MEMORISE:

 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Proverbs 23:29 -30

READ:  Proverbs 23:29-35

 29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?

 30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

 31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

 32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

 33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

 34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.

 35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

 MESSAGE:

 Many people have argued about whether it is right for a Christian to drink alcohol or not. Some say it is okay to drink but not to drink too much. However, that is not what my Bible says. The Bible says that you should not even look at alcohol no matter how alluring it might seem to you.

 “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Proverbs23:31-32

 You see, the Bible says if you as much as look at alcohol, it will eventually bite you like a serpent. I think that alone should be enough to make you stay away from alcohol.

 No alcoholic can make it to heaven. How do I know? It is there in our Bible reading for today- Proverbs 23:33:

"Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things."

 Anyone who takes alcohol will behold strange women and their heart will utter perverse things. Can someone who lusts after strange women make it to heaven? Can a person whose heart is full of perverse things go to heaven? The answer is no, so someone who drinks alcohol cannot be serious about making heaven.

 Stop taking alcohol. You cannot control the influence of alcohol; it rules over whoever takes it. However not only will it rule over the fellow, it will also bring evil to the person. A number of evil things amongst several others that could befall an alcoholic are listed in our Bible reading for today. The alcoholic will have woes, that is, curses. An alcoholic will have sorrows, in other words, such a person will be depressed. A person who takes alcohol will have contentions, that is, he or she will always be fighting one thing or the other. People who take alcohol will have babblings: complaints upon complaints. They will have wound without cause - wounds to their lives and aspirations. They will have redness of eyes which reflects a violent heart. I could go on and on.

 Certainly, no bottle of beer, wine or liquor is worth any of the evils mentioned above.

 Beloved, abstain from all appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

 ACTION POINT:

 Don't drink any form of alcohol and If you know anyone who does, show them the message for today.

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:  Exodus 11-13

HYMN: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE 

Take my life, and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;

Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in ceaseless praise,

Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

2 Take my hands, and let them move

At the impulse of Thy love;

Take my feet and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee,

Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3 Take my voice, and let me sing

Always, only, for my King;

Take my lips, and let them be

Filled with messages from Thee,

Filled with messages from Thee.

4 Take my silver and my gold;

Not a mite would I withhold;

Take my intellect, and use

Every power as Thou shalt choose,

Every power as Thou shalt choose.

5 Take my will, and make it Thine;

It shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart; it is Thine own;

It shall be Thy royal throne,

It shall be Thy royal throne.

6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure-store.

Take myself, and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee,

Ever, only, all for Thee