Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Zambia Lessons - Drunkeness
So often we try to find things to take the place of God.
One of the things that we often turn to is alcohol.
- Some people begin drinking to have something to do, because they are bored.
- Others begin drinking because it helps them deal with the world. They have personal tragedy or pain, and so they turn to alcohol for their comfort or source of strength. They try to escape from their problems by drinking.
Many of us think that we can handle it. We can drink and be fine. Alcohol will never control our actions. We are stronger than alcohol.
In Leviticus 10, we are told the story of Nadab and Abihu. Nadab and Abihu were the sons of Aaron, the high priest. They were also priests, but they did not take their job seriously. They thought they could get drunk before they went in to worship God.
“The 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… You must distinguish between the holy and the common, the unclean and the clean…” (Leviticus 10:8-9).
God demanded their holiness. He did not want them to come before him drunk, because it meant that alcohol (and their sinful desires) was more important than God.
As Paul is writing to the Christians in Ephesus, he writes these words:
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (wild/unholy living). Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18)
Paul started by saying, “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise…” (Ephesians 5:18).
Paul tells them that it is not wise to play with alcohol, because it might start off innocently but eventually will consume you. Paul tells them that although they think they can handle it, they cannot. They cannot live as both a drunken life and a Christian life.
If we are filled with the Spirit, we cannot be filled with alcohol. The Spirit consumes us. The opposite is also true: if we are filled with alcohol, we cannot be filled with the Spirit. We cannot serve two masters. We cannot keep on drinking, thinking that God will approve of our actions. Through our drinking we are cutting God out of our lives. We make it impossible to be filled with his Spirit.
Jesus tells us, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.” (John 6:63).
Paul says something similar in 2 Cor. 3:6, “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
We cannot have true life without the Spirit. We cannot have the Spirit if we are always drunk. If we are filling ourselves with alcohol and trying to live a Christian life, we are only pretending. We are not living as Christ would have us live. And we must STOP! You must put aside alcohol in order to follow Christ.
In Galatians 5:16-17, Paul writes: “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”
We must live by the Spirit, because only through the Holy Spirit, given to us by Christ, do we receive true life. Alcohol is a false life, an idol, which promises us happiness but only leads to destruction.
My brothers and sisters, let us put aside our sinful nature so that we can follow Christ fully!
Zambia Lessons
In Mark 5:1-17, we learn of a man who is possessed by evil spirits. Not just one evil spirit, but a large number of evil spirits, possibly as many as 2000. Everyone was scared of this man. He lived among the tombs, in the grave yard. Many people had tried to catch this man and subdue him, but no one was strong enough to lock him up. No matter how hard they tried or how many chains they used, he was always able to tear them apart. Nothing was strong enough to hold him, and no one was strong enough to withstand him.
These spirits also made the man hurt himself. He would cut himself with sharp rocks and cry out in pain. This man scared everyone around him, and no one wanted to be near this man.
This was his life. He had no hope, he had no control, and he had no future. That is, until he encountered Jesus.
Mark 5:6-8
“When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"
Jesus saw a man in need of healing, and Jesus demanded that the spirits come out. It was one man, Jesus, against a large number of demons; yet Jesus was much stronger than the demons he was facing. Jesus has supreme power over the demons. They cannot face him, they cannot stand up to him, and they cannot overpower him.
Mark 5:9-13
Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"
"My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." 13He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
Jesus drove the demons out of the man. What is amazing is how different the man is from then on.
Mark 5:15
When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
The man’s entire appearance was changed. Now he was sitting calmly, clothed, and in his right mind. No longer does he live among the tombs; now he can live among the people, because Jesus has set him free!
The people were more afraid of the power of Jesus than they were of the demons he had cast out!
We find another story of Jesus’ power over demons in Mark 9. In Mark 9 there is a story of boy who had been possessed by an evil spirit.
This spirit wanted to cause him harm and even kill him. It took away his speech and made him mute. When the evil spirit takes over his body, it throws him to the ground, makes him spit and foam at the mouth, and makes his body go into seizures. Nothing has been able to drive out this spirit, and it has been happening since this young man was very little.
Let’s listen to the story:
Mark 9:17-20
A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."
"O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."
So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
Mark 9:21-27
Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"
"From childhood," he answered. 22"It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."
" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."
Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evila]">[a] spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."
The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
No one had been able to heal this young man. Jesus, however, drives out the demon with his power.
No demon is supreme over Jesus. No demon is more powerful, no demon has more authority, and no demon has more ability, because Jesus is supreme.
Paul promises us this in Romans 8:38-39:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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. (Romans 8:35-39)
Jesus is supreme! James tells us that even the demons believe there is only one God, and that makes them shudder and tremble (James 2:19). Jesus is supreme over all powers, over all the universe. He has power over demons, power over sickness and disease, power over death.
Jesus is LORD!
So why are we so afraid? Why do we live in fear of sickness? Why do we visit the witchdoctors when we need to turn to the LORD? Why do we wear the charms, amulets, and protective spells that are supposed to keep demons away?
If we believe and trust in Jesus, we have nothing to fear. We don’t need to be afraid of the demons, because the demons are afraid of Jesus!
If we are living in Christ, we have nothing to fear! We do not need to fear curses. We do not need to fear ancestors. We do not have to keep trying to make them happy; the only one we need to live for and make happy is Jesus Christ!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
New HFC Video
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Update, 6/5/09
From Mindy: Of the many people I have gotten the chance to sit down and read with, one sticks out in my mind. This young woman came to our information meeting and sat down at my table. We visited for a couple hours and set up a time for the next day…she hasn’t missed a day yet. She doesn’t have much of a religious background, and even told me that the story of the virgin conception was hard for her to believe, but she comes every day with a smile and an eagerness to sit down and read. An important aspect in this culture is to form and maintain relationships, and she definitely has with me. One evening she came and told me that one of her best friends had just returned to Lima for the first time in two years and had stopped by to say hello to her. He invited her to go out with him but she told him that she had to come to the church because she had promised her new friends that she would be there. We’ve made plans this weekend to play some volleyball and I’m excited to see God’s plan for this woman he has placed in my life!
God bless you guys! Thanks for the prayers!
