04/04/13

Be sober by controlling your desires

Jeremiah 35:4-7
4 And I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door:
5 And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink ye wine.
6 But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever:
7 Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers.


Last Monday I was teaching at a House Church about wine and I started by telling them there is no scripture in the Bible which forbids man from drinking wine. This statement took them aback for these people lived in the poorest bracket of society and alcohol was the second factor after poverty that destroys their families.

But then I showed them scriptures like Habakkuk 2:5 which tell us the destructions wine (alcohol) causes to one's being. I also explained them the different types of wine (states or types of wines) which are consumable according to scriptures, in what quantities and for what reasons.

Two days back when I posted about controlling the desires of food, many did not like it and I got lots of negative response from people. Yesterday the Lord did not give me any message to send, but today He gave us a beautiful example in the Bible connected to the last message, which we can meditate on.

The example of the Rechabites is one of the most beautiful examples of being sober in life. These people were told by their fathers they are not citizens of the land and were just passing through so did not build permanent houses and thus lived in tents. They also told about the dangers of giving into the desires of the flesh so were commanded to totally refrain from consuming wine.

The Hebrew word used here for wine is Yayin which specified a mild to medium fermented wine. It is the same wine which Noah drank and which Lots was given by his daughters. In Noah case even though he was drunk he was conscience and in case of Lots he was not, and we know what happened thereafter. It was also the same wine [Yayin] which Melchizedek bought along with bread. The wine is not the problem but its alcoholic concentration is.

God does not say we should not enjoy life but warns us not to allow enjoyment blind us and thus destroy us. We should be aware of our spiritual strength and weakness and thus discern what we consume. We should avoid that which will harm us specially those which we have little control over.

Paul states even before we put on the spiritual armour of faith, hope and love we need to first live a sober life. A Christian cannot be a Christian if he or she has given unto to the desires of the flesh. Even the desire of the palate which looks harmless is the start cause of destruction for the spiritual lives of many. For loss of discernment in just one area will soon spread to the other areas of our spiritual lives and soon we will be slaves to our carnal nature, our old man.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, we prayer your people realize that they are just passing through this world and that they do not overweight themselves with the desires of the things of this world, such that they refuse the Kingdom or lose the Kingdom of God and desire this world. Lord, we pray for a release from the bondages of gluttony and of the desires to please the palate. Help us Lord to live a sober live like how Daniel did, even though he lived in a palace surrounded by best foods of the world he chose to consumer the food consumed by the poorest of his people so that his heart does not keep away from his people. Lord, we know You have greater thing in Heaven for us which eyes cannot see and mind imagine, let us not lose them for these worthless things...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference ]
Genesis 14:18 - And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

Habakkuk 2:5 - Yea also, because he transgresseth [deceived] by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations [ungodly people], and heapeth unto him all people [people like himself]:

1 Thessalonians 5:8 - But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

Titus 2:2 - That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

Titus 2:4 - That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

Titus 2:6 - Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.

1 Peter 4:7 - But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

1 Peter 5:8 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)