Can you guess who owns the Mall of America? Minnesota; Iowa; Cananada; Texas .
Hey, Do you know what you call a 100 year old ant? Yeah, That's right - An Ant-tique. Ho ho
Thursday 6/1
Prov:31:5 "For if they drink, they may forget the law and not give justice to the oppressed."
Reason 1: Why leaders shouldn't crave alcohol
May forget the law
May fail the oppressed
Prov. 23:29-35 gives us other reasons we should guard ourselves from the control of alcohol's influence:
Causes unnecessary worry
Results in oppressive sadness
Brings about needless fighting
Creates critical attitudes
Brings on unnecessary bruises
Makes for bloodshot eyes
It bites like a snake (immediate painful reactions)
It stings like a viper (temporary paralysis)
It causes wild dreams. (Robs of understanding Hos. 4:11)
Causes you to say things you regret later (loosens convictions, perverts the heart)
Leads to shame & results in desiring another drink to cover up consequences
As you can see all of these are reasons that we should guard our hearts & minds from any worldly control of our lives.
This verse also, reminds us of the importance of our role as believers of leadership in our out of control world.
As we look about us today we are reminded of the value of living lives of obedience & conscience before our God.
So Go With God for His Spirit will protect us from the evils of our world, for the enemy strives to bring harm to all of us in this world.
Just as the priests of the Old Testament were responsible to guard the kings of Israel from disregarding their role as God's agent of justice, so we are to keep our hearts focused on influencing our world towards righteousness, for if we fail in this holy call, who will go for us?
I can remember many long conversations with dad on this call of God in our lives. He many times related this on the reason for God placing him in his secular role as manager of warehouse at Joplin Supply Company.
His intensity to his role, brought emphasis to me as to the role of guiding children in the ministry of Good News Club to their lack of opportunity for knowledge of God in their homes. So the importance of instructing them in the ways of God weighed heavy on my heart, each week as we taught them God's ways..
Many times we would discuss this vital role we had and ways that we could further guide these children's learning. As teens these same children were being taught these things by my parents, and many times as adults they would come for counsel from dad & mom in the adult issues of life.
Is it Iowa