5 minutes a day
5 days a week
1 New Testament in a year
There are 261 weekdays in a year, and there are 260 chapters in the New Testament. By reading one chapter, Monday through Friday, you will read the whole New Testament by the end of the year. The Daily Cup series is to help with that goal.
Happy Studying!
“The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup.” — Psalm 16:5
Click here for a pdf of the study schedule - CLICK HERE
Does the Bible say anything about how a married couple should act after the kids have left home? Is there any responsibility between the two to show affection or maintain a relationship? Or can they part ways yet remain married under law?
Sincerely,
Growing Apart
Dear Growing Apart,
A godly marriage is not built upon raising children; raising children is built upon a godly marriage. The marriage comes first, and then the children (Eph 5:31). Before Adam and Eve had any children, they had a responsibility to one another. Also, the Bible commands us to rejoice in our marriage even in our old age (Pr 5:18). A husband and wife have a responsibility to one another regardless of the status or age of their children (1 Cor 7:1-3). If a couple simply “parted ways” they may be fulfilling the letter of the law by remaining unmarried again (1 Cor 7:10-11), but it definitely would not be fulfilling the spirit of God’s intentions for marriage.
5 minutes a day
5 days a week
1 New Testament in a year
There are 261 weekdays in a year, and there are 260 chapters in the New Testament. By reading one chapter, Monday through Friday, you will read the whole New Testament by the end of the year. The Daily Cup series is to help with that goal.
Happy Studying!
“The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup.” — Psalm 16:5
Click here for a pdf of the study schedule - CLICK HERE
I have a question, what do you believe is the right thing for the church to spend “money on”. I want to clarify a few of your thoughts after reading your post. Is it okay for the church to donate money to orphans, the poor, and to fellow believers?
Sincerely,
Counting Our Pennies
Dear Counting Our Pennies,
The Bible specifically outlines three things that the church has a responsibility to do: care for needy Christians (Acts 4:34), preach to the lost, and teach the saved (Acts 15:35). Anything that a church does with its financial assets needs to fit into one of those three categories. It is important that whatever we use the church’s finances for be authorized by the Bible. 1 Tim 3:15 says that there is a certain way that the church must behave when we work together collectively. 1 Tim 5:16 takes it one step further and says that there are certain financial things the church shouldn’t be burdened with. Once our money goes into the church collection on Sunday (1 Cor 16:1-2), it becomes the Lord’s money – not ours. The church can spend its money on the church’s work… and that’s it. Therefore, if the orphan or poor are Christians, the church could help them, but it isn’t a congregations job to care for all orphans and all the poor.
Having said that, we must remember that we, as individuals Christians, have the responsibility to do good to all men as opportunities present themselves (Gal 6:10). This individual responsibility is how God designed it, and it is how we will most effectively make our light to shine amongst men. Read “Purpose Driven Church” for further details on the subject.
5 minutes a day
5 days a week
1 New Testament in a year
There are 261 weekdays in a year, and there are 260 chapters in the New Testament. By reading one chapter, Monday through Friday, you will read the whole New Testament by the end of the year. The Daily Cup series is to help with that goal.
Happy Studying!
“The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup.” — Psalm 16:5
Click here for a pdf of the study schedule - CLICK HERE
[This question is a follow-up to “Revolving Around The Bible”.]
If churches that were still “figuring out” the correct pattern of benevolence were acceptable, why aren’t they today? How do we know they aren’t still trying to figure things out? Why do we condemn a church that is “liberal” when we were liberal at some point or possibly still are? It seems like we are quick to condemn now that we have the truth and intolerant to those who were like us not too long ago.
Sincerely,
Authenticity Review
Dear Authenticity Review,
The key to the whole issue is whether or not a congregation is trying to draw near to biblical accuracy or just carelessly not “sweating the details” of God’s Word. Since every congregation is autonomous, each congregation should be judged individually. After all, that is what Christ did with the seven churches of Asia in Revelation 2 and 3. Every congregation has faults, but the question for each church is: are they moving towards the Word or away from it?
We can’t make broad statements about independent congregations. They are by very definition ‘independent’ and must be viewed as such. Each group must be looked at based off of their own merits. Even in the first century, churches were told their work must stand or fall before the Lord on its own (Acts 14:23).
