Alcoholics Anon – SCJ teaching about Wine: Part 1

The ancient topic of wine has always brought on many a heated debate in society, especially religious society. Is drinking “Godly”? Didn’t Jesus encourage it at that one party? or was that not really the same kind of wine we know today? Was it really wine or was it grape juice?

 

 

How much wine should we really drink? [Eph 5:18 , Prv 23:19-30] With the untrained knowledge [Job 32:83, Psalm 119:73, Prov 20:24] one could easily assume that we should just stay away from wine altogether, and I know many Christians who prefer to do this, as the line is so very blurred today as to what exactly is okay and what isn’t. However, instead of just avoiding the topic or the complications of having to answer clearly regarding what God’s word truly says, wouldn’t it be wise to understand fully. We are told in 1 Pet 3:15-16 that we should be able to give an answer to anyone who asks us about the reason for our faith – and that includes our actions and knowledge as well, as we know that faith, knowledge and actions are all directly related.

So, jokes aside, why did Jesus turn water into wine at a wedding celebration (Jn 2)? How does this line up with what it tells us about not drinking wine or being drunk?… Colossians 2:16 says: Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day – this raises another interesting side to the story.

The Lord clearly gives us warning against the dysfunctional problem of being “drunk”, but then in the same book, the book that he wrote to teach us about him, and to lead us back to him, he says that he himself will drink wine in God’s kingdom, Mt 26:29. Does this mean God is contradicting himself? Is God one to change his mind, is he a liar, or does he perhaps suffer from the human disease of amnesia? This is certainly not the case, as we all know (Num 23:19, 2 Tim 2:13, Mal 3:6, 1 Sam 15:29). Yet it still begs the question… what is God really telling us?

Let’s think about this logically for a moment, since our God is after all a God of order, and logic as clearly visible through this creation (Rom 1:20, Job 25:2).
Since God is love and his ways are higher than our (Is 55:8-9), we need to delve a little bit deeper into his word and obtain the true understanding of the meaning behind his teachings to become more like him.(Jn 1:1) We need to understand what Our Father God is showing us through his parables and promises, through the secrets that he has hidden in the word (Mt 13:11). Don’t you agree?
 

 So, then what is WINE? and why is drinking such a controversial topic in Christianity…?
A good place to start when trying to understand wine, would be the looking at its origin. Where does wine come from?
GRAPES!! which, of course, are FRUIT that grow from the branches of a VINES.

Jn 15:1~6: I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine-dresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

Jesus refers to himself as the TRUE VINE. First off How can a person be a vine? Also how can He bear fruit? Clearly this is figurative, but then what is the true meaning of it all? This is the time today in which we can come to understand these things clearly, just as jesus promised us we would be able to in John 16:25

“Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father.”

Here are the questions… I’m sure you would have had no problem coming up with enough questions of your own, all on your own. But it is today, with the testimony of our promised servant of God, Chairman Lee Man Hee, that we can clearly understand the answers to all of our seemingly unending list of questions.

 Please check in again, as we will go through the answers to these questions, step by step. I pray that god would give us all eyes to see and ears to hear what he has to say to the churches and his children in this generation.  A good place to consider when answering these questions about wine is at the Parable of the Tenants in Matthew 21:33-46, Mark 12:1-12 and Luke 20:9-19. Give this parable some of your time and attention, read through it, and lets answer our questions concerning our Father in heaven, and his plan for us, by always using God’s word of truth.

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