Examining Beverage Alcohol

Take One Down and Pass It Around

Having looked into the tearful eyes of parents whose children have abandoned the Faith, I have learned there are a million miles between our children “going through the motions” in reference to their spiritual lives versus our children possessing hearts that dictate their actions. In this column, I plan to share with you what I hope to instill in the hearts of my own children and those whom I love.

What example are you sending with your attitude toward alcohol?

What example are you sending with your attitude toward alcohol?

Some of the most creative advertising minds in the world are using their talents for the alcoholic beverage industry. Their commercials entertain millions while quietly planting seeds of desire. Magazine ads frequently portray the illusion of youthful pleasure and inclusion for those who drink alcohol. Research studies are frequently used as a tool to promote the benefits of drinking alcohol. But this beautiful mirage is clouded by a war that rages between the perceived “fun” of social drinking versus the ever present danger of drunk driving and the reality of alcoholism. This is a war with extremely high stakes. On the one hand, lives are literally at risk, and on the other, beverage alcohol is a multi-billion dollar industry.

The controversy surrounding alcoholic beverages has found its way into the church as well. Scholarly men debate various Scriptures to either denounce or support drinking alcohol. Many congregations have quietly—almost unknowingly—segregated into clicks consisting of those who drink “socially” and those who don’t. Members argue the ethics of investing in beer companies that are making huge profits. Both sides go to great strides to justify their positions. This tension has caused many preachers and elders to remain silent and comfortably “settle in,” or ignore the issue altogether.

Here’s what I intend on teaching my children about beverage alcohol.

I have been the “gatekeeper” monitoring what is introduced into your life since you were born. In addition, your mother and I have been striving diligently to make sure that you were fed spiritually while under our roof. But I recognize that one day you will walk through that “gate” and I will turn these tasks over to you. When that day arrives, you will determine what things you allow through the gate. I hope that alcoholic beverages are not one of those.

When you reach the age of twenty-one, our government has declared it legal for you to drink beer, wine, and liquor. (Don’t lose sight of the fact that it is against the law before that time.) A common “right of passage” for individuals who reach this milestone is to go out and drink with friends. Let me strongly encourage you to find a better way to celebrate.

As you mature into adulthood, you will hear Christians argue about alcohol in the Bible. Many will correctly say the word oinos (wine) can mean alcoholic wine (Proverbs 20:1; Proverbs 23:31-35). Others correctly point out that the same word can mean juice from grapes (Isaiah 65:8; Isaiah 16:10). I’ve listened to some extremely wise men argue both sides that Jesus’ first recorded miracle of making water into wine at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1-10) was either alcoholic or simply grape juice. People in favor of drinking alcohol will point out Scripture like 1 Timothy 3:8 that says one should not be given to “much wine”—stressing the “much” or that a little is good for the stomach (1 Timothy 5:23). These individuals will also point out that the Bible doesn’t condemn drinking alcohol, but rather drunkenness.

A couple of things that I want to point out to help you fully understand this debate. First, individuals of that day were connoisseurs of grapes. Many men could probably tell you what region the grapes were grown simply from the taste. Secondly, clean water was not as prevalent as we have it here in the United States. Men living during this time in history didn’t have running water in their homes that had been chlorinated. In many regions—just like today—poor water would lead to sickness. As such, it was common for men to drink fruit juice with their meals. But refrigerators were also unknown at this time—so they needed a way to preserve juice and be able to drink it days or weeks after the juice was squeezed from the grapes. The process of fermentation allowed the juice to be stored for much longer periods of time. (I would point out to you that the alcohol content in their “wine” was MUCH less than what is used today.)

As I mentioned, I know the controversy exists—and the debate will likely rage on long after I’m gone. It is your mother’s and my prayer that you will throw all of the debate completely out the window and consider one thing: influence. As a faithful Christian, you must always consider how your influence affects others. What message are you sending the person from whom you purchase alcohol, or the individual who watches you carry it out of the store? This is one of those controversies that never needs to be a controversy. Rather than fret about alcoholism or justification of moderate drinking, just determine today that you will not use alcoholic beverages. It will make your life simpler and your influence stronger. Make a difference and be that shining light. You don’t need it to be pleasing to God. As Paul admonished, “Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). I challenge you to be a gatekeeper who doesn’t allow alcoholic beverages through your gate!

Love,

Dad

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Association with Publicans and Sinners

Association with Publicans and Sinners

One of the criticisms that Jesus’ enemies so often employed was that He ate with the publicans and sinners. We find this criticism recorded for us in the following passages: Matthew 9:10, 11; 11:19; Mark 2:15, 16; Luke 5:30, 7:34, 15:1. This criticism was no doubt leveled at Jesus due to the fact that he associated with these people in order to teach them the gospel. The Pharisees had a strict standard with whom a “faithful Jew” could and could not associate. In essence they labeled out particular people in society and forbade the “faithful” to have relationships with them. These people included publicans, harlots, Samaritans, and “sinners.”

There must be a degree of association to reach out to the world.

There must be a degree of association to reach out to the world.

Publicans were basically the tax collectors of the day, and carried out the will of the Roman Empire by collecting from the Jewish people. From their frequent association with gentiles alone, this made them “off-limits” to the “faithful” Jew. Publicans also had a practice of taking more taxes than the government required. John the baptizer told these tax-collectors that they needed to repent of this practice (Luke 3:12, 13).

Samaritans were half-blood Jews and that made them impure in the mind of the Pharisees. The Samaritans were descended from the Jewish people who were left behind during the Babylonian captivity. These married the pagans who were already in the land and intermingled themselves so as to violate God’s requirements under the Old Law regarding marriage (Deut.7:3; Ezra 10:2).

The harlots of the day were what we would consider prostitutes today. They sold their bodies for money. The Pharisees did not associate with them, no doubt, to maintain their sparkling reputation of “righteousness” among the Jewish people. Sinners were just any other kinds of people that no doubt, sinned, but also, that the Pharisees would not associate on account of their “reputation.” These sinners might have been adulterers, thieves, or even other harlots and publicans. It was an all-inclusive category.

First, it should be clear to all that Jesus did not associate with these people in order to engage in their sinful practices. Jesus was the sinless Lamb of God (1 Peter 1:19). He never once committed a sin nor even spoke an inappropriate word (1 Peter 2:22). Second, it should also be clear that Jesus did not associate with these people in order to legitimize their sin. Jesus called upon these people to repent (Matthew 9:13). He taught them that they needed to give up their sin and give their life to God (Luke 15:1-32). Third, it should also be clear that Jesus did not associate with these people to aid them to further commit sin. When the woman taken in adultery was brought before Jesus (John 8:2-11) Jesus did not condemn her to death; however, Jesus told her to “go, and sin no more.” His refusal to condemn the woman to death was not license for her to continue to commit adultery.

Jesus did associate with these people in order to teach and preach the gospel (Matthew 21:28-32). What ought we to conclude from Jesus’ association with these classes of society? First, we need to be out associating with those classes of society as well for the same purpose. As Christians, we need to be in the world, but not of the world (1 Cor.5:10). What does this mean? It means that we associate with people who are steeped in sin, but we don’t participate in that sin. If we were to stop all association with anyone who had sin in their lives, then we would have to go “out of the world.” While such may be possible (that is, to practice some bizarre type of isolationism); it is certainly not feasible.

Second, we ought to be telling these lost sinners about the gospel. More than anything else, these classes of society desperately need the power of the gospel (1 Cor.6:9-11). We ought to focus our efforts upon bringing these to salvation through preaching a message of repentance and love, not through shunning them and isolating them from the rest of society. This means that we have to spend time among them and get to know them personally (as did Jesus) so that we can call them to repent in those areas of life where they need to repent.

Third, we ought not to criticize those who are trying to do such. Such displays a true Pharisaical attitude toward teaching and preaching the gospel to the lost. I’m opposed to homosexuality, but I want the homosexual to repent and be saved. I’m opposed to adultery, but I want the adulterer to repent and be saved. I’m opposed to murder, but I want the murderer to repent and be saved. I’m opposed to immodesty, but I want the immodest person to repent and be saved. If that means that I have to be involved in wholesome community events where these people are at, then I will be there. When we oppose those, who are associating with these kinds of people in order to help them come to the gospel and repent, we are really saying that a certain class of people are not worthy of the gospel. God is no respecter of persons (Rom.2:11; Acts 10:34), and neither ought Christians to be.

We have a great challenge before us today to take the gospel to the lost. Instead of discouraging the hands of our brethren by criticizing (in the above way) their efforts at doing that job, we ought to be supportive and uplifting. It is not inconsequential that those who discourage others in this way, are often the least involved in evangelistic efforts. Such criticism is not only discouraging, but hypocritical. These would do well to heed the advice of Jesus in Matthew 7:1-5. Let us always remember the words of Paul the apostle to the evangelist Timothy, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Tim.1:15). Let us obey our Master, go into the world, and preach the gospel (Matthew 28:19, 20).

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La Oracion a Jesus

La Oracion a Jesus

El hermano Thomas B. Warren mencionó hace mucho tiempo lo siguiente: “El hombre no tiene derecho a equivocarse en cuanto a la fe”. A pesar de que el tiempo ha transcurrido y que nuestro hermano ya no está entre nosotros, esta declaración continúa siendo totalmente verdadera y aplicable para todas las edades. Ningún humano tiene el suficiente derecho de cambiar lo establecido por Dios, pero la implicación a esto también está en que, deberíamos saber con precisión que quiere Dios de nosotros, de que manera y bajo que circunstancias.

podemos orar a Jesús

Podemos orar a Jesús?

El tema que nos concierne en esta ocasión es precisamente uno en el que la mayoría de Latinoamérica  a fallado y continúa en ello. Este escritor desea únicamente ayudar trayendo varios pasajes a colación para llegar a conclusiones correctas. ¿Podemos orar a Jesús? La respuesta a esta pregunta es un contundente NO.  En primer lugar tenemos el ejemplo de los magos que vinieron del oriente. Mateo escribe: “…Venimos a adorarle…”(cf. Mateo 2:2); “Y al entrar en la casa , vieron al niño con su madre Maria, y postrándose, lo adoraron…” (Mateo 2:11). La adoración a Jesús es algo que vemos con extremada claridad aquí y en otros muchos pasajes (Mateo 8:2; 9:18, Marcos 5:6,22; Lucas 8:41).

El asunto no es si debemos adorar a Jesús o no, eso está claro, más bien si podemos orar a Cristo. Amigos, hermanos debemos de reconocer que Cristo y Dios son uno en esencia, pero diferentes en función y este sencillo hecho de nuestro Dios es de difícil comprensión para muchos. Como en todas las cosas Dios ha sido especifico, y si usted considera Mateo 6 cuando Cristo enseña a orar a sus discípulos, El primero instruyó a ellos a dirigirse al Padre en oración. La Biblia está repleta de pasajes donde debemos de dirigirnos al Padre en oración  a travez de Jesús.  Más aún hay muchos otros pasajes donde en el mismo contexto, el Hijo es mencionado y el Espíritu Santo también pero en cuanto a la oración siempre va dirigida al Padre

En Romanos 15:30 note por favor como se menciona al Hijo y al E.S pero en cuanto a la oración se dirige siempre al Padre. Efesios 5:20 la palabra Griega que se utiliza es “pantote” y significa básicamente, siempre o sin variación. Partiendo de este pasaje la oración debe ser dirigida al Padre cada vez sin excepción alguna. El hermano Gary Workman firme y fiel predicador del evangelio sobre el tema escribe lo siguiente:

     1Timoteo 2:5 Se ha manipulado para implicar que es posible orar a Jesús, siendo que ´El es nuestro mediador entre Dios y el hombre. Sin embargo, esto no quiere decir que le hablamos a Cristo para que después El se lo comunique a Dios. Por consiguiente nuestro mediador, intercesor y sumo sacerdote dijo: Ora al Padre (cf. Mateo 6:6). Los cristianos del primer siglo entendieron esto, ellos se postraron al Padre (cf. Efe 3:14) y subieron su voz a Dios (cf. Hechos 4:24). El antiguo pacto también tenía un mediador y un sumo sacerdote (Moisés, Arón), pero los judíos no podían orar a ninguno de los dos. Nosotros no tenemos autoridad Bíblica para orar a Jesús el mediador, como tampoco oramos al E.S quién específicamente intercede por nosotros (cf. Romanos 8:26-27). (Gary Workman, Cults and Worship, in Spirits and truth , Freed Hardeman Lectures, ed . David L. Lipe. 1994, pg 481)

Tal como lo explica el hermano Gary No existe autoridad Bíblica para orar a Jesús. La iglesia de Cristo siempre ha obrado con libro capitulo y versículo en todo lo que hace, enseña y práctica. Con todo algunos se oponen con argumentos fuertes pero fuera de contexto, exactamente como el de Hechos 7:54-60, sosteniendo que Esteban oró a Jesús, sin embargo el clamor de Esteban NO es considerado como oración sino más bien como una Epifanía en el momento de su partida de este mundo.

De tiempo en tiempo la Iglesia entona un himno llamado Dilo a Cristo que va de la siguiente manera:

Cuando estés cansado y abatido,

Dilo a Cristo, dilo a Cristo,

Si te sientes débil, confundido,

Dilo a Cristo el Señor.

CORO

Dilo a Cristo, dilo a Cristo,

Él es tu amigo más fiel;

No hay otro amigo como Cristo,

Dilo tan sólo a Él.

Al subrayar el error en este himno deseamos notar con especialidad que los himnos no son inspirados por Dios y por tal razón es nuestro arduo trabajo analizarlos para ver si estos están en armonía con la palabra de Dios. Evidentemente este en particular NO lo está por lo tanto este servidor NO lo entona, pero ¿Cuantas Iglesias de Cristo cantan, y siguen cantándolo?. Suena bien pero no esta bien.

Para que alguien que sostenga que orar a Jesús y al Espíritu Santo está bien, deberá

  1. Ignorar la clara distinción que existe entre las personas de la Deidad.
  2. Sostener que alguien puede realmente honrar la Deidad sin obedecer a la Deidad.
  3. Explicar porqué Pablo mencionó a los miembros de la Deidad en Efesios 3:14-16 pero doblaba sus rodillas al Dios y Padre de nuestro Señor Jesuscristo.
  4. Explicar porque Jesús nunca oro al Espíritu Santo.
  5. Explicar porqué Jesús nunca enseño a sus discípulos a orar al Espíritu Santo.
  6. Explicar porqué en la supuesta “oración” de Esteban nunca terminó: “En el nombre de Jesús”
  7. Ignorar que Jesús oro al Padre en la institución de la cena del Señor.
  8. Desechar mas de cien pasajes Bíblicos donde se aborda la oración al Padre a travez de Jesús y no ha Jesús mismo en el N.T
  9. Proveer libro capitulo y versículo para mostrar que si se puede orar a Jesús.
  10. Mostrar un ejemplo aprobado en la Biblia fue el caso desestimado de Esteban.

Debemos recordar que no importa cuanto el hombre puede estudiar en su vida y cuantos títulos pueda lograr, la Palabra de Dios sigue siendo la autoridad absoluta y ¿Que dice esa autoridad? (Juan 16:23-29; Mateo 6:6-15, 7:7-11; Lucas 11:1-13, etc).  Jesus también dio ordenes a los apóstoles de que el hombre debe de obedecer (Efesios 5:20, Filipenses 4:6; Colo 3:17). Hermanos Dios no es autor de confusión (1Cor 14:33) Dios más bien es el autor de la paz, la paz que sobrepasa todo entendimiento (Efe 4:3). Les amo a todos y realmente es mi deseo que estemos unidos en la verdad de la Biblia. Así como nuestro Señor oró al Padre por unidad en su cuerpo, también es nuestra oración al Padre.

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Comfort in Hardship (3)

Comfort in Hardship (3)

Have you ever considered that your faith has a big spotlight placed on it every single time you as a Christian have to endure hardship in your life?  It’s true.  There are many who are watching Christians to see if we are living consistent lives.  They want to know if we really trust the God we claim to believe, so they want to know how we react when we are in trouble.

You may suffer hardship for your faith. Take your comfort in God.

You may suffer hardship for your faith. Take your comfort in God.

Fair or not, this is a reality, and our Lord recognizes that.  It is for this reason that he inspired the apostles to write, “If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation…so that many will give thanks on our behalf…”(2 Cor. 1:6, 11), and, “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation”(1 Pet. 2:12).  Faithful wives who have disobedient husbands – a serious burden for the wives, to be sure – are told to be subject to them…why?  So that “they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives”(1 Pet. 3:1).  Our conduct, how we act…especially in the face of suffering and hardship…matters.

Here’s a good question we should ask ourselves.  What should a suffering Christian look like?  For one, he should show gratitude to God.  Look at Paul, who in the midst of talking about his and his fellow Christians’ hardships in 2 Corinthians 2 didn’t forget to be grateful to God (2 Cor. 2:14).  When he exhorted the Philippians to bring everything to God in prayer in order to get unimaginable peace in the midst of hardship, what attitude did he go out of his way to tell them to have?  An attitude of thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6-7).

When we complain about our trials, all we are doing is increasing our anxieties and worries.  However, when we choose to instead thank God for his goodness even in the midst of suffering, we will have more peace.  Is this hard to do?  Sure.  Are most of us not very good at doing this?  Yep.  Most of us count our problems rather than our blessings, and by doing so we forget that God, even during the hard times, still provides us with every good and perfect gift (James 1:17).  Have we forgotten that as Christians we have more spiritual blessings than we could ever enumerate?  (Eph. 1:3)

Life’s difficulties remind us that we cannot make it through this life by ourselves.  When we remember that and act accordingly, others will notice…and that is one way we can open the door to bring the gospel to them.  Not only that, but we should also be reminded that life is temporary, and we are strangers on this earth who have citizenship in heaven rather than here (Phil. 3:20).  The Greek word translated “citizenship”in this passage describes the homeland of an individual who has been taken into captivity in a foreign land.  Such an individual would say, “Yes, I might be here as a slave against my will TEMPORARILY, but my citizenship is back in my homeland.  I have my name written in a register back in my own country to prove it.”  This is how it is with Christians in a spiritual sense.  We are here on this earth for a short visit, but our homeland is in heaven.  Our Father and our Savior are there, and our name is written there.

So we must remember that there is something better waiting for us (2 Cor. 4:16-17).  Jesus promised he would go and prepare a place of rest for us and that someday he would take us home to be with him in this place of eternal rest (John 14:1-3).  Where are our treasures…here, or in heaven?  (Matt. 6:19-21)  We can be thankful that they are in heaven rather than here on earth.  However, as long as we are here the God of comfort will bring rest and peace to our souls as we long for that eternal home.  We can rejoice in this, even while we are suffering, and especially when we realize that our joy in the midst of trouble gets the attention of others and can open doors for them to come to learn and obey the truth of the gospel so they can start on that road to heaven themselves.

I will never forget something that Terry Knighton, one of the shepherds of my congregation, told me once:  “During life, we have ups and downs.  But no matter what, we have an Advocate, Jesus Christ.  We must cast our cares on him.  If we have a good day, we must thank him.  If we are having a bad day, we must talk to him about it in prayer.  If you bring your troubles to God, he will find a way for you.”  That is very true.  That’s what God wants us to do.  That’s what God promises to do.  Let’s always remember that.

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Comfort in Hardship (2)

Comfort in Hardship (2)

Finding comfort…in hardship.  How can that be possible?

God provides comfort during hard times.

God provides comfort during hard times.

For one, we can find comfort in hardship because hardship equips us to bring comfort to others.  All of us who have gone through hard times know how comforting it is when someone else comes up to us and says, “I understand how you feel, because I’ve been through the very same situation you are going through right now.”  Christians, when a brother or sister in Christ comforts you in this way, what are they doing?  God says that they are using the comfort which he himself has given them in order to comfort you (2 Cor. 1:4).

Until we have experienced pain, we really cannot sympathize with hurting people…not in the way we can after our own pain.  One who has lost a child, a parent, a sibling, or a close friend can better understand people who are going through a similar situation.  A person who is suffering with cancer can better understand when others deal with this dreadful disease.

When we go through tough times, we are enabled to identify with someone else who has a similar experience.  Why do you think support groups are so popular?  No one understands the agony of divorce like somebody who has been divorced.  No one understands the pain and humiliation of having a family member in prison like someone else who has a family member in prison.  When people get together who have common experiences, they can encourage and comfort each other.

The Bible says that God is “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3).  “Mercies”is sometimes translated “compassion.”  Did you notice how Paul distinguishes between mercy/compassion and comfort in this verse?  There’s a difference between the two.  Compassion has more to do with understanding, while comfort has more to do with putting that understanding into action to help others.  No wonder “comfort”in the Greek literally means “to come alongside.”  That’s what people who comfort do.  They come alongside.  The comforter listens, encourages, and assists (James 2:15-16).  They will work to make the situation better.  They will take the initiative to make the visit, pick up the phone, prepare the meal, or tap the sufferer on the shoulder and say, “I understand what you’re going through; I’ve been there.”  (2 Cor. 1:6-7)

So we can find comfort in hardship from others, the ones who have experienced the same or similar sufferings.  So when we experience hardships, let us do our best to rejoice, knowing that now we are better equipped to be a more comforting blessing to more people.

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