Salt Guide to Practical Holiness

Proverbs  speaks  of the difference of  moral

concepts  in the wise and the  foolish.   The 

Psalms speak of the difference of moral  con-          Worldliness
                                               
cepts between the wicked and the righteous.  



Nine  chapters  here (Proverbs 1  through  9) 

dedicated  to  wisdom,  the right use of  the 

mind.



    3:5 TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL THINE          Mercenaries

    HEART;  AND LEAN NOT  UNTO THINE OWN 

    UNDERSTANDING.   6.  IN ALL THY WAYS          Para-Church

    ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, AND HE SHALL DIRECT          Paralogism

    THY PATHS





LEAN NOT UNTO THINE OWN UNDERSTANDING

The  modern  church movement leans  more  and          Solomon

more  on  the professional  products  of  his          Collusion

technological environment. 



For  computers to serve the church in keeping          Celebritism

records is certainly no  sin,  however,  when 

you go to the computer for future  direction,          Electronics

it borders becoming an electronic god!                      



Sophisticated   slick  magazine   productions          Professionalism
                                                 
slanted to self-promotion brings the celebri-

ty  evangelist the same results as it  brings  

the movie stars and corporate business world. 



Professional  advisers trained in the secular          Modern Gospel
                                                 
sciences- 

Education required for spiritual ministry- 

These  are  humanistic deviations of  science 

away  from  anointed  leadership   qualities.  

Publications   and  computers,   as  well  as 

ministerial  aids   are good  and  necessary.  

But   when  we  become  dependent  on   these 

functions and utilize the sciences where  God 

has  provided  spiritual  powers  and  either 

replace the gifts and ministries with secular 

gimmicks   or  combine  the  gifts  with  the 

SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS PROVERBS ____________________________________________________________ secular forces, we violate the exclusiveness of a jealous God and run the risk of judgment. We become like Samson, "and he wist not the Lord had departed from him." See study Judges 16:20. UNCONSCIOUS APOSTASY There is a massive movement toward the Professionalism science of building Gospel ministries on the principles of big business. Professionalism and electronics are the foundation of most national ministries. You can see the man's moral convictions change as his success in- creases. They say it won't change them when they step into the limelight, but as their apostasy becomes apparent to (many but not) all, they still insist "all is well with my soul." One great man of God once told his followers that God told him "not to touch the gold or the glory." He has done both and the whole world knows it, but will these men repent and change? In child psychology we have put away the old- fashioned paddle in the home, because modern wisdom (professional humanism) in its sweet, sloppy way insists the Bible is unreasonable and outdated. The swing in society to rehabilitate contrary Neutralism to the divine process of guilt and punishment is the philosophy of humanism. The judiciary system in the Western world has gone soft on World System the criminal, not giving due regard for the suffering of the innocent. At last count, 60 percent of serious crimes are committed by former criminals turned back into the streets by the humanist judicial system. Just so the Fundamental Evangelicals have gone soft on sin. The Humanism modern church has taken up the song of these fools until it too has become impotent and helpless toward sin and evil influences (worldliness). When the church begins to reject the clear Results and serious moral teaching of scripture for the soft logics of humanism and worldliness, Pragmatism it is only a matter of time until our ad- diction to worldly success makes us complete- ly oblivious to the fact we are lost. See I Kings 10 and 11; Deuteronomy 17

SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS PROVERBS ____________________________________________________________ To entrust the evangelism of the world to technology rather than keep it totally within the bounds of pure biblical definitions is to become dependent on secular humanism. The ministries become impersonalized and super churches become big business. 4:7 WISDOM IS THE PRINCIPAL THING; THEREFORE GET WISDOM: AND WITH ALL THY GETTING GET UNDERSTANDING. "The first thing is wisdom" "Above all things get wisdom" (American Translation) Hebrew definition of wisdom: (CHOKMAH, 2451) Mind wisdom (in a good sense):-skillful, clever. Wisdom Hebrew definition of principal: (RESHIYTH, 7225) The first, in place, time, order or rank, beginning, chief. When a person commits an evil act by being clever, it is never called wisdom. He is tricky, foxy, but not wise. He is a "con- artist," but not wise. 6:20 MY SON, KEEP THY FATHER'S COMMANDMENT, AND FORSAKE NOT THE LAW Law OF THY MOTHER: 21. BIND THEM CONTINUALLY UPON THINE HEART, AND Heart TIE THEM ABOUT THY NECK. 22. WHEN THOU GOEST, IT SHALL LEAD THEE; WHEN THOU SLEEPEST, IT SHALL KEEP THEE; AND WHEN THOU AWAKEST, IT SHALL TALK WITH THEE. 23. FOR THE COMMANDMENT IS A LAMP; AND THE LAW IS LIGHT; AND REPROOFS OF INSTRUCTION ARE THE WAY OF LIFE: 24. TO KEEP THEE FROM THE Evil Influence EVIL WOMAN, FROM THE FLATTERY OF THE TONGUE OF A STRANGE WOMAN. 25. LUST Glamour NOT AFTER HER BEAUTY IN THINE HEART; Vanity NEITHER LET HER TAKE THEE WITH HER Eros EYELIDS. 8:18 RICHES AND HONOUR ARE WITH ME; Riches YEA, DURABLE RICHES AND RIGHTEOUS- NESS.

SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS PROVERBS ____________________________________________________________ This is wisdom speaking. She makes it clear Peace in this repeated statement that she is not speaking of gold and silver. There is something more durable than gold to the man who has it - and the rich man would give all of his riches to have only one such gem called "peace." There are devilish riches and then there are Righteousness durable riches. God wants us to know there are two kinds of riches that come from two kinds of wisdom, and that the divine kind that is "durable" only exists with righteous- ness! 8:20 I LEAD IN THE WAY OF RIGHTEOUS- NESS IN THE MIDST OF THE PATHS OF JUDGMENT. The intelligent (wisdom) pursuit of life. Wisdom True wisdom is first of all a sound moral. Wisdom, righteousness and judgment are as integrated as a traveler (wisdom) on a path (judgment) headed in a special direction (righteousness). 8:36 BUT HE THAT SINNETH AGAINST ME WRONGETH HIS OWN SOUL: ALL THEY THAT HATE ME LOVE DEATH. God's laws are not arbitrary. You may choose Commandment Good to disobey and die. You may choose to live a "Christianity" that does not regard the wisdom of the holy commandment. The commandments of God were not concocted by Him for the purpose of; a) Controlling us; b) Testing us; c) To condemn us. John 3:17. God gave man law because they contained and revealed the principles he can live a happy peaceful life by in the observing of them. Actually, these are not "God's laws" as much as they are moral absolutes. They are immutable principles of good that guarantee to man, or reveal to man the way he can achieve his happiest state. Wisdom tells us, "he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul." Our disobedience takes nothing from God! Disobedience of the commandment is an act of "self-affliction."

SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS PROVERBS ____________________________________________________________ 9:10 THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE God, Fear of BEGINNING OF WISDOM: AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY IS UNDERSTAND- Holiness ING. I Corinthians 2:16 The Mind of Christ. Wisdom: Using all the faculties of mind for good; the best use of the combined powers of the mind. THE DIVINE MENTALITY We think of the Holy Spirit controlling the Mind body, but only if He gains control of the mind is He in control of the whole being. SEVEN BASIC FUNCTIONS OF THE MIND Understanding the Mind and the Mentality; INTELLIGENCE - Capacity: The quantity abili- Intelligence ty of the mind. KNOWLEDGE - Content: The ability of the mind Knowledge to contain and store facts. Wisdom is different than knowledge. Knowledge apart from wisdom will cause us to puff up, but wisdom is the right use of knowledge, I Corinthians 8:1, and leads us in the paths of righteousness. UNDERSTANDING - Cognizance: The ability to Understanding perceive and be logical. PERMUTATION - Imagination: The ability of Imagination the mind to fantasize or to use the impressions of memory by recall. One of the greatest powers of the mind! The ability to rearrange and recombine facts can be good or bad. When this power of fantasy is used for truth and combining facts, it becomes like the rearrangement of chemicals and can be used to great benefit to man. But when the powers of fantasy are used wrong and the imagination thrives upon evil, violent, and sensuous facts, the outcome is corrupting and self- destructive. Imagination can possibly permute, or combine 12 conscious impressions into more than 79 million different combinations! Paul was speaking of something along these lines when he said, "He who thinketh he

SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS PROVERBS ____________________________________________________________ stand, take heed lest he fall." We can think wrong, we can imagine we are great, we can imagine and fantasize that we are Self-Deception heroes and that we are handsome and that we are beautiful and that we are in control - such assertions can amount to living in a fantasy world. Because we're nothing but worms with brains. Jeremiah 9:23,24. MEMORY - The ability to retain and recall Memory cumulative material. Works in conjunction with imagination, but distinguishable. WILL - The resolution. The ability to be Will determined to execute according to knowledge, rather than the dictates or the impulses of the lower nature. CONSCIENCE - Sensitivity to moral values. Conscience Super consciousness. Transformation of the Holy Spirit comes through the "renewing of the mind." The Holy Spirit will purify, indwell the mind in achieving our sanctification. Holiness comes through a "pure mind." Romans 12:2; Ephesians 2:3; I Peter 4:1. We have been feeding and fostering a religion Personality of the heart that is basically emotional without the complete surrender of the intellect. We must surrender spiritually, Trichotomy intellectually and biologically to the Lordship of Christ. I Thessalonians 5:23 Solomon's life illustrates to us that God's wisdom and our human stupidity can coexist. By the wisdom of God, Solomon gilded Israel with gold and lifted it to the highest standard of living in its entire history, but at the same time he failed to use the faculties of his mind to execute any wisdom to control his body from indulging in forbidden things. I Kings 10 and 11; Solomon. TRANSFORMATION OF THE MIND 1. It Is Word Wisdom. It is spiritual per- ception and understanding of what is right and what is wrong.

SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS PROVERBS ____________________________________________________________ 2. It is Spirit Wisdom. It is the wisdom and influence of the Holy Spirit upon the mind (open and presented to Him) receiving His understanding of evil, its origins and the ultimate effect that certain things of the world have upon the human psyche (mind). Man minus wisdom means mistakes and misery. It is amazing how psychologically sound the life of holiness is. It says of the demoniac when he was delivered by the word of Christ, that when the people came they saw him, "dressed and in his right Modesty mind." When the demoniac was delivered; 1) Mind Spirit - demons left him at the command of Christ. 2) Soul (mind) - He was "in his Demented right mind." 3) Body - clothed. Nakedness There are tremendous implications and ties Sin between our intelligence and our morality. Only retarded and demon possessed people think immodesty acceptable. Sin (rebellion) is a form of mental illness. The mind is blocked, is not in charge, is not functioning soberly, not in control of it's faculties. The Prodigal's Mentality. When the prodigal son "came to himself," he realized he had sinned against heaven and against his father. We deduct by this that sin is a form of mental illness. The young prodigal was demented until he is attributed with using the faculties of his mind in a morally sound way. 11:1 FALSE BALANCE IS ABOMINATION TO THE LORD: BUT A JUST WEIGHT IS HIS DELIGHT. (Micah 6:8) In Proverbs 16:11 it states, "All the weights of the bag are his work!" The just weight and measures is the invention of God to es- tablish criteria and order. JUSTNESS AND CRITERIA "To do justly" applies to the Christian in his dealings in "everyday" living as much as it applies to merchants and those who use the

SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS PROVERBS ____________________________________________________________ weight and measure in their business! This is a good application of Christian casuistry. Here God establishes the idea of applying the teaching of principles and morals to everyday life. Injustice is something that we can all become guilty of! The ancient weights and measures were Just something God used to illustrate the in- justice of the human spirit in its dealings with other humans. The ancient weight and measure are a type of the Word of God. When we speak of being weighed in the balances, we are speaking of being justly judged by the Word of God! Revelation 20:12. The Bible says: "The weights of the bag are His work." God established a rule of measure to insure a criterion for all to go by which is, of course, "justice," or "an equal measure for all." When we fail to use the measure God has ordained for all and insist on using a personal weight, standard or measure ... we are using a false measure ... and this is an "abomination to the Lord." Ancient merchants would carry two sets of weights with them. They would carry the "just weight" and the "unjust weight." They would use the "just weight" when weigh- ing things they were purchasing for them- selves ... and use the "unjust" or lighter weight when they would sell the same merchandise to someone else. We must all weigh ourselves in the balances ... God's balances! Holiness people, true holiness people use a Justice just weight. He will not feed salt to his cows and lead them to drink before market. Self-Examination Or to take six insurance estimates on his damaged car, turn in the three highest and then take it to the one lowest and pocket the Conscience rest. The unjust weight is an abomination to the Lord! No wonder sinners aren't attracted to some churches.

PROVERBS SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS ____________________________________________________________ We carry two weights; WHAT THE OTHER MAN DOES BUT WHEN WE DO IT What is a FAULT in others Is WEAKNESS in me His MOTIVES ARE IMPURE I have GOOD REASONS He is being STUBBORN I am being FIRM He is PREJUDICED I am using GOOD JUDGMENT He is a SLOW POKE I am being THOROUGH He is a SPENDTHRIFT I am being GENEROUS He is CRANKY I am being SERIOUS He is CROOKED I am just being CLEVER He is STINGY I am being FRUGAL Christian! Jump up on the other man's scales! Revelation 21:8. 11:5 THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE PER- Righteous FECT SHALL DIRECT HIS WAY: BUT THE WICKED SHALL FALL BY HIS OWN WICKED- NESS. 19. AS RIGHTEOUSNESS TENDETH TO LIFE: SO HE THAT PURSUETH EVIL PURSUETH IT TO HIS OWN DEATH. 23. Sowing Reaping THE DESIRE OF THE RIGHTEOUS IS ONLY GOOD: BUT THE EXPECTATION OF THE WICKED IS WRATH. 12:5 THE THOUGHTS OF THE RIGHTEOUS ARE RIGHT, BUT THE COUNSELS OF THE WICKED ARE DECEIT. 17. HE THAT SPEAKETH TRUTH SHEWETH FORTH RIGHT- EOUSNESS: BUT A FALSE WITNESS DECEIT. 28. IN THE WAY OF RIGHT- EOUSNESS IS LIFE; AND IN THE PATHWAY THEREOF THERE IS NO DEATH. 13:6 RIGHTEOUSNESS KEEPETH HIM THAT IS UPRIGHT IN THE WAY: BUT WICKED- NESS OVERTHROWETH THE SINNER. 14:12 THERE IS A WAY THAT SEEMETH RIGHT UNTO MAN, BUT THE END THEREOF ARE THE WAYS OF DEATH. THE CULT OF PLURALISM PLURALISM. "The theory that reality is com- posed of a multiplicity of ultimate beings, principles, or substances: It opposes the position of Monism that reality is ultimately one, but agrees in denying the Dualism of mind and body." *1

PROVERBS SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS ____________________________________________________________ Christian pluralism is the doctrine thousands of contemporary leaders are slipping into as they get further away from the singular authority of scripture. The more liberal and amoral one becomes toward biblical command- ments and the singular authority of scripture, the more he is admitting to the idea of salvation by more than one ultimate course. You're unconsciously practicing pluralism, that is to say, believe on the blood of Jesus (justification) and forget the doctrines of perfection (sanctification). There is more than just the biblical way of sanctification to produce Christians. There is more than one kind of church or code of morals. Anything that deviates from the one way authority of scripture is humanistic pluralism. ========================== *1 Websters New Twentieth Century Dictionary, Second Edition FUNDAMENTAL LIBERALISM IS PLURALISM The minute a man of God stops believing in Pluralism the Word of God as the single divine authori- ty, he then begins the long slide into Liberalism pluralism. This is a lesson in the theology of apostasy. Pluralism is a cult. God is "one God." God has "one law!" God had "one son." There's only "one thing that atones" - the blood. There was only "one cross" that redeemed man. There was only "one second Adam." There was only "one resurrection." There is only "one city of God." There is only "one gospel." "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Galatians 1:8 There is only "one mediator." There is only "one virgin birth." There is only "one tomb that is empty."

PROVERBS SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS ____________________________________________________________ There is only "one divine nature." There is only "one Holy Ghost." There is only "one Bible." There is only "one message in that one Bible." There is only "one kind of holiness." There is only "one definition of holiness in the Bible." There is only "one kind of separation accord- ing to scripture." There is only "one narrow way." There is only "one highway of holiness." See Proverbs 16:25. 14:34 RIGHTEOUSNESS EXALTETH A NATION: BUT SIN IS A REPROACH TO ANY PEOPLE. "Ethical data ... are of the very first importance; for civilization, however far Righteousness advanced, cannot long endure unless it is National founded on sound ethical principles and practices." *1 THE ADMIRATION SYNDROME AND MODERN MODEL IMAGES What's happening to our children? The celebrity syndrome takes the affection Character Children and admiration of our children away from closer family figures, such as father, mother Character Development or uncle, and places it in athletes, movie stars and other achievers in the world. Even Admiration criminals often exploited by the news media reach celebrity status in the eyes of children in their forming years. Newspapers, public school systems, television and magazines exploit the achievements of man, even if that achievement is an unprece- dented sadistic, inhuman crime! ========================== *1 KEYSER, A Manual of Christian Ethics, p.18 If children are not taught the importance of character, not taught character values in Character Development their home environment, they will lapse into admiring achievers in the tinsel world of fame and glamour who are epitomes of personality, but totally without character.

PROVERBS SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS ____________________________________________________________ While admiration is a natural part of our Model Roles lives, it is unnatural that our children grow up untaught and without moral values to Environment properly guide them in selecting who they shall admire. The result is that young people have only an exposure to the personality of human achieve- ment, but little exposure to character values. The cruelty of all this is that we become like those we admire. So modern young people are only being given characterless personalities to see and imitate. Result: A society full of personality cults with little character. Even television celebrities who have roles on television with some character or principle to their television image live immoral lives off the screen! And, vice versa - professing Charismatic actors and actresses portray devilish TV characters. THE SYNDROME: 1. Children with forming lives are born with the capacity to admire their peers and seek out ideals among them based on values they have had implanted by the parent. If the parent fails to establish those character values, the child has been be- trayed and will suffer the consequences the rest of his/her life. 2. The home environment too often provides everything but those rules and disciplines that give growing lives the basic values needed. 3. Through adolescence and puberty they be- Character Development come competitive in the process of growth and development. Young people are learn- ing to achieve among others and transcend their own achievements. 4. The next step is for that child to select Model Roles the achievement figures (model roles) that appeal to him/her. They will choose the achiever they admire. There are two questions; 1) What character values does Influence the child have; and 2) What kind of achiever will he admire. The latter depends on the former. And another question is, who are those achievers

PROVERBS SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS ____________________________________________________________ exposed to him/her in his environment? Environment This depends on whether his environment is controlled by the parent or uncontrolled. Television 5. Satan controlled society is a personality oriented society! Atheistic humanism con- trols the media. Personality cults are a part of humanism! The entire entertain- ment world is dominated by drugs from the script writers to the acting set. Cocaine is sold and deducted from the payrolls of television companies. The psychedelic, hallucinary drug user is behind all the violence being dreamed up and dished out to the modern TV viewers. The news and entertainment industry is not interested one whit in the character of children and/or people! It exploits chiefly the accomplishments and sensational exploits human ability can achieve. Result: The minds of children have been captivated by a Mind hallucinary insatiable hunger to exploit the physical achievements of men not at all based upon reality or character! The close parental influence is also mini- Influence mized by the fact that the modern parent does not spend enough time with their children to transfer any character training that is so Model Image essential to their ultimate happiness. Of course, the better character is occurring more commonly where parents understand the importance of their teacher image role to their children. Children will seek and have an achievement Model Roles figure to admire. If he does not find it in his parent, he will find it in the world of television, sports, racing, dances, enter- tainment and even criminals. At the turn of the 19th century and the development of technology which dramatically expanded the power of media and the communication industries, including radio, photography and then television; young people turned from family images of character as their admiration figures. They no longer saw Mind parents, relatives or neighbors in their small sphere of exposure as examples of

PROVERBS SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS ____________________________________________________________ achievement. Their local sphere of exposure suddenly became extended to the world. They saw others in the world they preferred as examples of achievement. Media powers took over the minds of the youth! Instead of admiration of character traits, they began to Personality admire the flashing, make-believe personality traits. Suddenly young people are exposed to all the world's achievers who are made by the power of media. Rock singers, criminals and politicians continually bomb the brains of modern youth and adult. Foul language, bedroom scenes and VIOLENT plots fill the TV screens. We are living in the day of personality exploitation. Result: Character training is out and every modern child is the victim of personality exploitation. The two gener- ations of American children have been programmed by this worldly syndrome. The flash and fancy of television personalitism has produced a great deal of influence in producing the present personality (body) and amorality oriented theology within the con- temporary church. 15:26 THE THOUGHTS OF THE WICKED ARE AN ABOMINATION TO THE LORD: BUT THE WORDS OF THE PURE ARE PLEASANT WORDS. 16:12 IT IS AN ABOMINATION TO KINGS TO COMMIT WICKEDNESS: FOR THE THRONE IS ESTABLISHED BY RIGHTEOUS- NESS. 17. THE HIGHWAY OF THE UP- RIGHT IS TO DEPART FROM EVIL: HE THAT KEEPETH HIS WAY PRESERVETH HIS SOUL. If righteousness (obedience) establishes a dynasty, then disobedience destroys dynas- ties. 20:1 WINE IS A MOCKER, STRONG DRINK IS RAGING: AND WHOSOEVER IS DE- CEIVED THEREBY IS NOT WISE.

PROVERBS SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS ____________________________________________________________ ALCOHOL Of course they insist that social Alcohol use is as far as they intend the drink- ing of alcohol to go. But along with the sweet jingles they teach our children, they seem to forget the fact that the first social drink has filled the gutters of America's "Skidrows" with over 4,000,000 alcoholics. No alcoholic advertisement will Advertising show a drunk person. It always depicts the people who drink as handsome normal middle class people, as something very clean and acceptable. The alcoholic industry pictures the drinking and imbibing of alcohol as something done by everyone and as an acceptable part Deception of an ordinary life with no warnings of the destruction and damage it has caused or can cause. They don't tell us that they have produced 7 million heavy drinkers who are constantly a danger to the peace and welfare of non-drinking citizens. They don't paint pictures of Skidrows and mental institutions that are literally filled with professional men and women with distorted minds. No, they don't tell us that 10,000 plus mental patients enter Belview Hospital in New York in a year's time to relieve alcoholic psychosis. They continue to beam their de- Alcohol ceptive advertising into American homes trying to make parents and children believe that everyone's doing it ... the truth is that the liquor industry is keeping the terrible truth from the public and with jingles and beautiful illustrations motivate the masses to follow an example they say exists, which in reality does not. They are asking everyone to drink because everyone drinks, which is not true!

PROVERBS SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS ____________________________________________________________ The former Attorney General of Juvenile California, Stanley Mosk, said "More Crime juvenile crimes are committed under the influence of alcohol than from any other anti-social influence." Mr. Mosk said, "85 percent of the youth in custody are there for one of three reasons... 1) That they were taught to drink as a social grace, 2) They were in search of adventure and drank away from home, and 3) Because of a lack of control in a home broken by alcohol- ism." Now here are some scientific facts relating to the use of alcohol and to think that 85 percent of youth in custody are subject to these facts as users of alcohol. Dr. Haven Emerson, former president of the Board of Health, New York City, says, "Alcohol is not a medicine. It cannot be relied upon to improve circulation, respi- ration or digestion." "In alcoholics the brain cells slowly degenerate. It decreases resistance to infection. And alcohol is a direct cause of various acute and chronic diseases." Fact No. 1 - Jesus did not turn Wine the water into fermented wine at the marriage of Cana! It was not too many days before the marriage that Jesus had merged from the wilderness of fastings, filled with the Holy Spirit. He came to the wedding of Cana. After arriving it was announced that the host had run out of wine. That the wine they had been using was fermented, there is very little doubt. But, that the wine that Jesus created was fermented is impossi- ble. When Mary suggested to the Lord that He use His power to supply more of the same kind of wine, He sharply re- buked the suggestion with, "Woman, what have I to do with thee?" or, literally, "Woman, what have we in common?" That the wine they were drinking, and had run out of, and the wine Jesus created were two different kinds of wine, are proven by the words of the governor

PROVERBS SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS ____________________________________________________________ when he said, "You have saved the good wine until now." Fact No. 2 - What was different about the wine they ran out of and the wine Jesus finally created from the water? The Roman writer, PLINY, writes, "WHEN GRAPEJUICE WAS BOILED DOWN TO ONE THIRD OF ITS BULK IT WAS CALLED 'SAPA' OR 'THE BEST WINE'." SO YOU SEE, THE GOVERNOR OF THE FEAST GIVES IT AWAY - JESUS CREATED THE SWEET, PURE SAPA WINE WHICH IS NOT A FERMENTED WINE. Our Lord created bread and fishes for the multitude, it wasn't stale bread and the fish was not spoiled. Rot and spoilage, including the fermentation of juices, all came as a result of the curse. Man tampered with the purity of foods just as he tampered with the purity of everything he touches. Fact No. 3 - The Greek and Hebrew words used in the scripture for the word wine do not necessarily imply fermented wine. When the word is mentioned in the Bible, it does not always mean that it is fermented. All references to "grape-juice" are render- ed "wine" in the Bible. The word grapejuice is not once found in the Bible. The juice of grapes is always mentioned as wine. And so we have in this winebibbing age the contention of the drunkard and the social drinker that wherever wine is mentioned this implies "fermented wine." This is not true. For instance, Isaiah 65:8, "As the new wine is found in the cluster." Here Isaiah speaks of the juice of the grape still in the grape as "wine." Another scripture so often used is Alcohol found in I Timothy 5:23 - "Use a little wine for thy stomach's sake." This scripture has been quoted to death. Some have probably quoted it unto death

SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS PROVERBS ____________________________________________________________ thinking it was license to drink alcohol. Fact No. 4 - "Stomach wine" or "wine for the stomach," according to the writers of old Greek medicine, was a grapejuice prepared as a thick unfer- mented syrup for use as a medicine for dyspeptic and weak persons. Pliny, who lived in apostolic times, again writes, "The beverage is given to invalids to whom it is appre- hended that fermented wine is injuri- ous." Even in the day of Jesus and Pliny it was a known fact that alcohol was "injurious" to the human body. To imagine that Jesus would create a poisonous, destructive drink rather than pure juice would be diametric to the Holy nature of God. Fact No. 5 - It is also very im- portant for us to note that the Greek word OINOS for wine is not even used in the four passages of scripture that speak of the institution of the Lord's Supper. The word used is "FRUIT OF THE VINE." Nowhere in the writing of scripture does the Holy Spirit permit us to believe that there is any virtue to the imbibing of alcoholic beverage. If we study the Word of God with an honest Christian heart we will come away from it a total abstainer. Isaiah said, "The harp and the vial, the tabret and the pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but THEY REGARD NOT THE WORK OF THE LORD." And it's so true...I've yet to see the person given to pleasure and social drinking who had any true devoted love for THE WORK OF THE LORD! Moses told the priests that they must separate themselves from the wine and the strong drink...

SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS PROVERBS ____________________________________________________________ Joshua warned his followers that they should "drink not wine and strong drink." Proverbs 23:29; Isaiah 55:1. *1 "The blight of alcohol cost federal and state governments, as well as individuals, more than 100 billion dollars a year in damage to lives and property." *2 ========================== *1 BURKETT, The Bible and Alcohol *2 JACOBSON, (WBBM, Chicago, Illinois) Alcohol is not a product such as house furni- ture, because it is an addictive product causing more than half of the accidents on the highways. More people are killed in one year from alcohol than the total amount of casualties in the Korean or Viet Nam wars. There are no warning labels on alcoholic products and yet there is on tobacco. In 1985, 65 percent of auto accident fatalities were alcohol related! IS ALCOHOLISM A DISEASE? The prevailing philosophy among the wets now is that alcoholism is a disease that can be cured only with medical aid, hospitals, rest homes, etc. It seems strange that the wets should drag this hollow excuse out now after all these years and years of drunkenness and tag it as a disease. If alcoholism is a disease... 1. It is the only disease that is contracted by an act of the will; 2. It is the only disease that re- quires a license to propagate it; 3. It is the only disease that is bottled and sold;

PROVERBS SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS ____________________________________________________________ 4. It is the only disease that re- quires outlets to spread it; 5. It is the only disease that pro- duces a revenue for the Government; 6. It is the only disease that pro- vokes crime; 7. It is the only disease that is habit-forming; 8. It is the only disease that brings violent death on the highways; 9. It is the only disease that is spread by advertising; 10. It is the only disease without a germ or virus cause, and for which there is no human corrective medi- cine; 11. It is the only disease which we are fined for contracting; 12. And last, but not least, it is the only disease that bars the patient from heaven, for no drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of God. (Except there is repentance ... I Corinthians 6:9-10) *1 ========================== *1 Is Alcoholism a Disease, Old Paths Tract Society, Inc. 21:8 THE WAY OF MAN IS FROWARD AND STRANGE: BUT AS FOR THE PURE, HIS WORK IS RIGHT. 13. WHOSO STOPPETH HIS EARS AT THE CRY OF THE POOR, HE Poor ALSO SHALL CRY HIMSELF, BUT SHALL NOT BE HEARD. THE SPIRIT OF JUDAS Millions of dollars are passing from the hands of rich Christians into the hands of rich evangelists, missionaries and TV celebrities every year in America while

PROVERBS SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS ____________________________________________________________ little known legitimate ministries with no overhead struggle on the frontiers of evangelism. Millions of dollars circulate among those who make up "the Gospel of rich." Thousands of unknowns labor tirelessly, un- believably handicapped because they have no funds for proper food, property or equipment. We drive Cadillacs and boast of our religion while other of our brethren starve and suffer at our door. Most Charismatic businessmen like to give their money to something big where he will receive notice from "big men." World evangelism would be transformed and given great impact if these monies were being channeled through the front line ministries. Great unknown ministries lost in the interi- ors of far flung spiritual battle fronts, struggle, bleed, cry and sweat with no help from the rich at home. It is an injustice that God sees and will judge with terrible consequences. A very small percentage of the monies handled Waste between the rich and the famous reaches the front lines of world evangelism where people Evangelism wait in pain, hunger and spiritual darkness. While river evangelist in the Amazon are without literature, boats, motors, Bibles, food, clothing, equipment and materials to build, the futile cycle of charity keeps Rich turning and sparkling like a giant rhinestone glistening in the glory of Pentecostal materialism. Millions of dollars circulate among the affluent Pentecostals. We've put millions into satellites, millions into gorgeous graphics, millions into self-promotional Affluence schemes, millions into entertaining a self- centered apostate church of North America, while heathen go lost, millions stay hungry, and the darkness continues to cover the Arab world, the Asian world and jungle islands continue to be inhabited by cannibal tribes. Millions are put into cosmetics, jewelry, Materialism luxurious homes and expensive furniture. We could take the advice of Bell telephone and "reach out, reach out and touch someone" instead.

PROVERBS SALT GUIDE TO PRACTICAL HOLINESS ____________________________________________________________ While we revel night after night in expensive restaurants, take our trips to Israel, spend- ing hundreds, thousands and millions of dollars, the lost stay lost, the hungry stay hungry and those in the darkness remain in the dark. This is God's prosperity?!? James warned us: James 5:3,5 "Your gold and silver is cankered; and the Rich rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter." Psalm 49:16-18. Proverbs 24:21,22 "My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to Fashions change: Worldliness For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?" SHANAH (8138), alter, divert, pervert, to Change, Hebrew transmute (change shape or form), to prefer. 21:15 IT IS JOY TO THE JUST TO DO Just JUDGMENT: 21. HE THAT FOLLOWETH Justice, Joy of AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS AND MERCY FIND- ETH LIFE, RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND HONOUR. Righteousness 29. AS FOR THE UPRIGHT, HE DIRECTETH HIS WAY. 22:1 A GOOD NAME IS RATHER TO BE Reputation CHOSEN THAN GREAT RICHES, AND LOVING FAVOUR RATHER THAN SILVER AND GOLD. 23:10 REMOVE NOT THE OLD LANDMARK; Landmarks AND ENTER NOT INTO THE FIELDS OF THE FATHERLESS: 27:17 IRON SHARPENETH IRON; SO A MAN Correction SHARPENETH THE COUNTENANCE OF HIS Influence FRIEND. (I Corinthians 15:33) 28:23 HE THAT REBUKETH A MAN AFTER- Correction WARDS SHALL FIND MORE FAVOUR THAN HE THAT FLATTERETH WITH THE TONGUE.