My name is Corey. Im a 25 year old male currently living in Maryland. Ive always had an affinity for extreme activities and challenging myself. I regularly train in Mixed Martial Arts and Parkour and am currently working towards my Skydiving/Parachuting certification. I believe God has led me to these types of activities to help me develop a strong mind so that I might be able to stand strong in the face of the worlds struggles and temptations. Ive known about God for as long as I can remember, but I have only recently started to really live in Truth. Im really glad places like this exist for Christians to encourage and uplift each other.
Favorite Scripture
Matthew 10:16
WRITE ON THIS PERSON'S WALL
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KingsKidI have been playing pianof ro , well, nearly ten years. I have taken lessons for eight, I think. my dog is a 3/4 Rotti, 1/4 Blue heeler. His name is Logan. I love dogs! What kind of dog are you interested in?
2 Years Ago |
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Sarah32Yeah, it is more acceptable to be shorter as a female, plus we can wear 3 inch high heels without someone questioning our sexuality lol. I do remember reading that Tom Cruise wore lifts to make his height on par with his female costars...but I wouldnt suggest it!! Youre pretty tall to shorties like me anyhow.;) Again, sorry about the boss killing you in front of the whole class, but at least you probably learned something pretty big from the experience- your enemy SHOULD be capable of killing....maybe not for people at MY skill level, but your skill level- definitely. And I dont think my field is more complex...theyre both too different to compare. Yours takes a lot of technical know-how (which I would be scratching my head with FYI!) and mine is well...almost too difficult to describe. I guess philosophical yet scientific would be the best description. Would doctors turn down medical care because of a negative note from previous docs? I hope not!! LOL Im actually not too sure on that one..I think its more or less a warning to other docs to be aware of some of the patients traits. And of course I dont mind you passing someone my way, Im glad to help.:) Ive just been AWOL for some time (went through a bad spell with my health and Im still trying to recover) sooo my responses are getting to people pretty late. Ive just been on the prayer board for a little while here and there, thats about all. Hoping everything is going great for you, Corey, job-wise and everything in between.:) Arent ya glad I traded in SAW for you actual name?LOL
2 Years Ago |
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W0m@n0fG0dThat is actually my dream dog is a husky :)!! I have a Chihuahua right now ,but my dad has a full blood Great Dane and will be breeding him soon and we might get one of his puppies. I used to watch UFC a lot but not so much anymore. It is very hard to do UFC in my opinion lol. I had a friend who trained with some UFC fighters and he tried to teach me some stuff and it was quite comical lol!!
W0m@n0fG0dHAHAHA thats funny I actually do have a dog lol. So is that like UFC?
2 Years Ago |
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KingsKidYah, I think bungee jumping would be a little unnecesary and risky for sure! I like to ride horses, spend time with my dog, play the piano, sing, walk and run, and be outside, helping my dad with farm work. Do you have any pets?
2 Years Ago |
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AlexAnytime man. and thank you for your words and the welcome :)
2 Years Ago |
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W0m@n0fG0dThat would be awesome!! A Jump for Jesus!! Thank you so much, I actually have a little boy who is 18 months and a step daughter who is 8 years old. I love them so much!! Where is your picture taken at?
W0m@n0fG0dWelcome to c28!! Skydiving eh?? I have always wondered what that would be like??
2 Years Ago |
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pRiNcEsS jOlEnE wow you sound really intense with all the crazy sports and stuff, and NO WAY!!!!ive ALWAYS wanted to SKYdive n PAraCHUTe!!luckky:) haha i had a dream tht i was skydiving once,...in india.....eating SUSHI!!haha howw fun!!
2 Years Ago |
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pRiNcEsS jOlEnE haha no way,i would never do tht... only God can judge:D n mmmmhhmm really!!??i never tried filet mingyumyum or howeva you spell it haha!i bet its really good n flavafull! i love fish n sea food though:)
2 Years Ago |
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Sarah32Ohhh yes, that video would be me in a nutshell- jumping into the refrigerator box and all!! So they teach you how to "run properly" in school? Is there a way to run IMPROPERLY?? Im thinking if theres a way to run improperly, I would probably fit into that category too lol. And Im short too, so no judgements over here! I always expected to grow to be 5 9" but yeah...I only got to 54" so I fell a little short from my dream there lol....And only one person took a picture of me dressed in my mock, skating outfit (THANK GOD!) Fortunately, I havent seen any tangible evidence that the pic exists so Im hoping the picture blurred or somehow was off in a way that no one will ever have to see the proof that I wore an electric blue mini-skirt with a lime green, Dr. Seuss looking scarf. Honestly with the way they were designed, I looked more like a go-go dancer than an ice skater- oi ve...bad memories are still surging in my brain. :-/ And thats so cool that you were chosen to present your video game- go Corey! But...I am sorry it turned out the way it did. Im pretty confused about the whole design process involved in creating a game. I thought that if you were the creator you could beat it all. I guess thats not true, which makes me all the more confused!! And ohhhh, I wouldnt be getting too far in the game if you had me as the tester...Believe me! ----And about the diagnostic procedures, yes, you can make a diagnosis without have a doctorate, but it is very limited. Nursing homes in the state of Florida are the ONLY places where a full diagnostic evaluation can be done by an unlicensed therapist. You also have other social workers with you and other staff members that can give their perspective, so youre not fully alone which is a good thing. And if someone is trying to commit suicide (yes, it DOES happen in nursing homes!!) there is a psychiatrist who comes in intermittently--- a VERY good thing! Personally, I loved the experience. Scanning through medical charts always proved to be very interesting as well... Doctors will actually go into detail ON THE PATIENTS PERMANENT RECORDS if they were a pain to them lolol. Now, I warn everyone who is going to the doc to be as pleasant as possible, because the doctor WILL make a notation if youre not...Weird, right??
2 Years Ago |
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tylerhey your reply to my die religion die topic was awesome i agree with you completely!! God bless you!
2 Years Ago |
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Sarah32Did you see the "parkour" link I gave you below? Im putting parkour in quotes because it is faaaarrr from being parkour!! Its the "Office" version, which would most likely be my own best attempt at parkour lol.
2 Years Ago |
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Sarah32Haha, and yes, I have more options open to me other than salting fries. Thats encouraging!!! And Im there with you- I have stayed far away from the fast food realm of work, and I plan to continue. The closest I got to fast food was working at a skating rink for kids where I was behind the food counter, taking orders and serving food to the guests. They forced me to wear a mock skating outfit EVERYDAY to work. It was then when I realized how necessary it was to get a college degree lol. Ohhhh, the images in my head are still so humiliating!!! Learning about the workings of the mind is fun stuff. You go through each class learning a little more, and a little more, then you have your degree in hand and think to yourself wow- I still dont understand even 5 as much as God does on the human mind. But oh well, we try! ;) And dont laugh, but I always wanted to work in the psych ward. Not long term, just long enough to get some good stories out of the place lol. So a video game designer, eh? Can you make a game thats easy enough for me to beat lol? That still hasnt happened in all of my life! Im still needing my brother to come over and help me get through the last level of Endless Ocean Blue World for wii. Its described as being easy enough for a young child to play....which makes it all the more embarrassing that I cannot seem to beat it!! Just know with your interest in psych, I could always forward you some of my past lecture notes....though Im sure you would rather be playing video games. ;)
2 Years Ago |
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KingsKidYou`re welcome! Skydiving/parachuting sounds interesting! At least better than bungee jumping! I would much rather do the parachute than the bungee cord. How high up have you been skydiving from?
Sarah32Okay, now I see you have your actual name listed here - Corey. Thats going to be much easier to type than SheepAmongWolves and more appropriate to call you than SAW lol. Well, I hope you get into the avenues you enjoy with your work like the engineering and design you were talking about. As far as psych majors are concerned, you CAN have an *real* job after graduating. Being a Social Worker is a job that psych majors can get without being degreed. (Good that there IS something besides micky ds. ;) I was working at a Retirement Home for awhile as a Social Worker- making psych diagnosis when needed, ensuring the patients were safe, and working with the other staff members to come up with a good treatment plan for each patient. I wasnt expecting to enjoy it, but I really did. It required a lot of paperwork and doing a bunch of research on the patients past- going through stacks of medical charts and other notes, but like I said- I loved it! There is other positions available- working in the pscyh ward at the hospital (that job would probably have some interesting stories coming out of the place lol) , working in Human Resources, and really just working in the social services field in general. Just typing in "social services" into a job search engine will get a lot of hits with employers asking for psych or social worker majors. See, my Bible professor was wrong. ;) And noooo I do not plan on getting my doctorate!! I was planning on getting my masters in Mental Health Counseling, but Im realizing theres probably a better field for me. Im now looking into becoming an Occupational Therapist, and hopefully will be going to school later this year. Youre basically a counselor, nurse, teacher, and a doctor. To me its like combining counseling with the medical field. Sounds perfect to me. :) So why do you feel like you should have been in psychology more so than computer science? Youre really wanting to be a burger flipper at micky ds, arent you? ;O)
2 Years Ago |
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SheepAmongWolvesWell its good to know that youve got a few options other than salting the fries lol. So youre actually able to give diagnosis without a Doctorate degree? That actually surprises me. Well those fields certainly seem to be right up your alley. Weve only exchanged a few thoughts and I can already tell that you have a really kind heart and enjoy helping people. Thats probably why you ultimately ended up enjoying it when you thought you wouldnt. Those were my thoughts exactly about the Psych Ward. Id be contacting you every Saturday for story time lol. Haha! Not really. Ive been fortunate enough to have never worked in fast food in my life so far. I think Id like to keep it that way lol. I have a really strong interest in how the mind works though and how people become who they are and make the choices they make. When I took Psych in college I really enjoyed it but I was already so set on becoming a video game designer (Im really a little kid lol) that I think I may have had too much of a one track mind.
Sarah32I dont think I could do the computer science thing, so I definitely give you cudos! The problem you find with being a psych grad is finding work after the hats are tossed and the diploma is received. One of my Bible teachers joked that the highest level youll reach as a psych grad is flipping burgers at McDonalds with a manager title pinned to your apron. I didnt appreciate the comment too much, but....I will say, a continued education is a near must for pscyh grads. Computer Science has more entry- level career options available from what I hear. Were you able to find work in your field?
SheepAmongWolvesThank you! You all make new members feel so special. :0)
2 Years Ago
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Sarah32Hey SheepAmongWolves!! Wow, that is a really long name to type!! Just dropping by to say welcome, and hoping youre enjoying the site.:) Thats really awesome youre into extreme sports. Where did you pick up Parkour? I remember seeing the awesome movements in one of the last James Bond movies and being entranced by the planned precision, strength, and gracefulness the guys exhibited. Definitely not something I could do, which makes me all the more amazed!! So which one are you in the picture? Are you guys on platforms? Just wondering, cause there is quite a big height distinction between you three!! Well, God bless, and I hope you take full advantage of this site. :)
2 Years Ago |
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SheepAmongWolvesI just noticed this message. Im still feeling out the site as you can see lol. I actually was just exposed to parkour through videos on the internet. When I found out they opened a school in DC near me I figured I may as well give it a try. I fell in love with it after the first class. Theres alot more freedom involved in it than other "sports". Im sure you could do it if you wanted to. Its amazing what we can do when we put our minds to it. Im the one on the right in the picture. Yes, were on platforms in the picture. Im short, but not as short as that picture makes me seem. :0) Thanks for the welcome!
2 Years Ago
Sarah32Wow, I had no clue there was actual schools for parkour!! Thats pretty awesome!! So is there a set where you guys worked off of inside or was it all outdoors? And Im not thinking I wouldnt be that great with parkour.... Have you seen the Office episode where the guys were trying to do parkour....but were, well, pretty unsuccessful and could really only compete with somersaulting babies lol? Heres a link if youve never seen it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x76BSVN7wvY Sorry its not the greatest quality; unfortunately I couldnt find better. Just remember, this is what I would look like if I attempted parkour lol!! And I knew there had be a platform in the picture. The guy on the left could not be that gigantically tall, and you could not be that short in comparison!! So, was this an award ceremony for a parkour event?
2 Years Ago
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C28 Street Team Stats
Can you believe it? This person isn't on the C28 Street Team :)
I have a friend that Ive known for about 8 years now who is constantly sad and depressed. For quite a while now, hes been making statements to myself and two of our friends about how sad and alone he feels and how he thinks nobody cares about him. Unfortunately, the "tough guy" culture were accustomed to always had us reply with harsh comments like "stop crying" and "man up" instead of actually reaching out to help. Now that Ive been delivered from the world, I see many things differently. Anyway, the 4 of us e-mail each other everyday at work and today he made some of his usual comments and the Holy Spirit told me that I needed to take action. So I told him that I would get him some help. I just finished talking with him about it and gave him a number to call for help with depression and told him to call me back after he talks to them. I feel terrible because I know that our behavior hasnt been very characteristic of friends. He doesnt know Jesus and so the things he thinks will make him happy in life have no potential to fulfill him. Theres so much to this and I dont want to go on and on so I just ask that you pray for him. Thank you all and God bless you.
Im sure you heard this one:
Can God make a stone so heavy that He cannot lift it?
I'm sure there are others, but this is the most common one. Well, is it possible?
Why or why not?
There is an answer to this, but I would like to see other people try first.
I always imagined that God could create a stone so heavy that even he himself could not lift it because he can in fact do anything since he is all powerful. However upon it's creation he would then be able to lift it because he is all powerful. Something like that was never too difficult for me to accept. I'm a computer science guy so I always related it to "infinity" in math which is something we accept, yet is just as paradoxical. Take for instance the accepted equations:
1 + infinity = infinity
infinity - 1 = infinity
infinity x 5 = infinity
Now imagine a rock made out of infinite power. A rock so heavy that it would take 5 times the power it took to create it to lift it. We'll call that weight (5 x infinity). God's power is still simply infinite, however, (5 x infinity) = infinity
meaning that God would still possess the power required to lift that object despite the fact that it was created being more than he could lift.
Makes sense to me lol
Faith is believing without seeing. In nearly every other situation in life, having faith is an unintelligent gamble. I know God says we are without excuse because the world is proof of His existence but proof of intelligent design does not necessarily prove the God of the Bible. I do believe the Bible obviously and do believe in God but I just wonder why faith? To a nonbeliever, giving up your life in hope that the God of the Bible is real seems foolish. If God desires to be praised and worshiped why not just make Himself known and let every choose right then and there to either reject or accept Him? It is difficult for most people to devote their entire existence to something they cannot see, hear or touch and something they cannot even prove exists.
@Jordan - I understand your struggle with faith completely. I struggled for a long time the very same way. It sickens me to know that demons are smiling and laughing right now as you question the true God, but all of us are praying for you and we have enough faith to know that you will find what you seek.
As for your comments about people seeing God's power and still going against him you're absolutely right. If God showed his power today, those that would accept a life even if he hadn't would believe but those that wouldn't have if he hadn't still would not. You also have to remember that the two main commandments Jesus gave us were to love God and love each other. If God displayed his undeniable and absolute power today, it wouldn't cause everyone to love anyone anymore than they already do. They would simply try to act according to God's commandments out of fear, but that would not change what is in our hearts. God has told us that he's done this plenty of times before and people still denied him and our generation is no different.
I here so many people say my relationship with God is so good, but the people I here a lot say this or claim this are ones who have beliefs that many argue that are sinful or non biblical such as someone who preaches that Jesus is not the only way but is one way to heaven do they have a good healthy relationship with God? Or how about the homosexual that says the bible does not condemn the behaviour but claims they have a relationship and loves God, or how about someone who believes in God and Jesus but thinks the bible is corrupt can they obtain a relationship with the father. This scripture led me to ask this question and that is 1 john 4:20 " If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar.For the person who does not love his brother he has seen cannot love the God he has not seen" now if I am not mistaken this verse tells us if we are sinning or continue to sin without repent you therefore do not love God and if you do not love God how can you have a relationship with him. Maybe I am taking this scripture out of context but right now this is how I understand. Your thoughts or comments?
@Vincent. I agree. There are certain things that you have to believe without question if you are to call yourself a Christian. The thing is, alot of people (at least that I know) aren't even exactly sure what makes you a Christian. They are unaware of the significance of Jesus' death and resurrection and many of his teachings which are largely simple and universal in nature. These are the ones I tend to see making claims of having a relationship with God and yet not being obedient in their lifestyle.
In the bible where does it say to remember scripture? Do you think its not good to remember scripture due to the belief its a "rule" of religion to do so and it keeps you more connected to religion rather than a relationship with God?
I think you should certainly memorize scripture. Jesus himself was intimately familiar with the old testament (He IS God after all lol) and called on scripture several times throughout the gospels including when being tempted.
how do you guys feel about cussing? the bible says we should show we are christians threw everything we do. and we should show that we are the body of Christ. so,e people think its ok to cuss. i dont think it is. i dont think its right to call yourself a christian and cuss. the bible says not to let evil things control your body. or your month. i think this makes it clear. but what do you think?
I agree 100% with the_underdog. Sounds are sounds and mean only what we want them to mean. It's not the sounds we make or the words we utter, but what's in our hearts. However, you would do well to avoid "cussing" simply because as a Christian, people are waiting for a reason to persecute you and call you a hypocrite.
The world need modest PJ's I think it would be really cool if you guys had sleep wear. Your shirts are already pretty comfy. So you could use the same type of fabrice and stuff. At least I think so.... What do yall think?
Seven Good Reasons Christians Should Not Drink
Pastor David L. Brown, Ph.D.
1989 & February 2002 David L. Brown
"Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." Proverbs 20:1
My heart aches for the family that lost their only two children in an auto accident recently. A drunk driver crossed the median and plowed into their car. The five month old and, their four year old were killed. Their children wiped out. But, there is more. This tragic scene is repeated every 33 minutes. Thats right. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration a person dies every 33 minutes in an alcohol related accident. And thats not all. An estimated 310,000 persons were injured in crashes each year where police reported that alcohol was present. Thats an average of one person injured approximately every 2 minutes.
Consider these additional statistics from the United States Justice Department: Nearly 4 in 10 violent victimizations involve use of alcohol. Also, victim reports show, on average each year about 183,000 rapes and sexual assaults involve alcohol use by the offender, as do just over 197,000 robberies, about 661,000 aggravated assaults, and nearly 1.7 million simple assaults.
The Scripture is true! "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." Proverbs 20:1. It is at the root of all kinds of problems in our country today and it has been for hundreds of years. Proverbs 23:31-32 is a powerful injunction against drinking alcoholic beverages. It says, . 31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. 32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
There is clear evidence in the Scriptures that believers should not drink alcoholic beverages. In this report I list 7 Good Reasons Why Christians Should Not Drink Alcoholic Beverages. However, before we do that, we are going to look at the words translated wine, drink or drinking.
A LOOK AT THE WORDS
There are 637 references to wine, drink and drinking in the King James Version of the Bible. Most people think in todays terms, believing that when wine is mentioned it refers to alcoholic wine. Actually, that is not necessarily true. Thirteen different words are translated "wine" in the King James Version of the Bible. The word wine has a wide range of meaning in the Bible, covering everything from grape juice, to concentrated grape syrup to alcoholic wine. To understand what the Bible has to say about drinking, we need to look at several of these words.
OLD TESTAMENT HEBREW WORDS FOR WINE
"yayin" -- It is a general term for grape beverages and includes all classes of wine, non-alcoholic or alcoholic; unfermented, in the process of fermentation and fermented. (Proverbs 31:4) The context will show whether it is alcoholic wine or not. Yayin, when used properly was always diluted with water.
"shekar" -- It is the word for strong drink, unmixed wine. The 1901 edition of THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA says, "Yakin, wine, is to be distinguished from Shekar, or strong drink. The former is diluted with water; the later is undiluted." Shekar was not diluted with water." (see Numbers 28:7)
"Tirosh" -- This word refers to fresh grape juice. It is referred to often as new wine or sweet wine. (see Proverbs 3:10; Deuteronomy 7:13)
NEW TESTAMENT GREEK WORDS FOR WINE
"oinos" is the counterpart to the Old Testament word yayin. It is a general term for grape beverages and includes all classes of wine, non-alcoholic or alcoholic; fermented or unfermented. The context has to be used to determine whether the drink was intoxicating or not. (Luke 10:34; Ephesians 5:18). Oinos, when used properly was always diluted with water.
"sikera" is the counterpart to the Old Testament word shekar. It is the word for strong drink, unmixed wine. (Luke 1:15)
"gleukos" is the counterpart to the Old Testament word tirosh. Dr. Paul Dixon says "It refers to fresh wine, a new wine" or freshly squeezed grape juice.
Now, why believers should abstain from drinking...
1. DRINKING LEADS TO DRUNKENNESS
In the April 24, 1965 issue of Christianity Today, the article, on page 25 says, "People must be informed that the use of alcohol is not unlike Russian roulette: every tenth person becomes automatically hooked. the only solution is total abstinence." These statistics are supported by the American Medical Association.
DRUNKENNESS IS CONDEMNED IN THE BIBLE
Isaiah 5:11-- "Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!"
Proverbs 23:20-- "Be not among winebibbers;" The word means to drink so much that you become tipsy or drunk.
Romans 13:13 -- "Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting (drunken partying) and drunkenness (general drunken-ness)..."
Galatians 5:19a & 21 -- "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these...drunkenness..."
Ephesians 5:18 -- "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;"
DRUNKARDS ARE AMONG THE LIST OF THOSE WHO WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? 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."
You cant get around it, and in fact, all godly men agree that the Bible condemns drunkenness. Drunkenness is a serious matter.
2. THE BIBLE CONDEMNS STRONG DRINK ALSO
Proverbs 20:1 "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."
NOTE again, Isaiah 5:11 -- "Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!"
Proverbs 23:29-31 -- "Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? (30) They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.(a mixture of wine and spices) (31) Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright."
WHAT WAS "STRONG DRINK" IN BIBLE TIMES?
Distillation was not discovered until about 1500 A.D. Strong drink and unmixed wine in Bible times was from 3% to 11% alcohol. Dr. John MacArthur says "...since anybody in biblical times who drank unmixed wine (9-11% alcohol) was definitely considered a barbarian, then we dont even need to discuss whether a Christian should drink hard liquor--that is apparent!"
CHRISTIANS SHOULD NOT DRINK STRONG DRINK!
Since wine has 9 to 11% alcohol and one brand 20% alcohol, you should not drink that. Brandy contains 15 to 20% alcohol, so thats out! Hard liquor has 40 to 50% alcohol (80 to 100 proof), and that is obviously excluded!
Someone will say, "since beer is only 4% alcohol, ITS OK FOR A BELIEVER TO DRINK BEER, RIGHT?" The answer is NO! Heres why...
3. IN BIBLE TIMES WHAT CHRISTIANS DRANK WS SUB-ALCOHOLIC, BASICALLY PURIFIED WATER
Remember the Hebrew word "yayin" and the Greek word "oinos" that we looked at earlier? These were the companion words for wine whether fermented or unfermented. In fact, whether fermented or not, it was MIXED WITH WATER.
Norman Geisler, former Dean of Liberty Center for Christian Scholarship, Liberty University, has written: "Many wine drinking Christians today mistakenly assume that what the New Testament meant by wine is identical to wine used today. This, however, is false. In fact, todays wine is by Biblical definition strong drink, and hence forbidden by the Bible. What the Bible frequently meant by wine was basically purified water," purified by adding some alcoholic wine. The Holman Bible dictionary says, wine was also used as a medicine and disinfectant.
Geisler goes on to say, "Therefore, Christians ought not to drink wine, beer, or other alcoholic beverages for they are actually strong drink forbidden in Scripture. Even ancient pagans did not drink what some Christians drink today."
All alcoholic beverages used in our culture fall under the biblical classification of STRONG DRINK and are therefore forbidden. The least ratio of water to wine mixture used in Bible times was 3 parts water to 1 wine. That produced a sub-alcoholic drink that was 2.5% to 2.75% alcohol. Normally, the ratio was even higher, up to 20 to 1. Their is NO BIBLICAL SUPPORT FOR CHRISTIANS DRINKING THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES OF OUR DAY! What early believers drank was sub-alcoholic by todays standards. Pastors and deacons were cautioned to steer around even the sub-alcoholic stuff (I Timothy 3:3 & 8).
The right choice is to abstain! What is your choice?
4. IT WILL CAUSE OTHERS TO STUMBLE
Romans 14:21 says "It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to "to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak."
Innumerable Christians claim their "Christian Liberty" when it comes to social drinking. In order to do that, they must turn their backs on this passage of Scripture. "Sipping Saints" have given multitudes of people an excuse to drink. More than once, I have heard a believer say "there is nothing wrong with drinking in moderation. Pastor so and so even says it is OK."
The problem is, drinking often sets off a chain reaction of influences that are like tipping over the first domino. Drinking causes some to stumble, others to be offended, and many to be weakened. Studies support my statement.
According to a survey done by the Daily Journal newspaper, October 26, 1988, one of the top five reasons teenagers drink is because their parents drink. This has proven true time and time again.
Let me take it one step further. Parents, you must remember that whatever you do in moderation your child will likely do in excess.
The Bible clearly defines drinking as an activity that is to be foregone because it causes others to stumble and makes them weak (fall into sin).
There is yet another reason believers should not drink...
5. IT HARMS OUR BODIES WHICH ARE THE LORDS
I Corinthians 6:19-20 "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
I Corinthians 3:16-17 "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."
The first effect of alcohol on the brain is to dull the capacity for self-criticism and the sense of caution. A lessening of care and anxiety follows this. The checks on irresponsibility and unreasonable behavior are also curtailed. Actions follow the impulses, which is dangerous. Reaction time become slower; coordination is disturbed; drowsiness follows.
Proverbs 23:29-33 gives clear testimony to the above description of alcohol on the brain. "Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? 30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. 31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. 32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. 33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things."
How many of you reading this report had high school or college biology? I did, and it was great. There were several girls in my high school biology class and I must say that I especially enjoyed the fit some of girls had when we dissected frogs. But what was really disgusting, even for me, was the day we had to walk up to the big barrel filled with formaldehyde and reach in and pull out a cat to work on. That day there were several of the girls that left class and as I recall a guy or two. To this day, I remember the disgusting aroma of the formaldehyde used to pickle frogs and cats.
So, what does that have to do with alcohol? Dr. Robert Haas, M.D. will fill you in. He is a former president of the American College of Sports Nutrition. He said, "Beer, wine and hard liquor form toxic substances called aldehydes that can destroy the liver, kidney and brain cells. Aldehydes serve a useful function in preserving or pickling dead animal tissue, but they serve no beneficial purpose in people. Alcohol dehydrates (robs) your body of its precious water supply, and along with the water go vital nutrients such as B Vitamins, calcium, magnesium and potassium."
According to Good Housekeeping "Even in moderate amounts alcohol has noticeable effects on the body. Because it enters the blood stream it touches almost every organ, and its effects on feelings and behavior are well known."
Alcohol has adverse affects on your esophagus, stomach & intestines, bloodstream, pancreas, liver, heart, bladder, kidneys, glands and your brain.
"The most drastic and noticed effect of alcohol is the brain. It depresses brain centers, progressively produces uncoordination, confusion, disorientation, stupor, anesthesia, coma, death. Alcohol kills brain cells, and brain damage is permanent" (From-Office of Highway Safety, Madison, WI)
As believers, our body belongs to the Lord. We should not knowingly do anything that would harm it. Alcohol harms the body, therefore we should not drink alcohol.
There is a further reason you should not drink...
6. ALCOHOL IS ADDICTIVE
I Corinthians 6:12 tells us that we are not to "be brought under the power" or to be controlled by anything. The only exception is the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18)
Alcohol is clearly a powerful substance (Proverbs 23:35). Because alcohol is addictive, we should choose not to drink alcoholic beverages.
The final reason we will consider for not drinking alcoholic beverages is...
7. BELIEVERS ARE KINGS AND PRIESTS SEPARATED UNTO GOD
"The prophets, the kings, the Nazarites, the leaders -- those who were special in the plan of God were total abstainers" says Dr. Paul Dixon, and he is correct. Kings and public officials were not to drink (Proverbs 31:4-5). Further Dr. Dixon says "the priests of the Old Testament were to abstain totally." The Aaronic priests were not to drink because they ministered in the tabernacle before the Lord (Leviticus 10:9)
The application: Believers are a "royal" or kingly priesthood (I Peter 2:9). We are the temple of God (I Peter 2:5). We are Gods special children and should choose total abstinence.
Drinking, even social drinking, cannot be legitimately supported by the Bible. Every drink that is available today, even beer, falls into the category of unmixed or strong drink. Clearly, Christians should not drink alcoholic beverages. Drinking socially is a worldly activity and in light of the fact that believers are neither to be conformed to the world (Romans 12:2) nor love the world(I John 2:15) our choice should be clear. We ARE to be SEPARATE FROM the world (II Corinthians 6:17) and LIGHT TO the world (Ephesians 5:8; Philippians 2:15). Perhaps social drinking has enhanced the acceptability of Christians in society, but it has not advanced the cause of Christ, and it does not glorify God! Social drinking is simply a means which the devil uses to blunt our testimony for Christ and squeeze us into his mold. There are at least SEVEN GOOD REASONS A BELIEVER SHOULD NOT DRINK. One should be enough.
There are alot of things we do only to appease our flesh. If that's the case does that mean we should not drink soda or "fruit drinks" simply because we like the taste (appeasing our flesh)? Also, should we not eat grilled food because it's carcinogenic (harmful to our heath)? What's the actual difference between drinking a beer or having a glass of wine simply because you enjoy it and eating some ::insert favorite food here:: or drinking a glass of ::insert delicious beverage here:: simply because you enjoy it?
Okay, so this question is sparked by the movie "End of the Spear."
If you were on a missions trip and you were violently attacked, would you defend yourself with deadly force? Could you knowingly end the life of a person who did not know Jesus?
Now, you may be jumping out of your skin at me even suggesting that, but - what if you were at the mall? Would it matter? Would you be able to defend yourself with deadly force if you were not on a missions trip?
What if it were not you, but your child/parent/spouse/sibling/friend in any of the above situations?
Commence Discussion! :)
What under what circumstance could you possibly only have the option of using deadly force or giving your life. Such a circumstance has to be ridiculously rare. There's quite a bit of middle ground between those two extremes.
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