This is certainly something you will want to listen to.  Thank God that people can be touched by truth.

Breitbart.tv » Planned Parenthood Leader Resigns After Watching Ultrasound of Abortion Procedure.

DISCOURAGEMENT

By Joe Palmer

We have all been discouraged. Have you ever really considered how discouragement works? Discouragement is a contagious disease. You seldom have it alone. You often catch it from someone else and in turn pass it on to others.

For example: Bob is discouraged because people aren’t involved in a particular project. The ministry leader, Tom calls a meeting and is hoping to encourage people to stay active. However, Bob doesn’t attend because he has noted that others aren’t involved. After the meeting Tom goes home and tells his wife, Mary how discouraged he is. He says, “I couldn’t even get the people I thought I could depend on to the meeting.” You see, not only did Bob not come but he has spoken to some of his friends about his discouragement. A couple of them decided not to go to the meeting too.

Now Tom has been infected with discouragement. Tom’s wife, Mary is also infected because Tom is. She discouraged that the people at the church just don’t seem to care enough to even support a good leader like her husband. She begins to think about how the ministry she is involved in has been dwindling. She says to her husband, “Honey maybe we need to take a break from leading these ministries. After all, we can’t seem to get people involved. Maybe someone else can.” They agree to step down, and send a letter to the elders.

The Elders are heartsick to get the news. They had two leadership position that needed filled and had hoped to fill them soon. Now the number is four. The elders are infected because they feel overwhelmed. All the while Satan sits in the corner and snickers. “My plan is working he says. Discouragement is my greatest ally.
While this entire story is fictitious, the reality of it is not. I have seen it hundreds of time in my ministry. I battle it every day in my own life and urge others to battle it also. What is the answer?

• LOOK TO CHIRST – For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. Hebrews 12:3

• BUILD UP OTHERS – Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. Romans 14:19

• NEVER STOP SERVING – And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9

Joe Palmer
Niceville Florida

EXCUSES

By
Joe Palmer

I found a web site dedicated to excuses on it was one page of just excuses for missing church. Some of them were very interesting. Here are a few of my favorite.

I’ll go to church after I stop __________. A lot of folks were honest enough to know they weren’t going to stop. Others were mistaken by thinking they have to become perfect first and then become a Christian.

I don’t do anything bad, so I’m going to heaven anyway. This one stands in contrast to the one above.

I belong to the 700 club; that’s good enough. A number of people substituted a stay at home religion for actual church attendance. One person even commented, “I can worship God just as easily at the video arcade.”

I don’t go to church on Sunday because getting the kids dressed in their Sunday best first thing in the morning makes me cuss and curse the Lord……very loudly. Not sure how serious this is but many people made real excuses that amounted to the fact that they didn’t want to be inconvenienced.

My spirit is trying to lose weight and doesn’t need to be fed. A real smart aleck wrote this one. He did understand the truth that people who don’t eat spiritually will starve to death.

It’s too cold in there, why don’t they turn up the heat. Followed by… It’s too hot, why don’t they get air conditioning. Many people made excuses that they simply didn’t like something: singing, preaching, and music topped the list. Interestingly, just like with the temperature, no matter what it was like someone didn’t like it.

I might get saved and have to go all the time. Of all the excuses I think this one is the most honest. Excuses are a way for us to lie and cover up the truth. Seldom do they reflect the facts.

In Luke 14:18 and following Jesus tells the parable of a man who invites people to a feast. The people made excuses. However, He did not accept them saying, “For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’” Luke 14:24

What excuses are you making in your life in regards to your relationship to God? Are you excusing yourself from sin? Are you finding what you believe are valid reasons not to worship God and put him first in your life? Do you have excuses for not doing what God say? Stop for a minute and imagine presenting that excuse to Christ on Judgment day?

Joe Palmer

Stupid Insurance

By Joe Palmer

This week I used my stupid insurance again. If you own a home you no doubt have home owners insurance. You probably own some life insurance. You may have disability, dental, or cancer insurance. We all are concerned about having adequate health insurance. But, do you own stupid insurance? A couple years ago on a whim I bought some stupid insurance. At the time I didn’t think I needed it (I know some of you are thinking I need to increase my coverage) but I soon found out that I did. I bought it because for one month it was free and after that I could cancel it.

Let me explain what stupid insurance is before I go any further. Stupid insurance as I call it is sold through many outlets. I bought mine through my cell phone provider. It helps me if I do something stupid like run out of gas, leave the lights on my car burning, or lock my keys in my car. All of which I have done. In that event I call the nice helpful people at ATT and they send somebody out to help undo the stupid thing which I have done. This week I locked my keys in my car.

We all make mistakes. The Bible says we all sin. (Rom 3:23) Is there a difference between sin and a mistake? Yes and no. We may sin because we have been fooled into doing something wrong. We may have sinned because the temptation was just so strong we gave in. We may have sinned because we acted without thinking. We also sometime sin willfully. Sins can be mistakes, errors in judgment, or humane weakness. Sometimes we make mistakes that aren’t sin but they are visible to our friends and family.

We all want people to forgive our mistakes. We all want people to forgive our mistakes. Whether it is a sin or just a mistake we want patience, understanding, forgiveness, and a second, third, or a 70 X 7th chance. That does not mean you don’t hold people accountable. It does not mean you do not confront the sin or mistake. It just means you want people to help you and allow you to grow and improve.\

We usually call other people’s mistakes stupid, but our mistakes are just mistakes. The question comes, “How do I deal with other people’s mistakes, sins, and faults.?” The Bible does give us some guidelines.

First – We are to confront people in love with personal conflicts, moral sins, or things they have done that hurt us. (Gal 6:1,2) (Matt 18:15-20)

Second – We are required to forgive other people. Scriptures says if we don’t forgive others God won’t for give us. Our forgiveness is to be unlimited that’s what Jesus meant in the concept of forgiving 70 x 7. (Matt 18:21-35)

Third, we need to be gracious in dealing with other people’s mistakes. Don’t chastise people in public. Don’t be harsh but remember the stupid or sinful things you have done in the past. We are to speak the truth in love, (Eph 4:15) and act in a spirit of gentleness. (Gal 6:1)

“…if anyone has a complaint against another even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” Col 3:13

Why Not Drink

By Joe Palmer

The question of alcohol usage is difficult one. I think like most spiritual issues of a practical nature it’s not that hard to know what is the best thing to do is. It is just that we want to do what, “we want to do.” We don’t want to give up something that we have learned to enjoy. For most of us it’s not a chemical dependency. It may not even be an emotional dependency.

So I want to share my reasons why you should stop abstain if you are a Christian.

#1 The person who abstain will never have to wonder if he has violated God’s law.

If I was going to try to prove that the Christian should not drink because of law of God, I would argue the following.
1. The Bible condemns Drunkenness. Ephesians 5:18
2. The Bible condemns Strong Drink. Proverbs 20:1
3. Much of what we drink today would be described as strong drink.
a. 13 times wine is used in the same context as strong drink. Therefore alcoholic wine is considered a strong drink.
b. ISBE says the drink in the Bible called strong drink was most likely beer.
4. The Bible condemns drinking parties. I Peter 4
5. The Bible condemns revelries Galatians 5:21
6. The Bible condemns “and such like.” Galatians 5:21
No it didn’t condemn a drink that is very weakly alcoholic. It doesn’t condemn it in cases of health or necessity. The person who doesn’t drink will never wonder if he is violating God’s law. The person who drinks will wonder if he is drinking in a manner God disapproves of.

Two Other Notes

The word Methuesko found in Eph 5:18 is translated drunkeness. While that is an accurate translation. You should research an inceptive Verb, which this word is. The word is dealing more with the process than the end result. Young’s concordance define it as “To Begin to be Softened.” If that word doesn’t forbid all alcohol it fits my understanding that it forbids all alcoholic beverages that are strong enough to make us drunk.

Nepho – Translated Sober. The word means to avoid any spiritual or emotional drunkeness. It refers to one who has his complete faculties. It is often used and associated with idea of an athlete training his body, keeping it under control.

#2 The person who abstains will never regret that he might cause a brother to stumble.
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. Romans 14:19 – 21

I can’t tell you that is not an excuse. All I can do is relate the facts. During our last campaign we had one young man who became a Christian, stopped drinking, and then went to a party and saw alcohol in our homes and started drinking again. He specifically cited that it appears from our action it is okay for a Christian to drink.

We may think we are not causing a brother to stumble. However, can we be sure?

# 3 The person who abstains from drinking will never have to worry about the negative consequences of alcohol in his life, or in the life of someone he loves.

• 40 % of traffic fatalities are alcohol related
• Alcohol is the third leading cause of lifestyle related deaths.
• 1/3 of child abuse cases and 2/3 of spousal abuse cases are alcohol related
• While no statistics were available the CDC says that alcohol is a know factor in risky sexual behavior.

Do you know what the research bears out if you drink you children are more likely to drink.

Moms and Dads where do we want to lead our kids?
30 % of drinking is in our own home.
53% is in someone elses home
That means they are either drinking in my home or your home.
Binge Drinking is a major problem it goes up from age 12 to age 21 reaching 48 percent of 21 year old who binge drink.

48% of people over 12 describe themselves as drinkers.
7.5 % of the total current population meet the criteria to be considered an alcoholic.
That mean if you drink there is a 1 in 6 chance you will become an alcoholic. If you don’t the chance is 0%

Alcohol Roulette
Lets say you have mom and dad and two kids. Mom and Dad don’t have a problem with staying in control but they influence the kids by example to drink as adults. Now the kids have kids and one of them has an alcohol problem. They get a divorce, or have an affair, or get drunk and drive, have a wreck… etc.

Eventually alcohol will get someone in your family. As family member continue to pull the trigger, eventually the gun will go off.

How will you feel about your influence? Was the decision worth it?

We have a spiritual mandate to “Train up our children in the way they should go.”

We are to “Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the lord?”

Don’t we want to be the BEST spiritual example for them?

#4 the Person who abstains will not have to worry about having the appearance of evil or associating with evil in his life

• Alcohol is associated with
• Gambling which is an addiction that robs families of money
• Night Clubs/ strip clubs/ Bars/ of all types
• It is contributing factor in many crimes as we have already stated
• It causes the break down of many homes due to addiction, abuse, and unfaithfulness.
• It causes people to neglect to financially support their family, and to emotionally not engage as a parent.
• Alcohol is used to promote fornication and adultery. As one comedian said it’s funny that they tell pregnant women not to drink most of them wouldn’t be pregnant with being drunk. Alcohol is the oldest method of losing some one up for sexual activity that they wouldn’t normally engage in.
• 25% of suicide victims are drunk.

Do we want to take our money and give it to the alcohol industry so they can ruin more lives? Even if it is not me or my family. Don’t we want to “Prove all things and hold fast to that which is good?”

#5The Person who abstain will never have to wonder if he crossed the line to drunkenness.

• Even if you decide a Christian can drink some, you can’t tell me what God defined drunk.
• If you drink you have to worry about that issue.
• The person who abstains doesn’t

We are also while needing to make this important decision using a product that intentionally weakens our capacity to make decisions and makes us feel immune to problems.

Remember God condemned strong drink, Reveling and drinking parties. The word Methuesko and Nepho give us an idea that ‘God’s standard of conduct is very high.

#6 The Person who abstains can do so knowing that he is putting God’s kingdom first.

• He is seeking first the kingdom of God by putting aside his own desire.
• He is able to always be sober enough to give an answer to any man who ask a reason of the hope that lies within him.
• He is putting God’s kingdom first by being certain that he is not hurting his image among the world, or among fellow Christians.

I think this is the best reason of all. Instead of asking ourself how close we can get to the world we see how far we can get away from the world.

Remember our goal in Romans 12:2 is to ‘Prove what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

Does the Bible Forbid Drinking Alcohol

By Joe Palmer

A couple people have asked me if I have reached a conclusion on this topic. I reached a personal conclusion years ago, “I don’t drink.” I have never had a beer. I have tried a little wine in curiosity. After tasting some of these products once I came to a shocking conclusion. It doesn’t taste good. I think you have to acquire a taste for it. The stuff that tastes good is covered up by so much juice and other products to give it a good taste. I decided to drink the good tasting stuff and leave out the alcohol.

That is the problem for some people and defines the issue for some people. They want the alcohol. Many people use alcohol as a pain killer. It masks the pain of divorce, business failure, guilt, abuse, and self doubt. People want the alcohol to fit in, to relax, to unwind after a stressful day. Now if alcohol was harmless then that would be fine but it is not harmless it is very dangerous.

Some won’t be satisfied that God calls it…
a mocker, Proverbs 20:1
a brawler Proverbs 20:1
Unwise Proverbs 20:1

It not enough for some to say that…
the Old Testaments forbid the use of alcoholic wine Proverbs 23:31

Hosea said, “Wine enslaves the heart.” Hosea 4:11 But, some want a prohibition.

I want to share a text with you that some scholars say is a prohibition. Ephesians 5:18 “Do not be drunk with wine, where is excess, but be filled with the Spirit.”

You may immediately note that the text only mentions drunkenness. However, my research has lead me to learn some information about the word drunk.

Drunk, (-en, be), Drunkard, Drunkenness [Verb]

methusko signifies “to make drunk, or to grow drunk” (an inceptive verb, marking the process or the state expressed in methuo), “to become intoxicated,” Luke 12:45; Eph 5:18; 1 Thess 5:7.

Many take “drunk” to mean totally smashed. But when the Bible condemns drunkenness it doesn’t say that one has to be falling down, pulling up the grass and vomiting in the front yard to qualify as drunk.

2. In fact, the Greek word translated “drunk” in Eph. 5: 18 means “to begin to be drunk.” The word is methusko, which is related to the usual word for drunk, which is methuo. The difference between methusko and methuo is subtle but important.

a. Methuo refers to the state or condition of drunkenness.

b. Methusko refers to the action or process that leads to drunkenness. Methusko:

“an inceptive [as in inception or beginning,] verb, marking the process of the state expressed [by methuo]”

Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

“To begin to be softened”

Young’s Analytical Concordance

——————————————————————————–

B1. Drunk, (-en, be), Drunkard, Drunkenness [Adjective]

methusos “drunken” (cp. methusko), is used as noun, in the singular, in 1 Cor 5:11, and in the plural, in 1 Cor 6:10, “drunkard,” “drunkards.”

——————————————————————————–

C1. Drunk, (-en, be), Drunkard, Drunkenness [Noun]

methe “strong drink” (akin to methu, “wine,” see under methuo, above), denotes “drunkenness, habitual intoxication,” Luke_21:34; Rom_13:13; Gal_5:21.

As you can see fromt he above definitions of words, the word in Ephesians 5:18 seems to refer to the process of one getting drunk. One who stays in this state a lot is a drunkard.

The word in Ephesians 5:18 however simply means one who is in the process of becoming softened. Now, all experts agree that you can’t define drunkenness except by degrees. One drink has an effect, which is compounded by two. When one is drunk is subjective based on the definition, and the amount of alcohol it takes to reach the state depends on the individual.

If you want to disregard this let me save you some time. You can find commentators that will simply say the word means drunk or drunkard. As with many things I have read on this topic it seems that the issue is who do you listen to? Often that depends on which side of the issue you want to end up on. I admit I am biased. I don’t want people to drink. Why? I have seen the tremendous amount of harm it causes. I think it is spiritually harming the church.

I personally have tried to avoid overstating my arguments. There is so much confusion on this topic. I will argue strongly that a Christian should not drink. While you can find quarters to defend the idea that God is only condemning the state of drunkenness, I believe there is strong evidence to state that God is here commanding us to stay away from the entire process.

God Bless Your Decision

The following links should cause us to ask, “Even if God didn’t forbid me to drink, should I be a part of something that does so much evil?”

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
Matthew 5:13

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33

Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 – 22

14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”
17Therefore
“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
18 “I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the LORD Almighty.”
2 Corinthians 6:14 – 18

For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. 1 Peter 4:3 – 4

Wine is a mocker,
Strong drink is a brawler,
And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
Proverbs 20:1

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

Do not look on the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it swirls around smoothly;
Proverbs 23:31

Genesis 9:21 Noah gets drunk and exposes himself.

I Samuel 1:13 Samuel thinks Hannah is drunk. Tells her to pay away her wine.

I Samuel 25 Nabal becomes Drunk

II Sam 11:13 David gets Uriah Drunk

I Kings 16: 8,9 King Elah of Israel killed while Drunk

I Kings 20:16 Ben Hadad king of Syria gets drunk with 32 kings and is defeated by Israel

Jer 48:26 Moab’s fall is associated with the idea of drunkenness.

Jer. 51:7 Nations drunk on evil Babylon’s wine. Symbolic of their following the influence of Babylon.

Jer. 51:39 God in his judgment of Babylon says he will get them drunk

Jer 51:57 Babylon’s wise men made drunk associated with Babylon’s fall.

Lam 4:21 Edom is to become drunk and become naked

Nahum 3:11 Drunkenness associated with another fallen city

Habakkuk 2:15 Woe to the person who gives his neighbor drink in order to get him naked.

Luke 12:45 Drunkenness associated with one who is unprepared to meet God in the parable of the slothful
servant.

Eph 5:18 Don’t be drunk

I thess 5:7 Those who get drunk, get drunk at night.

WINE

Gen 9:21 Noah got Drunk

Gen 14:18 King of Salem given wine by Abram

Gen 19:32 Daughter got Lot drunk

Lev 10:9 Priests not to drink any intoxicating drink.

Num 6:3 Nazarite can use no grape product

II Sam 13:28 Absalom gets Amnon drunk and murders him.

Esther 1:7 Ahasuerus in a drunken state orders Vashti to dance for his friends.

Job 32:19 Wine needs a vent

Psalms 60:3 wine of confusion

Psalms 75:8 strong wine associated with God’s wrath.

Psalms 104:15 Wine makes glad the heart of men

Proverbs 4:17 “wine of violence”

Proverbs 20:1

Wine is a mocker,
Strong drink is a brawler,
And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

Proverbs 23:30
Who has woe?
Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions?
Who has complaints?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?
30 Those who linger long at the wine,
Those who go in search of mixed wine.
31 Do not look on the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it swirls around smoothly;
32 At the last it bites like a serpent,
And stings like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
And your heart will utter perverse things.
34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying:
35 “They have struck me, but I was not hurt;
They have beaten me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?”

Proverbs 31:4ff
It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to drink wine,
Nor for princes intoxicating drink;
5 Lest they drink and forget the law,
And pervert the justice of all the afflicted.
6 Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
And wine to those who are bitter of heart.
7 Let him drink and forget his poverty,
And remember his misery no more.

Isaiah 5:10ff
Woe to those who rise early in the morning,
That they may follow intoxicating drink;
Who continue until night, till wine inflames them!
12 The harp and the strings,
The tambourine and flute,
And wine are in their feasts;
But they do not regard the work of the LORD,
Nor consider the operation of His hands.
13 Therefore my people have gone into captivity,
Because they have no knowledge;
Their honorable men are famished,
And their multitude dried up with thirst.

Isaiah 5:22,23
Woe to men mighty at drinking wine,
Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink,
23 Who justify the wicked for a bribe,
And take away justice from the righteous man!
Isaiah 28:1 – 7
Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim,
Whose glorious beauty is a fading flower
Which is at the head of the verdant valleys,
To those who are overcome with wine!
2 Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one,
Like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm,
Like a flood of mighty waters overflowing,
Who will bring them down to the earth with His hand.
3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim,
Will be trampled underfoot;
4 And the glorious beauty is a fading flower
Which is at the head of the verdant valley,
Like the first fruit before the summer,
Which an observer sees;
He eats it up while it is still in his hand.
5 In that day the LORD of hosts will be
For a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty
To the remnant of His people,
6 For a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment,
And for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7 But they also have erred through wine,
And through intoxicating drink are out of the way;
The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink,
They are swallowed up by wine,
They are out of the way through intoxicating drink;
They err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
8 For all tables are full of vomit and filth;
No place is clean.

Isaiah 56:12 Watchmen gets drunk assuming all is well

Hosea 4:11 Wine enslaves the heart.

Joel 1:5 wake up drunkards.

John the Baptizer
Luke 1:13 – 17
13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Luke 7:31-35
31And the Lord said, “To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? 32They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:
‘We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not weep.’
33For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35But wisdom is justified by all her children.”

NEW WINE OLD WINESKINS Luke 5:34 – 39

34And He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days.”
36Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. 37And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. 38But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. 39And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’”

John 2:1 – 10
1On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”
4Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”
5His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
6Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. 9When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

Acts 2:11-16 The Apostles accused of being drunk.

11Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” 12So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”
13Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”
14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

Romans 14:19 – 23
19Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. 21It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. 22Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
Ephesians 5:17-18
17Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
Elders & Deacons
I Timothy 3:1 – 13
1This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. 2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5(for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); 6not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 7Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, 9holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 10But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 11Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. 12Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Titus 1;5-9
5For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—6if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. 7For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, 8but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, 9holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

I Timothy 5:23
23No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.

Titus 2:1 – 5

1But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 2that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; 3the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—4that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

The Sin of Drunkenness.
Introduction.

This lesson is not one that I enjoy presenting, because it has been on of the most controversial topics in my ministry.

There is a lot of confusion and differences of opinion about the topic.
I have taught on this a number of times and often had people to disagree.
So today I want to began with an introduction and next week I will present my rational on the topic. If you miss either lesson I will make them available to you. I think it is important to hear them both. If you want to talk about this personally with me further then I welcome that opportunity.
Premise
1. I love you all and people I am friends with and love disagree with me on this topic. I don’t want this to be viewed as a personal attack. I want this to bring light not heat to the topic. I want it to allow us to examine our life in order that we may grow.
2. I understand the confusion. I don’t know everything about the topic. I still have unanswered questions.
3. If this is about me judging you, then you can judge me, therefore I want to each judge ourselves. I know we all fall short. I want to be holy. I am seeking to be more so in my life.
4. My duty is preach the whole of God’s word. I am compelled to do this. I desire to speak the truth in love.

What we agree on.
1. The Bible condemns drunkenness.
a. I Cor 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man called a brother be a….drunkard
b. Gal 5:19-21 listed in the works of the flesh
c. Ephesians 5:18 Don’t be drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit.

2. People both in the Bible and today still get drunk.
a. Noah (Gen 9) got drunk and God was displeased
b. Lot was made drunk by his daughter’s in order that they might get pregnant. ( Gen 19)
c. David tries to get Uriah drunk in order to cover up his sin.

3. Alcohol causes a lot of harm to many people.
a. From 2001–2005, there were approximately 79,000 deaths annually attributable to excessive alcohol use. In fact, excessive alcohol use is the 3rd leading lifestyle-related cause of death for people in the United States each year
b. In the single year 2005, there were over 1.6 million hospitalizations3 and over 4 million emergency room visits for alcohol-related conditions.
c. Unintentional injuries, including traffic injuries, falls, drownings, burns and unintentional firearm injuries.7

d. Violence, including intimate partner violence and child maltreatment. About 35% of victims report that offenders are under the influence of alcohol.8 Alcohol use is also associated with 2 out of 3 incidents of intimate partner violence.8 Studies have also shown that alcohol is a leading factor in child maltreatment and neglect cases, and is the most frequent substance abused among these parents.9

e. Risky sexual behaviors, including unprotected sex, sex with multiple partners, and increased risk of sexual assault. These behaviors can result in unintended pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.10,11

4. Alcohol can be used as a medicine.
a. Alcohol is an antiseptic
b. Alcohol is a pain killer
c. It is a positive agent in cleansing water to drink
d. I read a lot of reports and here is what I found. At most 1 drink a day was sometimes found helpful.
e. It was also found to be productive of many negative results.

What is the primary question?
1. How much alcoholic beverage can the Christian drink without sinning?
2. If there is a rule or standard then what are the exceptions to the rule.

Why is there confusion?
1. When we hear wine we always think of an alcoholic drink which could cause drunkenness.
a. The word wine in the Bible was not used in this way. There are multiple words in both the old and New Testament translated Wine. While some of these more commonly refered to alcoholic wine, there is room for discussion about every word.

2. The fact that the Bible both condemns and extols wine.
i. Wine is a good product of the land Deut 11:14; 16:13; 33: 28
ii. A drink which “cheereth God and men.” Judges 9:13
iii. A substance which makes glad the heart. Ps 104:14
iv. It is called a blessing Isaiah 65:8

b. It is condemened
i. It is called the “Poison of dragons and venom of asps” Deut 32:31
ii. It is called a “mocker” and “raging.” Prov. 20:1
iii. The cause of poverty, woe, and sorrow, contentions, babblings, and wounds without cause.” Prov. 23:19, 29
iv. It “bites like a serpent” and stings like and adder.” Prov. 23:32
v. It will inflame Isaiah 54:121
vi. By it we err. Isaiah 28:7 and transgress Hab 2:5

3. The belief that wine couldn’t be preserved without becoming alcoholic.
a. This is a widespread misconception
b. There were many ways that the ancients knew of preserving wine without it becoming an intoxicant.
i. Thickened to a high sugar content
ii. Kept in a spring at a cool temperature
iii. Sulphur was used to kill the natural yeasts.
4. The strongest argument for drinking wine is that Jesus drank it
a. What did he drink?
i. We know contextually that nothing in the Lord’s supper feast was alcoholic. The textual usage of fruit of the vine
ii. The strongest and most often quoted discussion is that of John 2:1 -10
1. Remember that we cannot hardly help but think of alcoholic wine when we read the word.
2. We think of a feast or celebration and we think of again alcoholic drink.
3. We read what the master of the feast said and again we think of the aged wine in regards to which is best.
iii. Why this wine wasn’t a wine of strong alcoholic content.
1. We know the guests had consumed all the drink available.
a. The master of the feast even used the phrase well drunk
b. This didn’t necessarily imply drunkenness but fullness in quantity which could imply drunkenness.
2. Habakkuk 2:15 says it is wrong to give a neighbor drink in order to get him drunk.
3. If these people had drunk until full then Jesus in supplying more alcohol to them would be promoting drunkenness, and endorsing sin.
4. Therefore It was not strong drink that Jesus provided.
5. It is my conclusion that the Bible
a. Condemns drunkenness
b. Condemns strong drink
i. Wine is paired with strong drink 13 times in the old Testament.
ii. Most of those text either forbid or speak unfavorably of the two together.
iii. ISBE says the strong drink spoken of here was most likely similar to beer.
c. Since the Bible Condemns drunkenness and strong drink. We should avoid anything so classified in the Bible.