| Tea-totalling Texans? Them's fightin' words!I live in | | | | God, and you shall rejoice, you and your |
| a small Texas town which is probably not all that | | | | household," (Deut. 14:26). In the New Testament, |
| different from a small town anywhere else. | | | | all recorded prohibitions to drinking wine seem to |
| Lately, much has been reported by the local | | | | refer to either (A) immoderate consumption or |
| media and debated at city council meetings | | | | (B) to abusers: "Be not drunk with wine" (Eph. |
| regarding liquor licensing. When ever these types | | | | 5:18). "Do not be with heavy drinkers" (Prov. |
| of issues are discussed, some self-appointed | | | | 23:20). "Do not be addicted to wine" (I Tim. 3:8; |
| Christian representatives will speak up, supposedly | | | | Tit.2:3). "Do not linger long over wine" (Prov. |
| on behalf of all the rest of us, and heatedly | | | | 23:30).Some say, "But we love the sinners and |
| expound upon the awful vice of drinking alcohol | | | | hate the sin." Sadly, even when this is true, it |
| and what a demon-magnet that can be.I recently | | | | doesn't come across that way and, after all, |
| said to a young lady who told me she couldn't go | | | | perception is reality. Besides, where is it written |
| anywhere where drinking took place, "You'd | | | | that drinking is a sin? Now, I haven't had a beer |
| better leave the state of Texas...and stop | | | | since I was 19 when I drank six straight after |
| attending professional baseball games while you're | | | | working at a construction site in El Paso. Wine? My |
| at it." I may as well have said, "Mother Teresa, | | | | Italian family sipped it often but never to excess |
| you'd better leave Calcutta! There are lepers all | | | | and its been about 10 years since I had a glass of |
| over the place!" If the light of the world (you and | | | | Chianti with my spaghetti. Still, I don't expect my |
| me, according to Jesus) leaves the darkness, the | | | | convictions to be anyone else's. When I'm sick, I |
| darkness remains dark. My question to Christians | | | | don't care if the Apostle Paul DID instruct |
| everywhere, whenever we're confronted with a | | | | Timothy (1 Tim 5:23) to, "Stop drinking only |
| "sinful" act or attitude that we don't appreciate, is | | | | water, and use a little wine because of your |
| this: "When is the right time for casting that | | | | stomach and your frequent illnesses." Sorry, Paul, |
| stone?"The truth hurts. But KNOWING it will set | | | | but I'll take Pepto-Bismal, thank you. That's my |
| us free.Several years ago, a downcast young lady | | | | choice.Seriously, when all is said and done, I can't |
| approached me, asking if I'd officiate her wedding. | | | | help but feel that we Christians must distinguish |
| It seems that she and her mate - apparently her | | | | the use of these beverages from their abuse. |
| husband - let it leak that they'd never had a | | | | Sometimes in Scripture, gluttonous eating is |
| traditional wedding and had been cohabitating for | | | | paralleled with immoderate drinking of wine (Deut. |
| about 2 years. They had a nice home, all debts | | | | 21:20; Prov. 23:21). But we can find nowhere in the |
| were combined, and they held good jobs. In their | | | | Bible where eating food is prohibited, thank you, |
| eyes, they were married and moving along as a | | | | Jesus! At other times in Scripture, sexual |
| couple, facing the business of life. One night, the | | | | perversion is paralleled with drunkenness (Rom |
| couple received a surprise visit from their church | | | | 13:13; I Pet 4:3). Yet, if ALL sexual activity were |
| leaders, were reprimanded and told they should | | | | condemned, well...you and I wouldn't be here. |
| stop "shacking up."Now, before we go any | | | | Wealth often becomes a snare to many as well (I |
| further, I'm not condoning that couples should live | | | | Tim. 6:9-11), but the Scriptures do not make a |
| with each other outside of wedlock, nor am I | | | | blanket decree against its pursuit (Job 42:10-17). |
| condemning those who do. It is NOT | | | | Let's see a Word of Faith evangelist preach |
| recommended because, statistically, those who | | | | AGAINST the acquisition of money! That will be a |
| DO live together before marriage have a much | | | | cold day in Texas. Bottom line is that each of |
| higher incidence of divorce (let's forget the fact | | | | these factors in life is intended by God to be a |
| that 50% of all Christian marriages are ending in | | | | blessing for us, when used according to the ways |
| divorce anyway AND that, in anonymous | | | | that HE intended. |
| surveys, nearly 50% of Christians admit to having | | | | Love one another? Jesus would drink to that!To |
| had premarital sex).Question for these church | | | | the surprise of many, it would seem abundantly |
| leaders: Before we point another accusing finger | | | | clear that the Scriptures DO allow for the |
| at a Christian couple, can we talk about YOUR | | | | moderate partaking of alcoholic beverages - wine, |
| sins? Doubt, unbelief, overeating, rage, criticism, | | | | beer, bourbon or whiskey. By the way, I've had |
| gossip, plus the fact that nearly half of all | | | | many friends in ministry who hail from England |
| ministers surveyed admit to viewing porn regularly | | | | and Germany. I love watching my American |
| not to mention substance abuses and adultery...all | | | | Christian friends as they "get their knickers in a |
| are equal in the eyes of God and required the | | | | twist" when these awesome European Christians |
| sending of His only begotten Son to become our | | | | visit the states and order a brew with their |
| Savior.Incidentally, I agreed to take this couple | | | | Tex-Mex or wine with their poultry. The |
| through 6 weeks of pre-marital counseling and | | | | Scriptures pull no punches in commending wine, |
| officiated their lovely wedding. Later, they had a | | | | nor do they reflect any embarrassment when |
| baby together. They have since moved on to | | | | illustrating stories that involve its consumption in |
| become part of a different congregation.You see, | | | | Biblical days. Wine is set before the saints as |
| we can cast stones at those who drink alcohol - | | | | blessing and gladness (Deut 14:26; Ps. 104:14-15), |
| or those who do anything else that "WE" might | | | | even though it may be, to the immoderate and |
| consider to be wrong - all we want to. Who will | | | | wicked, a mocker and curse (Prov. 20:1; 23:29). It |
| be brow-beating us as we stuff our chubby | | | | would seem to me that all the self-righteous |
| cheeks? Who will judge us using the same | | | | finger-pointing we engage ourselves in today does |
| measure with which they are judged | | | | very little in the way of making the non-Christian |
| themselves?The standard is Jesus, friends. Not | | | | jealous for what we say we've found in Christ, |
| the unholy trinity of Me, Myself and I.What the | | | | the One who turned the water into wine, His first |
| Good Book saysI contend that we should funnel | | | | miracle. Despite all the sincerity of well-meaning |
| everything through Scripture, preferably, through | | | | Christians regarding this issue, every time we |
| the teachings of Christ, allowing the many verses | | | | point a finger, there are four more pointed right |
| on a particular subject to define the one proof | | | | back at us. These fingers are those of the Spirit |
| text, not requiring the one proof text to trump | | | | in operation - the Spirit of the Pharisees.The Great |
| the many. Personally, I can't help but believe that | | | | Commission, set forth by the Greatest Teacher, |
| all the oats, hops, barley and other grains used to | | | | Jesus Christ, was to go and make disciples. As |
| produce alcohol could be put to better use feeding | | | | followers of Christ, are we teaching those who |
| the hungry of planet earth. I wish it were. Maybe | | | | are watching us to condemn and even detest |
| that will take place on the day that all swords will | | | | those who are not like us, or are we teaching |
| be beaten into plow sheers.Speaking of beatings, | | | | them to love everybody without condition, |
| when we focus upon wine, the fruit of the vine | | | | planting all the seeds of grace necessary to make |
| takes a severe thrashing itself within Christian | | | | our faith attractive enough so that they will want |
| circles, everyone trying to justify their viewpoint. | | | | run to Jesus at their own proper moment of |
| In the Old Testament, God's Law allowed yayin | | | | harvest?After all, He loves ALL of us, despite the |
| (wine) and shekar (strong drink) to be purchased | | | | deplorable things we harbor deep within the dark |
| with the Tithe of Rejoicing and to be drunk | | | | recesses of our hearts.In fact, He loved us to |
| before the Lord. "You shall spend that money for | | | | DEATH!Love one another.Every blessing!Please |
| whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, | | | | RATE this article at the bottom of this |
| for wine or strong drink, for whatever your heart | | | | screen,then FORWARD to your friends and |
| desires; you shall eat there before the LORD your | | | | family. |