Strong Drinks (Alcohol)
Most times this has
been a bone of contention among Christians, and the question; whether it is right
to drink alcoholic beverages is not uncommon.
Well this publication
will be of great benefits to the reader and that, I am very sure.
Alcoholic drinks which
include wine, beer, liquor, rum, gin and other drinks that contain some certain
amount of the chemical which is an organic compound with an identity group –OH.
It is certain that we
are not new to the terms non-alcoholic wine and alcoholic wine. However “wine”
in it meaning is alcoholic beverage and therefore there can never be a non
alcoholic wine. One can only have fruit juice that is not alcoholic but when
such has been fermented it becomes wine and alcoholic.
Wikipedia defines wine
as an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grapes or other fruits. The
natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of
sugars, acids, enzymes, water, or other nutrients. Yeast consumes the sugars in
the grapes and converts them into alcohol. Different varieties of grapes and
strains of yeasts produce different types of wine. The well known variation
results from the very complex interactsions between the biochemical development
of the fruit, reactions involved in fermentation, and human intervention in the
overall process. The final product may contain tens of thousands of chemical
compound in amount varying from a few percent to a few parts per billion.
Wines made from fruits
besides grapes are usually named after the fruit from which they are produced
(for example Pomegranate wine, apple wine and elderberry wine) and are
generically called fruit wine. The term “wine” can also refer to starch
fermented or fortified beverages having higher alcohol content, such as barley wine
or sake (i.e beer).
Is
it an evil?
No, it is not an evil
at all. Rather it is a blessing because it is God who has been giving it to us.
Deutronomy
11: 14
That I will give you
the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the later rain,
that mayest gather in they corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.
Even in the old
testaments offerings and tithes of wine was offered.
Numbers
28:7
And the drink offering
thereof shall be the forth part of an hinn for the one lamb: in the holy place
shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto the LORD for a drink
offering.
Deuteronomy
14:23
And thou shalt eat
before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name
there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine and of thine oil, and the firstlings
of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God
always.
Even our Lord Jesus
Christ converted water to wine, and this has been a favourite scriptures for
alcoholics.
John 2:3
And when they wanted
wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, they have no wine.
Verse 7
Jesus saith unto them,
fill the waterpots with water: And they filled them up to the brim.
Verse 9
When the ruler of the
feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but
the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the
bridegroom,….
Some people even prove
that Jesus drank wine while he was on earth as he was seen by the Pharisees with
tax collectors and prostitutes eating and drinking together.
Matt.
11:19, Luke 7:35
So
should we go on drinking?
I have always known
that when God want to commit a great work into a mans hand and want to bring
him to lime light he will always give a strict instruction that both the
carrier of the baby i.e the mother and the child when delivered should
seriously avoid wine or any other strong drink. Even when God wants the priest
to come to Him in the tabernacle in the old testament He had given them
instruction not to drink wine.
O.k. I think at this
point let us take a toll from the scriptures;
Judges 13:2-5
And there was a certain
man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife
was barren, and bare not.
And the angel of the
LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, behold now, thou art barren,
and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
Now therefore beware, I
pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing.
For lo, thou shalt
conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child
shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver
Isreal out of the hand of the Philistines.
Friends did you just
see that? When a child/a person is to be consecrated to God in total devotion,
one of those things he has to avoid is drinking alcoholic drinks. I think we
just saw that now. And I am very sure the bible still have more in stock for
us. Let us continue.
Luke
1:11-15
And there appeared unto
him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
And when Zachariah saw
him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
But the angel said unto
Him, Fear not, Zachariah: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall
bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
And thou shal have joy
and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
For he shall be great
in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he
shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mothers womb.
Wow! It is like there
is this opposite thing about wine and the Holy Ghost, if you must find wine or
strong drink then Holy Ghost must be absolutely absent and if the Holy Ghost
must remain alcohol must be absolutely totally absent too, according to the
last verse above.
Jesus that some
alcoholics claim that he drank, yes they were right. Jesus my Lord the wisdom
personified the one who the world cannot understand, the one who they saw wisdom
in and exclaimed “what wisdom is this?”. May be we should see the scripture
together for better and vivid understanding.
Matt. 11:19
The son of Man came
eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of
tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.
Note the last statement
“Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds”, if you can crack it you will
understand that Jesus never did anything without a purpose and the question you
will ask your self is did he really drink? If you will drink because Jesus
drank or turn water to wine then why not offer yourself to be crucified because
he did so. Oh I think I can guess what is running through your mind now that
you need not do that because Christ has done that for you, then definitely you
need not drink because Christ has drank even against his wish but in order to
get harden tax collectors and prostitutes which we are, so he did so. If he
could humble himself to take on flesh being God himself but came to become mere
men like us just to pay the price for our freedom from sin, is it to take up a
cup of wine that he will not do just to ensure that we are redeemed? If He
could stoop so low to become a man so he can save us, will he not stoop lower
and accept to drink so as to get the drunkards and prostitutes? Did he succeed?
Yes he did.
Luke
7:34-39
However, when he had
reached them all and it was time to pay the ultimate price, knowing how
important it is said in Mark 14:25:
Verily I say unto you,
I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it
new in the Kingdom of God.
If you must consecrate
yourself for Gods use then touch not, taste not and handle not alcoholic drinks
it has a way of pulling down spirituality.
Leviticus 10:19
Do not drink wine nor
strong drink, thou nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of
the congregation, lest ye die
And you know what that
was during when we use to have veil in the temple but this veil was torn from
the middle from the up downwards when Jesus paid the ultimate price of death on
the cross.
Luke 23:45
And the sun was
darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had
cried with a loud voice he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my Spirit:
and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
Ps. 23:6
Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of
the LORD forever.
How long will you dwell
in His presence? Forever then that is much long you must avoid alcoholic
drinks. Did I just here you say the instruction is for the priest and his sons?
Wow why did you think the veil was torn, he gave us all access into the inner
temple making us automatic and instant priest has soon as we accept him as our
lord and savior. O.k. check this out:
1 Peter 2:9-10
But ye are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye
should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into
his marvelous light:
Which in time past were
not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but
now have obtained mercy.
So you see, in case you
want to say it is only for some chosen few to abstain from alcoholic drinks you
just saw in that verse that “ye are a chosen generation” so you have been
chosen like Samson, John the baptize and others. Or you want to say that the
instruction is for the priest and their sons. The same verse included that “ye
are a royal priesthood” so what excuse do you have again.
Furthermore, Ephesian
6:18
Praying always with all
prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching there unto with all
perseverance and supplication for all saints.
Did you notice what I just
noticed. “Praying always…..in the Spirit”. Number we are to pray always and
how? In the spirit and you remember that if you must do spirit things and
always you must strictly avoid alcohol always.
Ephesians 5:18 (NIV)
Do not get drunk on
wine, which leads to debunchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
So you want to walk in
the Spirit always, then walk out of alcoholic drinks forever and you are sure
that you have met one compulsory criteria for carrying His presence.
Let us explore more of
the scriptures as we draw conclusion on this matter.
Numbers 6:1-3
And the LORD spake unto
Moses, saying,
Speak unto the children
of Isreal, and say unto them, when either man or woman shall separate
themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD:
He shall separate
himself from wine and strong drink and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or
vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat
moist grapes, or dried.
Brethren, at this end I
will like to implore you to make that vow, take that oath and make drinking
alcohol a by gone and then the Holy Ghost can have His convenient place in your
life and you can then live your life more fulfilled as the Holy Ghost takes
charge and lead you by the way. Remember “…ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar
people, that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you
out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Congratulations as you
decide to make drinking alcoholic drinks a by gone. As you do that ask God to
engrace you and help you and ask the Holy Spirit to take a total charge now and
forever. Congratulations once again and Shalom.
