ABSTINENCE...  Saying No with a Purpose    

Abstinence is the voluntary self-imposed, and deliberate denial of certain pleasures, such as food, drink, and sex.     The noun “abstinence” is found only once in the KJV (Acts 27:21), where the apostle Paul is described as having experienced “long abstinence.”  The verb “abstain” is found six times in the KJV (Acts 15:20, 29; 1 Thess. 4:3; 5:22; 1 Tim. 4:3; 1 Pet. 1:11).    

Abstinence is basically of two kinds: (1) a total abstinence involving an absolute renunciation of a forbidden thing, such as in a Nazirite vow; and (2) a temporary abstinence as, for example, the mutual consent of husband and wife to give up sexual relations for a time, in order to give themselves “to fasting and prayer” (1 Cor. 7:5).    

The Israelites were commanded to abstain from eating meat that contained blood (Gen. 9:4). They were to refrain from eating certain animals (Leviticus 11).  Priests could not drink wine while exercising their holy ministries (Lev. 10:9).     Others abstained from drinking wine (Jer. 35:6). 

The apostle Paul taught that Christians live by the laws of love and freedom—and that they should voluntarily abstain from food sacrificed to idols if it caused a weaker brother or sister in Christ to stumble  (Rom. 14:1–23; 1 Cor. 8:1–13).     The believer’s body, said Paul, is the “temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 6:19) and should not be polluted by unclean things.    

Paul also exhorted the church of the Thessalonians to “abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thess. 4:3); indeed, they were to “abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thess. 5:22).       

BIBLE MYSTERIES: THE TOP TEN     To begin, let’s see how familiar you are with ten of the most puzzling things in the Bible, things that leave even the best-read Bible scholars scratching their heads in bewilderment.    

1. One of the great puzzles of Genesis is this: Where did _____ get his wife?    

2. In Revelation, what is the number of the “beast” who persecutes the saints?     

3. What heroic Old Testament saint did God almost kill—just after calling him into service?    

4. What book of the Bible refers to a mysterious race known as the Nephilim?    

5. According to 1 Peter, where did Jesus go between his burial and resurrection?    

6. According to Paul, women will be saved through what?    

7. In Genesis 6, who do the “daughters of men” marry and bear children by?    

8. What were the “sacred dice” used by Israel’s leaders in decision making?    

9. According to Jesus, what is the one sin that can never be forgiven?    

10. What organ, according to Jesus, is the “lamp of the body”?    

BIBLE MYSTERIES: THE TOP TEN (ANSWERS)    
1. Cain, son of Adam and Eve, murderer of his only brother, Abel. Genesis 4:17 refers to Cain’s wife, but readers wonder where she came from, seeing that the only people on earth (or at least the only ones mentioned in Genesis) were Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel. The usual explanation—not that it satisfies everyone—is that Cain’s wife was also his sister, a daughter (whose name is not disclosed) of Adam and Eve. 

2. The number 666, of course. Revelation 13:18 invites readers to “calculate” the number—meaning (we think) decipher the number so as to connect it with a particular person. No one has ever done this satisfactorily. See pages 78–80 for much more about the Beast and his number.    

3. Moses (Exodus 4:24-26). God has just called Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, and suddenly, for reasons that are not immediately apparent, the Lord “was about to kill him.” Exodus 4:25-26 reveals that God was angry with Moses for not circumcising his son in accordance with God’s covenant with Abraham.    

4. Genesis 6:4. Some translations refer to giants instead of Nephilim. They are called “heroes of old, men of renown,” but who or what they were still puzzles readers.    

5. He “preached to the spirits in prison” (1 Peter 3:19), a phrase that gives Bible interpreters fits. Who were these “spirits,” and what “prison” is meant? First Peter 3:20 connects the “spirits” to the time of Noah and the Flood, but this only serves to deepen the mystery for Bible scholars.    

6. Childbearing, as recorded in 1 Timothy 2:15. This occurs in a passage that says women should be submissive and not have authority over a man, but we really aren’t sure what Paul meant by “women will be saved through childbearing,” since Christian women, like Christian men, are saved by faith.    

7. The “sons of God” (Genesis 6:1-2). The identity of these “sons” is as puzzling as the identity of the Nephilim (see question 4). Some Bible scholars say that the passage refers to angels fathering children by human women, although this explanation doesn’t satisfy everyone.    

8. The Urim and Thummim, mysterious objects that were in (or on) the breastplate of Israel’s high priest and involved (we don’t know how) in decision making (Exodus 28:30). Their use is mentioned in Ezra 2:63 and Nehemiah 7:65, but these verses shed no clear light on what Urim and Thummim looked like or how they were used. 

9. Blaspheming against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31; Luke 12:10), though no one is absolutely certain what this means. One reasonable guess is that it means attributing the work of God to the work of Satan and demons.    

10. The eye (Matthew 6:22), and after many centuries, no one is still quite sure what he meant by the phrase. 
 ​
​Bible Promises

“He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me” 
(Psalm 55:18).    

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” 
(Philippians 1:6).    

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting [eternal] life” 
(John 3:16).    

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love”
(1 John 4:18).    

​ “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). 

On average, you’re more likely to have a heart attack on a Monday. You’re more likely to kill yourself taking a selfie than you are getting eaten by a shark; in 2015 more people died from selfie injuries than shark injuries. 
  
Lions are loud – you can hear their raw from up to 5 miles in the distance. If you are snoring, you are not dreaming, and vice versa. 
  
The SOS signal was first used by a ship in the case of the Titanic. We’ll leave you to draw your own assumptions on that one. 
  
Probably due to the number of teeth, a crocodile is unable to poke out its tongue. 
  
There are 1665 steps on the Eiffel tower. Ever wondered why pirates always seemed to wear earrings? They thought it would help them see better ... 
  
The city Los Angeles is actually officially called El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula. LA has a better sound, don’t you think? 
  
In a strange twist of fate, it actually once snowed in the Sahara Desert. Half an hour of the white stuff fell on the sand on 18 February 1979. 
  
Birds don’t pee. At all. 
  
Steer clear of the Irukandji jellyfish, it is only as big as your finger nail, but it is the most poisonous in the world. 
  
If you are scared of absolutely everything, you have panphobia. 
  
During an average human’s life, they walk around the world twice, or the equivalent distance anyway. 
  
The voice of Bugs Bunny, Mel Blanc, had a carrot allergy! 
  
There are six driving licences in the California area which are registered to Jesus Christ. 
  
Did the chicken come before the egg? According to Genesis 1:20-22, it did. 
  
Oysters can climb trees in the Caribbean. 
  
Around 1000 birds die every year from flying into a window. 
  
The guy who actually invented the waffle iron actually hated them. 
  
It is only possible to fold a piece of paper 7 times, and no more. 
  
Snails look harmless, but they actually have 14,000 teeth. 
  
Your nose is brighter than you think - it can 'remember' around  50,000 smells. ​
Quotes...

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