Even though Judaism does not acknowledge Jesus, Jesus is the God of the Jews. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He is the God of the Old Testament, though He hadn’t taken on the bodily form of a baby born in a manger:
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8
“…I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Revelation 1:17-18
“He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.” Revelation 21:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Revelation 22:13

Old Testament prophets foretold that Jesus would be born to a virgin:
“…The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).” Matthew 1:23

The Bible tells which family He will be born into:
“The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet.” Genesis 49:10

Micah tells where He will be born:
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times.”  Micah 5:2

Isaiah tells who He will be and His purpose:
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light…For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing it and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:2-8

Other details of His birth and death (Isaiah 53 is about His death) are told, in fact, all of the Old Testament is about Jesus.

The New Testament tells exactly who Jesus is:
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:6-8
“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:15-20
“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Daniel, etc. knew Jesus, the God of the Old Testament, although they did not know His by the name Jesus. The values of the Jewish religion are the values of the God of the Old Testament which is Jesus.

However, the individual Jew today does not know the God of the Old Testament unless they acknowledge Jesus as their personal Savior. Without a cornerstone, there can be no building. They have to accept the cornerstone:
“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” Psalm 118:22-23
“So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.” Isaiah 28:16
“From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler.” Zechariah 10:4
“Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” Matthew 21:42
“Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;” Mark 12:10
“Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?” Luke 20:17
“Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Acts 4:11 “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” Ephesians 2:20
“For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 1 Peter 2:6

Allah, the god of Islam, is the Moon-god, an idol from Old Testament times:
“According to Middle East scholar E. M. Wherry, whose translation of the Quran is still used today, in pre-Islamic times Allah-worship, as well as the worship of Baal, were both astral religions in that they involved the worship of the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars (E. M. Wherry, A Comprehensive Commentary on the Quran (Osnabruck: Otto Zeller Verlag, 1973), p. 36). As the moon and the evening star are associated in the heavens, so too were Allat and al-‘Uzza (Venus) together in religious belief, and so too are the crescent and star conjoined on the flags of Arab countries today (Jack Finegan, The Archeology of World Religions, 1952, p. 482-485, 492).” Brother Gigor-Scott

The Bible says that behind every idol is a demon: 
“They made him jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols. They sacrificed to demons which are not God–gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your fathers did not fear.” Deuteronomy 32:16-17
“They worshiped their idols which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.” Psalm 106:36-37
“The idols speak deceit…” Zechariah 10:2

The Apostle Paul wrote:
“…Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons…” I Corinthians 10:19-20

The leader of demons is Satan. To the Jews who did not believe in Him, Jesus said about Satan:
“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44
Many Muslims believe it is alright to lie if it is for the advantage of Islam. Should it not occur to them that a god who promotes lying in some cases might not be lying in other ways?

Satan wants to be worshipped. He even tempted Jesus to worship him:
“‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’” Matthew 4:9
“So if you will worship me, it will all be yours.” Luke 4:7

The God of the Jews and the god of the Muslims are completely opposite. This is not to say that the individual Jew and the individual Muslim are opposite. Both need to know Jesus. God does not want anyone to perish:
“This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:3-4
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
God made man in His own image, and He wants all mankind to come to know Him.

God loves both the Jew and the Muslim:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Our soldiers think they can come back to a free society. It is discouraging to see we are losing our freedoms so rapidly.

However, life is a battle between good and evil. All of us, even disabled veterans can still fight for freedom. Perhaps disabled veterans can even fight more if they cannot work or spend their time doing some of the things they could not do previously. Turn what the devil meant for evil into good:
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21
We can all pray.

We must pray and keep on praying. Jacob had cheated his brother Esau out of their father’s blessing (Genesis 27). He had previously selfishly acquired Esau’s birthright (Genesis 25), although Esau had foolishly sold it for a meal. Esau planned to kill Jacob:
“Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” Genesis 27:41
Jacob avoided this by going to his uncle Laban’s in a distant land.

Many years later Jacob returned to his home. He sent messengers to Esau offering peace:
“When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” Genesis 32:6
Esau did not want peace.

After doing all he could to appease his brother, he realized that his only hope was God. He spent the night in prayer:
“So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Genesis 32:24-26
Jacob would not give up praying till God answered his prayer. We should not give up until God answers our prayers for America.

The evil Haman used his influence to cause King Xerxes to make a rule that would destroy the Jews. On a certain day the enemies of the Jews could kill them and take possession of their property. Mordecai, along with the other Jews, put on sackcloth and ashes (symbolizing sorrow for their sin and repentance). He sent a message to Esther, the queen and his niece, to plead their case before the king. It was dangerous to go before the king without being summoned. She sent a message reminding him of this danger:
“When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:12-14
We, like Esther, are called for a time such as this.

Notice the Jews realized their need for repentance in asking God’s help in this impossible situation. God commands us to do the same:
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
America has opened herself up to many sins – abortion, homosexuality, greed of all kinds, etc. She has become a land where many consider evil to be good.

Encouraging is the fact that not everyone, just the people who belong to Jesus, need to pray, listen to what He is telling then and repent, and He will heal our land.

Is it too late for America. Perhaps. We know that there will be terrible times in the last days. It will become so bad that only Jesus coming will redeem those who belong to Him.
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…” 2 Timothy 3:1-4

At one time in Israel’s history it was beyond a place where the righteous could conquer the wicked:
“Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.” Habakkuk 1:4
Read Habakkuk to see how God handled that situation.

Another example is because of the evil King Manasseh had done (although he repented later) and the evil he had caused the people to commit, God would turn away from His anger.
“Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.” 2 Kings 21:16
“Nevertheless, the Lord did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to arouse his anger.” 2 Kings 23:26

Yet, perhaps, Jesus’ answer is what he gave to Martha in John 11. Her brother Lazarus had died, and Martha and her sister Mary, believe that if Jesus had come when they called him Lazarus would have lived:
“Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” John 11:23-27
Jesus planned to bring Lazarus back to life.

Perhaps we are like Martha. We have been calling out to God and wonder why He doesn’t seem to answer. We know that Jesus will redeem us in the last day, but He wants to do so now, and we lack the faith to believe Him. We just need patience and perseverance.

God puts in place the leadership of a nation. He has the power and authority to bring it down at any time in any way, whatever will glorify Himself when His purpose is fulfilled:
“For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Roman 9:17

Good has come from the evil that has happened. As a nation, we have become aware of our problems. Evil has been exposed; evil men have come out of the woodwork. Good men have risen to work against the evil.

God urges us to pray for our leaders:
“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Notice that God wants men to “live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness”. This is His will. We can have confidence His will be accomplished if we pray:
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” I John 5:14-15

We can pray for the defeat of tyrannical leaders. He heard the cries of His people who were oppressed by Pharaoh:
“The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey…And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.  So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” Exodus 3:7-10
We must pray for those who like Moses are called to be leaders to accomplish God’s will.

As Christians, we have the authority to determine the course of world events. We are seated in the heavenly realms with Jesus;
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:6-7

We are His priests:
“…To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.” Revelation 1:5-6

It is Christ that dwells in us:
“…Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27

We are His ambassadors. We represent Him in the world:
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20

We can ask for the impossible:
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21
Notice that “more than all we ask or imagine” is done “according to his power that is at work within us”

.

If we are told to “rejoice always” than we have a reason to do so. We can do so if we “pray continually”:
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
I have been praying for almost six years for truth to be made known because truth is one of God’s weapons (Ephesians 6:10-18). I pray for God to provide those on the front lines with wisdom, health and the finances needed. I pray for unity. I pray for the devil to over step his hand. God has asked us to pray for those in authority. God has called many to pray for America. As truth is made known, more and more will pray.

Whatever happens is for our benefit:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
Even if we are martyred we will just go to heaven. We don’t need to be concerned about ourselves as much as others.

We must remember that His main goal is that no one should perish.
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
May everyone that would come to Him if they had the opportunity have that opportunity.

No matter what the outcome (even the appearance of defeat), our prayers make a vast difference:
“And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.” Revelation 5:8
Our prayers are pleasing to God.

“About fourteen years ago I used to enjoy drinking red wine, maybe too much. I went with Esther to the Canary Islands. I went out to a beautiful spot feeling good. I felt the palm trees moving in the wind/wine. God said, “Clive, how can I use you?” I knew what He was saying, so I said “Well Lord, after the holidays I’ll deal with this.” There were three days left of the holidays. Best to obey right away, because when he got back he started making deals with God. He said, “Well, Lord, since I am a businessman, perhaps You would allow me to have the odd glass with a customer when I’m entertaining.” There was no confirmation on that one. A month or two had gone by and Clive said, “Perhaps just on holidays and Christmas time to be festive.” No confirmation on that either. So he said, “Well, Lord, I’ll not drink alcohol again, until I can drink the new wine.”

At that time I was working for a company that was selling gift foods and we were having an exhibition in London that was selling international gift foods. I went in on Friday to set up our stand, and Saturday I didn’t get there. Sunday was the first day of the exhibition. When I got there my little stand was surrounded by others. I didn’t know who they would be. To my horror I noticed I was surrounded by German wine producers. Everywhere I looked I was surrounded by bottles of wine. I said, “Lord, this is going to be a difficult week.” As soon as I said that this big German guy comes up to me and says, “We are going to be neighbors, let’s be friends. You see these little glasses of wine on my counter—they are for tasting—for my friends there are big glasses—help yourself.” I said, “Thank you very much. I’m sure my staff would love to take you up on your offer.” He said, “We can have some of your biscuits?” I said, “Yes.” It was obviously a trading agreement. As the days went on I looked at the little glasses and said, “Well, that is not really drinking, that is tasting.” So as the week went by I heard two voices. One was saying, “That’s only a little taste.” And the other voice was saying, “Clive…” By the time Friday came I thought, “Yes, I’ve done it.” And I really was excited that I’d not given in.” As I was looking into all this I really had a sense of joy in my Spirit.

Friday afternoon we started to break down our stands. What happens in these exhibitions is people start to swap the merchandise. As people were trading jam for biscuits, meat for confectionary, bottles of water for other stuff—just general trading. You couldn’t take back to your warehouse things that had been on display. Suddenly this man comes to my stand. He’s about 5’10”, very stocky. He had long strands of silvery hair just down to his shoulders. It was like strands of wire. Very unusual hair, it shone like chrome. He came straight up to me, past everyone else and he was pulling a shopping trolley. He said, “I’ve got something for you.” I said, “Thank you.” And he opened a shopping bag and pulled out three bags of non-alcoholic wine—a strawberry wine, a grape wine and an apple wine. He gave them to me and I asked him if he would like some jam or biscuits. He said, “No, no, they’re for you.” I said, “Thank you very much.” He zipped up his little bag and walked off the stand and started to walk down the corridor—only a few yards.  As I was holding these bottles of wine he suddenly disappeared. As I was looking at him he evaporated into nothing. It didn’t dawn on me till a bit later to realize God had sent an angel to say, “Well done, Clive, I appreciate what you have done.” God had actually spent time to come tell me He was pleased. “

This testimony by Clive Pick illustrates that God cannot use to a great extent those who drink even moderately. When we drink alcohol (which is a drug) our minds are clouded by demonic forces and even a little affects our ability to reason justly:
“They will eat but not have enough, they will engage in prostitution but not increase, because they have deserted the Lord to give themselves to prostitution, to old wine and new, which take away the understanding of my people…” Hosea 4:10-12 Alcohol ‘takes away the understanding of my people’.

Notice "of my people". Although in the Old Testament the Jews were referred to by God as "my people", Christians often apply that phras to themselves (wisely so) auxh as:
"if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chrohnicle 7:14 God WILL heal our land if we seek His face so we will realize how we are sinning and repent.

Alcoholic beverages are called “spirits”. The Bible even tells the names of two of the spirits:
“Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.” Proverbs 20:1 Mocker and brawler are two of the spirits. It seems that those who drink wine are more likely to mock God and His truths, and those who drink beer are more likely to brawl or be violent.
 

God expects us to be holy: “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." 1 Peter 1:15-16

RULERS ARE NOT TO DRINK ALCOHOL
 

Two classes of people that were told "not to drink wine or other fermented drink" in the Old Testament of the Bible. Priests and kings were ordered to abstain from alcohol:
“Then the Lord said to Aaron, "You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses." Leviticus 10:8-11

“…not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what the law degrees, and deprive the oppressed of their rights…” Proverbs 31:4-7 Kings and princes were not to drink so they could tell the difference between right and wrong and be fair in their judgment of the people who came before them.

The book of Revelation states that those who have accepted Christ as Savior are kings and priests:
“…To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father…” Revelation 1:5-6

The apostle Peter also says that those who know Jesus have became kings and priests. We are members of a royal family:
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9

Because of our salvation through faith in Christ we have become children of the King. We are members of the King’s family, and the orders that went out to the kings and priests apply to us. We are not to drink so that we will have clear judgment and discernment as God’s representatives in this world:
“…As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21  As Christians we are sent to witness, to teach the people. This is the responsibility of the believer:
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…”Matthew 28:19:20  In order to teach we must know the difference between right and wrong.

BITES LIKE A SNAKE

"…Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!  In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper…" Proverbs 23:29-35 Don’t be deceived when the wine swirls around in the cup—it will eventually bite like a snake.

If you have alcoholism down the line in your family back through the generations, you can be sure you have a weakness in that area and the devil will be watching to snare you like he did your ancestors. It is in the soul that we see the effects of our forefathers. Some of these things have become giants or Goliaths in our lives. God is always looking to break the curse, but we must do our part by not deliberately sinning. The tortures of alcoholism can be completely avoided is if one never drinks.

“indeed, wine betrays him…” “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies.  You will be filled with shame instead of glory.  Now it is your turn!  Drink and be exposed!  The cup from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory.” Habukkuk 2:5, 15-16 Those who drink can commit shameful acts because drinking will weaken the will. People who have been drinking lose self-control:
"But the fruit of the Spirit is…self-control…Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:22-25
Christians who think it is alright to drink do not plan to drink too much, and they do not plan the poor choices that come from drinking too much.

“Although most people do not become addicted to alcohol on their first drink, a small proportion do. As a clinical psychiatrist who has worked with alcoholics for more than 30 years, I have seen many people who have experienced a strong liking of alcohol from their very first exposure and then gone on to become addicted to it. We cannot at present predict who these people will be, so any exposure to alcohol runs the risk of producing addiction in some users.
The supposed cardiovascular benefits of a low level of alcohol intake in some middle-aged men cannot be taken as proof that alcohol is beneficial. To do that one would need a randomised trial where part of this group drink no alcohol, others drink in small amounts and others more heavily. Until this experiment has been done we don’t have proof that alcohol has health benefits. A recent example of where an epidemiological association was found not to be true when tested properly was hormone replacement therapy. Population observations suggested that HRT was beneficial for post-menopausal women, but when controlled trials were conducted it was found to cause more harm than good.
For all other diseases associated with alcohol there is no evidence of any benefit of low alcohol intake – the risks of accidents, cancer, elcers etc rise inexorably with intake…
We must not allow apologists for this toxic industry to pull the wool over our eyes with their myth of a safe alcohol dose, however appealing it might be to all us so-called "safe" drinkers." 
      David Nutt is professor of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London and chairs the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs.
 

WICKEDNESS IS ASSOCIATED WITH DRINKING
 

A number of things go hand in hand with drunkenness: immorality, rebellion against God, the destruction of man:
“They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain. ‘Come,’ each one cries, ‘let me get wine! Let us drink our fill of beer!  And tomorrow will be like today, or even far better.’” Isaiah 56:11-12 The wicked are characterized as drinking alcohol.
 

“…As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone…That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain…” Daniel 5 Could one honestly praise God with alcohol? Yet it is natural to praise other “gods” this way.

WE WILL BE JUDGED

This wickedness leads to judgment:
“…acts of the sinful nature are…drunkenness, orgies…that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21

“For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” 1 Peter 4:17
Though true believers will go to heaven, they will still be held accountable for what they do under the influence of alcohol, perhaps even more so than those of the world because they are bringing dishonor to God.
 

Sometimes God allows drunkenness itself to be the consequence of sin:
"…This is what the Lord says: ‘I am going to fill with drunkenness all who live in this land…I will allow no pity or mercy or compassion to keep me from destroying them.” Jeremiah 13:13-14 God allows the consequences of alcohol use as a judgment. Later in the same book:
“Make her drunk for she has defied the Lord.  Let Moab wallow in her vomit; let her be an object of ridicule.”  Jeremiah 48:26

God has allowed the consequences of drunkenness to bring destruction to a nation. History reveals that sixteen civilizations have fallen because of drunkenness. When we see the tragic increase in alcoholism we cannot but wonder whether God is going to allow this means of bringing judgment.
 

"…nor drunkards…will inherit the kingdom of God…" I Corinthians 6:9-10 The worst consequence is drinking is hell for all eternity. Would you want this for those you influence?

Whether we get drunk or not, we will be judged on how we spend our money, how we use our time, how we take care of our bodies and the example we set for others, etc. Does drinking benefit us or others in any way?

BAD EXAMPLE

"It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to stumble…" Romans 14:21-23 Perhaps alcohol will never become a problem for you. But suppose someone to whom it would become a problem sees you, a Christian, drinking and thinks it is alright to drink moderately. If he becomes an alcoholic, whose fault is it?

We were working with an intern in a town where we were pastors. This girl believed it was alright to drink a little because that is what her church taught. She didn’t drink often, but one time she had a drink with the teens who looked up to her. A while later a group of girls came to see her. They were drunk, and when she rebuked them, they said, “Well, you drink”.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble…even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.” 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 Does drinking alcohol bring any glory to God? Some people might say, “We can associate with those who drink if we drink.” But is your association bringing clear understanding of what Christianity is? Isn’t it making the differences between a Christian and a non-Christian foggy?

In fact, not drinking alcohol gives a chance to present the gospel. We had a pastor in Montreal who had been a chaplain during the war in Vietnam. He had been required to be at the social functions where alcohol was consumed in abundance. He could tell anyone who asked why he abstained from alcohol and tell them about Jesus Christ.

 
JESUS DID NOT DRINK ALCOHOL
 

Satan loves to twist what God does.So Satan has perverted wine. The good or best wine that Jesus miraculously made in Cana (John 2) was fresh, new—straight from the vine. It is not good because of its high alcoholic content as alcoholic wine can be defined. In an excellent book review on the internet, proof is given that Jesus did not drink nor Scripture advocate the use of alcoholic beverages. See:
Wine in the Bible: A Biblical Study on the Use of Alcoholic Beverages A Preview of Wine in the Bible Samuele Bacchiocchi, PH. D., Andrews University. Even the preview of this book which is given on the interest is much more complete than this article. 

Dr. Bacchiocchi’s proves that the word “wine” in English, Latin, Greek and Hebrews has been used historically to refer to the juice of the grape, whether fermented or unfermented. The usage in each individual case depends upon the context of the passage. This fact clear up a great deal of misunderstanding as does the fact that unfermented wine was easier to store and keep than fermented wine. 
 

SUMMARY

Those who belong to Jesus are “a royal priesthood” and commanded not to drink alcohol.
It “bites like a snake”—destroying the life of many even though it seems harmless or even pleasant. No one knows who will become addicted.
 

Drinking alcohol is assocaited with wickedness. 
 

God will judge those who abuse alcohol. He used alcohol abuse itself as a judgment. 
 

Others could start drinking because they see you drinking. Drinking alcohol is a bad example of Christianity to unbelievers who instinctively know it is wrong. Not drinking helps give a clear understanding when the gospel is presented.
 

Jesus did not drink alcoholic beverages. The word “wine” can be used for unfermented or fermented grape juice in  English, Latin, Greek and Hebrew. It was relatively easy to store unfermented wine at the time of Jesus
 

Let’s not get as close to evil as we can without (supposedly) suffering consequences; stay as far from sin as possible. Nothing good comes from drinking alcohol, even a little:
“…everything that does not come from faith is sin.” Romans 14:23

One of the biggest factors in giving up an addiction is to be motivated enough to do so. Many people have given up smoking after a heart attack, cancer or a lung disease. Even though Jesus died for our sins, we still receive the natural consequences of a particular sin unless Jesus intervenes. If we repent (change our minds so  we stop doing the sin) and are His children, we often do not receive all that we deserve:
“he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” Psalm 103:10 (See Ezra 9:13).
God often gives the ungodly what they deserve (Leviticus 26:21 Jeremiah 51:6 and any more examples), even in this life. 

Even when we do not get what we deserve, we must not take it lightly:
“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” Romans 2:4

Besides natural consequences (such as health or appearance), there is spiritual consequences. Sin leads us into self-deception:
“…whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” 1 Timothy 4:2

Realize how serious it is to allow sin in your life.
Achan (Joshua 7) stole a few items because of greed, against God’s direct command, and brought death to several people and destruction to his whole family.
Saul, did not destroy all the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15), as God commanded, and was destroyed, in part, by an Amalekite (2 Samuel 1), symbolizing that if we allow even a little sin in our lives, it can eventually destroy us.
Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) lied to the Holy Spirit by selling land and pretending to give all the money to the apostles when they had kept some for themselves. God considered this very serious and they died.

Perhaps the worse consequence of our sin is on our family and those we love. Notice how Achan’s family all died.
Although God said about David: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart…” Acts 13:23, David’s sons suffered the consequences of his sin:
“Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.” 2 Samuel 12:10
Mordecai told Esther that if she did not do what God was asking her to do, her family would perish:
“When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:12-14
Esther readily obeyed and blessed many people.

The newspaper told about a family who had shoplifted in order to get Christmas gifts for their children. I knew the three boys had accepted Jesus when they were young. The last I heard they are selling drugs. A Christmas without gifts would have been a perfect opportunity to teach how the reason for Christmas is to celebrate Jesus’ birth. We don’t need gifts. Who knows, perhaps Jesus would have provided gifts if they had trusted Him. Instead, they were teaching that obeying Jesus wasn’t important – only receiving gifts. The consequences sin brings are heart breaking.

Make sure you have “a broken and contrite heart” Psalm 51:17 We must realize how much sin hurts God and others. We must repent of our sin. If we change our mind we will change our actions. We must change our mind, but the goal is not to feel hopeless or defeated, but to change so we will not sin anymore.
“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done…” 2 Corinthians 7:10

Be willing to suffer. Sometimes the Lord will may the way easy, but usually giving up addictions often requires a time of suffering. Yet it will get easier and will be worth all we have to endure. He “will not give us more than we can bear”:
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
God will “provide a way out”. Again, God does not want us to feel hopeless or defeated. We may lose some battles, but we will win the war if we don’t give up.

God disciplines us because He loves us:
“‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,  because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.’ (Proverbs 3:11-12)
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?  If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.” Romans 12:5-13
God’s discipline has a good purpose.

Substitute good for evil:
“…Hate what is evil; cling to what is good….Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:9-21
“Finally, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8
“but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.” I Thessalonians 5:21-22
If an addiction has taken up a significant part of our lives, we have to replace it with something else. Do we need new hobbies, new friends, new music, etc? The best we can do is concentrate on Jesus and His Word:
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2

Pray without ceasing. Praying means listening, being aware of God’s presence and trying to do what pleases Him. It means continually relying on Him and thanking Him. It also includes times of studying His word and earnest supplication. Every activity in life can involve prayer. Think of praying continually as a goal:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7
“Rejoice always, pray continually,” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17
Ask others to pray for you. Pray for others that you know are also fighting addictions.

Pray in the Spirit. Praying in the Spirit is powerful. It is Christ praying through us:
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:18
One of my pastors said that he could not give up smoking till he was baptized in the Holy Spirit. He needed the free gift of God’s added power.

Walk in the Spirit: Learn to be comfortable being in God’s presence all the time:
“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:5-6

Sometimes, if someone has tried for years to get rid of an addiction, he or she can think it is impossible or hopeless:
“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:26 Mark 10:27
“I can do everything through him who gives me strength,” Philippians 4:13

Know that it is God’s will that you overcome your addiction. He will do all He can to answer your prayers:
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us; and if we know that he hears us, we know that we have what we asked of him.” 1 John 5:13-14

Realize that “Christ in you” Colossians 1:27 can succeed:
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” Ephesians 3:20

Several scriptures set the standard:
We should do not anything we feel does not please God:
“Everything that does not come from faith is sin.” Romans 14:23
If we are not sure if something has too much control in our lives, we should specially pray about it and ask God’s wisdom:
“Everything is permissible for me—but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me—but I will not be mastered by anything.” 1 Corinthians 6:12
Our bodies belong to God; we are obligated to honor God with our bodies:
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
We should do everything for “the glory of God”:
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17
Does something hurt our relationship with God, our relationship with others or harm the relationship of others to God?
“It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.” Romans  14:21

Usually addictions are obvious to ourselves and others. To overcome an addiction, we need all the help we can get. Hopefully, some of these suggestions will add to the wisdom you have already acquired.

Most important is that we believe in Jesus Christ:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17
Just tell Jesus you believe in Him and will follow His commands.

He can and will work in us to change us so we will be set “free from every sin”:
“Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin…” Acts 13:39
If we admit and repent (change our mind so that we see the seriousness of our sin), He will “purify us from all unrighteousness”:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

People do give up addictions without knowing Jesus, but a relationship with Jesus is the most important decision we can make for eternity, and is also beneficial for this present life.

Pain often causes addiction, and what is needed is more than a pat answer. It can require fulfilling a deep need. We have believed a lie, if not intellectually, in our hearts and emotions. We need to realize a truth. God can bring circumstances that expose a lie and bring the truth to life. Maybe it will be through a book, a counselor, a sermon or a stranger, etc. Often the Scripture reveals truth – it IS God’s Word. Jesus is the Word:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… Through him all things were made…In him was life…The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-14
Jesus is the truth:
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
He is the only way to real freedom:
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

Two main causes of emotional pain are fear and shame:
Sometimes fear is good, but often it is unnecessary or harmful. The opposite of worry or unfounded fear is faith or trust. God is pleased with faith:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.  But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded and unstable in all he does.” James 12-8
He promises wisdom to anyone who asks. It does not matter what we have done or if we feel worthy – we will receive wisdom if we ask.

God promises to give wisdom to all who ask. Wisdom gives power, including power to overcome addiction:
“A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength;” Proverbs 24:5
It takes time to gain knowledge (if that is what is necessary), but God will led us to the knowledge we need if we listen to Him.

God works in us to produce faith:
“for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Philippians 2:13
When we see Him working in our lives, we get to know Him and His goodness. 
We can help by studying His word:
“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” Romans 10:17
Listening to, memorizing, studying and meditating on the Scriptures help us to have faith.

Shame is another reason for addiction. Shame can be good, also. If we feel guilt, it could be conviction of the Holy Spirit who wants us to give up our sin. Conviction means we can do something that will be beneficial to ourselves and others – we can give up a sin.

However, condemnation is harmful. If we feel condemned, we feel that we, as a person, are worthless, and there is nothing we can do (at least beneficial). Addiction can start because we get momentary relief from a certain behavior that eventually hurts ourselves and others.

God loves you. He does not condemn you:
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2
It is important that we realize how much He loves us:
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19

Jesus’ death on the cross paid for our sin:
“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel… ” Colossians 1:21-23
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed" (Isaiah 53:5).” 1 Peter 2:24
Because of Jesus’ death we can “live for righteousness”

If we believe in Him (if we “fear him”) our sins are removed “as far as the east is from the west”:
“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.  He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;  as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.  As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.” Psalm 103:8-13
His death on the cross means that we are not held accountable for our sins. He has taken our place; we should have died:
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:13-15
When He died on the cross, He also took away Satan’s legal claim to the earth. When Adam sinned, he gave the authority of the earth God had given him, to Satan. Jesus took it back.

Realize addictions are demonic. God has given those who believe in Him authority to defeat the devil and his demons:
“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing ill harm you.” Luke 10:19 (See Matthew 10:1 Mark 6:7 Luke 9:1).
We are His disciples if we believe in Him.

Be vigilant. The devil does not play fair, and will attack us when we are down:
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

We are not who we were before we became a Christian; we are a new person:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
We do not have to be ashamed:
“As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” Romans 10:11
Jesus even paid for sins we commit after we are Christians.

Sometimes, a person feels that their sin would be exposed by a vengeful person, or example if they leave a relationship – almost a form of blackmail. The demonic is often directly involved; someone can pray to or worship Satan or his demons. Even then, God can do the miraculous, if we obey:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
“And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.” 2 Corinthians 10:6

Using spiritual weapons (truth, obedience, showing love, faith, wisdom, Word and prayer – Ephesians 6:10-18) we can “demolish strongholds”: Strongholds in ourselves are lies we believe after being wounded. Addictions are often partly due to lies we believe: 
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-6
Knowing and doing what we know to be God’s will demolishes strongholds. Perfect obedience brings a perfect solution.

Sometimes, a person can feel guilt or shame when they have done nothing wrong. Tamar was raped by her half-brother and had to bear the shame forever although she had done nothing wrong (2 Samuel 13).
“Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornate robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went.” 2 Samuel 13:19
God has recorded the stories of people in the Bible that would fit the circumstances of our life to show us we are not alone and He understands.

God knows the perfect solution for each of us. He will do all He can to help us understand that solution.

“…In the mid seventies I heard a four part message that at the time seemed impossible. It was prior to the economic boom of the eighties when home values were skyrocketing and the stock market was reaching to the stars. The message was in English and said ‘Michael you are a prophet’ then came the words ‘you will speak to the American people,’ followed by ‘This is the message you will speak, Ov, Ov Penury,’ the final word was ‘not many will come out.’…

The message made no sense to me not only because America wasn’t experiencing shortages of almost anything but also because I hadn’t a clue what ‘Ov’ meant. The word penury wasn’t even in my vocabulary and I had to look it up.
I finally found that Ov is an old English contraction for ‘overmuch’ which more commonly means ‘a lot of.’ The word penury means, a state of extreme poverty or scarcity. America, in a state of extreme poverty and scarcity! Try telling that to the American dream crowd pounding away at the house in suburbia with two cars, strong college funds for the 3.5 kids, good pension plans and success in careers or business.

I took some consolation in the fact that the exact same message was given to Pastor David Wilkerson of New York City’s ‘Times Square Church.’ …Wilkerson published a book called ‘The Vision.’ In The Vision Wilkerson detailed the amazing events that God revealed to him after he fasted and went into a long prayer vigil.

From then to now every single element of the revelation given to Wilkerson has already happened with the exception of one. That part of his vision seems to have been delayed until now just like my own. He saw a stock market dive and other economic disasters that would leave the country reeling…The world’s greatest ‘super power’ is in for an awakening. It is apropos that judgments, chastisements and corrections should come to America through economic hardships but why. Put simply it is the only language we never misunderstand. The American dream consists of everything we hold dear, the home, the cars, plenty of everything and untouchable security. You can speak of the threat of terrorists or the explosive situation brewing in the Middle East but our own economic woes are as close to home as it gets.

My view of what God has told me has been colored, reinforced and given more particulars by a careful comparison of our history, other biblical prophecies and the general moral state of the nation over the past forty years. My view is that we will undergo a deepening of the economic crisis until the fluff is blown away. What fluff you say?

Almost everything that we take for granted will no longer be granted. Jobs will dissolve by the tens of thousands; goods will be harder to find including ordinary food supplies. Grain will not be used for fuel because it will be too precious. Banks will close, fortunes will be lost and the precious metals purchased for backup will be useless. The line from an old Christian song says it best, ‘A piece of bread would buy a bag of gold.’ Pension funds will collapse or be diverted and securities and bonds will diminish rapidly in value. Stocks will plummet from blue chips to tech stocks. The word survival will once again take the place of success and riches as keywords in our everyday conversations as they did during the great depression.

The message was appendaged with the words ‘not many will come out.’ I have never doubted what that means. Clearly the modern apostate church and the world at large will not haste to heed this warning. Human nature is ancient but little has changed in it. As in the old world today folks will cozy up to the voices that promise great things to come with no downside attached. Ancient prophets always gave their messages to point people to the leaving God not to gather adherents to their own doorstep. Today it would be possible to preach the gospel of salvation of the divine pumpkin pie if you have a good enough publicist and access to some major TV time. For that ‘they will come out,’ not God’s words but mine. But don’t worry there will always be ‘Philadelphian’ type churches throughout America until the very end. (Rev. 3: 7f)

Some have asked where they should put their money. In keeping with the biblically derived formula that money saved is usually money wasted, money spent is money used and money given is money saved; I have only one answer. Give it away, as much as you possibly can. (Mt. 6:19) Find some organization that feeds and clothes children or drills wells in villages without clean water or give it to orphanages or ministries that are getting the gospel out. You will become rich in ways that have nothing to do with personal gain.

The poverty or scarcity God speaks of has nothing to do with hurting or harming the nation. It is a wake up call or what the bible calls ‘chastisement’ for the most obvious reasons, God loves us. In the famous story of the prodigal son in the fifteenth chapter of Luke one element of the story that is almost always overlooked is what caused the prodigal to get so low that he had to feed pigs and to avoid starvation he was even tempted to eat some of their food. The element not often mentioned is the fact that he squandered the fortune that was given to him from his inheritance. He wasted the blessings of his father without regard to the future. He lived riotously and the party seemed like it would never end. All parties end.

Why does God send prophets, messengers and preachers to us so steadily so faithfully? I’ll let him answer that for himself from a passage found in the illustrious version of the bible known as the ‘Message.’
"’Think about this. Wrap your minds around it. This is a serious business, rebels. Take it to heart. Remember your history, your long and rich history. I am God, the only God you’ve had or ever will have – incomparable, irreplaceable – From the very beginning telling you what the ending will be, All along letting you in on what is going to happen, Assuring you, I’m in this for the long haul. I’ll do exactly what I set out to do.’ Isaiah 46: 8-10 “

Rev Brescianiis an author and columnist for several online and print publicatioons.

Discipline is best defined by the Bible:
“Blessed is the one you discipline, LORD, the one you teach from your law;” Psalm 94:12 We can rejoice when we are disciplined knowing it is for our good. We are being trained from God’s perfect Word:
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” 1 Timothy 3:16 We gain wisdom and understanding and grow closer to Him.

God considers us His children when He disciplines us:
“Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.” Deuteronomy 8:5
He disciplines us according to what is needed. If we are good parents, we will do the same. For instance, a good parent would gently rebuke his child and only if that doesn’t produce results, would he consider a harsher consequence.

God disciplines us because He loves us. Discipline may be unpleasant but “it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace”:
“And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.
Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!
They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:5-11 (Proverbs 3:11-12)

We are disciplined for a purpose:
“Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.” 1 Corinthians 11:32
“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” Revelation 3:19

We have a responsibility to discipline those God has put under our care. We will suffer consequences until we obey, and we should do the same with our children:
”Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.” Proverbs13:24
“Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.” Proverbs 19:18
“Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.” Proverbs 23:13

This article is mainly about our responsibility to discipline those God has put under our care,

Eli, a priest in Israel, is an example of using poor discipline with his children. The story of Eli is found in 1 Samuel 1-4.

“Year after year this man (Elkanah) went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD.” 1 Samuel 1:3

Elkanah had two wives. One of his wives, Hannah, had no children. Hannah went with her husband to Shiloh:
“…Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the LORD’s house. In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “LORD Almighty , if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”
“Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”
Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” 1 Samuel 1:9-17

Eli knew the Lord, and in some ways was a good priest. He had compassion on Hannah and knew how to pray for her. He lacked discernment, thinking she was drunk, but that is a mistake many could have made.

“…they brought the boy to Eli, and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” And he worshiped the LORD there.” 1 Samuel 1:25-28

“Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy ministered before the LORD under Eli the priest.” 1 Samuel 2:11

Eli’s serious flaw, serious enough to harm the whole nation of Israel because of the authority he had as priest and serious enough to be recorded in the Bible, was his failure to discipline his sons:
“Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the LORD. Now it was the practice of the priests that, whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was being boiled and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. But even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.
If the person said to him, “Let the fat be burned first, and then take whatever you want,” the servant would answer, “No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force.”
This sin of the young men was very great in the LORD’s sight, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.” 1 Samuel 2:12-17

Perhaps Eli was eating the meat his sons gave him, even though he knew it was detestable to the Lord:
“…Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?” 1 Samuel 2:29
“…he was heavy…” 1 Samuel 4:18 Maybe he was participating in this sin and so did not feel free to chastise his sons, giving them the consequences they deserved.

 
I remember visiting a woman who said she was trying to eat a healthy diet, but she had to eat the donuts her husband brought home for her. She seemed to think she had no choice. This is almost like Eli. His attitude seemed to be that he knew it was wrong, but what could he do? This is a trap all of us can fall into – if we have been involved in a sin for a long time, we begin to think we cannot change.

Other sins, he did rebuke:
“Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the LORD’s people is not good. If one person sins against another, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the LORD, who will intercede for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the LORD’s will to put them to death.” 1 Samuel 2:22-25
Eli knew what his sons were doing. He told them not to do this, but didn’t do anything. He could have replaced them. God saw their heart and planned their death.

God seems to have considered their sin of not respecting His offering as worse than their sexual sin because their sexual sins weren’t mentioned in the prophecy against Eli’s family:
“Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? I chose your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings presented by the Israelites. Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’
“Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age, and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age. Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life.
And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day. I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always. Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead, “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat. ”’ 1 Samuel 2:27-36

Samuel was the faithful priest being prepared by the Lord to rule Israel in place of Eli’s family:
“The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.” 1 Samuel 3:1

The Lord also gave to Samuel a prophecy about Eli’s family:
“And the LORD said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God and he failed to restrain them. Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’” 2 Samuel 3:11-14

God had told Eli twice of the coming judgment – first from an unnamed prophet and then from Samuel. The Lord told him his family would be destroyed because of the sin he knew about, but refused to discipline. Eli accepted the fact that the sins his sons were committing were serious and that the Lord’s judgment was fair. He said, “He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes.” 1 Samuel 3:17 He accepted the consequences of his actions but refused to change.

The fulfillment of the prophecy seems to have taken place quite a while later because Samuel had grown up.
“The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD. The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.
And Samuel’s word came to all Israel.” 1 Samuel 3:-4:1

Perhaps the consequences were more than Eli antcipated because he died when he heard the ark of the Lord was captured by the enemy: “The man who brought the news replied, “Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.”
When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died…” 1 Samuel 4:17-18 The ark of God was taken into battle as a sign that God’s presence was with the Israelites.

When she was dying in childbirth, his daughter-in-law named her son Ichabod saying, “theGlory has departed from Israel, for the ark of the Lord has been captured.” 1 Samuel 4:22 Losing the ark meant that God’s blessing had departed from Israel.

All Israel suffered from Eli’s lack of discipline.

David is another example of using poor discipline with his children. Even though “…God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ Acts 13:22
God spoke through Samuel to King Saul, David predecessor:
“But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.” 1 Samuel 13:14

One reason that David was a man after God’s heart was his repentance of sin. Nathan, a prophet of God, told David a story of a man with many lambs taking the one prized lamb of a man who only had one lamb in order to feed a guest (1 Samuel 12).

When David “…burned with anger…” 1 Samuel 12:5 against this heartless deed, Nathan said:
“…“You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more.Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’
This is what the LORD says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”
Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD. Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the LORD, the son born to you will die.”1 Samuel 12:7-13

David confessed his sin and the Lord forgave him–he did not die. Death was the just punishment prescribed by the law:
“If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife–with the wife of his neighbor–both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.” Leviticus 20:10

However, David had to face the consequences of his actions:
“…God cannot be mocked. A man sows what he reaps.” Galatians 6:7 David knew God well enough not to blame Him for the events that had happened or the consequences of those events. Even though David was a man after God’s own heart:
“…God does not show favoritism” Romans 2:11 Actually, because he was the king of God’s people he was judged more strictly. This is the same principle set out in James 3:1 “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”

The first consequence was the death of the son conceived as a result of David and Bathsheba’s sin. David’s response shows his knowledge of God:
“While the child was alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” 2 Samuel 12:22-23 He understood the mercy of God, but accepted His righteous judgment. This passage also shows other important truths. One is, that every child that dies before he is born or before he understands good and evil goes to heaven (Psalm 139:13-16; Deuteronomy 1:39).

One of the laws given to Moses concerning a ruler of God’s people states that they were not to have many wives:
“He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray.” Deuteronomy 17:17 David disobeyed this law by having several wives (2 Samuel 3:2-5; 2 Samuel 5:13-14; 1 Chronicles 3:1-9). Although, his heart was not led astray, his son Solomon’s heart was, as a result of his example. Jesus says that God’s ideal for marriage was one woman for one man:
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” Matthew 19:5; Mark 10:7 This was a first indication that David, in this respect, was not right with God.

David’s second wife, Ahinoam of Jezreel (1 Samuel 27:3) was the mother of Amnon, David’s firstborn. Amnon was completely godless and the first indication that “…the sword will never depart from your house…” 2 Samuel 12:10 It seems that David, who knew the Lord so well, had little contact with this son. If David had been concentrating on teaching his children godly principles, his heart would have remained close to the Lord and he would not have fallen into such a great sin.

Amnon lusted after Tamar, the daughter of David by his fourth wife, Maacah. He pretended to be ill and requested that Tamar make bread for him in his presence. After getting rid of the servants, he raped Tamar and, then, drove her from his presence (2 Samuel 13). David was furious, but he did nothing about this crime. It is difficult to judge fairly when we are guilty of the same crime we are to judge.

Two years later, Absalom, whose mother was also Maacah, murdered Amnon as revenge for raping Tamar. Absalom fled to Geshur for three years where his grandfather lived. David then allowed Absalom to return, although he did not allow his son to come into his presence.

David never punished Absalom accept through rejection, which is not a suitable punishment. Punishing Absalom would have been even more difficult for David than punishing Amnon–not only was murder a sin he had committed when he had Uriah killed, but it was also his own failure to punish Amnon that had caused this crime. Also time had made the crime seem less serious:
“And the spirit of the king longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon’s death.” 2 Samuel 13:39

After two years of living in Jerusalem David forgave Absalom (although Absalom never repented) and reinstated him in the royal family.Absalom was now the first in line for inheriting his father’s kingdom. He made plans to acquire the kingdom before David’s death and after four years requested that he be allowed to visit Hebron, the site of an important sanctuary, saying he had made a vow to the Lord. Absalom used David’s love for the Lord as an excuse to trick David. David told him to go in peace. While there, Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes in Israel to say that as soon as they heard the sound of the trumpet, they were to say, “Absalom is king in Hebron.” 2 Samuel 15:10

When David heard a report of this he fled Jerusalem with his officials in order to avoid a bloodbath. He took his entire household, leaving ten concubines to watch the palace.

A wise and respected counselor of David’s, Ahithophel, appears to have secretly aligned himself with Absalom in the planning stage of the revolt. Since Ahithophel was Bathsheba’s grandfather (2 Samuel 11:3; 23:34), perhaps this was also the result of David’s treatment of Bathsheba and Uriah. Ahitophel gave Absalom the advice to lie with the ten concubines David left in Jerusalem. This was to show all Israel that “you have made yourself a stench in your father’s nostril, and the hands of everyone with you will be strengthened.” 2 Samuel 16:21 Absalom followed this advice fulfilling Nathan’s prophecy:
"This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’” 2 Samuel 12:11-12

When Ahithophel’s further advice was not followed, he, realizing that the rebellion would not be successful, hanged himself (2 Samuel17:23) His suicide, plus the twenty thousand men that died in battle between David’s men and Absalom’s men (2 Samuel 17:7) were a result of David’s sin.

When Absalom was killed in battle, David wept:
“O my son Absalom! My son! My son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you–O Absalom, my son, my son!” 2 Samuel 18:33 Sin had a tremendous price. Perhaps adding to David’s grief was the knowledge that his own sin was one cause of Absalom’s death.

More consequences would follow. Adonijah, the next in line for the kingship, got chariots with horses and fifty men to run ahead. He conferred with Joab and several others to acquire the kingship and planned a great feast. David was very old at this time. Nathan, the prophet, asked Bathsheba to remind David of his promise to put her son Solomon on the throne and to tell David of Adonijah’s intentions. When she did this, Nathan arrived and confirmed what she had said. David made Solomon king. Solomon pardoned Adonijah.

However, when Adonijah asked Bathsheba to request of Solomon if he could marry Abishag, Solomon realized that he was, in fact, requesting the throne. Abishag had cared for King David at the end of his reign. Although she was a virgin, the people would regard her as belonging to David’s harem–possession of the royal harem signified the right to the throne. Solomon had Adonijah, Joab, commander of the army, and Abiathar the priest who had given Adonijah support, put to death.

Finally, Solomon, so wise and spoken to directly by God twice, turned away from the Lord because of his many wives (1 Kings 11:1-13). He did not understand the severity of the sin of having many wives partly because of the example of his father, David.

“Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.” Proverbs 6:27-29 We take the sin of adultery so lightly today. God does not.

God’s punishment is the consequence of the sin we commit, although “he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” Psalm 103:10 The consequences of David’s sin had already been set in motion when he chose to sin. His children, whom he should have been instructing in the fear of the Lord, were neglected to their destruction.

The wives David had chosen seem not to have taught them about God, although Abigail, his third wife, was a godly woman. Her son Kileab (2 Samuel 3:3) or Daniel (1 Chronicles 3:1) appears to have died because his name is mentioned only in the genealogies, and he would have been in line for the throne after Amnon.

Partly because of the guilt and shame of having returned evil for good, David could not see clearly to raise his family properly. David corrected his mistake of neglecting his sons and spent many hours instructing Solomon in the things of the Lord (the majority of the book of Proverbs was written by Solomon). David appears never to have realized his sin of having many wives.

If your child deliberately, against your warning, touches something hot and is badly burned, you might tell him what to expect, what he would have to suffer. But you would wish, with all your heart, that he had not disobeyed and would have to face the consequences. That is something like what God felt. He must have wished with all His heart that David had not sinned. He would not want several of David’s children perhaps to perish in everlasting torment.

However, God has established a standard; His Law must be obeyed. When Adam chose to disobey (Genesis 3), the authority given to him by God to rule over the world was given to Satan, the devil. The Bible shows that Satan had the legal right to control the world by Jesus’ acceptance of what Satan said when he tempted Jesus:
“The devil led him to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, ‘I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.” Luke 4:5-6. Jesus chose not to sin and was qualified by His death to pay the penalty for the sin of mankind.

To a certain extent Satan has the legal right to control any situation in which we choose to sin. If we do not choose to sin, Satan cannot harm us; we are under God’s protection:
“Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.” Proverbs 26:2 If David had not sinned, evil would not have been able to touch his house in the same way that it did because he chose to sin.

Although David was not the father he should have been, his children had a more than average opportunity to know God. Each individual is judged on his own merit:
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:10

God’s punishment is always redemptive; He always punishes for His glory and our good. There is a difference between punishment and consequences. Using the analogy again of your child touching something hot after you have warned him, the consequences would be the pain he experiences from disobedience. You would probably not punish him because there would be no need; he would have learned his lesson without any need of punishment. Were the terrible results of David’s sin consequence or punishment? Only God knows the full answer.

Even though there were terrible consequences of David’s sin, God used it to teach us many truths. Because of his sin of adultery and murder, David wrote Psalm 51. This psalm is a masterpiece on the character of God and His dealings with man. God is:
“proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.”
David realized his sin was frst and foremost against God–his sin had severed the closeness between God and himself:
“Against you, you only, have I sinned.” He realized he “was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (a truth we need to know to combat the heresy that man is basically good). He realized:
“you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place”
God had a high purpose for allowing this whole experience:
“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son” Romans 8:29
Like all of us, if David had understood the consequences of sin and had known God better, this would have been avoided. And David knew God well. That is why we need a Savior–Someone to pay for the sins we do commit.

An example of good discipline is Paul who considered the people he led to the Lord as his children.
 
He considered the Corinthians his children:
“Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.” 1 Corinthians 4:15
He rebuked them as a loving father would rebuke his children. All of 1 Corinthians 6 is a rebuke.

He told the fathers in Ephesus how to discipline their children:
“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4

He was to the Thessalonians as a loving parent would be:
“…Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well…For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.” 1 Thessalonians 1:7-12 As a nursing mother he loved and cared for them, and as a father deals with his children, he encouraged, comforted and urged them to live a life worthy of God.

He wanted to see them as a parent would want to see his child:
“But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you…For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.” 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20
He will love them forever.

Paul considered Timothy his son and treated him accordingly:
“But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.” Philippians 2:22
“To Timothy my true son in the faith…” 1 Timothy 1:2
“To Timothy, my dear son…as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.” 2 Timothy 2:2-4 He constantly prayed for Timothy and longed to see him as a father would his son.

Paul rebuked Timothy with love:
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:6-7 He corrected Timothy by a gentle reminder.

But Paul did correct Timothy. Do we speak “…the truth in love…” Ephesians 4:15?

As Christians “…we have the mind if Christ” 1 Corinthians 2:16. God will give us the wisdom to discipline those under our authority. We just need to seek his wisdom and boldness.
 

Satan can cause natural disasters if he has God’s permission. Satan caused the disasters that came on Job:
“Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”
“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” 
Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” Job 1:8-19

“Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”
“Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.”
So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.” Job 2:3-8

God causes disasters. For instance, He punished Sodom and Gomorrah for their sin:
“The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.” Genesis 19:12-13

Children of God have power through prayer to avert disaster. In the case of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham’s prayer would have changed God’s mind if the conditions were met:
“Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?” 
He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.” Genesis 18:32
Ten righteous men were not found in the city.

Abraham’s prayer did save the lives of his righteous nephew Lot and his family:
“So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.” Genesis 19:29
“and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men.” 2 Peter 2:7

A friend told how her church had prayed when a tornado was coming their way. The tornado bypassed the church though the church was in the tornado’s path. God hears our prayers in disasters, although sometimes He chooses not to have us escape them entirely. Our prayers have an important influence on what happens, and the amount of influence might surprise us.

God also inflicted plagues on Egypt:
“The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God.’ But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.” Exodus 3:18-20

God is in control. He explains that He chose Pharaoh purposely—Pharaoh’s disobedience would bring God glory:
“It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.” Romans 9:16-18

The book of Jonah gives some interesting insight into God’s control of nature and His character. He used a vine to protect His servant and later destroyed the vine to discipline him and show Jonah His great compassion for the wicked who repent:
“But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” Jonah 4:10-11

A few more examples include the earthquake when Jesus died:
“When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”” Matthew 27:54

The earthquake when the angel moved the stone away from Jesus’ grave:
“There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.” Matthew 28:2

And the earthquake that freed Paul and Silas from prison:
“Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.” Acts 16:26

In the book of Revelation the earthquakes that will come are to show God’s glory and give man a chance to repent:
“I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,” Revelation 6:12
“Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.” Revelation 8:5
“At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.” Revelation 11:13
“Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.” Revelation 11:19
“Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake.” Revelation 16:18

Most of the time disasters are the result of natural laws God has put in place. In the following instance Jesus seems to have meant that if they did not repent, they would die as the natural consequence of a fallen world:
“Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Luke 13:1-5

Either the storm in the following passage was planned by God the Father or He took advantage of natural happenings to glorify Himself:
“Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said. 
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” Matthew 14:22-33

Following is another example of God being glorified either through a natural consequence or a planned event:
“That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Mark 4:35-41

The natural laws that cause “disasters” are themselves the consequence of Adam’s sin:
“For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.  We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” Romans 8:20-22

Notice that disaster caused by Satan is against the righteous, while disaster caused by God is against wickedness. Whether Satan causes the disaster, the disaster is a consequence of natural laws or God directly causes the disaster—no matter what the reason—God is totally in control and will be glorified by what happens.

The two great disasters of ancient times were brought on by man’s sin. In both cases, the righteous were rescued from them. Before Jesus sets up His kingdom, the worst disaster of all will come on the world. The Bible speaks often about God’s final wrath:
“Therefore wait for me,” declares the LORD, “for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them— all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger.” Zephaniah 3:8
"The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.” Revelation 14:19

The righteous (those who believe in Jesus) will be rescued to receive an everlasting reward. The Bible even tells how they will be rescued:
“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
“For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 thessalonians 5:9

The final disaster is likened to the disaster in the days of Noah and Lot:
“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.” Matthew 36-41
“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
“It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.” Luke 17:26-29

The heavens and earth will be destroyed by fire, and God will make new a new heavens and earth unscarred by sin:
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” 2 Peter 3:9-13

Finally, the world will understand the consequences of sin. The wicked who follow Satan will suffer forever, and the righteous who follow Jesus will share in His glory forever:
“If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:25
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

My son, Scott told me about the 90% rule. Many people do a task almost to completion and then quit.

Let’s make sure this doesn’t happen to us spiritually. The last little bit is often the most important.

I heard a sermon about Saul disobeying God’s command to completely destroy the Amalekites:
“Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the LORD sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the LORD. This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy[a] all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’…
Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt. He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.
Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.”…” 1 Samuel 15:1-11

Because Saul disobeyed God took the kingship from him:
“Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you.” 1 Samuel 15:28

What Saul had left undone had a part in his death. Saul might have died by the hand of an Amalekite:
“Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”
“I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,” the young man said, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and their drivers in hot pursuit. When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, ‘What can I do?’
“He asked me, ‘Who are you?’
“‘An Amalekite,’ I answered.
“Then he said to me, ‘Stand here by me and kill me! I’m in the throes of death, but I’m still alive.’
“So I stood beside him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord.”” 2 Samuel 1:5-10
The Amalekite thought he would receive a reward by reporting that he had killed David’s enemy. Instead David had him killed (2 Samuel 1:14-16).

An account is given telling that Saul killed himself:
“Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.”
But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him.” 1 Samuel 31:4-5
Probably Saul had tried to kill himself, but failed, and the Amalekite had killed him at his request.

An Amalekite (Saul was commanded to destroy the Amalekites) was involved in his death. The point is—if we do not destroy sin completely, it will come back to destroy us.

We are responsible for our own sin:
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:12-15 God in no way is responsible for our sin.

We choose to give in to the world, our own desires and the devil:
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12
“For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” 1 John 2:16

First, we must confess our sin to God:
“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” Psalm 32:3-5

We must listen closely to God and do all we can by getting close to Him and carefully obeying:
“If my people would only listen to me, if Israel would only follow my ways, how quickly I would subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” Psalm 81:13-16 God will destroy the enemies in our life if we obey completely.
 

"God is faithful”. He will "provide a way out” even when we think there is no way out:
“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” 1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Sometimes it takes much time and effort to destroy a long time sin habit, but we must remember that God is on our side. He lives us dearly and will do everything to set us free.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36

We can overcome if we belong to Jesus:
“In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” 1 John 5:3-5

We are not condemned if we believe in Jesus, have asked His forgiveness and have asked to be His child:
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2

Our sins, past, present and future are paid for by Jesus’ death in our place:
“Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.” Psalm 32:1-2

God will prepare the way for us and make it possible for us to overcome:
“I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.” Isaiah 45:2

God’s Word can heal us:
“They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” Psalm 19:10-11

He will show us the way, but sometimes we must diligently search:
“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding— indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.
Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path.  For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.” Proverbs 2:1-11

God will give wisdom to anyone who asks:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” James 1:5-8 We must have faith.

Don’t give up:
“If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!” Proverbs 24:10
“If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?” Jeremiah 12:5

We should consider our trials a chance to prove our faith:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James1:2-4

We can confidence that He will deliver us from sin for we know that is His will:
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15

Many places in the Bible, victory is promised:
“It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You make your saving help my shield; your help has made[i] me great. You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way.” 2 Samuel 22:33-37 Psalm 18:32-36
 “Now this I know: The LORD gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand.” Psalm 20:6
“With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.” Psalm 60:12 108:13
“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD.” Proverbs 21:31
“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57

Our goal should be perfection, to be like Christ:
“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11
“Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1

FROM A TAPE ON FININCIAL BLESSING BY CLIVE PICK:
 

“About fourteen years ago I used to enjoy drinking red wine, maybe too much. I went with Esther to the Canary Islands. I went out to a beautiful spot feeling good. I felt the palm trees moving in the wind/wine. God said, “Clive, how can I use you?” I knew what He was saying, so I said “Well Lord, after the holidays I’ll deal with this.” There were three days left of the holidays. Best to obey right away, because when he got back he started making deals with God. He said, “Well, Lord, since I am a businessman, perhaps You would allow me to have the odd glass with a customer when I’m entertaining.” There was no confirmation on that one. A month or two had gone by and Clive said, “Perhaps just on holidays and Christmas time to be festive.” No confirmation on that either. So he said, “Well, Lord, I’ll not drink alcohol again, until I can drink the new wine.”

At that time I was working for a company that was selling gift foods and we were having an exhibition in London that was selling international gift foods. I went in on Friday to set up our stand, and Saturday I didn’t get there. Sunday was the first day of the exhibition. When I got there my little stand was surrounded by others. I didn’t know who they would be. To my horror I noticed I was surrounded by German wine producers. Everywhere I looked I was surrounded by bottles of wine. I said, “Lord, this is going to be a difficult week.” As soon as I said that this big German guy comes up to me and says, “We are going to be neighbors, let’s be friends. You see these little glasses of wine on my counter—they are for tasting—for my friends there are big glasses—help yourself.” I said, “Thank you very much. I’m sure my staff would love to take you up on your offer.” He said, “We can have some of your biscuits?” I said, “Yes.” It was obviously a trading agreement. As the days went on I looked at the little glasses and said, “Well, that is not really drinking, that is tasting.” So as the week went by I heard two voices. One was saying, “That’s only a little taste.” And the other voice was saying, “Clive…” By the time Friday came I thought, “Yes, I’ve done it.” And I really was excited that I’d not given in.” As I was looking into all this I really had a sense of joy in my Spirit.

Friday afternoon we started to break down our stands. What happens in these exhibitions is people start to swap the merchandise. As people were trading jam for biscuits, meat for confectionary, bottles of water for other stuff—just general trading. You couldn’t take back to your warehouse things that had been on display. Suddenly this man comes to my stand. He’s about 5’10”, very stocky. He had long strands of silvery hair just down to his shoulders. It was like strands of wire. Very unusual hair, it shone like chrome. He came straight up to me, past everyone else and he was pulling a shopping trolley. He said, “I’ve got something for you.” I said, “Thank you.” And he opened a shopping bag and pulled out three bags of non-alcoholic wine—a strawberry wine, a grape wine and an apple wine. He gave them to me and I asked him if he would like some jam or biscuits. He said, “No, no, they’re for you.” I said, “Thank you very much.” He zipped up his little bag and walked off the stand and started to walk down the corridor—only a few yards.  As I was holding these bottles of wine he suddenly disappeared. As I was looking at him he evaporated into nothing. It didn’t dawn on me till a bit later to realize God had sent an angel to say, “Well done, Clive, I appreciate what you have done.” God had actually spent time to come tell me He was pleased. “

This testimony by Clive Pick illustrates that God cannot use to a great extent those who drink even moderately. When we drink alcohol (which is a drug) our minds are clouded by demonic forces and even a little affects our ability to reason justly:
“They will eat but not have enough, they will engage in prostitution but not increase, because they have deserted the Lord to give themselves to prostitution, to old wine and new, which take away the understanding of my people…” Hosea 4:10-12 Alcohol ‘takes away the understanding of my people’.

Notice "of my people". Although in the Old Testament the Jews were referred to by God as "my people", Christians often apply that phras to themselves (wisely so) auxh as:
"if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chrohnicle 7:14 God WILL heal our land if we seek His face so we will realize how we are sinning and repent.

Alcoholic beverages are called “spirits”. The Bible even tells the names of two of the spirits:
“Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.” Proverbs 20:1 Mocker and brawler are two of the spirits. It seems that those who drink wine are more likely to mock God and His truths, and those who drink beer are more likely to brawl or be violent.
 

God expects us to be holy: “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." 1 Peter 1:15-16

RULERS ARE NOT TO DRINK ALCOHOL
 

Two classes of people that were told "not to drink wine or other fermented drink" in the Old Testament of the Bible. Priests and kings were ordered to abstain from alcohol:
“Then the Lord said to Aaron, "You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses." Leviticus 10:8-11

“…not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what the law degrees, and deprive the oppressed of their rights…” Proverbs 31:4-7 Kings and princes were not to drink so they could tell the difference between right and wrong and be fair in their judgment of the people who came before them.

The book of Revelation states that those who have accepted Christ as Savior are kings and priests:
“…To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father…” Revelation 1:5-6

The apostle Peter also says that those who know Jesus have became kings and priests. We are members of a royal family:
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9

Because of our salvation through faith in Christ we have become children of the King. We are members of the King’s family, and the orders that went out to the kings and priests apply to us. We are not to drink so that we will have clear judgment and discernment as God’s representatives in this world:
“…As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21  As Christians we are sent to witness, to teach the people. This is the responsibility of the believer:
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…”Matthew 28:19:20  In order to teach we must know the difference between right and wrong.

BITES LIKE A SNAKE

"…Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!  In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper…" Proverbs 23:29-35 Don’t be deceived when the wine swirls around in the cup—it will eventually bite like a snake.

If you have alcoholism down the line in your family back through the generations, you can be sure you have a weakness in that area and the devil will be watching to snare you like he did your ancestors. It is in the soul that we see the effects of our forefathers. Some of these things have become giants or Goliaths in our lives. God is always looking to break the curse, but we must do our part by not deliberately sinning. The tortures of alcoholism can be completely avoided is if one never drinks.

“indeed, wine betrays him…” “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies.  You will be filled with shame instead of glory.  Now it is your turn!  Drink and be exposed!  The cup from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory.” Habukkuk 2:5, 15-16 Those who drink can commit shameful acts because drinking will weaken the will. People who have been drinking lose self-control:
"But the fruit of the Spirit is…self-control…Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:22-25
Christians who think it is alright to drink do not plan to drink too much, and they do not plan the poor choices that come from drinking too much.  

WICKEDNESS IS ASSOCIATED WITH DRINKING
 

A number of things go hand in hand with drunkenness: immorality, rebellion against God, the destruction of man:
“They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain. ‘Come,’ each one cries, ‘let me get wine! Let us drink our fill of beer!  And tomorrow will be like today, or even far better.’” Isaiah 56:11-12 The wicked are characterized as drinking alcohol.
 

“…As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone…That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain…” Daniel 5 Could one honestly praise God with alcohol? Yet it is natural to praise other “gods” this way.

JUDGMENT

This wickedness leads to judgment:
“…acts of the sinful nature are…drunkenness, orgies…that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21

“For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” 1 Peter 4:17
Though true believers will go to heaven, they will still be held accountable for what they do under the influence of alcohol, perhaps even more so than those of the world because they are bringing dishonor to God.
 

Sometimes God allows drunkenness itself to be the consequence of sin:
"…This is what the Lord says: ‘I am going to fill with drunkenness all who live in this land…I will allow no pity or mercy or compassion to keep me from destroying them.” Jeremiah 13:13-14 God allows the consequences of alcohol use as a judgment. Later in the same book:
“Make her drunk for she has defied the Lord.  Let Moab wallow in her vomit; let her be an object of ridicule.”  Jeremiah 48:26

God has allowed the consequences of drunkenness to bring destruction to a nation. History reveals that sixteen civilizations have fallen because of drunkenness. When we see the tragic increase in alcoholism we cannot but wonder whether God is going to allow this means of bringing judgment.
 

"…nor drunkards…will inherit the kingdom of God…" I Corinthians 6:9-10 The worst consequence is drinking is hell for all eternity. Would you want this for those you influence?

BAD EXAMPLE

"It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to stumble…" Romans 14:21-23 Perhaps alcohol will never become a problem for you. But suppose someone to whom it would become a problem sees you, a Christian, drinking and thinks it is alright to drink moderately. If he becomes an alcoholic, whose fault is it?

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble…even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.” 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 Does drinking alcohol bring any glory to God? Some people might say, “We can associate with those who drink if we drink.” But is your association bringing clear understanding of what Christianity is? Isn’t it making the differences between a Christian and a non-Christian foggy?

In fact, not drinking alcohol gives a chance to present the gospel. We had a pastor in Montreal who had been a chaplain during the war in Vietnam. He had been required to be at the social functions where alcohol was consumed in abundance. He could tell anyone who asked why he abstained from alcohol and tell them about Jesus Christ.

 
JESUS DID NOT DRINK ALCOHOL
 

Satan loves to twist what God does.So Satan has perverted wine. The good or best wine that Jesus miraculously made in Cana (John 2) was fresh, new—straight from the vine. It is not good because of its high alcoholic content as alcoholic wine can be defined. In an excellent book review on the internet, proof is given that Jesus did not drink nor Scripture advocate the use of alcoholic beverages. See:
 Wine in the Bible: A Biblical Study on the Use of Alcoholic Beverages A Preview of Wine in the Bible Samuele Bacchiocchi, PH. D., Andrews University. Even the preview of this book which is given on the interest is much more complete than this article. 
 

SUMMARY

Those who belong to Jesus are “a royal priesthood” and commanded not to drink alcohol.
It “bites like a snake”—destroying the life of many even though it seems harmless or even pleasant. No one knows who will become addicted.
 

Drinking alcohol is assocaited with wickedness. 
 

God will judge those who abuse alcohol. He used alcohol abuse itself as a judgment. 
 

Others could start drinking because they see you drinking. Drinking alcohol is a bad example of Christianity to unbelievers who instinctively know it is wrong. Not drinking helps give a clear understanding when the gospel is presented.
 

Jesus did not drink alcoholic beverages.
 

Let’s not get as close to evil as we can without (supposedly) suffering consequences; let’s stay as far from sin as we can.