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Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging:
and whosoever
is deceived thereby is not wise.
Proverbs 20:1 But the end of all things is at hand:
be ye therefore
sober, and watch unto prayer.
1 Peter 4:7 Wherefore be ye not unwise,
but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess;
but be filled with the Spirit;
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and
making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Giving thanks always for all things
unto God and the Father in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ;
Ephesians 5:17-20 |
When you hold onto Jesus you
cannot hold onto anything else.
You would think something that has killed and destroyed so many
lives, would be illegal in the world today, but it is not.
There is not a
person alive today that has not been affected by alcohol.
The dictionary defines drinking as to partake of alcoholic
beverages.
For the purpose of this teaching, we will refer to drinking
as drinking any type of intoxicating beverage, including alcohol,
wine, beer, and such like.
Some people are not aware what God has to say about drinking
and being intoxicated. I can't think of anyone who has not been touched by
the drug addiction of alcohol.
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And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be
filled with the Spirit;
Ephesians 5:18 |
Drunkenness is a sin against God.
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Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and
drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. Romans 13:13 |
Being a drunkard is serious with God. God groups
drunkards with murderers, and says that drunkards will NOT inherit the
Kingdom of God.
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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 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:10 |
The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). All
people who practice sin, will never see God's kingdom. The end of sin is
death (James 1:15).
God gives us a way out of sin and death. God
gives us instruction, through His word, as how to overcome any sin, any
addiction. God promises that we will never be given anything that we
cannot overcome with His help, AND God promises to help anyone who asks Him.
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There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common
to man: but God is faithful,
who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able;
but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to
bear it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 |
God promises to make a way to escape any temptation,
including alcohol addiction.
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The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of
temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 2 Peter 2:9 |
By submitting ourselves to God, resisting sin, God promises
that the devil will flee from us.
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Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you.
James 4:7 |
By putting on Christ, by filling our lives with Jesus, we do
not make room for the sins of the flesh.
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But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not
provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Romans 13:14 |
How do we submit ourselves to God? By
letting go, by giving the control we think we have over our lives to God.
We must release hold of sin to take hold of God.
Submitting ourselves to God is giving everything that we have (or think we have)
to God, we must give ourselves totally, completely, whole heartedly to God to be
saved from sin and death.
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But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he
hath committed,
and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall
surely live, he shall not die. Ezekiel 18:21 |
Only by turning from sin can we be forgiven of sin, we must
turn from sin to God to be forgiven of sin, we must ask God for forgiveness
of our sin and turn from our sin to receive eternal life in the Kingdom
of God.
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Blessed is the man that endureth temptation:
for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life,
which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
James 1:12 |
We are not expected to turn from sin by ourselves. We
are not able to turn from sin by ourselves, we need the power of God.
God is able to do anything, including helping us overcome our addiction to
sin. When we accept Jesus Christ into our lives as our personal Lord and
Saviour, by faith to salvation, we are given the Spirit of God, we are given the
power of God to overcome anything. By ourselves it is impossible to
change, but not with God, because with God ALL things are possible.
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And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are
possible.
Mark 10:27 |
We must be overcomers. With
God's help we are to overcome sin, turn from sin to God, turn to righteousness.
If we overcome we will inherit all things.
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He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white
raiment;
and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life,
but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. Revelation 3:5
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous
therefore, and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:
if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup
with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne,
even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Revelation 3:19-21
He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will
be his God, and he shall be my son.
Revelation 21:7
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How do we become overcomers?
We believe that Jesus is the Son of God to our salvation.
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Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that
believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:5 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ
Jesus.
Galatians 3:26 |
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Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it
not, to him it is sin.
James 4:17
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
1 Thessalonians 5:22
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever
is deceived thereby is not wise.
Proverbs 20:1
Do not err, my beloved brethren.
James 1:16
All unrighteousness is sin:
and there is a sin not unto death. 1 John 5:17
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Is being drunk unrighteousness? Yes. The
unrighteous are fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, abusers of
themselves with mankind, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners.
God says ALL the unrighteous will NOT inherit His kingdom, will NOT enter
Heaven.
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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,
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards,
nor revilers, nor extortioners,
shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 |
For those who say that they are saved drunkards and are
exempt from the wrath of God, God says whosoever is born of God sinneth NOT.
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We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not;
but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself,
and that wicked one toucheth him not.
1 John 5:18
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not:
whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
Little children, let no man deceive you:
he that doeth righteousness is righteous,
even as he is righteous.
He that committeth sin is of the devil;
for the devil sinneth from the beginning.
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested,
that he might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:6-8
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin;
for his seed remaineth in him:
and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 1 John 3:9
In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil:
whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God,
neither he that loveth not his brother. 1 John 3:10
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It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.
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Of how much sorer punishment,
suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy,
who hath trodden under foot the Son of God,
and hath counted the blood of the covenant,
wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing,
and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
For we know him that hath said,
Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord.
And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:29-31 |
Sin is fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.
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Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;
Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions,
heresies,
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 5:19-21 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and
the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the
world.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of
God abideth for ever.
1 John 2:16-17 |
No one can know God, be saved, and live to the lusts of the
flesh.
The children of God, the saved in Christ, walk in the Spirit
of God not the lusts of the flesh. God shows us how it is possible
to abandon sin, how to avoid fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, which is by
walking in the Spirit, remaining focused on God and abiding in
Christ Jesus.
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This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and
these are contrary the one to the other:
so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Galatians 5:16-17 |
If you are fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, if you are
engaging in the works of the flesh - sin - then you are apart from God.
You must repent from sin - turn from sin and turn to God to walk in the Spirit.
The lust of the flesh is NOT of God.
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But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own
lust, and enticed.
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is
finished, bringeth forth death.
James 1:14-15 |
Temptation always precedes sin. Sin is always
preceded by temptation. We ALL have the same choice whether or not to
yield to the temptation of sin. Only through the power of God are we
able to
say NO to sin. We are unable to resist sin by ourselves. In order to
overcome sin we all need the power of God.
Temptation is NOT sin, but yielding to temptation is
sin. Sin is committed when we say "yes" to temptation, sin is born
when we yield to temptation. Sin is yielding to temptation,
and performing the act of sin. As the
children of God we are NOT to sin, we are NOT to yield to sin, we are NOT to
give into our lust. When we act upon lust it brings forth sin and the
end of all sin is
death - James 1:14-15.
Temptation is not sin, we are all tempted of sin.
Sin is born when we yield to the temptation, give into the temptation, when we
act on the temptation. The end of sin is death. All sin has
consequences.
No one is exempt from the temptation of sin. Even
Jesus was tempted of sin, but He never yielded to the temptation.
Jesus never sinned.
We are given power to resist ALL sin through faith in Jesus
Christ. God is able to keep us from sin and deliver us from
temptation.
It may be odd to some people to point out that sin is NOT of
God, but many people believe they can be saved and live their whole lives in the
lust of the flesh - in sin. God says no one can be of God and of the devil.
God says that salvation does not work that way.
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For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and
the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1 John 2:16 |
The word of God reads that all people who "walk after their own
lusts" are NOT of God, are NOT saved. Do not be deceived. God says
no one can walk in the Spirit of God and walk after their own lusts.
Unless these people repent of their sins, which is to turn
away from their sin and turn to God, they will perish, they will die without
God for eternity.
God says that many people in the last days (before He returns
to earth) that there will be scoffers, walking after their own lusts, the lust
of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and ALL this lust of the flesh is NOT of
God the Father, but of the world.
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Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims,
abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
1 Peter 2:11 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the
flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
1 Peter 4:2 |
Alcohol is a widespread drug that effects almost
every family
in America.
Many people do not realize that alcohol is a drug.
A drug is defined as a substance other than food intended to affect the
structure or function of the body; something that causes addiction, habituation,
or a marked change in consciousness.
Some alcohol facts:
- Alcohol is society's legal, oldest and most popular drug.
- A standard drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces
of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 72 proof spirits, all of which contain the same
amount of alcohol, about .54 ounces.
- The speed of alcohol absorption affects the rate at which a
person becomes drunk. Alcohol does not have to be slowly digested, like
food. As a person drinks faster than the alcohol can be eliminated, the
drug accumulates in the body resulting in higher and higher levels of alcohol
in the blood.
- The average person metabolizes alcohol at the rate of about
one drink per hour. Only time can sober up a person. Drinking
strong coffee, exercising or a cold shower will not help.
- Alcohol-related fatalities are caused primarily by the
consumption of beer 80%, followed by liquor/wine at 20%.
- 3 out of 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol
related crash in their lifetime.
- 40% of all crimes are alcohol influenced
- More than 100,000 deaths in the United States are caused by
excessive alcohol consumption every year. Direct and indirect causes of death
include drunk driving, cirrhosis of the liver, falls, cancer and stroke.
- About 14 million Americans meet the diagnostic criteria for
alcohol use disorders
- Alcohol kills 6 1/2 times more youth than all other illicit
drugs combined
- Traffic crashes are the greatest single cause of death for
persons 6-33, with 45% fatalities related to alcohol
Do you think that you will be
one of the very few people who can drink and stop before the point of
intoxication? Do you think you can avoid being a statistic? Do you
think that you will not become an alcoholic?
I have NOT met anyone who has NOT been affected by
alcohol in one way or another in their lifetime.
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Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging:
and whosoever is
deceived thereby is not wise.
Proverbs 20:1 |
The dictionary defines sober as sparing the use of food and drink;
not addicted to intoxicating drink; NOT drunk.
The word of God contains numerous scriptures telling us to
be sober.
The word of God tells us to NOT get drunk.
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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.
1 Thessalonians 5:8 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared
to all men,
Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Titus 2:11-12 |
No one is exempt from God's word to remain sober.
As believers of Christ Jesus, we are ALL to remain sober all
the days of our lives. ALL people are to remain sober: old men, old
women, young women, and young men. No age group is exempt from the word of
God.
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That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate,
sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
The aged women likewise,
that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness,
not false accusers, not given to much wine,
teachers of good things;
That they may teach the young women to be sober,
to love their husbands, to love their children, Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
Titus 2:2-4, 6 |
No one is a witness for Christ by being a drunk.
Drinking and being drunk never glorifies God.
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In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works:
in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
Sound speech, that cannot be condemned;
that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed,
having no evil thing to say of you.
Titus 2:7-8 |
As disciples of Jesus we are to be examples to the lost of
the world, to show them the Light of Christ through us and
lead them to God.
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Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God;
if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that
God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ,
to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:11 |
Everything that we do should be done to glorify our heavenly
Father. We are to do ALL things in the name of Jesus.
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And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of
the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Colossians 3:17 |
As believers of Christ Jesus we are to remain sober because
the devil is roaming the earth searching for weakened souls to destroy.
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Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as
a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1 Peter 5:8 |
The dictionary definition of drunk is having the faculties impaired
by alcohol; having a level of alcohol in the blood that exceeds a maximum
prescribed by law; relating to or caused by or characterized by intoxication; a
period of drinking to intoxication or of being intoxicated.
A drunk is one who is drunk and is named a drunkard.
A person who is intoxicated by alcohol is a drunkard.
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And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess;
but be
filled with the Spirit;
Ephesians 5:18 |
The scriptures say being drunk is drinking in excess.
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For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty:
and
drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
Proverbs 23:21 |
How many people have lost everything they own to alcohol?
Many homeless people are that way because of alcohol.
How many jobs have been lost to alcohol? How many
careers have been ruined due to drinking?
How many prisoners would not be in jail if they had not drank?
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Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim,
whose glorious beauty is a fading flower,
which are on the head of the fat
valleys of them that are overcome with wine!
Isaiah 28:1 |
Drunkards wear the crown of pride.
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The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be
trodden under feet: Isaiah 28:3
Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of
wine, because of the new wine, for it is cut off from your mouth. Joel 1:5
But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any
man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a
railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. 1 Corinthians 5:11 |
We are to separate ourselves from drunkards.
God says the unrighteous, the drunkards, will NOT inherit the
kingdom of God.
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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,
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners,
shall
inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 |
Do not be deceived - NO ONE is exempt from the word of God.
We are NOT to live in sin, we are NOT to fulfill the lusts of
the flesh in drunkenness, but we are to put on Christ Jesus and walk honestly.
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Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and
drunkenness,
not in chambering and wantonness,
not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make not provision for the flesh, to
fulfil the lusts thereof.
Romans 13:13-14 |
The drinking referred to here is drinking to excess,
drinking to the point of intoxication, being a drunkard.
Love the Lord your God.
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But take diligent heed to do the commandment and
the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love
the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his
commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your
heart and with all your soul. Joshua 22:5 |
I'll give you one reason to stop drinking
because you love God. Stop drinking because you love God.
God asked us not to drink and we know that God is for us, and
everything that He says for us to do is for our benefit and because He
loves us. God loves us and desires the very best for us.
God created us and knows what we need and what we do not need. God says
if ye love Me, keep My commandments - John 14:15.
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If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 14:15 For this is the love of God, that we
keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
1 John 5:3
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 But as it is
written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into
the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that
love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9 Grace be
with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.
Amen. Ephesians 6:24 Blessed is the
man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive
the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love
him. James 1:12 |
God loves you.
God loves us and God desires us to be
where He created us to be - which is with Him now and for all eternity.
God knows that if we drink intoxicating beverages that it harms us
physically, emotionally and spiritually. God knows us better than
we know ourselves - because He created us.
Our bodies are not ours to do with as we
please, as our bodies belong to the Lord. Our bodies are the
temple of God and we are to keep His temple clean and not
defile it or harm it in anyway.
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And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the
Lord, and not unto men; Colossians 3:23
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. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 |
Thou shalt have no
other gods before me - Exodus 20:3.
We are to place nothing between God and
us. We are to do nothing that will hinder or harm our relationship
with our God. We are to place nothing above God (that's
called idolatry).
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Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived,
and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; Deuteronomy 11:16 |
Don't make your drinking, your liquor, your
god.
Do all things for the Lord
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And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the
Lord, and not unto men; Colossians 3:23 |
Whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as
unto the Lord. Everything we do, we are to be conscious of it and do
it for the Lord. We do not serve ourselves, we serve the Lord.
Everything that believers do has a Kingdom purpose. We are to do nothing
that does not bring honor and glory to God. Drinking and getting drunk
cannot, will not, and does not bring honor and glory to God.
Be Not Drunk.
The word of God reads we are NOT to be drunk, but filled with
the Spirit of God.
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And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess;
but be
filled with the Spirit;
Ephesians 5:18 |
With all the facts about drinking, knowing how it ruins people
lives, knowing how much it hurts not only you - but the people you love and the
people who love you, knowing how it is illegal
if done in excess and can lead to jail or prison, some people still need
another reason to stop drinking.
The best reason to stop drinking is because God
tells us all in His word, that drunkards will NOT inherit the kingdom of God.
Do you want to be with God for all eternity?
Drunkards, and ALL people who are unrighteous,
all who reject God and His Word - all the unbelieving - will NOT
inherit the kingdom of God, will NOT spend eternity with God in Heaven.
It does NOT matter how good you say
you are or think you
are, how much good you have done, who you are, your position, where you live, how much
you give to the poor and needy, how many good works you do, how much you go to
church, how much you read your bible, how righteous you think or say you
are, if you are a drunkard, God says you will NOT inherit His kingdom.
It does NOT matter how religious you say you are or
think you
are, God said that the unrighteous, the unbelieving - which includes drunkards
- will NOT inherit
the kingdom of God.
Nothing you say or think can cancel out
what God says in His word.
I cannot think of any better reason to stop drinking than to
please God and to inherit the kingdom of God.
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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,
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners,
shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 |
The previous scripture applies to ALL PEOPLE, no one is exempt
from the word of God.
If you think you are exempt from this scripture,
that this word of God does not apply to you for any reason, you
are being deceived.
The word of God tells us all - BE NOT DECEIVED -
DRUNKARDS SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
ALL people will either:
A. Inherit the kingdom of God,
which is to enter heaven, spend eternity with God
- or -
B. NOT inherit the kingdom of God,
which is to perish and be cast into hell for
eternity
GOD says, NO DRUNKARDS will inherit the kingdom of God.
If you drink to excess, to the point of intoxication, you are a drunkard
and WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
WAKE UP!!
The word of God tells us NOT to be DECEIVED, by anyone or
anything we may think.
God is telling us ALL, who will and who will NOT enter His
kingdom - DO NOT BE DECEIVED by the devil, who whispers in your ear, and
falsely tells you that this scripture does not apply to you, because it
does!!
All of God's words are for ALL of us to learn from and to
live by.
No one is exempt from the word of God.
God
doesn't care who the world thinks you are, or how important you think you are,
God treats every one the same.
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Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I
perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
Acts 10:34 |
The scriptures of God applies to everyone, ALL
people. God is NO
respecter of persons this includes you and this includes me.
Those who live in drunkenness, partake in any way in
drunkenness, will NOT see God.
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Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;
Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions,
heresies,
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 5:19-21 |
They which do such things - drunkards - shall NOT inherit the kingdom of
God.
I don't know how much clearer God can say it, people who
partake in drunkenness will NOT enter the kingdom of God.
God commands all men everywhere to repent - Acts 17:30.
What is a little? One glass of wine? Two?
Three?
One glass of wine with dinner is relaxing, it
is okay, you may
say.
If you were having surgery, would you mind if your surgeon had
a "little to drink" a glass of wine before he cut on you? Why not? He is just
relaxing.
You wouldn't want your surgeon to drink because you want him
to have ALL of his faculties when he cuts on you. You don't
want him to drink any amount of intoxicating beverage.
Why? Because you know that drinking causes
impairment, slower reactions, slower thinking. You would want your surgeon
to be at his best.
But you may say, I am not a surgeon, I am just sitting at home
drinking, it doesn't hurt anyone.
Not true. God wants His children to be at their best
all the time.
The word of God shows us we are to be constantly
watching,
praying
and waiting for the return of the Lord.
We are to have our guard up
against the devil at all times.
The word of God reads the children of God are to
remain
sober, watching and praying always for His return.
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And take heed to yourselves,
lest at any time your
hearts be overcharged with surfeiting,
and drunkenness, and cares of this life,
and so that day come upon you unawares.
For as a snare shall it come on all them
that dwell on the face of the whole
earth.
Watch ye therefore, and pray always,
that ye may be accounted worthy
to
escape all these things that shall come to pass,
and to stand before the Son of
man.
Luke 21:34-36 |
No one knows when the Lord God will return. Believers
are to be watching and praying always. Believers to not want to be caught
unaware of what is going on. We want to be ready at all times.
No one knows when the Lord God will return. Believers
stand watch, waiting, praying, ready to go and see our blessed Saviour and Lord
face to face.
The word of God reads that multitudes of people will be caught
unawares, caught by surprise, caught NOT serving God when Christ returns.
Those who are not watching and waiting and praying for the return of Christ
Jesus will be caught unawares.
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But and if that servant say in his heart,
My lord delayeth his coming;
and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens,
and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
The lord of that servant will come in a day
when he looketh not for him,
and at an hour when he is not aware,
and will cut him in sunder,
and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
Luke 12:45-46 |
As children of the Most High God, we want to be found ready
when Christ returns!!
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And take heed to yourselves,
lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting,
and drunkenness, and cares of this life,
and so that day come upon you unawares.
For as a snare shall it come on all them
that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
Watch ye therefore, and pray always,
that ye may be accounted worthy
to escape all these things that shall come to pass,
and to stand before the Son of man.
Luke 21:34-36 |
I am ready to go today, stand face to face with
my Creator, with my Lord God, are you?
To be accounted worthy at Christ Jesus' return
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Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy
to escape all these things that shall come to pass,
and to stand before the Son of man.
Luke 21:36 |
God wants all His children to remain sober so that we may be
accounted worthy to escape all the things that shall come to pass when Christ
returns.
Remain sober to depart from the devil
Drinking impairs anyone's judgment and thinking. We need
to remain sober and diligent protecting and defending our salvation from satan.
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Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as
a roaring lion,
walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1 Peter 5:8 |
The devil roams around this earth seeking people to destroy,
including the children of God.
The devil is seeking believers of Christ Jesus, the children
of God, who are the devil's adversary, to devour, to destroy and take with him to
hell.
Satan is constantly seeking you and me, believers of Christ,
to kill.
We are to be sober and remain sober until the end of time
because the devil is waiting to destroy us when we are NOT
being sober and careful of our salvation by guarding our faith.
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Be sober, be vigilant;
because your adversary the devil, as
a roaring lion,
walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1 Peter 5:8
Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7
Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived,
and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
Deuteronomy 11:16
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts
be overcharged with surfeiting,
and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. Luke 21:34
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The devil and his followers are the only ones who do NOT
want you to be sober.
Remain sober to bring others to God
As the children of God, we are God's representatives here on
this earth. God wants us to be at our best, showing the world the glory of
God.
We are to be an example to the lost of the world. Our
light, that Jesus gave us, is to shine bright out through us and out to the
world - Ephesians 5:14. The light that shines through us is the Light,
Christ Jesus - John 12:46. The Light of Jesus shines through believers,
out from us, His Light, into the darkness of this world - 1 Thessalonians 5:5;
Ephesians 5:8.
So the world will see God in us and ask us how they can
receive God into their lives.
A lot of people do not think that God cares if they drink or
not, but He does and tells us so all throughout His word.
We are to think soberly. In order to think
soberly, we must be sober.
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For I say, through the grace given unto me,
to every man
that is among you,
not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think;
but to think soberly,
according as God hath dealt to every man the
measure of faith.
Romans 12:3 |
We are to remain sober and we are to obtain salvation
through Christ Jesus.
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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.
For God hath not appointed us to wrath,
but to obtain salvation by our Lord
Jesus Christ,
1 Thessalonians 5:8-9 |
Remain sober as a representative of Christ Jesus
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A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife,
vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient,
not a brawler, not covetous;
1 Timothy 3:2-3
For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God;
not
selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine,
no striker, not given to filthy
lucre;
But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught,
that he may be able by
sound doctrine
both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
Titus 1:7-9
Even so must their wives be grave,
not slanderers, sober,
faithful in all things.
1 Timothy 3:11
That the aged men be sober,
grave, temperate, sound in
faith, in charity, in patience.
Titus 2:2
That they may teach the young women to be sober,
to love
their husbands, to love their children,
Titus 2:4
Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
Titus 2:6
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Remain sober to live righteously and godly
We should live soberly, righteous and
godly.
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Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,
we
should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Looking for that blessed hope,
and the glorious appearing of the great God
and
our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Titus 2:12-13 |
Remain sober because we are the obedient children of God
We are to be sober to the end of time, because of the Grace of God, and as obedient children of
God, that is brought to us by the revelation of Jesus
Christ.
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Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober,
and
hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you
at the revelation
of Jesus Christ;
As obedient children,
not fashioning yourselves according
to the former lusts in
your ignorance:
1 Peter 1:13-14 |
A drunkard does not live for God.
Remain sober to speak the truth
All the children of God are to speak the words of
truth and soberness.
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But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus;
but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.
Acts 26:25 |
Truth and soberness are partners, they are a
team, just like drunkenness and lies are partners.
Jesus is the truth, as followers of Christ we are to remain in
the truth.
There is no truth in any lie. Lies are void of the
truth. The truth is void of lies.
Remain sober because Jesus is returning very soon
We are to remain sober because the end of ALL
things is very soon.
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But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore
sober, and watch unto prayer.
1 Peter 4:7 |
How horrible it would be when Jesus returns to find you drunk
and not waiting for him.
Jesus who sacrificed His perfect life for your sins, who died
a brutal death on a cross to redeem you and set you free from sin and death, who
rose from the grave three days latter, so we can rise one day with Him into
Paradise, into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Christ suffered and died on a cross, so we might have
everlasting life and we can't wait and watch for Him and remain sober and holy
for a very years. He who gave us eternal life.
These few years on this planet cannot be compared to eternal
life in the Kingdom of God.
Jesus died to give us life, we should want to serve Him and do
anything that He asks from us.
No one knows when Christ will return.
Jesus could come this very minute - are you ready? Are you watching and
waiting?
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And that,
knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out
of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we
believed. The night is far spent, the day is at
hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and
let us put on the armour of
light. Let us walk honestly, as in the
day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and
wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put
ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the
flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Romans 13:11-14 |
They that follow strong drink do NOT regard the Lord God
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Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning,
that they
may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!
And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine,
are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD,
neither consider the operation of his
hands.
Isaiah 5:11-12 |
Drunkards do not follow the word of God. They have
decided to follow their own way, rather than follow the ways of Christ Jesus.
They have decided to give in to the lusts of the flesh, follow their own will,
instead of following the will of God.
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Therefore my people are gone into captivity,
because they
have no knowledge:
and their honourable men are famished,
and their multitude
dried up with thirst.
Therefore hell hath enlarged herself,
and opened her mouth without measure:
and
their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp,
and he that rejoiceth, shall
descend into it.
Isaiah 5:13-14 |
Drunkenness is NOT good.
Drunkenness is NOT the will of God for any
man. Many people say it is okay, they justify the wicked, they call evil good and
call good evil.
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Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil;
that put
darkness for light, and light for darkness;
that put bitter for sweet, and sweet
for bitter!
Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes,
and prudent in their own sight!
Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine,
and men of strength to mingle
strong drink:
Which justify the wicked for reward,
and take away the righteousness of the
righteous from him!
Isaiah 5:20-23 |
God is NOT mocked. Those who have cast away the word of
God for their own laws, living in sin by their own rules, NOT fearing God, are
those who mock God and will
receive the wrath of the living God.
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Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble,
and the flame consumeth the chaff,
so their root shall be as rottenness,
and their blossom
shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts,
and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 5:24
Be not deceived; God is not mocked:
for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
For he that soweth to his flesh
shall of the flesh reap corruption;
but he that soweth to the Spirit
shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. Galatians 6:7-8
But they also have erred through wine,
and through strong
drink are out of the way;
the priest and the prophet have erred through strong
drink,
they are swallowed up of wine,
they are out of the way through strong
drink;
they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
Isaiah 28:7
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All people who surrender their life to strong drink are in
error. There is never a right way to do something wrong.
God didn't say the reward for sin is eternal life in Heaven,
but God said the wages of sin is death.
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For the wages of sin is death;
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:23 |
All sin leads to death. There is no way around
the truth of God, all sin leads to death. Living to the lusts of the
flesh leads only to death and separation from God for eternity.
The children of God have conquered the lusts of the flesh, put
to death all the lusts of the flesh, through the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ.
If we live in the Spirit of God we are not in bondage to sin.
Jesus sets us free from the bondage of sin and lusts of the flesh.
We are indebted to Christ Jesus, not to satan. We owe
satan nothing. We owe Christ everything, because He saved us from hell.
Jesus sets us free. Satan has no power over the children
of God.
Through belief in Jesus Christ we walk in the Spirit of God,
not after the flesh.
By walking in the Spirit of Christ - we can depart from sin.
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But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus
from the dead dwell in you,
he that raised up Christ from the dead
shall also quicken your mortal bodies
by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors,
not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die:
but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body,
ye shall live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,
they are the sons of God.
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear;
but ye have received the Spirit of adoption,
whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit,
that we are the children of God: Romans 8:11-16
Being then made free from sin,
ye became the servants of righteousness.
Romans 6:18
But now being made free from sin,
and become servants to God,
ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. Romans 6:22
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him,
that the body of sin might be destroyed,
that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him:
Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more;
death hath no more dominion over him.
For in that he died, he died unto sin once:
but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body,
that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Neither yield ye your members
as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin:
but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead,
and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
For sin shall not have dominion over you:
for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Romans 6:6-14
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Satan has NO power over the children of God.
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Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.
For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are
ordained of God. Romans 13:1 |
God holds ultimate power. There is
no power greater than the power of God. Greater is God in me than satan
that is in this world.
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Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them:
because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
1 John 4:4 |
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I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth
me.
Philippians 4:13 |
Believe in God for deliverance from drunkenness
God CAN do anything. God CAN make you whole.
God is able to do anything.
Believe that God can do anything, including delivering you
from drunkenness.
You, by yourself, cannot stop satan from controlling your
life. Your will power will never be enough.
Only through belief and faith in God can anyone be delivered
from the powers of satan.
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But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them,
With men this is impossible;
but with God all things are possible.
Matthew 19:26
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe,
all things are possible to him that believeth.
Mark 9:23
And Jesus looking upon them saith,
With men it is impossible, but not with God:
for with God all things are possible.
Mark 10:27
For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Luke 1:37
And he said,
The things which are impossible with men
are possible with God.
Luke 18:27
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I think it is strange that people can believe in Christ Jesus
for their salvation, for saving their souls from eternal damnation, can believe
in God for eternal life in Heaven, but they can't believe that God can save
them from some addiction.
Do they actually believe that God, who created the
universe, hung the stars in place, cannot remove some addiction from their
earthly bodies?
Believe it, because God can do anything!!
Ask God for deliverance from drunkenness
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And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer,
believing, ye shall receive.
Matthew 21:22 |
When we believe in Jesus and ask God to deliver us, He
promises us that He will.
So many people do not bother to ask God to help them,
they have not - because they ask not. They are not released from
addiction, because they never ask.
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Ye lust, and have not:
ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain:
ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. James 4:2
Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth;
and he that seeketh findeth;
and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Matthew 7:7-8
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer,
believing, ye shall receive.
Matthew 21:22
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do,
that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
John 14:13
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you,
ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
John 15:7
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Wishing is not praying. Wishing
you were different is not asking God for His help. Wishing you didn't
drink is not asking God to deliver you. Telling someone you wish you
didn't have this addiction is not asking God to release you from the bondage
of it. God is waiting for you to ask for His help.
Don't delay - ask God today for His help - He
promises that He will hear your prayer and that He will help you.
Accept deliverance from drunkenness
We must believe that God can set us free from any addiction,
we must pray for God to release us from this bondage to sin, we must ask, pray
to God for His deliverance, then we must accept that He heard our cry and that
we are set free.
We must have faith in God to do what He promises that He will
do - set us free from sin. Faith in God is a belief in our hearts that He
is all who He claims to be in His Word, and that He can do all that He says He
can do, and that He answered your prayer as He promises that He will.
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But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin,
but
ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Romans 6:17-18
Because the creature itself also shall be delivered
from
the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Romans 8:21
Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us
from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
Galatians 1:4
And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work,
and
will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom:
to whom be glory for ever and ever.
Amen. 2 Timothy 4:18
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye
shall be free indeed.
John 8:36
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath
made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Galatians 5:1
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Thank God for your deliverance from drunkenness
We are to confess our sins to God, ask God for
forgiveness and deliverance of our sins against God, accept God's
forgiveness and deliverance, and thank God for our deliverance and
forgiveness of our sins against Him.
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But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin,
but
ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. Romans 6:17-18
Giving thanks always for all things unto God
and the Father
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Ephesians 5:20
But ye are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him
who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
1 Peter 2:9
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God;
if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth:
that
God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ,
to whom be praise and
dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:11
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Praise God Almighty we can overcome!!
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He that overcometh shall inherit all things;
and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Revelation 21:7 |
We either are overcome by something or we
overcome it! God says that we can overcome all things through Christ Jesus
our Lord !!
Believe it - trust God - and live it!
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sure where to go from here ??? May we suggest . . .
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