God Understands Aging - Ecclesiastes 12

Have you ever wondered if God will be with you in the later years of life? Does anyone understand the difficulties that our seniors experience day in and day out? Well, it shouldn't surprise us that God would take most of an entire chapter in the Bible to explain the difficulties that the senior years bring. I think He wrote Ecclesiastes 12 to bring comfort and encouragement to our seniors and to help us all realize that He does understand our situation. He sees and knows your situation and He will see us through to the end - to the day He calls us home to heaven to spend eternity with Him in glory.

Isaiah 46:3-5 “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, Who have been upheld by Me from birth, Who have been carried from the womb:  Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you. “To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal And compare Me, that we should be alike?

I've titled this Bible Study - "God Understands Aging" and I just want to go through a good portion of Ecclesiastes 12 in order to begin to understand what our seniors are going through. It will help all of us to be a better friend to our elderly loved ones and it will help us all to prepare for our own golden years which for some of us ( including myself ) - it is just around the corner! So lets begin.....

 Ecclesiastes 12

Verse 1 - Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them”:We are encouraged to be saved, and to develop our relationship with the Lord in the days of our youth - in our younger days. We must not wait till difficult times come our way to seek the Lord. It is a blessing to seek the Lord early in life and then to walk with Him all our days. We need to settle the fact in our hearts that God is good and He has our best in mind - then come what may, we know we can keep trusting ourselves to Him.

Verse 2 - While the sun and the light, The moon and the stars, Are not darkened, And the clouds do not return after the rain.  This refers to vision problems. I can identify with this as I now must wear glasses with graduated lenses - they used to call them bifocals.

Verse 3 - In the day when the keepers of the house tremble, And the strong men bow down When the grinders cease because they are few, And those that look through the windows grow dim;
The "house" in verse 3 refers to the human body that is aging, "keepers" are the arms and hands.  The body is not as strong as in the days of youth or as in the mid years of life. The "grinders" are our teeth which also are not in great shape. Some people have many fillings in their teeth and others must wear a denture. "windows grow dim - the eyes once again are becoming weaker and it becomes harder to do one's daily activities and it it becomes harder to see for reading, or doing other fine work.
Verse 4 - When the doors are shut in the streets, And the sound of grinding is low; When one rises up at the sound of a bird, And all the daughters of music are brought low.
"risisng up at the sound of a bird" refers to sleepless nights.
"music brought low" - It becomes harder to hear and many elderly people benefit from the use of a hearing aid. My own mother greatly benefits from her hearing aids. With the need to wear a hearing aid come other problems such as difficulties in hearing in a group setting where there are many people and higher noise levels - such as in a restaurant or a family get together.

Verse 5 - Also they are afraid of height, And of terrors in the way; When the almond tree blossoms, The grasshopper is a burden, And desire fails. For man goes to his eternal home, And the mourners go about the streets
The fear of heights and of slipping and falling becomes a very real problem in our senior years. Things that used to be a regular part of life can now bring fear and pain. Many elderly people need a cane, or walker or wheelchair to get around.
"the almond tree blossoms" - refers to the white hair of an elderly person. Personally I think white hair is beautiful. Elderly people are beautiful people!
"desire fails" - this refers to sexual desire. The years of child bearing are over and love between an elderly couple continues and is expressed in a variety of  precious ways.
"eternal home" - death will come to each one of us in our own time and place and those of us who have trusted Christ as Savior will dwell with the Lord forever.

 Verse 6-7  Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well.  Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.
When we pass away, the soul separates from the body. The soul or spirit of a Christian goes straight into the presence of God in heaven as it says in verse 7  And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

Conclusion

Verses 13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.  For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.
So from this entire study we can see that God clearly understands our daily struggles in our senior years. May I encourage us all to trust Him with our lives whatever stage of life we are at. Settle it in your heart to trust him rain or shine, day in and day out, through the days of youth, through the childbearing years, through midlife, and through the senior years. It's only a matter of time till we all stand before God in heaven. It won't be long...... it really is only a matter of time!

My Prayer for you...

Dear Heavenly Father, Please be very near every elderly and senior person who is lonely and struggling with life. Wrap Your arms of love around them and carry them every day. Draw each one who reads this close to Yourself and bless them,
I ask in Jesus Name, Amen

The Call to Holy Living

 1 Peter 2 : 11-12  Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

As we read and study our Bibles, we will find that the life of the Christian is very different from the life of a non-believer. This is largely due to the fact that as Christians, we have the Holy Spirit residing within us. The Holy Spirit nudges us to live pure and holy lives. Lives that will please the Lord Jesus Christ who has washed away our sin with His own blood which He shed on the cross. We understand that it is not our own righteous ways that make us holy but only the blood of Jesus Christ can do that work within us. But after having believed and receivied Christ's gift of salvation into our lives, we then make every effort to please the Lord in our conduct in our daily lives. Therefore the Lord calls us to conduct ourselves with our hearts filled with grace, mercy, love and purity as we go about our daily routines - the love and fear of the Lord as a background in everything we do.
The word "holy" implies sacredness, being set apart to God, and belonging to Him. To be holy is to be set free from anything that offends God who is completely and perfectly holy.  The Bible teaches that we are called to holiness in 1 Peter 1: 14-16 where it says - as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” By the power of the Holy Spirit within us we receive power to say "no" to the evil that we used to serve before we came to Christ. It is a decision to yield oneself to God entirely - to actually give Him the authority in one's life. Through study of the Bible, we come to understand what it is that pleases Christ and then it becomes a matter of doing what the Bible teaches. God has set the standard as to what is qualifies as sin and so as a Christian we yield to His standards even when we do not fully understand His ways. As we yield to the Lords's ways, and consistantly resist the devil and the temptations that he throws at us, we find that God is our strength, our hope and joy and our constant companion and friend.
Holy living is important because God commands it but also because God is glorified when we allow Him to work in us. In this way we become a testimony to the power of God. When our friends and family see that we have only one real desire - a desire to please Christ - we become a witness to them. The Holy Spirit will use our witness to draw them to also desire to live a holy life pleasing to the Lord.
The Bible teaches and we believe that every human who has ever lived will stand at the judgement seat of Christ one day and give account of the life lived here. We are all looking for the day when we hear the words from the mouth of the Lord Jesus in that day - welcoming us home.....saying -
 Matthew 25: 21 Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Sexual Immorality

1 Thessalonians 4: 3-7 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified.
What is more destructive than sexual immorality? We have seen time and time again how a man or woman basically destroys everything that has any real significance in his or her life by participating in this horrific sin.
The Bible is very clear that Christians are to abstain from every type of sexual immorality. There is no excuse because of how clear the Bible is on this issue. Sexual involvement outside the bond of marriage is unholy, and dishonors God. It ruins the chances of having a good relationship with your spouse or any future spouse ( if you are not currently married), with your family,  as well as destroying one's own body. The Bible teaches in Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death,. This death certainly means death in your relationship with the Lord, in your relationship with the people close to you as well as it can mean physical death.
 So what does sexual immorality mean in Biblical terms? When all is said and done it is God who sets the standard for holy living so it is important to remember that what we find in the Bible is God's standard and we need to abide by the words of the Bible.
The word sexual immorality or fornication ( as is used in the King James Bible) comes from the Greek word  pornia which is translated pornography in the English language. It is a broad term which includes all forms of sexual immorality.

Sexual immorality includes:

Lust and pornography -  Matthew 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Adultery - is extramarital sex and also lust. It is included in the ten commandments and in the Old Testament law required the death penalty . It destroys the soul of the one participating in it - Proverbs 6:32 says But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

 Incest -  is sex with a close relative who is not your spouse. Also required the death penalty in
Leviticus 18: 6-7 None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the Lord.
The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
Deuteronomy 27:22  Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Homosexuality - is sex with a person of one's own gender - male with male, female with female. It is strongly condemned in both the Old and New Testament . Romans 1:26 -27  For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.  Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
Leviticus 18:22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination
Homosexuality also required the death penalty in Leviticus 20:13  If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Beastiality - is sex with an animal  - also punishable by the death penalty in the Old Testament 
Exodus 22:19 Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death
Deuteronomy 27: 21  Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen.

The only sex blessed by God and that brings honor to His Name is that of a husband and wife who are married to each other - commited till death do part.

Recorded in the Bible as a Memorial and Testimony

Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

There are many important Bible stories and passages where a rock or stones are a part of the story. Wouldn't it be interesting if stones could speak and share what they saw? The good news is we don't really need the stones to share with us what happened since it is all recorded for us in our Bibles. We can think of various examples like the story where Moses was instructed by God to cut out two stone tablets and bring them up the to Mount Sinai and there God Himself wrote out the ten commandments on those stone tablets. It says they were written with the finger of God. We can also read where God required the death penalty for people found guilty of certain deliberate sins such as blasphemy, a wizard, sexual sins etc. But also, just as today, stones were also used as a memorial as in the book of Joshua where each of the twelve tribes of Israel were instructed to pick up one stone from the river Jordan, pile them in a heap on the land as a lasting remembrance that they crossed through the Jordan on dry land.
 Joshua 4: 7 That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
Today also we use stones to mark a memorial or we place a huge stone as a reminder of a new covenant after a break and then restoration of a relationship.

But what I wanted to draw attention to is to look at the story of the stone used at the tomb of our Lord Jesus. We have all heard the question asked - Can God make a stone so big that He cannot move it? I believe nothing is too hard for the LORD so that question is really irrelevant.
We read in the gospels how Jesus had been wrongly accused, and had been crucified. After Jesus died, his friend Joseph of Arimathaea took the body of Jesus down from the cross, wrapped the body in linen cloths and laid Him in the sepulchre and rolled a huge stone in place.
 Mark 15:46 And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre. - It would seem at this point that Satan would have thought he had won. Satan's plan all along was to spoil the plan of God and prevent salvation for us to be possible, and so with Jesus being now dead and safely in the tomb, a huge stone rolled in place, Satan will have felt pretty confident at this point that he had won and there would be no way Jesus could get up and out of there. I am thinking that Satan would have been having a party with his demon friends at this point. BUT that is not the end of the story. We read that an angel came and rolled that stone away. Death could not keep Jesus, neither could a huge stone. Jesus did not need the stone to be rolled away for Him to be able to get out but we needed it rolled away so that the women could go in there and testify to Jesus resurrection. We can see that the women who were coming to anoint the body of Jesus were worried and wondering who could move the stone for them.
 Mark 16: 1-4 says: And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
The women enter the sepulchre and to their surprise an angel is in there and tells them that Jesus is risen and is alive. Verse 6 - And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him
I have often thought as I've read this about the parallel of the huge stone to worry or fear in our lives about the future. Just as this huge stone was an obstacle for the women so my worries or fear is an obstacle to true faith -faith that trusts God for a good outcome even though present circumstances appear otherwise. I think of verse 4 again where it says when they looked, the stone had already been rolled away. So I also choose to trust that as I look to my Saviour and put my trust in Him, He will supply every need and work things out to the glory of His Name.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Holy Communion - The Lord Supper

1 Corinthians 11:25-26 ... this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

As Christians, Holy Communion is a very important in our walk with the Lord. In this Bible Study we will discuss four parts relating to this Holy meal.

1) What is it?
Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper is a time to remember. It is a time where we remember the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross where he gave His life and shed His blood for our sins in order to redeem us to the Father. It is a time we remember the pain and agony that He endured as He suffered for us. Jesus instituted the Lord's supper when He shared in the last Passover with his disciples.  Matthew 26:26-29 describes the event : And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
²⁷ And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
²⁸ For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
²⁹ But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
We see that Jesus took the bread, He blessed it, He broke it into smaller pieces and then gave it to the disciples saying "Take, eat; this is my body." So we see clearly here that the bread represents the physical body of Christ. As we eat of the bread we remember Christ's body broken for us for our redemption.

Then Jesus took the cup and again he gave thanks and gave it to the disciples saying " Drink ye all of it;
For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins"  We see here that the wine represents the blood of Christ. Jesus shed his own blood for the payment of our sin. In Hebrews 9: 22 we read  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
The question is often asked if the cup would have been wine and if it should be wine in our communion services today.  We read in Matthew 26:29 I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine - so that definitely tells us that grapes would have been crushed and it would be either grape juice or wine. More likely it would have been sweet wine but in my opinion either real grape juice or wine would be appropriate to use.

2) Holy Communion is a time to look back and to look forward.
1 Corinthians 11: 23-26 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
²⁴ And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
²⁵ After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
²⁶ For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
As we partake of the Lord's supper we are looking back and remembering what it took for Jesus to save us. He took our sins upon Himself and became guilty of our sin, bore our judgement and died in our place. He took upon Himself what we deserved as punishment for our sin. Jesus died, was buried and rose again on the third day.
As we partake of Communion we are looking forward to the time when Jesus will return to earth. He will come and get us out of here! 1 Corinthians 11: 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. We are going to continue to remember the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf till He comes again!!

3) Who can participate in Holy Communion?
1 Corinthians 11: 27-31
²⁷ Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
²⁸ But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
²⁹ For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
³⁰ For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
³¹ For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
As believers we need to examine our own hearts before we partake of this holy meal. We need to check our hearts and our lives, and confess all our sins to the Lord. We need to rid ourselves of the sin in our lives. We need to forgive everyone who has wronged us.  This is a meal for saved people who have confessed their sin and have repented before the Lord. A person's spiritual birth into the family of God makes him or her a worthy participant for this meal.

4) By particpating in Communion we are being obedient to the Lord Jesus
Luke 22:19  And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Notice that Jesus says - this do in remembrance of me
We can be sure that as we are obedient to the Lord Jesus we will experience the blessing of the Lord through this Holy Lord's Supper.

Exercising Faith - Hannah

Faith that Believes God for Answers

Hebrews 11: 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

What is faith? Faith is believing God - that He will provide all that is needed for a good result in our circumstances even when it looks impossible to the human eye. The good result we are looking for is God's will for us above anything that we want for ourselves. We know that He sees the end from the begining and in reality God alone knows what would be the best outcome to our situation.
Hebrews 11 is often called the heroes of faith chapter as it lists many of the great men and women in the Bible who displayed extra ordinary faith in their life circumstances. In this Bible study I want to look at what the word faith means in a little more depth and then I want to look at the story of Hannah and see her faith in her situation.

Faith - Hebrews 1:1 gives us the Biblical definition of faith. It says - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is the assurance in our heart that God will do what He says He will do - we are convinced by the truth of His Word in the Bible. When we are exercising our faith we are not trusting in ourselves - no, we place our trust in the One who answers prayer and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. In order to please God we must believe that He exists, that He is real, that He is concerned with our needs and our situation. We must believe that He will reward those who diligently seek Him. We must also realize that the Lord does not hear our prayers while our hearts are filled with sin.
Psalm 66: 18-19 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
Faith is to believe and trust in Jesus as He is presented in the Scriptures. He is the only begotten Son of God. He died on the cross for our sin to redeem us to God. He was buried and rose again on the third day.

Hannah - Now let us look us the faith of Hannah from 1 Sammuel. The story of Hannah is that she was married to Elkanah. Now Elkanah loved Hannah very much but he also had a second wife name Peninnah. Now Penninah was able to bear children but Hannah had no children. There was nothing that Hannah wanted more in all her life than to have a child. As though the stress of being barren was not enough, Peninnah would make fun of Hannah, provoke her and irritate her because of her barren womb to the point that Hannah was brought to tears and could not even eat. So Hannah was in great distress.
 So what did Hannah do about her problems? She brought her situation before the Lord in prayer. She wept before the Lord as she poured out her heart before Him. 1 Sammuel 1: 10 - 13 describes her prayer:
And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.
¹¹ And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
¹² And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth.
¹³ Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard:

Sometimes we may wonder if it is okay or even wise to pray alone. We may have been told that we should pray in a group or that we should first seek the advice of other people before we pray. But that is not what Hannah did.  She prayed alone and no other person really knew the depths of the burden on her heart but she poured it out before the Lord.
What did Hannah do after she prayed? The Bible says that she went on her way, she was no longer sad and she was able to eat and the best part is she worshipped the Lord! 1 Sammuel 1: 18-19  So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. ¹⁹ And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: We know that Hannah had faith because it clearly says that she was no longer sad. She was exercising faith in God that He had indeed seen her situation, heard her prayer and God would take action on her behalf. This is so beautiful - I just love it!!
What happened next? Hannah went home with Elkannah and life continued. And God did not forget about Hannah! ( he never forgets His own). Hannah was able to become pregnant and God gave a baby boy to Hannah and Elkannah exactly as Hannah had prayed!
1 Sammuel 1: 19-20 and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.
²⁰ Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord.

As Christians, we serve the very same God as Hannah does in this study. He loves and cares for His own. He knows our situation.
 It is important that we go to the Lord in prayer and humbly pour out our hearts before him. After we have entrusted ourselves into His care, we can go about our daily tasks with joy because we have faith to believe that God will do what is the best for us in our situation. We worship and praise the Lord even before our situation changes and we must remember to continue to give Him the honor and praise as well once we have seen the answer to our prayers come to take place.

Camel - Eye of the Needle

Matthew 19: 23-24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
In Matthew 19, Jesus has been teaching the people about entering the kingdom of God. He teaches that little children can come and when a young rich man confronts Jesus about entering the kingdom, we learn that it is hard for the rich to enter into the kingdom of heaven. That is to say that no amount of money can buy anyone a place in heaven. Then we have this quote from Jesus that many people find very troubling - It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
 What does it mean?
 Many Bible teachers will say that Jesus is just saying that it is impossible simply because trusting in our riches will not save us. While that is completely true there is another important lesson here. Let me explain what my Dad taught me years ago. It starts with this studying this picture. ( The picture is taken from my German Picture New Testament that I got from my parents as a gift in 1970).
 

The small door is referred to as the Eye of the Needle

 

In the Bible times the towns and cities had walls of stone all the way around the city. The walls were quite thick and people could easily walk on the top of the wall. We remember the story of Jericho and how Joshua and the people marched around the city each day for 6 days and on the 7th day they marched around seven times and when they shouted the walls came tumbling down. These types of walls had some larger doorways and gateways and as you can see in the picture there is a small door within the larger set of doors. This small door is called the "Eye of the Needle" or the Needle's Eye". So when Jesus spoke these words to the disciples they will have known very well that he spoke of the very small door of the city wall. In order for a camel to go through this small door, a camel would have to kneel down and allow itself to be helped through that door. So it is a picture of humility that Jesus is describing here. Just as we must come to Jesus for salvation in a childlike way - a child is needy and trusting and doesn't doubt so also we come to Jesus in humility. We come in humility confessing our sins because we need Jesus to help us through the door to salvation exactly like the camel needs to humbly go on his knees and accept the help to come in. What Jesus says here about the camel going through the "Eye of the Needle" is really a very important lesson and beautiful picture of salvation.
Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.


Bible Teaching on Alcohol and Drunkenness

Proverbs 20: 1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

          Who has woe?
          Who has sorrow?
          Who has contentions?
          Who has complaints?
          Who has wounds without cause?
          Who has redness of eyes?

Those who linger long at the wine,
Those who go in search of mixed wine.
Do not look on the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it swirls around smoothly;
At the last it bites like a serpent,
And stings like a viper.

Your eyes will see strange things,
And your heart will utter perverse things.
Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying:
“They have struck me, but I was not hurt;
They have beaten me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?”

In our world and culture today, we see that the consumption of alcohol is idolized. Even among so called Christians alcohol is being consumed at  parties and weddings. Many people consume alcohol regularly and it becomes an addiction that ruins their lives. We know for a fact that the consumption of alcohol by a pregnant mother is the cause of  Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder or FASD  - a disability that greatly hinders the abilities of a child causing a perfectly innocent child to live with the consequences of the unwise and unnecessary choice to drink - that choice made by the mother. We see many injuries and deaths on the highway due to drunkenness, and it also contributes to poverty, broken homes, violence within families and on the streets. We would all agree that alcohol is a very dangerous substance. I believe the Bible teaches abstinence from all use of alcohol except that a small amount of wine can be used for medicinal purposes and also a small amount of wine can be used at the Communion service where we remember the Lord Jesus's sacrifice on the cross.
Let's look into Scripture and see what we find.

First we will look at a few verses that show where the use of wine is appropriate.
Secondly we will look at verses that show us the use of alcohol is not appropriate for a Christian.

APPROPRIATE USE OF WINE
The Use of Wine at the Lord's Supper we normally call "Communion".
It is also commonly refered to as "the cup" in the Bible - 1 Corinthians 11: 25-26 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

Matthew 26 : 27-29 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto
you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

The Use of Wine for Medicinal Purposes:
1 Timothy 5: 23 Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.
The Good Samaritan uses wine as he dresses the wounds of the man who fell among thieves.
 Luke 10: 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
They offered Jesus wine to numb his pain on the cross - he refused to accept it  Mark 15:23  And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.

INNAPROPRIATE USE OF WINE
The Bible has strong warnings about drinking and becoming drunk. Drinking leads to addictions, and also to immoral behaviors.
The Lord wants us to be filled with His Spirit and not become filled with any alternatives - not alcohol and not drugs illegal or other. God is our source of strength and he is our refuge in times of trouble.
Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Drinking Alcohol  is an unrighteous behavior

Drunkenness is a Sin against God - you may have heard people say that alcoholism is a disease - it is not a disease because you cannot get it from a germ or a virus. It is definitely a sin.
 1 Corinthians 6: 9 says the unrighteous shall not enter the kingdom God  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Then it goes on to list what unrighteous behaviors will prevent entrance into the kingdom  in verses 9-10  Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
¹⁰ Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
If any who are reading this knows of someone who  is living in the sin of alcohol, and you may be getting discouraged at this point - I want you to know that there is hope and through faith in the Lord Jesus there is freedom and salvation. 1 Peter 4: 1-4 gives this kind of hope. It says -  Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.
Repent of this sin and turn to the Lord for forgiveness and healing.

Drunkenness leads to immoral behavior:
In Genesis 19 is the story of Lot. It is really a very sad story. The two daughters of Lot were afraid they each would never have a husband and be able tohave children and  extend the family line. So together they decide to get their father Lot drunk and so in his drunken state he impregnates both of his daughters.  You will notice that it says that father Lot being drunk " he did not know when she lay down or when she arose" .  Alcohol brings Lot do do such wickedness that he would not do if he were sober.  You can read the story here:
 Genesis 19: 31- 35 Now the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man on the earth to come in to us as is the custom of all the earth.  Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.” ³³ So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
³⁴ It happened on the next day that the firstborn said to the younger, “Indeed I lay with my father last night; let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.” ³⁵ Then they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.

Repentance - Psalm 51

Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

What is repentance and what does it look like?
Repentance is a change of mind to the point where it changes your actions. It is a point of turning. You are going in one direction - you come to the knowledge of sin and you make a complete change and turn from it. You seek forgiveness from that sin with a determination to not repeat again. You are willing to make whatever changes are necessary in lifestyle and habit in order to be successful in your determination to not repeat the offense again.
I want to look at Psam 51 the prayer of David to get a glimpse of what real repentance looks like in the Bible. We know that David was a man after God's own heart.  David had a good relationship with the Lord for many years before the sin with Bathsheba. So many of the Psalms are written by David.
We will consider the sorrow in David's heart after the sin, his prayer of repentance and the consequences that God still allowed to  happen to him even though he was already repenting.

After playing cover up for some time, David is confronted about his sin by Nathan the Prophet. Lying only complicates a problem. We cannot hide from our sin indefinitely. The Bible says in Numbers 32: 23 - behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out. God is going to bring those sinful things out into the open which we think we can hide from everyone around us. We see this happen time after time in the world around us and in our own circles of friendships. Repentance is the key to getting our sin taken care of.

 What are some of the things we see from David that show sorrow over his sin?
1) David's confession is unabashed - He is not blaming anyone else, He does not deny it or try to find excuses. He is ashamed and sick of of his sin being in front of him continually.  He admits he is rebellious and sinful.
Psalm 51 : 1-4  Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.  For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

2) He seeks forgiveness and cleansing and longs to once again be able to rejoice in the Lord.
 Psalm 51: 7-9  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
3) David seeks to come back to being in relationship with the Lord. He repeatedly asks for cleansing.  Psalm 51: 10-12  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.  Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
4) David wants to be able to teach others to follow the Lord.- Psalm 51: 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
5) David makes a decision and determines to not repeat his sin. Psalm 51: 14-15  Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

God is a Holy God and He cannot tolerate sin in His presence. We see that sin grieves the heart of God. We also see that through repentance, David could find forgiveness and once again experience the joy of the Lord in his life.
Though David received forgiveness, the consequences of his sin still remained.
The sword would never depart from David's family
Evil would rise from his own family - David's wives would be raped in broad daylight.
The baby conceived in David's sinful act of adultery must die.
2 Sammuel 12: 10-12, 14  Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

Practical Insights into Repentance:Repentance involves your mind, your emotions, and your will.
1) Mind - within your heart you must be convicted that God has the authority to tell you what is sin. You must believe the Bible when it tells you what God considers to be sin. The Ten commandments tell us the heart of God. I would encourage everyone to read my blog post on the Ten Commandments - link to post here  http://sharingthefaith-northernsparrow.blogspot.ca/2012/07/ten-commandments-ours-today.html         For anyone reading this who doesn't know what grieves the heart of God, please read Galatians 5: 19-21 as it tells you very clearly there.
¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
²⁰ Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
²¹ Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
2) Emotions - You become broken and ashamed of your sin. This definitely involves crying out to God for mercy and you grieve over your sin and for most people this would involve the shedding of some tears.
3) Will - You need to have a plan of action. You need to plan how you together with the help of God are going to make this change happen. This involves making things right with other people. This involves prayer, burying yourself in the Word of God, seeking Him with your whole heart. You hate the very sin that you used to love because now you see it as God sees it. You hate the sin and want no part in it at all.

You will know you have repented when you see these Fruits of Repentance in your life:
1) Absence of rationalization - you are no longer looking for a way to justify what you have done, or blame it on others or explain it to make it seem like no big deal. There is an absence of phrases like - "everyone is doing it" or " the devil made me do it", or "I just couldn't help it", or " it's just how I am and you will just have to accept it", etc
2) Genuine Sorrow, Heartbrokeness - You are genuinely sorry for what you have done. Even if you get the chance to do that sin thing again, you will not do it because now you hate it, the very thought that you did it other times sickens you. As I mentioned earlier you are grieving over your sin.
3) Open Confession of Sin - You are no longer trying to hide it. It is out in the open now. You have stepped away from that former lifestyle. You need to confess this to the people close to you and sometimes to your church. You are accountable to God.
4) Restitution - You want to make things right with those you hurt. You are willing to do whatever it takes to make things right.
David made restitution to Bathsheba by taking her under his care - David had got Bathsheba's husband Uriah killed so now he took it upon himself to care and provide for her.

The Sanctified Life from Ephesians

Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Sin is a blinder. Living in sin keeps a person from seeing truth and from seeing things from God's perspective. Sin grieves the heart of God. I have heard people say that sin is really no big deal to God and that He is bigger than all of our sin and weakness. I find such a statement almost blasphemous because of the huge sacrifice that was required to atone for our sin. Our sin costed God the death of His only begotten Son Jesus in order to make a way for us to get into a right relationship with God. To think that He was willing to do that for me ( so that heaven will be my eternal home) just fills me with joy and wonderment. It also causes a desire to spring up inside me to live my life in a way that pleases Him. I do not care to please the world or to live in its luxuries. My focus is on my Heavenly Father and the blessed hope of being with Him.
As Dr Randy Carlson always used to say ( when he was still on the radio in my area) "Find out what pleases Christ and then do it." So I ask myself - What pleases Christ? The Bible says we are to live a sanctified life. That means to be "set apart". As Christians, we do not live our lives in the same way as a non-Christian does. There is a difference because we seek to obey the Bible which is the Word of God.
In Ephesians 4 we are called to
1) walk no longer as the Gentiles do - in sensuality, and practicing all sort of immoral lifestyles
2) lay aside the old manner of life - falsehood, stealing, unwholesome talk etc. We are called to put on the new self which has been created in righteousness and holiness.

Just to see the contrast in the life of a saved person to a non saved lets look a little more closely into Ephesians 4 and 5.
Some people believe that they can say they are saved and still continue living in the ways of the world but here are some of the distinct differences in the fruits found in the life of the Christian and non-Christian.



Saved
Light - life, truth
renewal of the mind, holiness
righteousness, work and share,
kind, forgiving, tenderhearted,
forgiving, walk in love, thankful

Not Saved
Darkness - hard hearted , callous
sensuality, impurity, greediness, lust,
deceit, immorality, filthy talk, idolatry
drunk with wine, lies, anger, stealing
slander, malice, coveting



This clearly points out that there is a difference between the saved and the unsaved person in his or her desires in living the daily life. The good news is that God wants all of us to come to Him for forgiveness and cleansing. We can come to Jesus today and be saved.
 Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 


 Please take the time to study Ephesians 4:17-32 which I have posted below.

¹⁷ This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
¹⁸ Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
¹⁹ Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
²⁰ But ye have not so learned Christ;
²¹ If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
²² That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
²³ And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
²⁴ And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
²⁵ Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
²⁶ Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
²⁷ Neither give place to the devil.
²⁸ Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
²⁹ Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
³⁰ And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
³¹ Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
³² And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.  

The Biblical Law of the Harvest

Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Galatians 6:7-8 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Throughout the Bible, we will find the principle of reaping and sowing also known as the Law of the Harvest. There are at least 2 parts to this principle that we will look at in this study.

Part A -  The Law of the Harvest in our Choices. This would be obvious in various areas of our lives including such things as :

1) Education -Where do I need to go to college  in order to attain my goal in the career of my choice.

2) Choosing to work hard and put effort into the things I do in order to be successful - whether that be in school, at home, in my relationships or on the job. Colossians 3:23  And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

3)  Spiritual Choices -The choice I make to follow Christ and live a life that pleases God, to honor Him in my daily life choices and thereby receive the blessing of God ( though not necessarily in money or possesions but rather the joy of living in His presence and being assured of his favor toward me.), or you can choose to live a life of sinful disobedience and reap the consequences thereof.

4) Spending Choices - Making the choice to live within my financial limits. Making the wrong choices in finances will lead to debt that I do not need or want. Make the choice to do with less rather than carry debt whenever possible.

5) Eating Habits and Health choices - Taking care of our eating habits and working towards healthy lifestyle patterns will pay huge rewards down the road.

6) Entertainment Choices - The kinds of things we put into our hearts and minds affects our thought processes and the life choices that we make in an unguarded moment. When we put evil, immoral or violence pictures or music into our minds through magazines, television and internet, the devil will use that against us at a convienent time of his choosing.

7) Relationship Choices - It is very important that we choose our friends wisely. Proverbs 13: 20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

8) What are some other Choices where the Law of the Harvest is seen?

Part B - The Law of the Harvest in our Giving

2 Corinthians 9: 6-7 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Proverbs 19:17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
We can see from these two passages that we can never outgive God. When we give to the work of the Lord financially or in praying for others or in doing kind deed - this is sowing the seed and God increases it and produces a harvest in His own time. God will see to it that as we give, He will supply more to us so that we will not suffer need. Phillipians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Sometimes we will see the fruit of our giving or of our time spent in prayer but other times we will not. We will see the outcome of the work the Lord has given for us to do in Heaven when the rewards are handed out to the faithful.
Cheerful giving to the Lord will result in a much better reward than earthly riches - it will result in a harvest of righteousness.
In conclusion, all of our giving pales in comparison to the gift that God gave to us - that is His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross to redeem us to God for eternal life.

Salvation

Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

The most important decision we will ever make is that of salvation. It is the decision that will determine our eternal destiny. The choice to accept God's offer of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ will lead to life everlasting in Heaven. The choice to never accept this offer to salvation will lead to the place called hell. The choice is up to each of us as individuals. We have to make the choice here in this life. When death has come, we no longer have the opportunity to choose. Since each of us has no idea when our life here will be over ( many die suddenly through accidents or illnesses), it is not wise to leave this decision undone for another day. So I urge everyone reading this to choose Jesus and be saved today!

The Way of Salvation
1) All have sinned and are in need of the Savior Jesus Christ. There is no person who is good enough to go to Heaven without having come to faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 3: 9 - 10 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one

2) God loves each of us and does not want anyone of us to be lost to hell.
2 Thessalonians 2: 16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
1 John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.



3) God requires the blood sacrifice of His own Son Jesus as payment for our sin. Nothing else will do.
Hebrews 9: 22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Hebrews 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
1 John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

4) In order to be saved we must put our faith completely in Jesus alone and believe that He is the only way to be saved, and that He shed his blood for our sin, paid it in full there on the cross where He died, He rose again on the third day, ascended to Heaven and will return to earth at the appointed time. Good works do not save, Jesus is the only One who can save.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Isaiah 64: 6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away
Acts 16: 30-31 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

5) Confess to God that you are a sinner, in need of the Savior Jesus Christ, that you want to be saved now. Repent of all known sin, turn from it, to live in it no longer. Ask Jesus to save you now.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Don't leave this most important decison for another day. Come to Jesus today!

Prayer to receive Christ as Saviour:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, ( lost without You). Thank-you that you gave yourself to redeem me back to the Father in Heaven. I believe you died for my sins on the cross and rose from the dead. I repent of my sin, I turn from it. Cleanse me from sin. I ask that You come into my heart and my life and be my Saviour and Lord of my life. Thank- you Jesus for saving me. Amen