God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)
Alcohol is sinful when a person becomes addicted. It’s all over the Bible: In 1 Timothy 3:3, “[Elders must] not [be] addicted to wine.” The same is true for deacons (1 Tim. 3:8). The same is true for all believers. Isaiah 5:11 says, “Woe to those who rise early in the morning that they may pursue strong drink, who stay up late in the evening that wine may inflame them!” Titus 2:3 calls “older women...to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine.” It is undeniable that alcohol is addictive. The consequences suffered as a result of alcoholism are devastating: Divorce, job loss, traffic accidents, breakup of families, destruction of the addict’s health and so on. We are called to be slaves to Christ (Eph. 6:5-6) which promises liberation, not slaves to a substance which always results in unrelenting bondage. 2 Peter 2:19, “for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.” 1 Cor. 6:12 “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” And let’s be clear, this is not a disease problem, this is a sin problem. It is mastery by an idol that one is in submission to. The question is this – is Jesus Christ your Lord or are you mastered by alcohol? Are you addicted? Ask yourself: When stressed out, is alcohol a better solution than Jesus? Do you forget what happens when you drink? Do you feel the need to have alcohol? Has a family or close friend shared concerns about your drinking? Do you make excuses for your drinking? Are you unable to stay within a prescribed limit of drinks? If you answered yes to any of these, you might be facing a problem. I’d encourage you to get some help!
Now I know there are many dangers of striving for excellence. After all, haven’t we learned that Satan will take anything we do for good and seek to bring forth evil. We have been been taught, 2 Corinthians 2:11, to not be “ignorant of his schemes.” I know if we are not careful, a pursuit of excellence can lead to pride whereby we look down on others or desire to draw personal attention to ourselves or seek to be man-pleasers. I know it can lead to a reliance on our own strength and not God’s strength. I know it can lead to misplaced goals that believe the product is more important than the spiritual goals it aims to produce. I know it can lead to misplaced trust that excellence alone can somehow achieve God’s purposes. And I know it can lead to misplaced methods, looking to worldly techniques more than Scripture. I know all of these and now you do as well, but we can’t operate in fear as an excuse to excuse the behavior expected of us from the Lord.
TOPPINGS
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Combine beans, 1 tablespoon salsa, cumin, and cheese. Cut egg roll wrappers
in half lengthwise. Brush edges with water. Place about 1 tablespoon
mixture in center of top third of each egg roll wrapper half; fold top
third of wrapper diagonally over filling, and continue folding to enclose
filling. Brown pot stickers in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high
heat, turning once. Add 2/3 cup water to skillet. Cook 2 1/2 minutes on
each side or until water evaporates. Combine chili and remaining salsa in a
small saucepan; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Spoon evenly
onto individual plates, and top each with 2 pot stickers. Serve with
desired toppings. Makes 6 appetizer servings.
Posted to CHILE-HEADS DIGEST V3 #368 by Judy Howle <howle@ebicom.net> on
Jun 27, 1995
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