BOTTOMS UP

"You have spent enough time in the past doing what godless people do - living for immorality, lust, drunkenness, orgies and idolatry." - 1 Peter 4:3


Here's my question. Is it bad for a Christian to drink alcohol? In the verse above, Peter associates drunkenness with a pretty nasty laundry list of other activities, but on the other hand, there are also verses like Ecclesiastes 9:7 that say, "Go, eat your food with gladness and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God approves of this." That seems confusing doesn't it?

Although on the surface the Bible seems to be in conflict on this issue, I think closer examination will show that it provides some very clear cut directions on drinking.

For starters, it's important to remember that alcohol, just like everything else, is good because it was created by God. Psalms 104:15 says that "God made wine which gladdens the hearts of men." There is nothing God has made that is not good, but problems arise when man takes a good thing created by God and abuses it. It seems that you and I have this tendency to become so obsessed with the good things that God has made that we fail to worship the creator himself. This is what we have done with alcohol. We have turned drinking into an experience we look forward to because we know it will be an escape from reality and from the pressures and weight of this world. Hosea 4:10-11 gives us a vivid picture of problems God's followers had hundreds of years ago and I'm afraid we're not much different today. "They will eat and still be hungry, they will play the prostitute and not multiply, all because they have forsaken the LORD to cherish whoredom, wine and more wine, which rob them of their senses."

I feel pretty strongly that God gave us our senses for a reason and that they are meant to be kept, not thrown by the wayside on the weekends. In Matthew 5:13-14, Jesus instructs his followers to be "salt and light" to the rest of the world. He tells them they should talk different, live different and look different that those who are living life for themselves and any follower of Christ today should do the same. Living like this isn't an optional thing for a believer, it's expected, and it's tough to do this when one doesn't have their senses isn't it?

I think this is why Peter and the rest of the Bible speak out strongly against drinking to the point of getting drunk. While there's certainly nothing wrong with drinking, as long as it's done legally, there is no reason for a follower of Christ to be drunk.

Two important things to remember when drinking:

1. Romans 13:1 says, "Everyone must submit to the governing authorities because there is no authority that God has not established." This means that God expects his followers to obey the law of the land. Since the current law says it is illegal to drink before the the age of 21, it is wrong for any person under this age to drink. No exceptions. In you are a follower of Christ under the age of 21 and you're drinking, you're wrong and need to stop.

2. Romans 15:1-2 says, "We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive to things like this. We must not just please ourselves. We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord." A believer who is of legal age to drink, should always be careful of the setting in which they do. Minors and friends who have a tendency to abuse alcohol are likely not as "strong" as you are when it comes to drinking responsibly and so you have an obligation to do what is in their best interest, not your own. Be careful!

PORNED

"Men weren't made to have sex with bodies, they were designed to make love to souls." - Matt Chandler

Today is an incredibly tough topic, but nonetheless an essential one. As we speak, pornography, sexual addiction and infidelity are running rampant through our country, ripping families and marriages apart. The family unit is on the verge of extinction and absolutely nothing is being done about it. Before you tune me out or dismiss what I'm about to say because porn, sex addiction or extramarital affair doesn't apply to you, I want to plead with you not to. Every one of us, and I'm talking mainly to guys, are at fault in this area and need to make some radical changes in our life. Let me explain.

The concept of love and of marriage was not invented by man, but created by God who made both sexes. He made them uniquely different in such a way that they need the other and function best when together. He made our bodies unique as well, as a perfect fit when combined, and gave us sex as a gift and a way to bring us closer. Since God created us, I think it's safe to say he knows us best and only fitting to see what his word, the Bible, has to say about sex.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, we read about the wise king Solomon who God has given us as an expert on the topic. The dude had 700 wives, 300 hookers and got more action that any man could ever imagine. Let's fast forward to later in his life and see what he has to say about women.

"I find more bitter than death, woman, who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains....While I was still searching and not finding - I found one true man among a thousand, but not one true woman among them all." - Ecc 7:26 & 28

Sounds like our man Solomon is pretty bitter. This certainly isn't what you would expect from a guy who had 1000 women at his beck and call. The last part of what he says about finding one true man but no women is extremely important for us to understand. I think Matt Chandler said it best in one of his talks. He said, "Solomon experienced how tough it is for guys to have deep relationships with other guys. Every now and then you find one guy that you really click with on a personal, soul level and you become great friends. But he didn't find this connection with any of his 1000 women. That's because when Solomon sat down to dinner with a girl and she started to unpack her dreams and passions, all he could think about was her breasts and what it would be like to get her in bed."

Solomon was addicted to sex and so are we. In making his relationships with women all about their body and what they could give, he stripped them of their soul. I want to argue that you and I are no different. Any time we choose to look at a women who is not our wife or entertain a lustful thought about one, we trample her soul and become more and more addicted to merely bodily sex. Years of thinking about women in this way, only concerned about the wonder of their bodies, will leave any man, single or married, severely addicted and completely incapable of making love to the most important part of a women, her soul. It's no wonder we fail at marriage.

Nowadays, bodily sexual experiences can easily be had at a moments notice either in person or on the computer but they can never satisfy, just ask Solomon. We give Solomon a hard time for his 1000 women but in our own mind are we any different? The typical course of most marriages seems to be that men enjoy bodily sex with their wife for awhile and then grow bored. Once that happens, they will either secretly pursue some new sexual experience or treat their wife poorly to chase her off so they can do so out in the open. Intimately knowing a women both in body and soul is extremely rare and takes time, but this is how sex was meant to be.

So what should we do? Single guys, if you don't start right now "taking every thought captive" (1 Corinthians 10:5) to think about women in the right way then you will dig yourself into such a hole of bodily addiction that you'll never get out and your future marriage will be subject to failure before it even begins. If you even think to yourself for a second that you'll have fun now and not regret it later, you're wrong. The damage that you will cause to yourself and to your future wife, family and to countless others won't be worth any temporary satisfaction or pleasure you experience, I promise. Married guys, we can in absolutely no way "give the devil a single foothold" (Eph 4:27) and must "flee from sexual immorality" (1 Cor 6:18) at all costs. There is nothing more wonderful or pleasing to God than a godly marriage and a godly family, and there is nothing that Satan despises more. The devil will stop at nothing to ruin your current or future marriage, but will you fight for it? Our world has been porned, sexed, and seduced into thinking about women in the wrong way, will you fight to be a man that loves both body and soul today?

To listen to a great talk on this topic by pastor Matt Chandler CLICK HERE

DEAD MAN STANDING

The other day I was running past a cemetery in our neighborhood and it really got me thinking. I've probably passed hundreds or thousands of these in my life without a second thought but what happened the other day for some reason was different. As I passed by, I couldn't help but stare at tombstone after tombstone and it suddenly hit me that each one represented a life just like mine. Each of those buried people were once alive and like me, grew up, probably went to school, got a job, were married, raised a family, and then eventually died. Sure everyone's story is a little different, but the reality of this thought was humbling to me. That's because there is this tendency I have, and maybe you do to, to think that I'm super important, that my life is the one that matters the most in the world, and that the things I'm doing and thinking are earth changing and have never been thought or done before. Prideful and selfish I know.

The crazy things is, if we stop to think about the millions upon millions that have lived before us and all the great men and women that currently reside six feet under, one cannot help but be humbled and feel incredibly insignificant. I realized the other day that the people in that cemetery lived amazing lives at a level of greatness I will likely never reach but even if I could, would it make any difference? What if I did become famous for doing something great one day and they buried me in a prestigious cemetery with a big headstone so that people could drive by to see where Drew was buried? It wouldn't matter because I would be no different than any other person in any other cemetery anywhere else in the world. What I do in life, the discoveries I make, the money I earn, the awards I win, and any status or reputation that I have when I die will go with me to the grave whenever that day comes. None of that stuff matters when you're dead. The worst part is, that regardless of how I live or what I accomplish in life, some twenty-four year old guy will one day run by the cemetery where I'm buried with his dog and have absolutely no idea who I am.

This makes you and I nothing more than dead men standing and it's only a matter of time until the inevitable fate of death overtakes us all. Listen to how the wise King Solomon came to this same conclusion:

"So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and all they do are in God's hands, but no man knows what awaits him. All share a common destiny - the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who do religious things and those who don't....for the same fate of death overtakes us all." - Ecc 9:1-3

There is nothing you or I can do to add days to our life. Eating our veggies and exercising can't promise that we won't drop dead to the floor at a moments notice. And the crazy thing is that really good people die unexpectedly sometimes while really bad and mean people get to live a long and prosperous life. How does that work out?

I don't know all the specifics of how God works all thing for the good of his glory (Romans 8:28) but I know that he does. I also know that when King David prayed to God, "My times are in your hands," in Psalm 31:15, that he was right. Our times and our lives are ultimately in God's hands and while we don't have any say as to how long we'll be around, we can make choices while we're here to invest in things that matter. Money, fame, and recognition have never been able to satisfy the human soul and they never will. So what should we do about all this craziness? How should we live in this world where few things really matter? Let's see again what Solomon says:

"Go eat food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart...Enjoy life with your wife whom you love, for this is the lot God has given you under the sun. Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there are none of these things." -Ecc 9:7-10

To elaborate on the idea of working with all your might, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:31 that "whether you eat, drink or what ever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

And in Colossians 3:23, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as if working for the Lord and not for men."

God, for some reason, has created this world and placed you and I in it. He hasn't put us here to enjoy life like a theme park where we play all the games, try all the rides and cash out on our tickets at the end for some great prize before we leave. That's just not how it works. He's put us here so that we can enjoy the life he's given us, thank him for it and tell other people about how great and glorious our God is. Investing your life in the things of this world will afford you no gain on the day that you die. On the other hand, investing in the kingdom of God by sharing with others and about the peace, hope and love that he offers will leave a mark on this world that will last for eternity. What's you motivation for living today?

SNAKE CHARMER

In Ecclesiastes, the king Solomon is giving out wisdom on life. He says, "If a snake bites before it's charmed, there is no profit for the charmer."
-Ecc 10:11

What's in the world does this mean? I think we would all agree that a snake bitten charmer is a dead charmer and that's a bad thing right? The obvious aside, I think what Solomon is getting at here is the idea that talk is cheap. You and I can say we're gonna do something and we can have the best intentions in the world to do that thing but unless it actually happens, what we say doesn't matter. Like the phrase "put your money where your mouth is" alludes to, following through on one's intentions is a big and risky commitment.

If you had to name your three biggest goals in life, what would they be? Here are mine:

1. Share the love and wonder of God with other people through whatever platform God gives me.
2. Be an amazing husband to my wife and love her always in an incredible way.
3. Raise kids that love God and other people.

All things considered, nothing else in life matters more to me than these three things. What are your goals like? Are they God honoring goals? And maybe the bigger question, what are you doing to make those goals a reality? Being a godly person, loving husband, or great parent doesn't just happen overnight because you get out bed one morning and it finally clicks. A person can have great plans to be more disciplined in a part of their life, they can know how and even be on the verge of doing it, but until planing turns into action, they are no better a snake charmer than the guy who walks up and intentionally gets bit. In Matthew 12:50 Jesus says, "Whoever does the will of my father is part of my family." Notice he doesn't say "whoever knows the will of the father" or "thinks about the will of the father," but whoever does the will of the father. A few chapters earlier in Matthew 7:21 Jesus tells his disciples, that those "who do the will of the father" will be the ones to enter God's kingdom. I think lots of us know things we should be doing differently in life and ways that God is asking us to grow, but few are really doing it. What's holding you back?

In verses 7-9, just before Solomon talks about charming snakes, he reminds us why there is no better time to start acting on our goals and on who God wants us to be than right now.

"Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; who ever splits logs may be entangled by them." Ecclesiastes 10:7-9

What Solomon's saying is that unexpected things happen to unsuspecting people just going about their business all the time. Death, disease and hardship give no regard to age, health, diet, or socioeconomic status. Nice, healthy, young, and successful people get sick out of the blue and die everyday. The reality of life is that you and I don't know what tomorrow may bring which gives us all the more reason to make the most of today. Don't wait to charm your snakes. There is certainly some risk, effort and commitment involved in becoming a godly man, women, parent, husband, wife, brother, sister or friend, but there is no greater way to live.

Not easily broken

"Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself."  1 Samuel 18:3

Several times in the bible's account of David's life do we read about the awesome friendship between David and Jonathan.  Jonathan loved David, stayed loyal to him, and even saved David's life a time or two. 

King David understood the importance of surrounding yourself with good friends who can support and encourage you along the way.  It is pretty safe to say that David would not have experienced the success he did or his reign as king if it weren't for Jonathan.  Galatians 6:2 says it this way: "carry each other's burdens and in this way fulfill the lay of Christ."  If you look around you today, you will see hundreds, thousands and maybe even millions of people, each person a reminder that God did not design you and I to live life alone.  God has designed marriages, the family and the church around the principle that we need each other.  I love what David's son King Solomon has to say about friendships and support in Ecclesiastes 4:12; "A cord of three stands is not easily broken."  Two are always stronger than one.   It is important that you and I surround ourselves with great friends and support as we travel the ups and downs of the Christian life. 

Live in STYLE!

On Mondays in my Chemistry class, I always give a verse of the week. Recently, after encouraging my students to live life with their eyes fixed on the Lord, one young lady asked this very thought provoking question. "How do you know if you're living that way Mr. Benac?" Many possible answers popped into my head, things like read the bible, or spend time with God, but none that I felt encompassed what it really meant to walk with God. I admitted my inability to answer and asked if I could dedicate the next week's thought of the day to her topic, she gracefully agreed.

During that week, my mind reeled with possibilities as I tried hard to identify the behaviors that a person walking with the Lord must have. To answer her question, I decided to don a pair of old plaid pants (similar to those in the picture above), and talk about living in STYLE. Here's the gist of what I said:

S-Studying the word. Jesus said in Mt 4:4 that "man does not eat on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." In the Bible we have the very word of God, protected and passed down through the ages. The growing believer knows that the word of God is the bread of life and it essential to spiritual survival in the same way that food is required for physical survival.

1 Peter 2:2 says that we need to crave spiritual food like a baby craves for milk and some of us need to posses a stronger desire for His word. Others of us need to graduate from the sippy cup to big boy food as mentioned in Hebrews 5:11-14. The Lord does not desire that you remain a spiritual infant for your lifetime, but wants you to grow into a bright light and messenger for Him.

I rarely, if ever, miss a meal during the day, but I have often gone days or weeks without sitting down to get any sustenance from God's word. No wonder our spiritual condition can feel dead or dry sometimes.
What kind of spiritual food have you been eating lately?

T-Telling your story. In Acts 26:15-18, the Lord tells Paul to "be a witness to the things I have and will show you." Paul tells the story of his conversion and the Lord's work in his life several times throughout the book of Acts and we should be no different. The Lord has given each of us a unique, wonderful story, one where new chapters are written everyday, and he wants us to share that story other people. We, like Paul, need to be a minister and witness to the Lord's work. Are you being a good steward of the story you've been given to tell?

Y-Yoked with believers. There is something to be said for finding strength in numbers and this is certainly true for the fellowship that exists among believers. Verses like Prov 27:17, "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another," and Ecc 4:12, "a cord of three strands is not easily broken," remind us of the benefits that can be found in the company of others. A yoke is a heavy block of wood used by farmers to secure their oxen to the plow. It was heavy and cumbersome, a horrible task for an ox alone, and for this reason two were usually used. Life can be cumbersome as well and it sure helps to have friends beside to you help you along the way. I think this is while Paul wrote the following words in Galatians 6:2, "carry each others burdens, and in this way fulfill the law of Christ.

Not only does being yoked to believers provide support and company, but also an opportunity to be sharpened by the faith of others. Just as tough competition in sports results in an elevation of performance, a great deal can be learned when you surround yourself with more mature believers. Find believers that you admire for their walk and learn all that you can.

L-Listening to God. There is a big difference between listening and hearing. You and I can hear lots of noises and many voices but we can only listen to one. Mt 6:24 says "that a man cannot serve two masters." There is great truth is this statement, because, in order to listen one master's voice, a person must disregard the voice of the other. I think people today hear the voice of God more often than they think, the problem is that they are not listening. What is God calling you to lately?

E- Enjoying life. Being a believer in Christ is not about a checking off a to do list or doing everything right, it's about glorying the Lord while enjoying the freedom and abundant life that Jesus talks about in John 10:10. Jesus lived and died so that you and I could enjoy freedom from guilt and fear, find meaning in this life, and have a model to live by. King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, gives us the following recipe for enjoying life:

"When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad consider: God has made one as well as the other." (Ecc 7:14)

"I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad." (Ecc 8:15)

"Go eat your food with gladness and drink your wine with a joyful heart...Enjoy life with your wife whom you love...Whatever you hand finds to do, do it with all your might." (Ecc 9:7, 9, 10)

Don't get so caught up in all that you need to learn and do as a Christian that you forget to enjoy the journey of each day.

Well, the kids at school made fun of my pants but I hope they will remember what it means to live in style.

Far too easily pleased...

Lately I've been listening to a great sermon series on the book of Ecclesiates by Matt Chadler called "beyond the sun". This name is coined from Job chapter 31 and refers to the reality that there is no hope for true life on this earth, our only hope lies beyond the things we can see; our only hope lies beyond the sun with God. Some of these ideas are taken from him.

Have you ever wondered "what is life about"? This is a rather ominous question to ask but it is one but the Bible speaks to clearly in the book of Ecclesiates. In order for the words of the Bible regarding this question to have any meaning to us whatsoever we most first understand the difficulty in answering it and for that we need ice cream.

There was a Basken Robbins ice cream shop close to my house growing up and once in a blue moon my Dad would take my brothers and I to get ice cream. Since we didn't go very often and I never knew when i would get to go again I always wanted to make the most of my opportunity - I wanted to get the best flavor. A huge problem arose here because Basken Robbins is famous for their 31 falvors and there was no way that I could know which was the best. I always agonized over my decision and left either wondering if I had chosen the right flavor or assured that I had chosen the wrong one. I bring up ice cream to illustrate the difficulty in deciding upon the best when there are so many things to choose from. Knowing the best flavor in Basken Robbins was impossible for me because I had not tasted them all and it would have taken someone with great resorces to make that possible. Similarly in order us to know what is best in life, we want to hear from someone who has tasted all of it. If ever there was a man who tasted all of life it was King Solomon. The Bible tells us that he was the wisest and wealthiest person to ever walk the earth - he had great resources and is the perfect person to answer the question of what life is all about.

In Ecclesaties Chapters 1 the Bible tells us that Solomon set out to determine the meaning of life. In Chapter 2 we see the king chase the 6 favorite things of man (wealth, power, religion, friends, work, and pleasure) in three different stages.

In stage 1, Solomon pursues pleasures and friends by throwing huge parties and denying himself nothing. Let me paint the picture for you. Solomon ate the best food, drank the best wine and ate and drank as much as he liked of whatever he liked. He had an endless supply of DQ blizzards and never had to eat leftovers! Solomon had every type of entertainment possible. His itunes library contained a million songs and, he had every video game and owned every movie. Solomon's palace was like the "cool" house growing up, the one that had the big TV, the swimming pool in the backyard, and the game room - Solomon had lost of friends. He threw parties with his friends every night and when those parties weren't exciting enough he threw bigger and better ones.

In stage 2, King Solomon chases after work, wealth and power. Solomon wanted nothing more than to feel the satisfaction you feel after a long run or after finishing a big project. He built mansions upon mansions, planted forests, made lakes and had dominion over it all. As soon as the emotional "high" from building and aquiring one thing wore off he would build something else even bigger and better.

In stage 3, Solomon pursues women. There was no sexual fantasy or dream relationship that was not a reality for solomon. People wonder what it is like to meet the perfect guy or perfect girl - Solomon had it. Solomon had wives with every hair color, eye color, body shape, and tone of voice. He knew what is was like to be in love, to be touched in every way, make love in every way, and be cared for in every way. There was nothing this man didn't experience!


Listen to what Solomon concludes about his experiences...

"All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor, and this was my reward for all my labor."

I didn't understand this verse at first. How could Solomon's heart be pleased by worldly things? I thought that only God could bring fullness and satisfaction to a person's life. The key to understanding Solomon's words here can only be found by reading on. If you as the reader stop at the green you will be left scratching your head because Solomon's word don't seem to match up with what we have heard about God. But if you keep reading and apply what comes after the comma to what is before it, if you connect the blue with the green then you will understand the profound statement Solomon is making . "...my heart was pleased because of all my labor, and this was my reward for all my labor." The main point is that all Solomon had to show for his life of seeking pleasure was... just that... a bunch of pleasures.

As a christian I always thought that people who didn't know God would never be happy. I thought that the thing Christianity had going for it was that God made you happy and other worldy things didn't. I have learned that I was wrong. Solomon proves that there is enough under the sun to keep you happy if you try hard enough. This is why people change jobs, change wives, change husbands, buy new cars, toys, and clothes. When we get tired of wearing the same outfit or pair of shoes we go and buy another - it keeps things exciting. This is why college kids sit in class on their computers and check facebook, look at baseball highlights on espn, or look at wedding pictures of their friends on myspace. We hope for that next email, that next coversation, that relationship one day or that next exciting sports moment to relish in.

We use all these things to numb the unsatisfaction the boredom in our lives due to something missing. What is the missing element? Eccleciates 3:11 says that "God has placed eternity in the hearts of men". This means that in our hearts, at our very core, God has placed a desire for how things were before the fall and how they will be one day in heaven. This desire is one that longs for complete and total satisfaction. The hole where eternity fits in our hearts is huge and only eternity can fill it. This is not because of the square block in a round hole idea where substitutes for eternal satisfaction and comtentment almost fit but not quite. No, it is because the substitutes for the satisfaction found in God are so minutely small. Filling the huge eternity shaped hole in our hearts with worldly things, with the temporary, is like trying to fill up a lake by thowing pebbels in one by one. We try one thing (throw one pebble) and when the the lake doesn't fill up we wonder why and throw another. Our pebbles take differnt shapes, mine often look like accomplishements I long for, a thrilling expereince, a relatioship, or a new thing. The truth is we can stand on the bank and through pebbles into the lake our whole life but we will never be able to fill it up and likely won't even see the fruit labors.

So what does Christianity have going for it? Not happiness. I would say that if you are looking for happiness then Christianity is not for you because as a believer you are guaranteed unhappy times. John 16:33 says, "In this world you will have trouble". The world has lots of things that can make you happy. They won't make you happy forever and you'll have to move from one thing to the next like Solomon but you can do it. What Christianity has going for it is that in God you will be able to find a satisfaction, a peace, and a contentment that cannot be found anywhere else under the sun. Those that find this experience great joy and abundant life (John 10:10) and those that don't will spend the rest of their life throwing pebbles and looking for it.

Are you tired of throwing pebble after pebble into the lake, trying thing after thing to make your life seem full? Do you long for more than temporary satisfaction? Then consider making Christ the center of your life - make him your treasure!

C.S. Lewis in his book The Weight of Glory, "We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."