Recently, a couple of members from our church asked some good questions during a Weds. night meeting--"What does the Bible say about alcohol" and "Is it wrong to pray for financial gain?"
I like the challenge of questions like these because it gives us Christians an opportunity to go to God's Word, the only authority, and see what it says about very real issues we face today. Here are the verses I shared with them and I hope it will be helpful to you as well. Acts 17:11 -Barry
ALCOHOL & DRINKING CONSIDERED FROM SCRIPTURE
It is not wise.
Proverbs 20:1
1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
Warnings against
Proverbs 23:29-35
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
30 Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine.
31 Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.
32 In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.
33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things.
34 You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast.
35 They struck me," you will say, "but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink."
Clouds judgment
Proverbs 31:4-5
4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink,
5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
Medicinal use
Proverbs 31:6
6 Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress;
1 Timothy 5:23
23 (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) [this was a note from Paul to Timothy]
It is better to be filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 5:18
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
IS IT WRONG TO PRAY FOR FINANCIAL GAIN?
Consider these Scriptures.
It is wrong to love money but money itself is not evil.
1 Timothy 6:10
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Are we asking for selfish reasons or for God’s purposes?
James 4:3
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
Jesus answers every prayer according to His will
John 15:7
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
Seek God first and He will honor you.
Matthew 6:33
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
We are to pray for daily provision.
Matthew 6:11
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
We are to invest what God gives us for His kingdom. Whoever is faithful with little will be given more
Matthew 25:14-30
Parable of the Talents
God provides for His children, in general.
Psalm 37:25
25 I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread.
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8 comments:
Sorry, this is not related to the current post but I wanted to comment on the fact that you said on Ray Comfort's blog that you are a Young Earth Creationist who believes the Earth is only 6,000 years old.
My reaction is pretty simple: how can you deny reality and then pretend to be a Christian?
You need to embrace reality first to understand the complex world we live in and try to come close to an understanding of what God is.
By denying what scientific means can tell us about the world, you throw away part of what being a human means, and I find this terrible.
God bless
i aM aLso a "YouNG Earth BelieveR''
i aM saVinG youR coMMenTs oN AlcohoL & MoNeY...
ThanK yoU ..
KeeP thE FaiTh†
You seem to omit certain parts of scripture that have to do with wine. What about Jesus turning water into wine?
Hi Anonymous,
In answer to your question, I am not leaving certain scriptures out. Yes, Jesus turned water to wine. Now, does that negate anything said by the other scriptures I shared, or for that matter the titles I put above them? I would submit to you that all of Scripture is the Word of God (2Tim 3:16.) What are the implications of Jesus turning water to wine? Are you now saying that Jesus endorses drunkenness or just drinking of alcohol? Did Jesus turn water into vodka, everclear, wine coolers, a 6 pack for each person? Think carefully about what the Scriptures do say and then how that truth should affect your life. You may be tempted to start with emotion or experience and then twist Scripture to fit that. God bless.
"Yes, Jesus turned water to wine. Now, does that negate anything said by the other scriptures I shared, or for that matter the titles I put above them?"
I think it does. If "whoever is led astray by it is not wise", then it seems a little unfair for Jesus to put temptation in someone's way. Isn't that what Satan does? Or is it another one of God's little tests?
PuritySeeker,
obviously this post is not about the age of the earth, it is about Alcohol and Money. But I stand behind my belief that the earth is relatively young (about 6000 old) based on the chrono-genealogies of the Bible, the clear meaning in Hebrew in Gen. 1, and that Jews & Christians have NEVER held to an old earth view until the mid 1800s. How do we know what truth is apart from God revealing it in the Bible? I get my info about origins from Someone who was an eyewitness. Where do you get your truth from? from others? from your senses? Read Genesis 27 and see how all of Isaac's senses (taste, touch, smell, hearing, seeing) failed him and he blessed Jacob instead. You claim to be a Christian so how did you learn about Christ? from scientists? No, the Bible. You came to the truth through it so why do you now turn your back on it?
Supertec,
Good question. Consider the following: James 1:13-15 "Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death."
What do you think, Supertec? I've noticed that people are eager to blame God for anything bad (even if He is not the source) but are hesitant to give Him credit for anything good. What are your thoughts?
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