Proverbs 20:1 tells us that those who drink are not wise.
See photo - To prove I am no pharisee or scribal legalist I am sitting in the Cheer's bar in Boston drinking Iced Tea. Unsweetened Tea.
There are three dangers I see with alcohol:
The Availability of it.
The Acceptance of it.
The Affect of it.
The brewers and distillers of alcoholic beverages will spend over 600 million dollars on advertising their wares. The will spend millions of dollars to get you to try it. Even persons in some churches tell you its OK to drink it.
Proverbs 23:29-35 read it in your Bible.
Statistics say 71% of all americans drink beverage alcohol.
78% below legal age have had a drink.
Of those who drink above the age 15 years and above last year consumed an average 32gallons of distilled alcohol per person.
I see the 3 M's of drinking in play here.
The Misery of the Bottle
The Mockery of the Bottle
The Mastery of the Bottle
Wine that is intoxicating and not intoxicating.
Proverbs chapter 23:31
Look not ( don't desire it) upon the wine when it is red and gives it color in the cup and moves itself aright. (Fermented)
"Alcohol has many defenders but no defence." Abraham Lincoln
A Drink in the bible referred to what is called in the bible as both: Hebrew: Yayin - Tirosh + Greek Oinos - Glukos- = Wine and Hebrew : Shakare = Strong drink (liqour)
Shekare - strong drink, Jerome wrote 400 AD said people knew how to make liquor.
Yes, genesis said Noah knew how to make wine. That was not shekar.
Hebrew word is Shekare means every drink that makes person intoxicated. Shekar is condemned throughout the Bible. Only place it was said to be used proactively. Proverbs Chapter 31:6 Give strong drink to those who are ready to perish, or those with a heavy heart. This is like narcotic use. To help a person die with ease. On the cross they offered Jesus the wine mixed with gall. It was a narcotic use.
Proverbs Chapter 31:4-5 "Lemuel it is not for use by kings and rulers lest their judgement be perverted or impared."
Tirosh - Wine in KJV, it means fresh or NEW Wine. Thy presses shall spring forth with new wine. Isa 65:8 the juice in the cluster grapes was called wine.
Just because the bible say's wine does not mean alcoholic wine.
Normal process of grapes juice does not produce a distilled type of wine. according to Yale university there has to be a desire to make it and a mechanical additive to make it alcoholic.
Yayin - could be either drunken type of wine or not - Look at the context to see what it means. I want to stop and get a drink. I would hope you know I don't mean a drink of an alcoholic beverage.
Yayin -Isa 16:10 Grape juice non intoxicating
In Proverbs yayin is a mocker - an intoxicating
Oinos in New testament could be either Grape Juice, Tirosh or Yayin but never Shekare. Not an intoxicating beverage. Jesus made wine but not that which would make them drunk or intoxicated. Last supper Jesus had the cup and unleaven bread. The bread and the drink were both without sinful additives or additives that have been compared to sin. Yeast or intoxicating liquor.
Jesus on the cross refused the wine mixed with the gall. He accepted later the wine and vinegar.
Proverbs says: Who has WOE - Misery. This is the sorry factor- Suffering factor.
Scripture say's this os the result of the woe of wine and strong drink.
Divorce, War, Murder - 1/2 of murders are alcohol involved in.
Contention - Foolishness - Who has these. Those that drink intoxicating wine and strong drink.
Proverbs says it is those who participate in the drinking of alcoholic beverage.
Proverbs 23 tells us about it.
Every year in america more people are killed in result of alcohol that died in Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
Viet Nam 52,000 soldiers plus died due to war. In nine years of the same war 2 million died due to alcohol.
Redness of eyes - anguish, sorrow, horror come from this drinking of alcohol.
verse 31 and 32 - it biteth like a serpent and bites like an adder. It's the poison that kills you. Intoxication is nothing more than poisen. It affects the heart, mind, the body.
Immorality factor - verse 33 when a person drinks restraint is removed. People become immoral more and has no restraint. It numbs the brain and the conscious.
How many times have we heard people cry out I would not have done it if I were not drunk. I could not help myself I was drinking. See the adds by the Highway Patrol. Highways or Dieways its your decision.
Insensabilty - verse 35 no feeling.
Addiction - When shall I awake, I will seek it yet again. To be addicted to it so as to always look for it. 17 million in america are alcoholics. There are only 16 Million Southern Baptist in the world. 17 million alcoholics in america alone.
a man takes a drink then the drink takes the man. Chinese proverb.
Washington DC most concentration of alcoholics. Republican Party, Democratic Party and the Social Party.
The Christians position biblically should be total abstinence from it.
Regardless what persons say about our freedoms. We should no be involved with it.
People who drink are more open to giving. Why do you think at charity events they offer alcohol. It loosens up lips and pocketbooks. Makes them easier marks.
Instability, can't walk straight on thier feet or behind the wheel of a car, or behind the trigger of a gun, 200,000 persons a year die in alcohol related deaths, be it accidents, murders.
The Mockery of the Bottle:
Proverbs 20:1 - "Wine is a mocker and strong drink is a raging and whoever is looks upon it is not wise."
It causes polar opposites to happen:
Think about this - It promises much but gives little.
we drink to:
be socialable but become unsociable
for Happeness become unhappy
for joy but become miserable
sophistication but become arguementative
friendly but become enemies
sleep but awake without rest
strength but became weak
medicinally but became sick
relaxation but got the shakes
for bravery but became afraid
to feel heavenly but became hellish
for freedom but became enslaved
Alcohol is a mocker you don't get what you think you are getting. It's going to mock you. When you see a drunken homeless person on the side of the road that is the result of the freedom to drink alcohol. I cannot tell anyone that it is OK because of our freedoms in Christ to drink alcohol. It drives wedges in families and relationships. Even the discussion of it causes problems.
You and I have to answer to God for every conversation we have. Good bad or indifferent. I will answer for this very blog.
Today my son and I listened to his pastor in a message that it is OK for Christians to drink responsibly. Secretly at home and even socialially but not to get drunk. The biggest effort was spent comparing drinking alcohol to overeating. Alcoholism verses Obesity, comparing one sin after another. I agree gluttony is sinful just as sinful as drinking alcohol. People do die from obesity. This does not make it OK to do either. Preach about gluttony, overweight as well as alcohol. I preach the full consul of God. I will preach that Jesus delivers you don't enslave yourself again. I never saw a man run over someone because they overate.
Oh yes, I am a fat pastor with Diabetes, high blood pressure etc.
Abstain from worldy lust.
Proverbs 23:31 "don't look upon it...." Don't desire it at all. It only takes a little amount of leaven to ruin the whole lump. Remeber it is
Leviticus 10:9-10 Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou or thy sons....
When you go in the tabernacle to minister while drinkning wine or strong drink...
We are priest as Aaron was in the old testament in the temple.
Yes, your body is the temple and you are the priest
Habbakuk 2:15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink....( or give him the OK)
Romans 14:21 How we ought to live..... " It is good neither to eat flesh or drink wine that would cause a brother to stumble.." It's not about us and whether we can or not particioate. Moderation is not the answer it is cause of it that people fail.
Don't do it so that it does not hurt others. Don't encourage others.
1 out of 15 will become an alcoholic, and 2 problem drinkers. 1 in 5 persons it effects badly.
Abstain from worldy lust that war against the soul.
Could it cause would it cause someone else to drink if I do.
Don't chance it.
Total abstinence:
Never broke up or destroyed a family
Never caused and accident
Never cost a person their life or anyone elses
Never cost an industry it's labor
Never cost anyone their health
Never comes in conflict with Godly Love
It has no harmful effects
One statement Perry made was if you can't put it down then don't pick it up. The only way to master the bottle is not to start. Never pick it up. Whether you can or not.ake a conscious decision to not do it.
Ephesians 5:18, it tells us to know which spirit to be filled with.
Don't be filled with drink but be filled with the Holy Spirit.
My wife say's I get to angry over things to talk about them. I should not get so angry in my response. You know I try not to get too loud when responding. However, I have a few things I hold tight as Perry talks about. This is one. I know first hand what happens when people get involved with alcohol be it wine, beer or liquor. I don't want them to have to see or go through what I have when it comes to this topic. Had it not been for Jesus Christ I know I would be enslaved to alcohol and drugs. It has ruined a lot of people I care for. How can I ever expect them to put it down if I do that which I would tell them not to participate in.
I'll make you a deal Perry, I'll preach on your topic of obesity if you will preach abstenance with regards to alcohol. That seems to be your topic of choice in comparison to alcohol.
Well that's my thought on the subject.. and this was not my first attempt to blog this tonight. I scrapped the first two attempts....
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