Tuesday, April 21, 2009

What the Bible Says About Drinking Alcohol

Recently, the youth Sunday school talked about whether the Bible says you shouldn't drink. Unfortunately, many people don't seem to know what the Bible says! They believe things that aren't even in the Bible just because someone told them so or because they have always believed that way. My challenge to everyone is to look it up for yourself! See what God has to say to us in His Word about everything you have believed in. Don't take my word for it, read it yourself!

Here are a few verses I have found about why Christians shouldn't drink:

Prov 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a riotous brawler; and whoever errs or reels because of it is not wise.

Prov 31:4-5 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to desire strong drink,
5Lest they drink and forget the law and what it decrees, and pervert the justice due any of the afflicted.

Prov 23:29-35 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness and dimness of eyes?
30Those who tarry long at the wine, those who go to seek and try mixed wine.
31Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the wineglass, when it goes down smoothly.
32At the last it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.
33[Under the influence of wine] your eyes will behold strange things [and loose women] and your mind will utter things turned the wrong way [untrue, incorrect, and petulant].
34Yes, you will be [as unsteady] as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, and [as open to disaster] as he who lies upon the top of a mast.
35You will say, They struck me, but I was not hurt! They beat me [as with a hammer], but I did not feel it! When shall I awake? I will crave and seek more wine again [and escape reality].

Ephesians 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit.

Galatians 5: 19-21 Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency,
20Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies),
21Envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

I Corinthians 6:9-10 Do you not know that the unrighteous and the wrongdoers will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived (misled): neither the impure and immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor those who participate in homosexuality,
10Nor cheats (swindlers and thieves), nor greedy graspers, nor drunkards, nor foulmouthed revilers and slanderers, nor extortioners and robbers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God.

Habakkuk 2:5 Moreover, wine and [a]wealth are treacherous; the proud man [the Chaldean invader] is restless and cannot stay at home. His appetite is large like that of Sheol and [his greed] is like death and cannot be satisfied; he gathers to himself all nations and collects all people as if he owned them.

Isaiah 5:11 Woe unto those who rise early in the morning, that they may pursue strong drink, who tarry late into the night till wine inflames them!

Isaiah 5:22 Woe to those who are mighty heroes at drinking wine and men of strength in mixing alcoholic drinks!

Friday, January 30, 2009

25 Random Things About Me:

1. I'm completely and totally sold out to my Savior, Jesus Christ, and have been for 35 years now! (Man, I'm old!) I was always teased for being the 'goody, goody, Jesus-freak' in high school - which wasn't a cool name until dc Talk came along!

2. I LOVED Amy Grant and Margaret Becker and would take my walkman with me to the bath so I could sing every word at the top of my lungs - even when I lived in the dorms at the University of New Mexico.

3. I had to learn every instrument in college for my music degree. I was so embarrassed at my violin playing, I refused to practice in my practice room where my music-friends could hear. Instead, I practiced in my dorm room until a neighbor knocked on my door and asked me to please stop that awful noise!

4. When I first met Mark, I thought he was a dork. Then, I thought he was so sweet... he gave me his last piece of gum, "Oh, I can't take your last piece!" to which he responded, "Oh, I don't even like gum, I just buy it to meet girls."...................
. He was back to being a dork!!

5. After a choir concert, Mark and I stayed up talking about God and deep spiritual things until 3 in the morning. I knew he was the man for me! We started dating and were engaged 6 months later, for FOUR AND A HALF YEARS!!! (waiting to finish school and waiting on God)

6. We've been married 19 years this May!

7. I love being efficient! I loved the book "Cheaper By the Dozen" because the dad made his living as an efficiency expert!!! I finally understood my little oddities :)

8. I LOVE books, even though I'm a slow reader. And I don't like fiction at all!! What a waste of time!

9. I still cry during 'Little House on the Prairie'.

10. My favorite TV shows as a teenager were 'Love Boat' and 'Fantasy Island'. I don't watch TV at all now.

11. I have 20 completed 12x12 scrapbooks.

12. Now, I home school my two favorite girls in the whole world.

13. I LOVE LOVE LOVE lattes! Anytime of day, but especially after dinner :)

14. I always wanted to be a mommy and a church pianist - now I'm both :)

15. I love pretty things!! flowers, doilies, pictures, music, magazines like Southern Living, stores like Tuesday Morning, baskets, dishes, linens, fancy desserts, crafty stuff...

16. My maiden name is Hogg (like a pig, oink, oink) and my grandmother's maiden name is Slaughter! She shoulda hyphenated!!!

17. I have NEVER spent a Christmas without my entire family (parents, siblings & their families) until my sister died in 2006. I LOVE my family!!!

18. I am SO affected by movies, I think they are memories of my own life. So, no scary shows for me - Mark is my movie screener! The best part is, after about 3 years, I forget the ending and can watch them again!!

19. Mark lost his job in 2003 and went 22 months without a steady paycheck. It was the best thing that ever happened to us! God brought us to missions!!! In fact, Mark and I got MARRIED TO MISSIONS - we all wear fish rings as a symbol of that marriage. Even our girls wear them - since they told us they are married to missions too :)

20. Our family has been on 11 mission trips since then including Mexico, China, and Mongolia. I've been on 13 and Mark's been on 17. If you count prison, then I've been on 18!

21. I hate getting my hands wet, so Mark usually does the dishes for me - I put up the clean ones!

22. My purse got stolen last year and my palm pilot and cell phone were in it. Now, I have a TREO which I LOVE and I am secretly happy I had to buy it!!

23. I love my QuickVerse application on my Treo and especially the New Living Translation of the Bible which I enjoy reading in bed with all the lights out!

24. I LOVE lists!!!

25. I made a list of my 25 random things on stickies before I finally wrote them on facebook :)