Absolutely! Christ changed water into wine at the wedding feast, presented wine at the last supper, Ecclesiastes 9:7 instructs “drink wine with a merry heart.” Psalm 104:14-15 states that God gives wine “that makes glad the heart of men.” Amos 9:14 discusses drinking wine from your own vineyard as a sign of God’s blessing. Isaiah 55:11 encourages “yes, come buy wine and milk…” In New Testament times, the water was not very clean. Without modern sanitation efforts, the water was often filled with bacteria, viruses, and all kinds of contaminants. The same is true in many third-world countries today. As a result, people often drank wine because it was far less likely to be contaminated. My tap water tastes terrible!! In Mathew 26:29 Jesus states. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.” This indicates his intention to consume wine in the future. Alcohol, consumed in small quantities, is neither harmful or addictive. In fact, some doctors advocate drinking small amounts of red wine for its health benefits, especially for the heart. Consumption of small quantities of alcohol is a matter of christian freedom. Drunkenness and addiction are supposedly the sin. However, due to the biblical concerns regarding alcohol and its effects, the easy temptation to over-consumption of alcohol, and the possibility of causing offense to others – it is best for christians to abstain from drinking alcohol. Not professing any christian denomination, I have no recriminations. Life is more enjoyable with wine, women and song and so I want as much as I can get in the consideration that amassing great wealth is much harder for me to achieve as is the abstinence of life's pleasures. Those that live to the fullest and those that deny themselves for their spiritual sake all wind up in the same place, in fact some are buried right next to each other at the cemetery.
I guess we failed to fulfill your desire for meaningful dialog concerning the original post. However, if I rightly recall, somewhere Jesus explains that it is forgivable to deny Him but not the Holy Spirit, which is interpreted by many in many differing ways. I would take it that there is more emphasis put on the Holy Spirit as that is the well spring from which Jesus drew his spirituality. My belief in the energy that exists in the cosmos as the very essence of all living things may very well be the biblical Holy Spirit. Call it what you like, but I do recognize it as a force in my life, the one that tells me not to worry about anything. On Dec 25, 3:57 pm, frantheman <[email protected]> wrote: > Is there something significant about a thread that started with > meeting Christ evolving into a discussion on alcohol consumption? :-) > Cheers! > > Francis > > On 25 Dez., 22:39, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I don't get any better for months off the stuff, so it's nice to have > > a few Jenko-style from time to time. I'm on flat Vimto tonight, > > writing up a boring business course. Might finish in time for a > > boxing day blitz and raise a real glass in the metaphorical direction > > of you guys. > > > On 25 Dec, 21:20, Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > The piano has been drinking... > > > > ...not me. > > > > Happy holidays, mates. I like to pull a few back from time to time. > > > There's really no rhyme or reason to it. Sometimes it may be three four > > > nights in a row, sometimes it may be weeks in between. I don't worry I > > > might have a problem if I'm drinking more frequently than some other > > > time...everything moves in cycles. > > > > At least, for me... > > > > [ Attached Message ]From:Slip Disc <[email protected]>To:"\"Minds Eye\"" > > > <[email protected]>Date:Thu, 25 Dec 2008 10:00:47 -0800 > > > (PST)Local:Thurs 25 Dec 2008 18:00Subject:[Mind's Eye] Re: Has anyone > > > else met Christ? > > > > I guess I'm lucky in the sense that I can still down a good bottle of > > > wine, sometimes one a day for a few days if I'm free to do whatever I > > > want. I don't really have any problem (typical response I know) but > > > of course the alcohol content will vary from 12 to 14 % which makes a > > > difference on the degree of inebriation. I mainly focus on having > > > plenty of good food to go along with the spirits. I find cheese to be > > > a great help so I usually put in a small pizza for consumption once I > > > feel the effects are getting stronger than me. Sometimes I'll fix up a > > > tray of nacho chips with refried beans, gobs of monterey jack cheese > > > and slices of jalapeno pepper. umm good. Then there is my all time > > > get drunk food, fettuccine alfredo with extra gratings of romano > > > cheese or a hot dish of fresh cheese ravioli if I feel up to boiling > > > water. Getting hungry mates? Basically the food gets me through well, > > > so I wake up feeling fine in the mornings and I stick to pasta, bread > > > and cheese meals. > > > > I feel worrying about your health is bad for your health. We're all > > > going to go someday, somehow so why worry. > > > > I don't have a drinking problem. I drink, get drunk, fall down, No > > > Problem! When I worked overtime I insisted on "Time and a Fifth". > > > Actually the only problem I have with alcohol is that it sometimes > > > causes an influx in the time-space continuum, whereby small (and > > > sometimes large) gaps of time seem to literally disappear. > > > > I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy. > > > -- > > > Tom Waits > > > Always remember that I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has > > > taken out of me. > > > > --Winston Churchill > > > "I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the > > > morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day." > > > -- > > > Frank Sinatra > > > You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on. > > > > --Dean Martin > > > Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is > > > beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but > > > the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza. > > > > --Dave Barry > > > You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It > > > helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear > > > weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. > > > > --Frank Zappa > > > Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed. > > > Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery > > > and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn't drink this beer, they > > > might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say > > > to myself, "It is better that I drink this beer and let their dreams > > > come true than be selfish and worry about my liver." > > > -- > > > Jack Handy > > > > Happy Holidays!!! > > > Just laugh it off friends. > > > > Slip {;-) > > > > A drunk was walking through the woods when he found a skull. The first > > > thing He did was call the police. But then He got curious about it. He > > > picked it up, and started wondering who this person was, and why this > > > person had deer horns. > > > > On Dec 25, 9:26 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > My mate Gulchan never drinks a drop - he can appear to be as zonked as > > > > the rest of us (symbolic interactionism?), then shake his head and > > > > become the best dedicated driver of all time. Religion has its uses! > > > > I feel like going out for one now - my local is open Xmas day, but > > > > what kind of other saddoes will be in the pub? Sue has never really > > > > regained the taste for booze since her chemo 6 years back. I was > > > > drinking pretty heavily 10 years back, but have felt much less need to > > > > since being diagnosed diabetic - now it's less drink itself than > > > > wanting company - pathetic really as the company "turns me to drink". > > > > Getting rid of many of the bad things jobwise, partnerwise (still > > > > regret I couldn't do more be it was too dangerous to stay) and some > > > > kind of control of the diabetes have made me less inclined to want to > > > > be blotted out. Pubs themsleves have made things easier - they are > > > > nearly all crap. Chocolate is frankly harder to dispense with! I got > > > > round to "mostly Friday" drinking a long time ago, but even this is > > > > beyond me really. I put weight on when I give up completely. Chaz > > > > will have to forgive me for laughing my socks off at the thought of "a > > > > puzzling little red wine"! I suspect we have all had a few bottles of > > > > that long before disease got to us! > > > > > On 25 Dec, 12:36, chazwin <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > I haven't had a drop for 3 months as I have been robbed of my taste > > > > > buds and find the taste of fine red wine rather puzzling. The same > > > > > goes for chocolate too. > > > > > > On Dec 24, 11:21 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > You filthy heretic Chaz! To a man who has run out of booze at 45 > > > > > > minutes to Xmas, waiting for the man that can turn water into wine, > > > > > > that amounts to telling kids santa has claws and only wears red to > > > > > > hide the blood stains. > > > > > > > On 24 Dec, 18:49, chazwin <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > I met Christ. He turned out to be a confidence trickster. > > > > > > > > On Dec 21, 10:00 pm, "Aaron Eel (Ehrin)" <[email protected]> > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > Have you been Born Again, I mean? If Christ hadn't come looking > > > > > > > > for me > > > > > > > > and reveled Himself to me, I probably would have gone through > > > > > > > > my life > > > > > > > > as an atheist. It would have all been too difficult to > > > > > > > > believe.- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > - Show quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
