Saturday 7th December 2019 Prayer Devotion
Scripture Reading:- John 2:1-11
Topic:- Can Christian Take Alcohol [1]
Text:- 1 Corinthians 11:25
A. Are believers in Christ outrightly forbidden from drinking alcohol or not? Is the intake of alcohol a sin or not? These are questions that have been settled in scriptures.
To take or not to take is a matter of personal conviction and decision, which in turn, may depend on certain other reasons such as those bothering on etiquette or health. If you don’t drink at all, good and fine. If your conviction is ‘no drinking of alcohol’ or total abstinence, please abstain. Federal Government Law of Nigeria in against it for under 18th years.
Paul, the Apostle, scolded the Corinthian brethren for gluttony and getting drunk in Church during Holy Communion. See 1 Corinthians 11:20-22.
Not only did Jesus turn water into wine, He also drank wine with “sinners” (tax collectors). The Pharisees accused Him of gluttony and labelled Him a winebibber (a drunkard) and accused him of “unequally yoking” with sinners. See Matthew 11:16-19; 26:29; Mark 9:10;Luke 7:35; John 2:1-11.
Furthermore, the ceremonial consumption of wine is part of Jewish religious rites. Wine drinking was commanded as an integral part of festival tithes. See Deuteronomy 14:22-29; Colossians 2:16-18; Malachi 3:8-10.
B. 75 Biblical Truth About Alcohol:
1. Noah became drunk, the result was immorality and family trouble. See Genesis 19:20-26.
2. Lot was so drunk he did not know what he was doing; this led to immorality. See Genesis 19:30-38.
3. God commanded priests not to drink so that they could tell the difference betweenthe holy and the unholy. See Leviticus 10:9-11.
4. The Nazarites were told to eat or drink nothing from the grape vine. See Numbers 6:3.
5,6,7. See Deuteronomy 21:20; 29:5-6; 32:33.
8. Samson was to be a Nazarite for life. His mother was told not to drink wine or strong drink. See Judges 13:4,7,14.
9. Accused, Hannah said she drank no wine. See 1 Samuel 1:14-15.
10. Nabal died after a drunken spree. See 1 Samuel 25:32-38.
11. By getting Uriah drunk, David hoped to cover his sin. See 2 Samuel 11:13.
12. Amnon was drunk when he was killed. See 2 Samuel 13:28-29.
13. The king was drinking himself into drunkenness when he was assassinated. See 1 Kings 16:8-10.
14. Ben-Hadad and 32 other kings were drinking when they were attacked and defeated by the Israelites. See 1 Kings 20:12-21.
15. The king gave each one all the drink he wanted. The king was intoxicated when he commanded the queen to come. See Esther 1:5-12.
16. The Lord’s anger is pictured as mixed wine poured out and drunk by the wicked. See Psalm 75:8.
17. Alcoholic drink is called the wine of violence. See Proverbs 4:17.
18. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging. See Proverbs 20:1.
19. A wise person will not be among the drinkers of alcoholic beverages. See Proverbs 23:19-20.
20. Drunkenness causes poverty. See Proverbs 23:21.
21. Drinking causes woe, sorrow, fighting, babbling, wounds without cause and red eyes. See Proverbs 23:29-30.
22. God instructs not to look at intoxicating drinks. See Proverbs 23:31.
23. Alcoholic drinks bite like a serpent, sting like an adder. See Proverbs 23:32.
24. Alcohol causes the drinker to have strange and adulterous thoughts, produces willfulness, and prevents reformation. See Proverbs 23:33.
25. Alcohol makes the drinker unstable. See Proverbs 23:34.
26. Alcohol makes the drinker insensitive to pain so he does not perceive it as a warning. Alcohol is habit forming. See Proverbs 23:35.
27. Kings, Princes, and others who rule and judge must not drink alcohol. Alcohol perverts good judgment. See Proverbs 31:4-5.
28. Strong drink could be given to those about to perish or those in pain. Better anesthetics are available today. See Proverbs 31:6-7.
29. The king tried everything, including intoxicating drink, to see if it satisfied. It did not. See Ecclesiastes 2:3; 12:8.
30. A land is blessed when its leaders do not drink. See Ecclesiastes 10:17.
Prayer Point:- I refuse to go to hell because of what I drink and eat henceforth by fire, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Have A Blessed Saturday! www.timogundelejesu.com
