Jeremiah 32:27 - Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?
Has the Church or "religious" people gotten down on you because you like to have a beer? Don't despair, you are still in good company. It was the "Church" and so called respectable people that called Jesus a "drunkard".
Matthew 11:19 - "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds." (see also Luke 7:34)
Something commonly and intentionally omitted from most Sunday morning sermons is that the very first miracle Jesus performed here on earth, was to turn water into wine (No, not grape juice) at a wedding feast. Read this scripture!
John 2:1 - On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there;
John 2:2 - and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.
John 2:3 - When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus *said to Him, "They have no wine."
John 2:4 - And Jesus *said to her, "Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come."
John 2:5 - His mother *said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." (this is still good advice today!)
John 2:6 - Now there were six stone water pots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each.
John 2:7 - Jesus *said to them, "Fill the water pots with water." So they filled them up to the brim.
John 2:8 - And He *said to them, "Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter." So they took it to him.
John 2:9 - When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter *called the bridegroom,
John 2:10 - and *said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now."
The point to the above story is: They ran out of wine, the guests had drank it all, It's a safe bet that a good deal of those people would not have been able to pass a modern day breathalyzer test. Then Jesus, by his miracle, provides 120 or 180 more gallons of wine for these people who have already been drinking "Freely".
If the church didn't like that, I'm certain that they surely had a problem with Jesus filling the pots used for "the Jewish custom of purification", (Could you imagine going into the church and filling the dish that holds the "Holy Water" with wine?)
Also, it's very possible that this wedding might have taken place in the Temple (church) simply because of the fact that ordinary people didn't keep 6 stone water pots for the custom of purification, capable of holding 20 or 30 gallons each, in their homes!
Another interesting point is that, Mary the mother of Jesus, wasn't concerned about the people drinking, but she "was" concerned because they had ran out of wine!
If it was the church that condemned and accused Jesus concerning drinking wine, not to mention responsible for his death, why do most of the modern day church denominations emulate the Church of that period?
Quit being beat up over these nit picking little things and find someone preaching the "Good News" that Jesus told us we are to be preaching throughout the world. You will find that here at Power of Faith Ministries!
Am I telling you to drink? Nooooo! Absolutely not. If someone, out of concern talks to you about the health risks involved with smoking, you would do well to listen, but don't let any self righteous, self appointed modern day scribes and Pharisee's weigh you down with guilt over it, claiming that God will condemn you for it. That is not their job and God does not ordain or appoint anyone to do that.
If you drink too much, quit or cut back! The scripture that is most commonly used to condemn smoking or drinking is:
1 Corinthians 6:19 - Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
1 Corinthians 6:20 - For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
but this scripture does not pertain to drinking or smoking. It pertains to immorality. Specifically, it pertains to "sleeping with prostitutes".
If you have any question as to the validity of this scripture, please read it for yourself, in context. Go to 1 Corinthians 6:19, then back up 4 verses to 1 Corinthians 6:15, which "will" put it in context. As you can see, Paul clearly says that "all" other sins (aside from sleeping with prostitutes) are outside of the body. (1 Corinthians 6:18)
"You" are accountable for you. As a Christian, you shouldn't need extreme laws and policemen to make you do what God has already told you is the right and wise thing to do. "Anything you do excessively" drinking, smoking, overeating, etc.. is not good for you.
Not to mention, if you have had a couple of drinks, Don't Drive! If for no other reason, because if you get pulled over and are given a breathalyzer test, you'll go to jail!! (common sense) We are commanded in the bible to adhere to the laws of the land.
It is not the drink that is a sin, It is the things you say and do when you've been drinking a little to freely. If you can't control your language or behavior after a few drinks, It is definitely time to quit or cut down.
Now, if you sin, gossip or use foul language, my personal advice to you is "Stop Now". Though the bible may not condemn smoking or drinking, it does condemn these things!
THE TRUTH ABOUT DRINKING
I was in my car listening to a sermon on the radio the other day. The speaker was doing pretty good talking about Jesus` first miracle at Cana, where he turned water into wine. He offered a slightly different and interesting perspective on it and I enjoyed the sermon. Then, like turning off a light switch, he went into what I call the "BOD" mode!
B.O.D. mode is when the preacher suddenly stops preaching to the "body" (of Christ) and then starts trying to please the BOD! (Board of Directors) It is typically the Board of Directors who hire and fire the pastor, not to mention decide on the amount of his salary. So, the sermon instantly turns to excuses and non - biblical teaching to appease a small group in control.
Suddenly I was informed by this speaker, that wine in Jesus` day, was much weaker than it is today. I was told that people only drank it because the water was not safe to drink. Then I was told that wine back then was 2 parts water and 1 part wine! I heard thunderous applause over the car radio. So, there I sat in my car scratching my head wondering to myself why he would tell people that.
THE B.O.D. MODE
What this gentleman conveniently left out of the sermon was: "It was not the "wine" that was diluted with two parts water, - It was the "water" that had "wine mixed into it". Confused? I'll explain. In those days, people kept their water in covered pots. (clay pots with lids on them) The reason they did this was to keep bacteria out of the water. (No sunlight, no bacteria)
Another method of keeping bacteria out of the drinking water was to "mix it with wine". (this is where the 2 parts water to 1 part wine comes from) So, the truth is, 2,000 years ago or more, when people drank wine, they drank 100% wine! And when they drank water, they were still drinking , one third wine! (That would have included the children also)
So, when the well meaning religious folks and preachers tell you that wine was weaker or diluted with water in Jesus` time, and that it's a sin to drink wine, they are not doing you a service, they are not doing God a service, and they're not being very factual or truthful.
NOTE: ~ If the wine was not fermented, it couldn't fight bacteria ~
THE MYTH THAT WINE WAS WATERED DOWN IN JESUS` TIME
Judging by the applause on the radio, it seemed that no one was curious about it. Are we to simply believe that the laws of physics were different in the time of Jesus? That grapes fermented differently?
Does it make sense to anyone, that if the water was unsafe to drink, why would anyone mix 2 parts of this unsafe water to 1 part of their good wine to dilute it?
Luke 5:39 - "And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, 'The old is good enough.'"
But then, it doesn't matter, as long as we get to really "give it to the sinners", thus displaying how righteous we are by doing so. Beware of the many sermons on subjects like this one, and beware applauding too loudly. God has not ordained anyone to point out peoples sins, or what "we" perceive them to be.
LETS ALL GET THE SINNER
Pray! That's what talking to God is! I'm sure you, like most of us, you probably thought praying was this ceremoniously elegant thing you do on your knee's, throwing in allot of "thee's and thou's and thou arts".
Neither God or Jesus were impressed when the pharisee's did their elegant, lengthy prayers. So, try just talking to him! And talk to him often. It will change your life for the better. Don't try to be fancy, try to be sincere.
TALK TO GOD OFTEN
Why don't you pray this prayer with me. Right here, right now. What do you have to lose? It doesn't hurt a bit, and it doesn't cost anything.
Father, I want to know you more and I want to know your son Jesus the Christ. Open my eyes lord so that the truth of your word will be revealed in me.
I want to accept Jesus as my Lord and savior and I want to acknowledge that your son Jesus died on the cross for my sins and that he rose again. Help my unbelief and make your word real to me. Let hidden things be revealed to me.
Psalms 119:18 - Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. -amen
Read this short Psalm (119:18) every day before you pick up your bible. Make it a very short prayer and God will open your eyes. Though you may have read the same scriptures numerous times, you will start seeing new and wonderful things emerge from them. (try it)
PRAYER
TELL CHILDREN THE TRUTH ABOUT DRINKING
This is an article I ran across that you might find interesting. The article was written by an expert: Stanton Peele, Ph.D. (just click to access)
Stanton Peele is a leading figure in the field of alcoholism and addiction. He is the author of, among other works, "Love and Addiction," "The Meaning of Addiction," "Diseasing of America," and "The Truth About Addiction and Recovery." Dr. Peele has received the Mark Keller Award from the Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies and many other prestigious accolades.
Overview: Teaching children to drink in moderation appears to inoculate them against alcohol abuse later in life. However, in the United States, we use the method of alcohol education found least successful in scientific research which teaches that abstinence is the only way, asserts Dr. Stanton Peele.
God Bless You
Dan Douglass
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