Worship: For Heaven’s Sake
Although many Bible verses support God’s law being written on the hearts of His people in Old Testament times, today’s broadcast revealed an instance where this was not the case. Pastor Flemons explains.
Worship: For Health’s Sake
Believe it or not, there is a health benefit to exercising self-control.
“Our first duty toward God and our fellow beings is that of self-development. Every faculty with which the Creator has endowed us should be cultivated to the highest degree of perfection, that we may be able to do the greatest amount of good of which we are capable.
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For Heaven’s Sake…
As discussed in earlier broadcasts, God only initiated one covenant: the everlasting covenant. It was also called the new covenant only because it was ratified by Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross in AD 31. God gave this new covenant to Adam and Eve, to Noah, and to Abraham.
We also have learned that God’s law, often thought to have only been written on the heart in New Testament times, was always in the heart, as many Bible texts have been shown to support this concept.
However, there is an instance in Scripture where we see that God’s people did not have the Law in their hearts. These were the children of Israel, descendants of Abraham, who had been enslaved for generations in Egypt. They could not serve God where they were. And because of their Egyptian enslavement and exposure to Egyptian idolatry, they did not know how to worship God. Therefore, the Law was not in their hearts.
They had, however, been groaning for deliverance. And God heard them. Exodus 2:24 states this: “And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.” This covenant, says Pastor Flemons, is the new covenant. This verse is key. What God did for Abraham, He did also for these children (descendants) of Abraham.
For Health’s Sake…
Hence that time is spent to good account which is used in the establishment and preservation of physical and mental health. We cannot afford to dwarf or cripple any function of body or mind. As surely as we do this, we must suffer the consequences.” (CTBH41.2)
Have you heard of the honey principle? Found in Proverbs 24:13, essentially it says Eat honey because it is good and sweet to the taste. But Proverbs 25:16 qualifies the statement by directing that only what is sufficient should be eaten, “lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.” There is good advice in abstaining from what is bad and taking only in moderation that which is good. Doing so is exercising self-control.
No doubt, you have heard it told that drinking a glass of wine per day is good or a little wine is good for the upset stomach. Pastor Flemons, using Bible texts, explained that an upset stomach indicates too much acid in the stomach. In such cases, an alkaline substance is needed to neutralize the acids.
It is grape juice in its unfermented state that is alkaline and is good in such cases. What we call wine is always fermented and, thus, acidic. Clearly, acidic substances can never neutralize an acidic stomach. Adding more acid to clear an already over-acidic environment would be unthinkable. The Bible text commonly used to support drinking wine is 1 Tim 5:23. It is not referring to fermented grape juice or wine; it is referring to simply grape juice.
In the Bible grape juice, whether it is unfermented or fermented, is called wine in its translation. But in the Hebrew language, the distinction is clear. Pastor Flemons discussed the two wines (fermented and unfermented) in the story of Isaac blessing Jacob. in Genesis 27:25, Jacob used the fermented wine (YAYIN) to dull the senses of his father into confusing Jacob for Esau and thus secure for himself the blessing traditionally given to the firstborn, Esau. Later in verses 28 and 37, Isaac declares that his blessing included wine (TEE-ROSHE or simply grape juice) and corn for sustenance.
Finally, as self-control is exercised nothing is taken to excess; instead self-control relaxes overtaxed organs (liver, adrenals, pancreas, the colon, and kidneys). Self-control is temperance. When we call ourselves Christian but do not take care of ourselves in the way God directs, we take His name in vain.
Be certain to listen to the broadcast, which includes an informative Q&A session and dealing with shingles.