Ephesians 5:18 – Household Words:

Give Alcohol to the Man Without Hope. Proverbs 31:4–7.

Photo above: New York City Deputy Police Commissioner John A. Leach (right) watching agents pour liquor into the sewer following a raid, c. 1920. New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC-USZ62-123257) Please allow me to speak from personal opinion on the matter of drinking. First, IContinue reading “Give Alcohol to the Man Without Hope. Proverbs 31:4–7.”

Spirits and the Spirit. Habakkuk 2:4-5

I read an interesting pair of lines today: “The righteous one will live by his faith, Moreover, wine betrays.” Habakkuk 2:4-5. Will you walk by faith, or will you be powered by alcohol—which will betray you? I have read Habakkuk a dozen times, but never caught this. It reminds me of another interesting passage: “DoContinue reading “Spirits and the Spirit. Habakkuk 2:4-5”

Wine is for “Losers”

Remember Prohibition? One hundred years ago, reformers won passage of a Constitutional Amendment prohibiting the sale of alcohol in all fifty states. Thirteen years later that amendment was repealed. But the Temperance movement had an impact. Churches and families once neutral about drinking took a stand against it. Why? Because alcohol hurt families. The stereotypeContinue reading “Wine is for “Losers””

Fasting is the Antidote to Indulgence. Ephesians 5:18.

Aristotle spoke of “the Golden Mean,” a balance between extremes. He exalted courage, for example, considering it the midpoint between fear and recklessness. He might look for a balance between spending nothing and spending too much, or between consuming entertainment and doing something creative yourself. Trouble is, for centuries Christians have taken Greek ideas andContinue reading “Fasting is the Antidote to Indulgence. Ephesians 5:18.”

Be Not Drunk With Spirits, But Filled With the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18.

Few subjects in America are more controversial than alcohol. It is not so in Europe. C.S. Lewis spoke often of “having a pint.” He saw no problem with drinking. But 100 years after Prohibition, Americans remain divided. We outlawed the sale of liquor to address a serious problem. Then we made it legal again becauseContinue reading “Be Not Drunk With Spirits, But Filled With the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18.”