Are We Real Or Are We Religious Robots?

[Minister Connie]

Ecclesiastes 5:18} Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is for one to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in all the labor in which he labors under the sun all the days which God gives him...for this is his alloted part.

1 Timothy 5:23} Drink water no longer exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

Ephesians 5:18} And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the Holy Spirit.

All these Scriptures are taken from the Amplified Bible.

God has given me a very hard subject to talk about today and I'm sure it will step on many legalistic and religious zealots toes who love to take God's word out of context and put people under condemnation. Many preachers will tell you that you should never drink not even wine. Show me in the word where it says that! Every time a preacher has spoken that out the Lord has checked me in my spirit. The Word does say, however, not to overindulge. That means not to keep drinking until you become drunk and lose all sensibility and common sense. I used to be a big drinker in my younger days. I went home many times under the influence and today I know God had his hand on me to get me home safely. But once I accepted the Lord as my Savior he took that desire out of me completely. Today, I don't like to drink, at all. Unless, God puts it on my heart that a little wine is good for the belly. Like it or not wine can bring healing to our bodies. We need to really research the word of God before we put condemnation on people for them having a little wine with their meals so to speak. I don't know about you but I'm tired of hearing condemnation coming from the pulpit of God's churches.

I will give you an example of when wine is good. When I first got sick with fibromyalgae I was a hurting unit. I was nauseous, I had pain in my body that was unbearable. God kept bringing up the Scripture (1 Timothy 5:23) that a little wine is good for the belly. Of course anyone who knows me knows that I will research that and make sure that it's God. Well, guess what? It was! I'm not saying here that I started drinking wine every day, but I did for a while. I would have a small glass of wine before going to bed and it would settle my pain and allow me to get some rest. It would also ease the nauseousness in my stomach. Anyone who has fibromyalgae knows that you don't get much restful sleep. But know this, it was for a season! Wine can bring healing to the body as long as we don't overindulge!

When we overindulge in drinking we can get into the sin of gluttony and debauchery. What is debauchery? It is extreme indulgence in sensual pleasures such as overeating, over drinking, gambling to excess. All these things and more can become a god before our God. It can also lead to spiritual blindness and more sin entering into our lives. Sadly enough, many Christians today have fallen away from their walk with God and are so busy enjoying the sensual pleasures of this world that they have put God on the back burner. God wants us to enjoy the things He has put for us on this earth, but we go overboard most times and over indulge in these things. We have lost self control in many things. We meed to put God first in every area of our lives. And yes, God wants us to have a balance and enjoy our lives. So let's not go to the other extreme and get so religious and legalistic that we put ourselves in bondage once again.

It's so important to read and study the word for ourselves so can test and know what is coming through the pulpit and recognize whether or not it lines up with the Word of God. So it's ok to enjoy some things God gave us. But the key is to put more of our time with God and in His word than these other things. We can get into striving and works if we don't and God does not want us striving. There is nothing we can do to ''earn'' His love or salvation for that matter. Jesus did it all! It is a finished work. He doesn't want us to become so religious that we are no earthly good to Him. Love is the key to winning people over to Christ. Living a true example of His character will help others to see, feel, hear and experience Jesus through each one of us. Yes, people are out there searching for Jesus but they don't want religious people getting into their faces,they are looking for people who are real, people who have gone what they are going through but have overcome with the help of God! In my experience and what I have seen , people will be turned off and turned away by people who shove the word of God down their throats all the time. They desire to experience the love and forgiveness of God. God is not pushy and we should not be either! Be very sensitive to God's voice this year, but most of all be quick to obey what He is telling you and showing you to do. Stop being led by emotions and what you think you should be doing. Take time to slow down, get into His presence and seek Him in all things. When we seek Him and the things of His Kingdom then ALL things will be added unto us. And I'm paraphrasing here. But I'm sure we all get the point. This was not an easy sharing for me to give. But please go to God and research the Word for yourselves. God bless you. I love you, but Jesus loves you so much more than I ever could.