of God. Religious people who do not know the Lord or His character often do things in the name of the Lord that are actually opposite the Lord’s will.

Joshua had made a covenant with the Gibeonites. Saul either neglected to search the Scriptures to see that this covenant had been made, or else he did not view the biblical principle of covenant faithfulness as a serious matter. Smith’s Bible Dictionary describes it this way: “In a fit of enthusiasm or patriotism, [he is supposed] to have killed some and devised a general massacre of the rest.”

As I observe a shift—certainly not for the better—in the opinions of the American people toward God, I see some similarities between Israel in Saul’s day and Americans today. We are a people prone to believe in God and even to claim that our God is the God of Christianity. That does not mean the majority of Americans are, or ever have been, Christians.

We have a great deal of religious zeal, but it has seldom been according to the knowledge of God.

That zeal has led to countless unmentionable atrocities in the name of Christ. It has happened in America in general. It has happened within religious denominations. It has even happened in churches I believe are sincerely connected to Jesus Christ.

Zeal—but not according to knowledge.

This has led to the removal of God’s hand of blessing. It is obvious today that our country, and indeed our churches, no longer enjoy the same hand of blessing we once had.

I also notice that the zeal of Saul led not to the slaughter of Israel as a nation, but to the destruction of his own family.

God’s work was still moving forward. God had not abandoned His people, nor had He turned His back on them. David was still king, and God’s own covenant—the one we all ought to pay close attention to—was still in effect. David’s house would bring forth the Saviour, Jesus Christ. But the offspring suffered.

We ought to be all in, sold out to the Lord. But we must take care that we have a genuine relationship with Christ—one in which we are learning His character. Zeal for the Lord, without a true knowledge of the Lord, leads only to disaster.

#ZealWithoutKnowledge #BiblicalCovenant #LearningGodsCharacter #ReligiousButLost #ScriptureMatters

Religious Zeal Isn’t the Same as Knowing God (King Saul Proved It)

If this message challenged you, don’t let it stop here.
Visit marvinmckenzie.org for more Bible-centered teaching that focuses on knowing God—not just being religious.

I’d also like to hear from you in the comments:
Where have you seen zeal without biblical knowledge cause harm—either in the church or in our culture?
Your response may help someone else recognize the difference between passion for God and truly knowing Him.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Samuel 21:2 (KJV) Religious Zeal Isn’t the Same as Knowing God