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

Due to all of the media attention to homosexuality, I'm wondering why most Christians are so adamant that it is intolerable.  Doesn't the Bible also say not to mix fabrics and eat shellfish?  What's the difference?

Sincerely,

A Confused Citizen

Dear A Confused Citizen,

You bring up a fair point.  It isn’t okay to fervently support the beliefs in the Bible that we like while ignoring the ones we don’t.  That is called subtracting from God’s Word, and it is strictly condemned (Rev 22:18-19).  God expects us to take the total sum of His Word and apply it (Ps 119:160), and part of taking the sum of God’s Word is keeping it in context.Here is where people get confused: the Old Testament laws should never be used as proof verses for Christian practices.  The Old Testament laws were for Jews, and the New Testament laws are for Christians.  Click here to watch a short video on the difference between the Old and New Testament.  The Bible does clearly condemn mixing fabrics (Deut 22:11) and eating shellfish (Lev 11:10)... but in the Old law for the Jewish nation, not in the New Testament.

On the other hand, homosexuality is clearly condemned in the New Testament in verses like Rom 1:26-27 and Jude 7.
The Bible does make it clear that we can’t pick and choose the verses we like and the sins we prefer to condemn... but it also teaches that we must not twist things out of context either.  The apostles taught the whole counsel of God, and so should we (Acts 20:27).  At our congregation in Monroe, that is exactly what we strive to do every day.

If you take the vows of marriage, and one of the couple takes the vows with deceitful intention… are you married in the eyes of God?

Sincerely,
My Word Is My Bond

Dear My Word Is My Bond,

Unfortunately for the sincere-hearted partner, yes they are.  A vow is a vow.  God consistently emphasizes within the Scripture that we should stand by our word (Matt 5:37).  Marriage is a sacred bond that isn’t meant to be quickly loosed (Mk 10:9).  Solomon warns that breaking a vow is a truly heinous thing (Eccl 5:5).  Regardless of the intent behind the marriage (many people get married for the wrong reasons all the time), a vow is a vow.

How a godly person behaves toward their unbelieving or unkind spouse will be noted by God, and it can make a difference (1 Cor 7:12-14).  How you behave as a spouse (regardless of the behavior of your partner) will store up treasures in heaven and impact lives here on earth (1 Pet 2:18-19).

(This article is a follow-up to “Fight For Thought”)

I still think fighting is bad (such as boxing), even worse because it shows people it's okay to fight.  It's horrible to see two people beat each other up.  While people, men and women (more women than men), sit there and laugh.  That’s a sin in my book; I’m not trying to judge people; I think it’s wrong.  The Bible says you shall not kill or any kind of violence toward human life.

Sincerely,
Lacing Up The Gloves

Dear Lacing Up The Gloves,

The Bible has no problem with organized, competitive sports – even boxing and wrestling, but there is a line between sportsmanship and savagery.  Paul uses boxing as an analogy for Christianity (1 Cor 9:26-27)… implying that there is no problem with boxing, wrestling, and other combat sports.  Therefore, it would be wrong to make a blanket statement that all combat-related sports are sinful.

However, we must also balance that knowledge with other teachings on the subject of human life and violence.  Every human is made in the image of God (Gen 1:27), and every life is precious.  The Scriptures condemn flagrant violence (Gen 6:11-13, Pr 3:31) and careless attitudes towards human life.  There is a point where healthy competition morphs itself into animal savagery.  It is important that we always keep these concepts in mind when dealing with modern entertainment innovations.

Is fighting sinful?

Sincerely,
Lacing Up The Gloves

Dear Lacing Up The Gloves,

Most fighting is bad, but some things are worth fighting for.  We are commanded to not fight out of selfishness (Jas 4:1-2) or to fight out of anger (Eph 4:26).  However, Paul pleads with us to fight for our salvation and never quit (1 Tim 4:7).  We are supposed to fight for the truth and never sell out (1 Tim 6:12).  Christians don’t fight to destroy people; we fight spiritual battles (Eph 6:11-13).  We must fight for God’s truth and stand firmly by the Bible (1 Tim 3:15, Pr 23:23).  It is perfectly fine to fight to protect your family or to defend others against attackers, muggers, etc. (Lk 22:36, Ex 22:2).  Recreational fighting, such as boxing, is also permissible (Paul used boxing as an analogy for the christian struggle – 1 Cor 9:26-27).  As in many things, the term ‘fighting’ can be right or wrong – it all depends on the context.