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.
Galatians 5:21
There is an ongoing controversy that it’s OK for believers to drink alcohol. One camp says absolutely not while another camp says one or two drinks is OK. Yet another camp says that way of thinking is outdated and no longer applies to the Christian walk today.
So who is right?
Let’s take a look at not only scripture on drinking alcohol and drunkenness but also look at scientific studies on what happens when a person is impaired by alcohol and how much alcohol it takes to get them there.
Looking for loopholes
There is a tendency among believers to get as close to the line as possible without going over. In other words, they get right up to the sin, brush against it, but don’t actually do it – or do they?
There is an indication in the Word that even brushing up against sin is still sin – even if you didn’t actually do the deed.
Take for instance what Yeshua taught. In Matthew 5:27-28 He said that the man who looks upon a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. In fact, all of Matthew 5 is Yeshua calling believers to be all in and not lukewarm. Matthew 5:37 tells us to give a firm yes or no. In other words, don’t be wishy-washy.
A lesser discussed portion of scripture, Matthew 5:21-22 shows us the deepening of the law.
21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Matthew 5:21-22
Don’t scoot as close to the line as you can and don’t look for loopholes in Yehovah’s law. In His eyes, you are either all in or you are all out.
Further, if you still have your feet in heaven but you are looking back at the things of the world, just like the man who looked at the woman with lust, you’ve already committed that sin in your heart.
Lot’s wife (Genesis 19:1-26) is an example of this. She turned around and looked back – In the Hebrew text the words used for looking back mean she longed for it, missed it, lusted for it – and she was turned into a pillar of salt. She didn’t go back, but she turned back to cast her eyes on Sodom and her heart followed. She committed the sin in her heart.
Matthew 5:29-30 tells us to remove ourselves from the source of temptation when it is before us. That includes any doorways to sin or anything that could potentially become a sin.
Even then Yeshua knew that people would be desperately looking for escape clauses in His law, for ways to get around the law and indulge the flesh, wallow in carnality, and get as close to that sin line as possible.
And HE said it is a SIN to do that.
We were given 1 Thessalonians 5:22 for a reason. It isn’t enough to not do evil, to not sin. We must avoid all appearance of sin.
If drunkenness is a sin, then what does it look like to avoid ALL appearance of sin as scripture requires?
What is drunkenness?
The bible says that drunkenness is a sin but it doesn’t really give a clear picture of what that looks like. Scripture tells us that people who engage in drunkenness will not inherit the kingdom of Yehovah.
If you are getting intoxicated even a little bit in any manner, you aren’t getting in. There is no place for you in the kingdom.
But that still doesn’t answer the question of what is drunkenness.
We can go to the dictionary for the answer. Dictionary.com defines drunk as being in a temporary state in which one’s physical and mental faculties are impaired by an excess of alcohol.
However, it can also mean being dominated by a strong feeling or emotion.
So, while you can get drunk on alcohol, you can also get drunk on certain medications, drugs, cigarettes, and even emotion, selfishness, and lust.
In other words, if you aren’t exercising self-control, you run a very real risk of acting in drunkenness. And that lack of self-control, that drunkenness, can lead to actual drunkenness by alcohol or drugs.
You can’t stay sober and vigilant (1 Peter 5:8) if you are in a state of drunkenness.
How much does it take to get drunk?
There’s been a lot of scientific research on the subject of being drunk. The growing problem of drunk driving in our society has brought drinking fully on the radar of lawmakers, parents, and citizens alike.
And their research has uncovered some very surprising facts.
2021 saw 2,266 people killed in crashes that were alcohol-related – and the driver had a BAC that was below the legal limit (0.01 to 0.07 g/dl). This means that you can be impaired with as little as one drink – or even part of one drink.
The NHTSA has this chart that explains what happens to a person at each point of their BAC.
As you can see, at 0.02 the person is already feeling the effects and is impaired with altered mood and loss of judgment. Even though these effects are minor at this point, it is still impairment, plain and simple.
Let’s break this down even more. The ABCA website gives some great information.
A drink is:
- 1 volume ounce – 100 proof alcohol
- 12 ounce – beer
- 5 ounces – wine
It is worth noting that any one of these drinks will give you a BAC of 0.02% 0. That’s just a single beer, a single glass of wine, or a single shot of alcohol. For most people, two drinks will raise their BAC which is dangerously close to the legal limit, but definitely impaired.
They provide several charts, the first of which lines up intoxication with BAC. This chart says that a person with a BAC of up to 0.05% is not intoxicated but the next chart says that if you have a BAC of 0.02% then impairment has already begun.
Alcohol.org gives some good guidance on intoxication. In summary:
- 0.02% – 1 drink – Lowest level of intoxication – Impact on body and brain is measurable.
- Relaxed
- Warm
- Altered mood
- Poor judgments
- 0.05% – 2 drinks – More evident level of intoxication – Impact on body and brain can be easily seen
- Exaggerated behavior like loud talking or increased gestures
- Difficulty focusing
- Blurry vision
- 0.08% – 3 to 4 drinks – Legal limit in the United States. Easy to detect even from passive observation.
- Loss of coordination
- Slurred speech
- Loss of balance
- Slowed reaction times
One drink, and in many cases, less than one drink will begin to impair your judgment and alter your mood.
One drink will lower your inhibitions and open the gates for demonic influence.
And if we are looking to scripture for guidance, then even slight impairment from the substance is drunkenness.
Biblical wine vs. modern wine
There has long been controversy over the differences and similarities between ancient wine that was consumed in biblical times and the modern wine we have today.
One of the most marked differences between these wines is how they were made.
Ancient biblical wine was natural without any preservatives and other artificial ingredients. These wines consisted of the grape juice and fruit or spices to flavor it. This wine had very little sugar and a very low alcohol content.
Modern wine has a lot of sugar and a much higher alcohol content. It also has a lot of additives and preservatives so that it is far from natural. What’s more, many wines use pork products as fining agents in their winemaking process.
The “strong drink” in scripture is actually the Hebrew word “shakar” which is fermented barley. Just like wine, beer in biblical times was all natural. Modern beer makers use fining agents to clarify the beer. Gelatin (pork) is a very common fining agent in beer as isisinglass which is a type of Sturgeon – thus is not considered biblically clean.
So, for the most part, most wine and beer are not biblically clean.
You are called to be completely committed to Yehovah
You are called to be committed to Yehovah without compromise, without looking for loopholes. He wants you to love Him with your whole heart, your whole being (Matthew 22:35-40).
You have been called out of the world and He said if you love the things of the world then you do not love Him (1 John 2:15-17).
He wants you to make a choice. Which master will you serve?
Verses for review:
Galatians 5:21
Matthew 5:21-22
Matthew 5:27-28
Matthew 5:29-30
Genesis 19:1-26
1 Thessalonians 5:22
Matthew 22:35-40
1 John 2:15-17
Sources
I was recently engaged in a discussion about “Christians” doing yoga. The question was, should they?
My short answer is no but I pray you read my long answer because it will arm you with the knowledge you need to battle other types of deception that the enemy brings to you.
Remember, the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field.
One of my majors in college was philosophy and I spent a lot of time studying Asian philosophy because honestly, I was enamored with it. These studies led to my practicing Buddhism for several years.
I got a lot more than I bargained for, a much darker education than I ever wanted. But I am grateful that God revealed these things to me even while I was in the midst of them. I am grateful that He saved me from it by leading me out. And I am grateful for the lessons He taught me while I was in that bondage.
But I am most grateful that He set me free from that bondage.
The truth is, these practices, yoga, tai chi, meditation, even feng shui – anything that is intended to “direct your energy, chi, or qi” is opening doors to the demonic.
In Buddhism, you are directed to meditate and get in touch with your “little Buddha.” This is a spirit guide that helps you in your daily life.
Now, people will say, “I don’t do that. I meditate or do tai chi, or yoga but I don’t do all that.”
It doesn’t matter what you do. It is worship and it is not of God.
In Exodus 32, Aaron built the golden calf and he said he was “doing it for the Lord” (Exodus 32:5). It did not end well for him. He never saw the Promised Land. He died in the wilderness.
That is how seriously God takes these things.
So even if you say or believe it is for God or that it is not worship, the word of God says differently. Deuteronomy 12:29-31 tells us that we are not to pick up the traditions of pagans or heathens.
29 When the Lord thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land;
Deuteronomy 12:29-31
30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
31 Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
When you are doing these things it opens doors to the demonic. Ephesians 6:12 tells us that everything is spiritual and that is so true.
And the demonic doesn’t need you to believe in it.
When I realized what I had called to myself by practicing these things, I was horrified. I had prayed for God to give me sight, to see what I was battling and to see what was against me.
And those things, the worst things were in my own house (myself) because of what I had participated in.
Yoga opens doors to the spirits that are attached to it. There is no getting around it. Same with Tai Chi and those other practices.
You may get the physical and even mental “reward” but the spiritual price you pay is so, so high. And just as with any spiritual corruption, it will eventually corrupt the body and the mind.
If you feel an offense or a strong urge to cling to it, to not let it go, that is bondage.
Believe me, I learned this the hard way.
The enemy will bind you to those things that honor him, that he has deceived you into doing, those things you don’t realize are worship to something other than God Almighty.
It is not innocent. It is not “just” an exercise. It is opening doors to the demonic and you will not know until you are so steeped in it you can’t see your way out. You don’t see the effects right away – or sometimes for years.
For me, it was years. And I realized that I had not only allowed it into myself but also into my kids. I did not begin really seeing the effects for years. This infiltration does not move quickly. It slips quietly in and begins taking hold, until you think those thoughts are yours, those inclinations are yours, those words are yours. But they aren’t.
I can’t stress enough, how this sneaks up on you. We are told in scripture to avoid the very appearance of evil.
The history of these practices, these traditions, are not of God. They are not Holy. And they keep you rooted in the world that we’ve been called out of.
It isn’t worth it.
There are other things you can do. Yoga isn’t the only way to get the results you want – although the world will try to convince you that it is. That’s because the prince of this world wants to keep you in his bondage.
The serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field.
by Stephanie A. Mayberry
Are you guilty of spiritual adultery? No? Are you sure about that?
If you are worshiping the Jesus of the “New Testament” and ignoring the “Old Testament” you are.
It’s ONE BOOK (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Jesus (Yeshua) is the God of the New Testament, but He is also the God of the Old Testament.
He is the God of the scriptures that the Jesus of the New Testament instructed His disciples to search (John 5:39-47).
But if you don’t believe the writings of Moses then how can you believe the words of the Jesus you worship? (John 5:47)
The truth is the vast majority of churches are GUILTY of spiritual adultery even now.
They worship that “other Jesus” while faithfully preaching that “other gospel” (2 Corinthians 11:42) all the while ignoring the words of the True Messiah, the real Jesus, the only Yeshua HaMashiach – God Almighty.
And if you, who proclaim to be His bride do the same, then you are an adulterer.
You can’t entertain the spirit that causes you to reject and ignore the foundation of His teaching and claim yourself to be faithful to Him.
God never changes (Malachi 3:6). You can’t resolve that.
You can’t claim that He did away with all of that when He died on the cross because it isn’t true. That is a direct contradiction to scripture (Matthew 5:17).
You can’t rewrite the word of God just because it isn’t comfortable or convenient (Revelation 22:19).
You can’t keep on committing adultery against Yehovah God and have any expectation of seeing the Kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:9) – much less have a place there.
You have been lied to! You have been deceived!
STOP perpetuating the lie to your children, your family, your friends, your converts! Learn to love truth and teach truth at all costs (Galatians 1:6-10).
Is it popular? No.
But neither was Yeshua. He was an outcast. People wanted to kill Him – and His own people who claimed faithfulness to God are the very ones who put Him on the cross.
It’s time to walk away from the worldly churches and seek TRUTH teachers so that you can learn the WHOLE Bible, the WHOLE truth.
And not just get half the story.
The truth is most churches are of the world and teaching another gospel. They are raising up spiritual adulterers instead of disciples of Yehovah.
If they aren’t teaching Genesis to Revelation, they are of the world (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
If they aren’t teaching you to keep the feast days of the Lord and reject the pagan traditions, they are of the world (Leviticus 23).
If they aren’t teaching you that the TRUE Sabbath is the seventh day which is Saturday (NOT Sunday), they are of the world (Exodus 20:8-11).
If they aren’t teaching you what God calls food, what animals He calls clean, and what He deems unclean, they are of the world (Leviticus 11).
If they aren’t teaching you that THESE THINGS are TRUE holiness, they are of the world (Exodus 19:6 – fun fact, Peter referred to THIS verse and other in Leviticus when he said in 1 Peter1:16 “It is written…”)
It is time to come out of Babylon and stop being a harlot to your bridegroom (Revelation 18:4).
Repent of your adultery and learn the TRUE ways of the Lord.
Be faithful to Him and He will NEVER leave you or forsake you.
I have a confession. I am a born again believer actively living for God, a pastor’s wife, and author of several books on living a holy life – and I judge.
The Bible tells me that if I don’t judge, then I am guilty of disobedience; I am sinning.
Many people take Matthew 7:1 completely out of context.
Many confuse judgment with condemnation. Those are two VERY different things!
We are to judge ourselves FIRST, then make judgments regarding sin. We cannot make judgments regarding where a person will spend eternity. That is called condemnation and THAT is God’s job.
But the Bible tells us to judge.
Judging is holiness.
While I can tell you what the Bible says is necessary for salvation (John 3:5-8, Acts 2:38-39) or for Godly living, I cannot make determinations about teaching I hear and know what is truth and what is a lie if I am not judging.
And that means judging the person who is teaching or preaching – not to condemn them to hell (that’s God’s job) – but to determine if they are spirit led and if their words line up with God’s word.
We should be judging everything we read and hear and see in order to determine if it is good for us or if it is damaging to our spirit – or more importantly, threatens our salvation. And you know what else? We are supposed to use that judging to recognize sin and snatch others from the greedy jaws of hell by sharing truth and bringing light to their darkness.
You can’t identify a false teacher or false prophet – or even false doctrine – if you don’t judge.
What’s more, Matthew 7:16-20 is pretty clear. It says to judge the fruit of the person.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
By their fruits you shall know them.
And just what exactly are those fruits? Let’s take a look at Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
You can’t separate the person from the fruit they bear. You are judging the person – and that is biblical.
We better be judging! If you aren’t judging how in the world will you ever know if you are being taught truth or the lies of the enemy?
14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.
15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph. ~Amos 5:14-15
Paul, said in 1 Corinthians 1:10, “10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” Now, why would he even mention judging if we weren’t supposed to do it?
A most telling verse, though, is found in Isaiah 59:8: 8 The way of peace they know not, and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.
If you are not judging then you cannot live for God because you cannot discern good from bad, evil from good, right from wrong.
I am sorry, but if there is something that is being promoted as ‘Christian’ and it does not line up with scripture then I am going to call it out. And you know what? You should be too! But first you must study to show yourself approved (2 Timothy 2:15). Get in the word and learn it! Those who have problems with judging and are quick to pass judgment themselves on people they feel are being judgmental are the very ones who either don’t know scripture or do not understand it. They are the very ones who haven’t gotten into the word to study it out for themselves, seek the Holy Ghost for understanding and humble themselves to learn from the saints who are lovers of truth.
This is also a POWERFUL tool when witnessing to others and soul-winning. If you aren’t judging then you can’t identify the sin others carry and it is identifying that sin that opens doors for bringing them to Christ. If you live for God you BETTER be judging! God’s word commands it!
When you look at this meme, what do you see?
At first glance, it’s pretty simple. There’s a happy guy on one side of the bus looking out over the beautiful landscape and there’s a not so happy guy on the other side of the bus looking at a wall of stone.
The key is in the caption though.
“So much of our happiness depends on how we choose to look at the world.”
How we choose. Choose.
Sometimes we forget that we always have a choice.
I posted the meme (without my own commentary) on social media and someone commented that the guy on the left can’t see anything good because he was put in the “wrong seat” on the bus. The commenter said, “Sometimes you don’t get to choose your seat so there’s nothing good to see.”
I disagree.
And to be honest, that is an attitude of the world. Jesus called us out of the world, remember?
I responded to this person, “If he would just turn his head to the left he could see it too. He is choosing where to direct his gaze.”
He made a choice, and he is looking at the bad view instead of the beautiful one.
Plus, he should be thanking God that he can ride the bus at all. He could be walking. Or worse, he could be left back at the bus stop.
Now, we don’t know if he was actually placed in that seat or if he chose it himself, but it doesn’t really matter. He could always choose to turn his head to the beautiful view.
He is always free to choose joy regardless of his circumstances.
It’s like that in life too.
Sometimes God puts us in some uncomfortable circumstances. Sometimes He puts us in the “wrong seat,” and it is up to us to choose where to look.
Sometimes we just need to change our attitude, stop looking for the negative and seek out the positive in our situation.
Sitting in the “wrong seat” can bring on tremendous growth or great stagnation. It can plough your heart or turn it to stone. It can bring you into a deeper, more meaningful relationship with Jesus or it can turn you away from him and cause bitterness to rise up within you. It’s your choice.
And let’s just be honest, when you choose to keep your eyes on Jesus you can’t help but see beauty.
Choose the beautiful view. Be grateful. Choose joy!
Are you sitting in the “wrong seat” today? Are you looking at a wall of stone?
What are you going to do about it?
Scripture for study: Romans 12:2, Colossians 3:23, Ephesians 4:23, Galatians 5:22-23, Colossians 3:16, Hebrews 13:5
This post is a little different. It is a testimony so you will see that the format isn’t like my other posts. That’s OK. There is still a powerful message here. It’s important. It’s for today – especially for today. This is my first time sharing it in its entirety. I changed the person’s name for obvious reasons, but the message is real and true and biblical. I pray you find the blessings in it – and the lessons.
Lena was a little bundle of energy. She was always smiling, always excited – not just happy, but excited. She loved the sunshine and took every opportunity to soak it up (we took many of our lunches outside, weather permitting). She talked a lot and had this sparkle in her eye that you couldn’t help but notice.
I worked with her, and we became friends.
We were working in another city. She and her husband worked together. I was alone. We were all staying in the same hotel, so we often took the subway to work together and had dinner together in the evening. Lena and I would go shopping, taking full advantage of being in a major city.
Then one day things changed.
We were working in the same section, and I was put in a lead position. Lena was one of the people under me. At first, it was no problem. I did my job, and she did hers, then she started to slip a little. I observed her on several occasions doing things that violated protocol. They weren’t necessarily big things but could have evolved into “situations” if not curbed.
I did mention these things to her, but she laughed and waved me off.
I had no idea how to handle a situation like this. I was her team lead, but she was my friend. I was very conflicted. Then I started to feel a little resentful because it seemed that she was taking advantage of our friendship and not performing the way she needed – and even breaking the rules.
I spent a lot of time in my office, working and trying to work out in my head how I was going to handle this. Her actions had the potential to not only affect production but negatively impact the project as well as the agency.
I could see it snowballing and felt powerless to stop it.
At the same time, I was working on other projects for some people who ranked pretty high in the agency.
So there I was, working on two significant projects, the team lead over 22 people, including my friend, and my friend seemed to be doing things she knew she shouldn’t. I had a lot on my plate.
As Lena’s lunches got longer, her production slower, and on more than one occasion I witnessed her disclosing confidential agency information to people outside of the agency, the stress was mounting.
I definitely felt like she was taking advantage of me.
It all came to a head one afternoon. I was talking to one of the officers about the other project (the one Lena was not on). After the call, I hung up and turned back to my computer when Lena appeared in the doorway of my cubicle. She was furious.
“Who were you talking to?” she demanded.
“What?” I replied, very confused and feeling a little attacked. “I’m not telling you that! You can’t ask me that! As lead, I will have conversations that I will, no, cannot share with you. This is not any of your business. You can’t ask me what I talk about in MY private conversations!”
“I can if you were talking about ME!” She fumed. “And I know you were. I heard you!”
And she proceeded to tell me everything I had said on the call.
I just sat there with my mouth open, trying to process this craziness.
I’m not proud of how I handled it from this point, but you need to know.
“Have you lost your ever-loving mind?” I responded, raising my voice slightly. “What is wrong with you? What makes you think I was talking about you?”
“I heard you!” she said, still yelling. No co-workers are standing up and looking over the walls of their cubicles. Nice. “I heard every word you said about me.” And she proceeded to relay my side of the conversation (that was NOT about her) all over again.
My head was spinning, but I managed to spit out, “Well, for your information, I was NOT talking about YOU, but if you are that paranoid and neurotic then maybe it’s your guilty conscience talking, and you need to take a look at what you are doing! Maybe I do need to go report you!”
She stood there glaring at me. She was SO mad, breathing heavily, her finger still poised in the pointing position – at me.
“I’m done,” I said and turned back to my work.
At some point, she stormed off.
And went straight to my supervisor.
He called me in, and I told him everything. I told him about the conversation, which was confirmed by the officer I was talking to at the time, and I told him about all the things she had been doing. He asked if I had proof, and I did. I submitted it to him.
She filed a report against me. Somehow, she thought she was in the right for listening in on my call. She was eavesdropping on her team lead who was talking about another project. Now things tend to be pretty hush, hush in this agency and they are all about security. Just the fact that she was eavesdropping was a problem. But she did not see it. She just had it in her mind that I had been talking about her behind her back.
I hadn’t.
I got called into my supervisor’s office again. Poor man. He was trying to manage this best he could. He asked if I wanted to send her home. I said no. She was a good worker when she was focused. She was also very good for the team. Her positivity was infectious.
So, he asked if I would be willing to go to Alternative Dispute Resolution with her. I agreed, but I told him I was done with her. Like I said, not my finest moment. I totally wrote her off.
I also asked him to refer me to a counselor because all this was making me crazy. He chuckled and filled out my referral right there.
The day of our ADR meeting arrived, and we met with the woman. I got there first, and she walked in a few minutes later. We had exchanged maybe a handful of words since the blow up, so things were very tense.
The ADR counselor began by telling us the rules. No interrupting, no personal attacks, no accusations, and so forth. In other words, fight fair.
We began and I let her talk first because she was highly agitated. When it was my turn, she kept interrupting me and basically broke every rule the counselor set for us. I sat there.
After I was finally able to tell my side, the resolution part began.
I will never forget this. It haunted me for years.
I can still see her sitting across the table from me. She was angry, then she stood, leaned toward me, and looked me in the face. There were tears in her eyes and I saw a very raw pain on her face. “How can you be so stoic?” She choked out. “Didn’t our friendship mean anything to you?”
I looked at her and said, “I just don’t want to do this anymore. I will work with you and treat you fairly, but that is it. I want nothing more.” Then I dug my heels in and cut her off completely.
Not my finest moment.
She looked so sad and hurt, but I felt that I had been wronged. I felt that I was right, and she was wrong.
It wasn’t until about 3 or 4 years later that I would understand. It took the Holy Ghost to open my mind and show me what an arrogant, prideful, stubborn jerk I was.
See, in my mind, I was the one who had been wronged. She had betrayed me. She had worked herself up and attacked me for what she created in her own head.
What I did not realize at the time is that just as my feelings of being in the right were valid, her feelings of being hurt and wronged were valid as well.
And as difficult as it was to face (because on some level we all want to be blameless and perfect, right?), I was wrong.
I was wrong.
I handled the entire situation in such an unholy way. Yes, I was VERY new to walking with Yehovah and holiness and submitting to the Holy Spirit, but still, that was NO excuse.
I was wrong.
It didn’t matter what Lena did to me. I can’t control her.
The only thing that matters is how I responded to her and when I took up that cross to follow Yeshua, I took on His humility and love, and peace.
I definitely did NOT reflect Yeshua through that situation, not even a little bit.
And I was too arrogant, proud, and stubborn to see it.
Lena and I returned to work. We kept it cordial, but the friendship was decimated. Worse, the light in her eyes was gone. The radiant smile was gone. I stole a piece of her that I can’t give back.
A few weeks later, she and her husband went back home, and I did not see her for a long time.
Eventually, Yehovah began to show me.
Still, I made excuses. “I was still learning.” “I did nothing wrong.” “This is not on me.”
And the big one.
“I don’t need to apologize. It was not my fault. She did that to herself.”
Whoa. That looks so ugly, even after all those years. It still stings.
But it keeps me humble because I remember where I came from and what He pulled me out of.
Over the years, Lena would cross my mind from time to time. I wondered how she was, what she was doing. I missed her. I prayed for her often.
It was about six years later; I went to work in another location for a month. The way this lined up is nothing short of miraculous. I was not on the list to go, was supposed to be on a different team which would have put me far away from the workstation where I landed.
A couple of days after I arrived, I was at the office with my team, getting our orders for the day. I turned around and saw a little redhead woman walk through. I did not see her face, but something told me it was Lena.
I hesitated. I did not know how I was going to be received.
But I felt that stirring in my spirit. Yehovah was saying, “Now look, I arranged a lot of things to get the two of you to this place in this moment. This is your shot to make things right.”
And I did.
I excused myself and followed her down the hall. I approached her and asked if we could talk privately. She looked very apprehensive but agreed.
I looked at her and told her, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything that happened and for how it wrecked our friendship, but most of all, I am sorry for the way I handled it. I was arrogant, selfish, self-centered, and stubborn. My pride got in the way, and I have no excuse for any of it. I know I can’t change what happened, but I can sincerely tell you that I am so, so sorry for everything.”
And then I got choked up, she got choked up, and we both had tears in our eyes.
“I am just asking you to forgive me. Can you forgive me?”
She said, “Yes.”
We hugged and chatted a little. I gave her my contact information and we parted ways. She never contacted me, which is her prerogative, but I am at peace with the knowledge that I did my part. I did the right thing.
Did she have a hand in what happened? Sure.
Did she get mad and blow things out of proportion? Absolutely.
But that’s not my business.
Yeshua said blessed are the peacemakers.
He didn’t say make peace if they deserve it or if you feel like it. He didn’t say be a peacemaker only when you are right.
Nope. He said be a peacemaker because then you will be called the child of God. And you can’t be one of His if you aren’t His child.
You also aren’t entitled to any of the blessings and promises that He gives throughout scripture.
Pretty sobering, isn’t it?
He said that we are to do all things in love and consider others over ourselves. If we can’t love them and do what we can to keep the peace, then we do not have the love of Yehovah in us.
Her feelings were real to her, even if they were not real to me. I completely disregarded what she was feeling and the torment and pain it obviously caused. Anger is a common manifestation of anxiety. Anxiety is torment.
I had no right to send her the message in any way that what she was experiencing was wrong just because I wouldn’t react like that.
It was incredibly self-centered. It was idolatry. I put my own needs and desires above God’s will and how He expects us to treat others. I made myself my own god.
That is bondage.
Once I apologized to her, even though I never heard from her again, it released something in me. I was no longer in that bondage.
And I grew a lot that day.
The world will tell you that you need to wait for the other person to apologize or that you shouldn’t apologize because it’s “not on you.”
But that isn’t what the Bible says.
Come out of the world.
There are many blessings and promises throughout scripture that speak to God’s love, provision, and protection.
And there are many people who claim that without understanding that there are pre-qualifiers.
Those promises and blessings don’t apply to everyone.
Yes, I know that is tough to hear because it isn’t what most of us have been raised to believe. The truth is though, if you read just a little further, dig a little deeper, you will see that it’s all right there in the book.
The truth is, only those who are faithful to Yehovah will receive those things. And I don’t mean faithful as in the person who goes to Sabbath service each week and maybe even a prayer meeting or bible study mid-week but lives in the world the rest of the time. If you are getting drunk on Friday and going to Sabbath service on Saturday, I’m sorry, but you are lukewarm at best and those promises and blessings are not for you.
If you aren’t living God’s word every single day, those promises and blessings are not for you.
Let’s take a look at some and you’ll see what I mean.
10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Isaiah 41:10-12
11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.
12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
If you back up to verses 8 and 9, you will see the pre-qualifiers. You see words like “my servant,” “whom I have chosen” and “I called you.” When He calls you, answer Him and serve Him.
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
Ephesians 3:16
You find the pre-qualifier in verse 17 as well as the verse preceding this promise of strength. In a nutshell, Yeshua must dwell in your heart, you walk in faith, and you are rooted and grounded in love.
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28
In order to get the rest that Yeshua promises, read a little further to find out what you must do. Verse 29 provides the simple instructions – Take my yoke upon you. In other words, all you have to do is submit to Him.
14 And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
Jeremiah 29:14
The pre-qualifier for this promise is actually found in the two verses that precede it. If you want Him to turn away your captivity then you will have to call upon God, pray to Him, seek Him and search with all your heart.
9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Philippians 4:9
Verse 8 gives us the pre-qualifier that in order to receive this we must first set our mind on the things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of virtue, and praise. In other words, fill your mind with Godly things and shut out the world.
9 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
This pre-qualifier is found in verse 18. We must present ourselves as a sacrifice to God.
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.
Romans 8:28
It’s all contained in this verse, but you often will only hear the very first part about all things working together for good. Now and then they will add “for them that love God,” but very rarely will anyone cite the clencher: “them who are called according to His purpose.”
That’s not for everyone folks.
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Joshua 1:5
Throughout scripture, we see over and over the promise that God will not forsake us. But does that apply to everyone? The answer is no. In this particular case, verses 1 through 4 tell us that obedience is required first in order for that promise to flow.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9
You can’t get any plainer than this verse. If you want Yeshua to be faithful and just, to forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness, you must confess your sins – you must repent.
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Hebrews 13:5
This is another verse that contains both the pre-qualifier and the promise. Yeshua will never leave you or forsake you, but you have to put away covetousness and learn to be content with what you have – what He has given you. Only then will you get the promise.
10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Nehemiah 8:10
If you want the joy of the Lord to strengthen you and sustain you, then you must be faithful to Him. Keep the feasts. If you read this chapter, you will see that is what this verse is about, celebrating the prescribed feast days of the Lord.
33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
John 16:33
This is a powerful verse that many people use to say that Yeshua brings peace. And that is true – but it is also not the whole story. If you want that peace you must first follow Him, walk in His footsteps, and do your best to be as much like Him as you can – even through persecution and difficult time.
6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Deuteronomy 31:6
Again, we see where God says He will not fail or forsake us. He will protect us. But the pre-qualifier is that you have to trust in Him, have faith in Him, and keep a good attitude no matter how bad things are. Verse 5 also gives a pre-qualifier – you must keep His commandments.
These are just a handful of the promises and blessings that God gives us in His word. But if you dig a little deeper and look at the pre-qualifiers, you will see that they are all designed to draw you into a deeper walk with God and a more meaningful, intimate relationship with Him.
The closer you get to Him, the more you get of Him.
OK, I’m just going to say it. I have had enough of the pattycake with Jesus posts I see on social media, the double-minded, the unstable who have one foot in the world and one foot in the word, the ones who have decided they are “good where they are” and have no more growing or learning to do, the ones who put on Yehovah like a badge when they want something and shove Him in a closet when He gets in their way of “fun.”
So, get ready for some strong meat. If you aren’t all in, I’m just going to warn you now, you WILL be offended.
And all I have to say about that is GOOD. Now get over yourself, get on your knees and repent, and get right with God.
Now, buckle up. We have some work to do.
We are commanded in scripture to avoid the very appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22).
So, what does that mean?
It means staying out of the bars.
It means avoiding activities, games, TV shows, ANYTHING that involves the occult (Dungeons and Dragons, Bewitched, Hero’s Quest, etc.).
It means putting down the alcohol and drugs because you can’t profess to love God out of one side of your mouth and demonstrate that you love the world with the other.
PEOPLE ARE LOOKING TO YOU AS AN EXAMPLE.
It means staying away from all satanic music (Ronnie James Dio, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, etc.) – and DELETING it from all your devices, and throwing away any physical copies and paraphernalia.
It means NOT cursing or using foul language.
It means NOT using satanic or witchcraft symbols (pentagram, “rock and roll symbol,” anarchy symbol, etc.).
It means NOT chasing after money or status or fame because those are just temporal vices of the world and have absolutely no value in eternity. Worried about how you’ll live? Try a little faith. My God made manna fall from Heaven for 40 years so the Israelites never went hungry – and their shoes never wore out. He said trust HIM for your provision. Don’t chase after it yourself and definitely don’t use deceptive or underhanded practices to attain it.
Don’t hurt someone else just so you can climb on their back and take advantage of them just so you can get ahead.
It means NOT slandering others, especially those God has called to serve Him (fun fact: you are cursing yourself when you do that).
It means NOT allowing your bitterness, jealousy, or hatred to guide you because that puts those devils directly in the driver’s seat.
Are YOU a weapon the enemy has formed against one of Yehovah’s chosen? Then you better make it right because you will NOT prosper.
It means getting HUMBLE, taking RESPONSIBILITY for the wrong you do, APOLOGIZING when you are wrong, and SEEKING to preserve GODLY relationships by whatever means (which often means laying aside your PRIDE, HUMBLING yourself, and reaching out to repair the damage).
It means KEEPING THE SABBATH HOLY and OBEYING ALL of Exodus 20:8-11. From SUNDOWN on FRIDAY until SUNDOWN on SATURDAY, it is Sabbath. You RESPECT it, have REVERENCE for it, keep yourself CLEAN and PURE and HOLY for it (no hitting the bar, getting drunk, going to concerts, ANYTHING that does not directly HONOR GOD should be avoided!).
It means RESPECTING others, especially those in the body and especially those who are your spiritual authority whom God called to serve Him.
Most of all, it means walking as Yeshua walked (1 John 2:6).
Yehovah sees everything that you do. You can’t hide from Him. He hears every word you utter. Praying isn’t enough. Praise isn’t enough. Being baptized in His name is not enough. Getting the Holy Ghost is not enough. Keeping Torah is not enough.
You have to walk in the word EVERY SINGLE STEP, EVERY SINGLE DAY.
And you have to KEEP YOUR HOUSE CLEAN (your physical house and YOURSELF).
If you own any of these things, GET THEM OUT OF YOUR HOUSE.
If you participate in any of these things, STOP IT NOW AND REMOVE ANY VESTIGE OF THAT ACTIVITY FROM YOUR PERSON AND YOUR HOME.
If you don’t, then you are CURSING YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY.
You are just paying God lipservice and you aren’t really interested in Him. You are just playing patty-cake with Jesus and have NO real level of commitment.
YOU ARE A FRAUD.
BUT
If you are indeed sincere and serious about living for God and you have cleaned your own house, then you are ready for the next step.
You are to surround yourself with those who are like-minded and avoid being intimate with those who are not.
While we are commanded in scripture to preach the gospel and populate the Kingdom, scripture also warns us that we are to avoid becoming intimate with those who are not like-minded (2 Corinthians 6:14).
During Yeshua’s ministry, He did indeed teach and even heal people who were not walking with Him.
He ate with the lepers.
But He was intimate with the 12.
He did not yoke Himself with those who did not have the same level of commitment, the same drive, the same passion to go about His Father’s business.
And that is the example we are to follow.
Love people, teach them, and minister to them, but if they aren’t at least trying to pursue the things of God with a fervor that matches yours, then do NOT become yoked with them.
They will hinder your walk and put your family in danger.
You have to decide, do you love God and the things of God more?
Are you willing to sacrifice your own comfort for stepping into that deeper, more meaningful relationship with Him?
Are you willing to put away those things (and people) who you should not be yoked with and who will harm your relationship with Yehovah?
Are you willing to put down your prideful arrogance and humble yourself so that you can become what He wants you to be?
Will you die for Him?
Is it ever OK to lie? The question has plagued man for ages. This ethical dilemma has come under a great deal of debate and controversy. There are those on one side who say it is never OK to lie, while those on the far extreme side see no problem with lying. However, it’s those who fall somewhere in the middle that is, perhaps, the most confusing. That is where the water is muddiest. This group believes that “little white lies,” small lies, are OK and even preferable in certain situations. But what really is OK? And if lying is OK, where do you draw the line? The answer isn’t always so clear-cut.
Of course, truth and honesty are integral to the welfare of our society. A society without honesty would not survive for long. However, is an absolutist approach the answer? Ethical philosopher, Immanuel Kant (1724 – 1804) argued that there is a moral basis that forms a standard of rationality to determine whether an act is right or wrong. He referred to this determination as the “Categorical Imperative.”
The Categorical Imperative cites that in order to determine the morality of an action, you should universalize it. In other words, ask the question, “What if everyone did it?” If the answer to that question is unsavory, then the act is wrong. So in the instance of lying, we universalize this act, and ask the question, “What if everyone lied?” Imagining the chaos and moral decal that would ensue if “everyone lied,” the answer is quite clear. Lying would be wrong. However, things are not ever so cut and dry, particularly when dealing with humans and the acts they commit, from murder to protecting the innocent. There are problems that are inherent with this philosophy, this “all or nothing” approach.
Most religions have some law, rule, or commandment that prohibits lying. In mainstream Christianity, it is number 9 of the 10 Commandments.
However, when dealing with the immorality of man, there often seems to be some leeway for telling a lie. For instance, in the Bible, a story found in Exodus 1: 19-21 tells of two midwives, Shifrah and Puah. These two women lied to the Pharaoh, risking their own lives so that the newborn Israelite babies in Egypt could be saved. Another instance of a “moral lie” would be when Germans hid Jewish families during World War II and lied to the German soldiers. Their lies saved many innocent lives. So how could lying be wrong? At least in this case?
Maybe we should take lying on a case-by-case basis. If it saves a life and there is no other way, then perhaps it is a preferable action. On the other hand, if taken too far, our society could become desensitized to dishonesty, and lying could become a widely accepted practice which would be another step towards its moral decline. Unfortunately, there are no easy answers.
So, if you are grappling with this, maybe there is a situation where you feel that the truth would be harmful or cause serious damage the best course of action is to take it to God in prayer.
Holiness calls for honesty, even when it hurts. We must be as clean as possible in order to be holy as God is holy.
Analyze your motives. Is this an instance where the truth would cause you discomfort or reveal something about you that you would rather others not know, that is not a valid reason. Selfish reasons are not good reasons to lie because at the end of the day, God commands truth and honesty.
Yet, ask any husband if it is ever OK to tell a small lie and he is likely to answer in the affirmative. Many people may ask the questions, but they don’t really want the truth. So, when the wife asks, “Honey, does this dress make me look fat?” and indeed it does, there is likely no man in his right mind is going to tell the truth.
Then again, if you lie to protect someone, to save them from some “evil” as perceived by the human mind, you just might be blocking their blessing or keeping them from allowing God to move on them, grow them, and allow them to find their purpose in Him.
Tread carefully and prayerfully.
There is something seriously wrong with wanting to keep pagan traditions while REJECTING the Holy Days that God gave us – all while claiming to love Him.
Really?
He said, “If you LOVE me, you will keep my commandments.” That means, if you love Him, you will OBEY Him.
It all hinges on that folks.
OBEDIENCE, plain and simple.
Now, no condemnation here. What you do with this truth is your business. That is between you and God. But I will tell you this, He does indeed “know your heart” and knows it is desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9-10). He is looking at the FRUIT you bear, what you do – and if you are in disobedience, you are NOT honoring Him.
If you are doing your OWN WILL, you are NOT in obedience and you are NOT honoring Him.
And YOU have made YOURSELF your god.
If you are following the world, you are NOT in obedience and you are NOT honoring Him.
And YOU have made the WORLD your god.
Truth is truth. I didn’t write the book. If you don’t like it, take it up with the author.
Christians lack a tremendous amount of knowledge regarding the spiritual.
We are created in God’s image and He is a spirit. That means we are SPIRITS FIRST. These bodies are just vehicles to get around in this temporary world. First and foremost we are spirits and EVERYTHING IS SPIRITUAL (Ephesians 6:12).
That means that EVERYTHING you do has a spiritual impact.
He called us out of the world because that is NOT our home (John 15:19). In order to be like Him as HE commanded, we must put away the things of the world and embrace the spiritual which includes learning to recognize and acknowledge the demonic.
Yes, there are spiritual components to literally everything: music, television, movies, books, magazines, the internet – everything. And when you give your time to the things that are NOT of God, then you are worshipping the spirit that is behind it.
It doesn’t matter if you intend to do it. It doesn’t matter if you want to do it.
It doesn’t even matter if you believe it.
If you participate then you worship the spirit behind it – even the demonic ones – even if you profess to be “Christian.” And believe me, there is a spiritual side to christmas but it is a very dark one.
Scripture says that you cannot love the world and love Him. That makes you double-minded. You can’t serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). You MUST choose: either the world or the God who created it.
This is not condemnation. It is a WARNING! It is a call to WAKE UP!
STUDY TO SHOW YOURSELF APPROVED!!!!
Don’t take my word for it, study it out for yourself! (2 Timothy 2:15)
When I first learned what these days were really about I was horrified. They are all connected and involve rape and infant sacrifice – it is horrible, bloody, and evil.
A trip to your local library will confirm this. Reading Leviticus 23 will introduce you to HIS Holy Days – the days that GOD ALMIGHTY commanded us to keep FOREVER (Leviticus 23:41, Exodus 12:14).
And the God of the Universe does NOT change! What was true in those verses that say keep His days FOREVER are STILL true today! (Malachi 3:6)
I knew that I could not support anything that was so wicked.
Then, when I actually opened my Bible and studied I learned that God actually gave us holidays – and these pagan traditions like christmas and easter are nowhere to be found!
Now, why in the world would anyone choose holidays that are of the world at best but really pagan at their roots over the holidays that God Himself gave us?
It makes no sense to me.
He said that we are NOT to christianize pagan traditions.
Furthermore, He said that it is an ABOMINATION unto Him to do it!
29 When the Lord thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land;
Deuteronomy 12:29-31
30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
31 Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
They REJECT the holy days that God gave us, the prescribed feasts that HE said we are to keep FOREVER and instead choose worldly celebrations that have nothing to do with him.
Somebody make this make sense to me!
Nevermind, you can’t.
And if this offends you, it just might be God calling you. He wants ALL of you, not just the parts you want to give or the parts that are convenient. Pray about it. Search the scriptures. Study to show yourself approved.
This is holiness guys. He said that we are to be holy as He is holy. It means doing things that are uncomfortable, that break from our worldly traditions. The rich young ruler couldn’t do it. Can you?
If you love Him, you will obey Him.
Scripture for study:
Leviticus 23
Jeremiah 17:9-10
Matthew 26:42
Ephesians 6:12
John 15:19
1 Corinthians 7:31
Ephesians 4:22-24
1 John 2:15,17
Matthew 6:19, 21
1 Corinthians 10:21
James 1:8
Matthew 6:24
2 Timothy 2:15
Leviticus 23:41
Exodus 12:14
Deuteronomy 12:29-31
Leviticus 11:44-45
1 Peter 1:15-16
Malachi 3:6
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Stephanie A. Mayberry | Pursuing a Life of Holiness 