IS DRINKING A SIN??? YOU KNOW IN MODERATION😉

Becoming drunk, tipsy, or even moderately affected by alcohol is clearly prohibited in the Bible (Proverbs 20:1;23:20; 29–32; Isaiah 5:22; Ephesians 5:18). There are many commands in Scripture about behaviors to avoid, such as drunkenness, sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18), and lying (Proverbs 6:16–17). But the Bible is far more than a definitive list of “sins.” When we approach it as such, we are missing the point. God does not want us to check off a list and consider everything else acceptable. The Pharisees did that, and Jesus was not pleased with them (Luke 11:42; Matthew 23:23). God desires obedience that arises from a loving heart that wants to be like Him (1 Peter 1:15).

Getting drunk is a sin, but what about drinking in moderation? Drinking alcohol has been the subject of debate within the church for centuries, but never more so than in recent years. With the shift toward postmodernism, practices that were once discouraged by the Christian community have been embraced and even promoted. The open consumption of alcohol is one of those practices. In Bible times, anyone set apart for God was to totally abstain from any fruit of the vine (Judges 13:4; Leviticus 10:9; Numbers 6:3; Luke 1:15). Wine was often symbolic of worldly contamination, and those called into priestly service were to keep themselves from it. Such warnings have led many followers of Christ to forgo alcohol altogether, deeming any use of it unwise. Although drinking in moderation is not condemned in Scripture, there are many warnings about its destructive nature (Proverbs 20:1; 31:4). So why does the Bible speak so strongly against becoming affected by alcohol?

Ephesians 5:18 holds the key: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” Two elements are being compared: alcohol and the Holy Spirit. Each has the power to take control of a person’s mind and behavior—with vastly different results. Getting drunk leads to a loss of self-control; being filled with the Spirit leads to more self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). We cannot be controlled by both alcoholic spirits and the Holy Spirit at the same time. When we choose to ingest mind-altering substances, we are effectively choosing to give ourselves over to the control of something other than the Holy Spirit. Anything that takes control of our mind, will, and emotions is a false god. Any master we obey other than the Lord is an idol, and idolatry is sin (1 Corinthians 10:14).

Getting drunk is a sin. Whether it be alcohol, drugs, or some other addictive behavior, Jesus said, “You cannot serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24). When we get drunk, or even slightly affected by alcohol or drugs, we are serving a master other than the Lord. Choosing to follow Jesus means choosing against our old sinful patterns and lifestyle. We cannot follow Jesus and also follow drunkenness, immorality, or worldly thinking (Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:1–6). They are going in opposite directions. First Corinthians 6:10 lists drunkards among those who “will not inherit the kingdom of God.” When we choose to be defined by our sin, we cannot also be a Christ-follower (Galatians 5:19–21). When we choose drunkenness in spite of God’s command against it, we are choosing disobedience and cannot, in that state, be in fellowship with a holy God who condemns it (Luke 14:26–27; Matthew 10:37–38).

REVEALED BY: AN ENVOY

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND IN CHRIST 

THE VALUE OF GROUP BIBLE STUDY

Because Christianity was never intended to be a spectator sport, group Bible study is not just valuable, it is invaluable. Small group study is so effective that Jesus used it to train the men who would be known as the apostles (Luke 6:12).

Christianity is meant to be relational—first, on a vertical axis between ourselves and God and, second, on a horizontal axis between ourselves and those around us. Small group Bible studies move us from being spectators in a weekly church service to active participants in a like-minded community dedicated to spiritual growth.

As we encounter God’s Word together, we have an opportunity to share our different perspectives and insights and are broadened because of the interaction. More information is retained when there is active involvement, so biblical literacy is enhanced. Application and accountability bring understanding that moves God’s Word from the intellect to the heart. Transformation is encouraged (Romans 12:2), and our lives are changed. When our lives are changed, the lives of those around us are changed as well.

Relationships don’t just happen, and we all need a cadre of friends to help weather the storms of life. Friends require an investment of time and a level of vulnerability and trust. Hebrews 10:24–25 says we should “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.” Where better to accomplish this than in a group Bible study setting?

A group Bible study can be a place to celebrate life’s victories, get prayer support, be encouraged in tough times, and keep ourselves accountable in our personal growth. Group Bible studies offer a structured time to focus on topics that address our needs or interests. They offer an enlivening arena to help carry us from Sunday to Sunday and a safe place to work out the challenges we face.

Believers are the Body of Christ (Romans 12:5); as such, we are His hands and feet on earth, the ones who will continue His work. First Corinthians 12:4–12, Romans 12:4–8, and Ephesians 4:11–13 list the gifts given to the Body. Small group Bible studies are where many people begin to identify and express those gifts. As we gain in our knowledge of the Bible and deepen our relationship with God and other believers (Colossians 2:7), we become better equipped to live and share the gospel with those in our schools, neighborhoods, and workplaces.

Our commitment to a group Bible study is a model to those around us. It is evidence that we value our spiritual growth enough to invest time in it. Our children are watching our actions, and they gain firsthand knowledge of what it means to be a follower of Christ and honor the Word. They benefit from our commitment because they see us walking our talk, working out our salvation (Philippians 2:12).

Some may have fears about stepping into a small-group environment. Fear of rejection and fear of vulnerability are two that can seem like giants standing in the way of what may be the best thing for us. But involvement in a small group could be God’s prescribed antidote for the loneliness that stalks us in this fast-paced, impersonal world.

God designed us to need Him and each other. His word to us is to reach out and love one another. Colossians 3:16 says we should allow “the message of Christ [to] dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” What better place for that than in a small Bible study group?

#The Revealers study group
#The Lord's Equity Ministry
#The Triumphant Study Group
Remember, Galatians 6:9

God will strengthen us all.... SHALOM

DOES GOD NEED ME???

God is holy, eternal, almighty, and totally self-sufficient. He does not need any created being, but we do need Him. All of creation is dependent on the life that God alone sustains. “He makes grass grow for the cattle,” and “all creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. . . . When you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust (Psalm 104:14,27, 29).

God, on the other hand, is not dependent on anything or anyone. He suffers no lack, knows no limitation, and experiences no deficiency. He is “I AM THAT I AM,” with no qualification or exception (Exodus 3:14). If He needed anything to stay alive or to feel complete, then He would not be God.

So, God does not need us. But, amazingly, He loves us passionately, and in His goodness He wants us to live with Him forever. So 2,000+ years ago, God Himself put on skin, came to Earth, and gave His very life to atone for our sin and prove His deep love for us. He paid the ultimate price to reconcile us to Himself, and nobody pays that high a price for something they don’t want or value.

Jesus certainly knew what was going to befall Him at the end of His earthly ministry (Mark 8:31; John 18:4). In His anguish in Gethsemane, as He prayed about the trials that would soon befall Him, blood-tinged sweat dripped from His brow (Luke 22:44). And Jesus surely knew very well the prophecy of Isaiah 52:14, “His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness.” The Son of Man was flayed to the bone to the extent that He no longer resembled a human being. And that torture was followed by something even worse, the crucifixion itself, the most painful and vile method of execution ever devised.

As Jesus hung on the cross, His Father in heaven “turned away” from Him.Habakkuk 1:13 confirms that God’s eyes “are too pure to look on evil.” And at that moment, Christ cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).

This is the price God paid for us, and this is how we know that He loves us. Because of this incredible and unwarranted love for us disobedient sinners, we are offered eternal life. Salvation is a gift, given freely for the asking, because of the breathtaking, voluntary sacrifice by the one true God. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Once joined to Christ, nothing can separate us from Him. Romans 8:38–39: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Believers in Christ are made new. We understand the depth of His love for us: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

You, too, can immerse yourself in God’s eternal love for you and know the certainty of eternal life. Continue reading here to learn what it means to accept Christ as your personal Savior...

Shalom

"HAVING THIS SEAL"

2 Timothy 2:19 "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, HAVING THIS SEAL, THE LORD KNOWETH THEM THAT ARE HIS. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity."

The Holy Spirit is referred to as the “deposit,” “seal,” and “earnest” in the hearts of Christians in this verses of the Bible:

2 Corinthians 1:22
Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

2 Corinthians 5:5
Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

Ephesians 1:13-14
In whom ye also trusted , after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, [14] Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 4:30
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

The Holy Spirit is God’s seal on His people, His claim on us as His very own. The gift of the Spirit to believers is a down payment on our heavenly inheritance, which Christ has promised us and secured for us at the cross. It is because the Spirit has sealed us that we are assured of our salvation. No one can break the seal of God.

The Holy Spirit is given to believers as a “first installment” to assure us that our full inheritance as children of God will be delivered. The Holy Spirit is given to us to confirm to us that we belong to God who grants to us His Spirit as a gift, just as grace and faith are gifts (Ephesians 2:8-9). Through the gift of the Spirit, God renews and sanctifies us. He produces in our hearts those feelings, hopes, and desires which are evidence that we are accepted by God, that we are regarded as His adopted children, that our hope is genuine, and that our redemption and salvation are sure in the same way that a seal guarantees a will or an agreement. God grants to us His Holy Spirit as the certain pledge that we are His forever and shall be saved in the last day. The proof of the Spirit’s presence is His operations on the heart which produce repentance, the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), conformity to God’s commands and will, a passion for prayer and praise, and love for His people. These things are the evidences that the Holy Spirit has renewed the heart and that the Christian is sealed for the day of redemption.

So it is through the Holy Spirit and His teachings and guiding power that we are sealed and confirmed until the day of redemption, complete and free from the corruption of sin and the grave. Because we have the seal of the Spirit in our hearts, we can live joyfully, confident of our sure place in a future that holds unimaginable glories.


#AnEnvoy... Have a nice weekend... shalom

WHERE/HOW DO YOU DRAW A LINE BETWEEN HELPING SOMEONE AND ALLOWING SOMEONE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU???

Sometimes, when we come across a beggar/panhandler/mendicant or a less privileged person, we are in a dilemma whether or not to help in our own little way because this kind of thought comes to our mind "is he really in need or just pretending or he is lazy?" Most especially when such person doesn't have any physically disability...

Luke 6:30, 35-36 amplified Bible tells us to "Give away to everyone who begs of you [who is in want of necessities], and of him who takes away from you your goods, do not demand or require them back again.” "But love your enemies and be kind and do good [doing favors so that someone derives benefit from them] and lend, expecting and hoping for nothing in return but considering nothing as lost and despairing of no one; and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind and charitable and good to the ungrateful and the selfish and wicked.
So be merciful (sympathetic, tender, responsive, and compassionate) even as your Father is [all these]."

These verses and many others in the Bible teach us that Christians are to be loving, merciful, and self-sacrificing. As we see the needs of people all around us, our hearts should be full of compassion just as our Heavenly Father has compassion towards all people. "The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made" (Psalm 145:9).

It is right to have a heart that would continually give to others, and it pleases God to see this wonderful characteristic in our lives. However, in this area of giving and helping, the Bible also teaches that we must have wise discernment (Matthew 10:16). God gives us certain standards that we must take into account when it comes to giving our time and money to others. When the Bible tells us we are to help others, the purpose is never for us to do this to the point where it becomes detrimental. It's good to do what we're able to do, but 2 Thessalonians 3:10 also reminds us, "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." There are people who want to live an irresponsible lifestyle with absolutely no accountability. So there must be limits; we will help someone with a need, but if we see that it's become a chronic life pattern, it's wrong for us to continue to encourage that. It's very harmful to others to contribute to their indolence, laziness, and lack of effort. The old saying "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime" is very true. As long as we see that someone is sincerely making an effort, we should be there to support him in whatever way God leads.

Often, a much more effective way to help others is to come alongside them to give biblical council, principles and encouragement. If they are willing to listen and try, they should be able, through the power of the Holy Spirit within them, to reverse this pattern of dependency on others. This begins, of course, with a clear presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, without whose empowerment, lifestyle changes of this magnitude are not possible.

We are also to take into consideration what the Bible tells us about being good stewards. As we put our trust in God and walk with Him, He promises to supply our needs (Philippians 4:19). What the Lord provides for us, we must use wisely. We are to give back to the Lord a portion of what He gives us; we are to provide for the needs of our families; and we are to pay our bills. How we spend our time is also involved in stewardship; a balance of worship, work and family is important. These are all principal aspects of stewardship and cannot be neglected, so they must be considered in the decision of how and what we can do in helping others. If, by helping someone else financially, we are unable to take care of our own debts and responsibilities, then we are not doing right in our efforts to help.

There are many ways people can take advantage of others. It's important that we make this a matter of prayer, asking the Lord to show us what He wants us to do. He will give us wisdom to recognize genuine need and discern between an opportunity and a distraction (James 1:5). Sometimes, people are so beaten down by life's trials and failures that they need someone who is willing to be a long-term friend to them. This can be a trying relationship, but it can also be a very rewarding one. Local churches can be a tremendous help to those with a burden for those in need. However, trying to help someone who is just not willing to take any steps towards a solution in the matter may be a hopeless cause. Again, praying for God’s wisdom and exercising the discernment He gives are crucial in these situations.


#AnEnvoy #GOD IS HELPING US..... SHALOM

THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF MAN!!

The Bible makes it abundantly clear that God created man and that He created him for His glory (Isaiah 43:7). Therefore, the ultimate purpose of man, according to the Bible, is simply to glorify God. See Ecclesiastes 12:13 amplified Bible 

"All has been heard; the end of the matter is: Fear God [revere and worship Him, knowing that He is] and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man [the full, original purpose of his creation, the object of God's providence, the root of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun] and the whole [duty] for every man."

A harder question to answer, perhaps, is what does it look like to glorify God? In Psalm 100:2–3, we’re told to worship God with gladness and “know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” Part of what it looks like to glorify God is to acknowledge who God is (our Creator, for starters) and to praise and worship Him as such.

We fulfill our purpose of glorifying God also by living our lives in relationship and faithful service to Him (1 Samuel 12:24; John 17:4). Since God created man in His image (Genesis 1:26–27), man’s purpose cannot be fulfilled apart from Him. King Solomon tried living for his own pleasure, yet at the end of his life he concluded that the only worthwhile life is one of honor and obedience to God (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14).

In our fallen state, sin separates us from God and makes it impossible to glorify Him on our own. But through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, our relationship with God is reconciled—our sin is forgiven and no longer creates a barrier between God and us (Romans 3:23–24).

Interestingly, we are able to glorify God because He gave us glory first. David writes in Psalm 8:4–6, “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet.” (This is also repeated in Hebrews 2:6–8.) This verse reveals another purpose that God has given man: dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:28–29). Again, though, this can only be properly fulfilled through a right relationship with God.

The more we get to know our Creator and the more we love Him (Matthew 22:37–38), the better we understand who we are and what our purpose is. We were created to bring Him glory. God has unique plans and purposes for each person (Psalm 139:13–16), but we can know that, whatever those plans look like, they will ultimately result in His glory (Proverbs 3:6; 1 Corinthians 10:31)...


A REVEALER... HAPPY NEW YEAR KINGDOM ENVOYS