I would like to take just a moment to spell out my ever-evolving beliefs I find to be the most pressing in my life currently.
CHRISTIANITY I believe in God the Father, The Holy Spirit, and His Son, Jesus Christ who came and shed his blood for the remission of my own sins, as well as the worlds. It is as much a personal thing as it is universal.
THE HOLY BIBLE I believe in the stories told from the beginning with Adam and Eve clear through to the book of Revelation. I believe all of it. I also believe there are misinterpretations peppered throughout the Protestant movement. This isn’t said to discount those things, but merely to say that there are portions of the Bible that are subject to a person’s interpretation.
For example, I have a big problem with the Council of Nicea, centuries after the resurrection of Christ, and them using their [flawed] judgment to determine whether or not I should take a piece of ancient scripture as divine or not. Where are these books? Can I read them for myself and make my own determinations of what is and is not “valid” in the Kingdom of God?
ALCOHOL Ah, this is a very touch one, especially amongst Pentecostals. I believe Jesus drank wine, not grape juice, but fermented delicious wine. Observe:
Luke 7:33-34
Because John the Baptist has come neither eating bread nor drinking wine, yet you say, ‘He has a demon!’ 34The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look! He’s a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!
I would love for anyone to please comment on this particular section. Because to me, it is obvious by this scripture that Jesus drank wine. Why can’t so many ‘old-timers’ understand this? The only thing I can come up with is that they were “raised that way”. The problem with this logic is that many white supremacists were raised to be full of hate toward anyone not white. So we shouldn’t say anything because they were just “raised that way.” Nope, I don’t believe that. I am a truth seeker. I don’t want to just believe something because it’s the way I was brought up. There is truth and I intend to find it, and to do so you must question things. Something many in places of authority in the Christian realm strongly dislike.
I’ll admit that this one sounds like a nice big rationalization for me drinking. And while it does serve purpose for me to “defend” myself, it should also be a wake up call to stubborn Christians believing something because it’s simply what was taught and not what they studied and read for themselves. I see the merit in not drinking excessively, but to tell someone that it is forbidden is Pharisaical. More souls are lost in a battle over the small details that didn’t seem important enough for Jesus to spend much time on, if any at all.
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01.27.2009 @ 5:49 pm
Hey D…..It’s not what goes in the mouth that defiles a man, but rather what comes out of it. I believe that many Christians will focus their attention on particular “sins” and basically prioritize one sin over another making some sins greater than others. We ALL have sinned and ALL fall short of the righteousness of God and ALL of OUR righteousness is as filthy rags (check out the real translation of what these filthy rags are) but we as modern day Christians tend to place some sins “higher” than others on God’s totem pole of what is the most “bad” with our world and the sins that so easily beset us. Love ya bro.
01.28.2009 @ 9:36 pm
Hey Daniel,
I get these kinds of things (blogs) sent to me all the time. In all honesty, I usually just read them and don’t ever bother to respond. But I have to say…. the level and degree of honesty and transparency that you have stuck your neck out on this subject is incredible to me to say the least, (to be willing to subject yourself to such scrutiny by the church). It really impressed me. So, I’m going to respond to this one.
I agree completely with both you and “Hot Dog’s” blog above, 100%.
Gee, I wonder what Jesus and his 12 pillars of the ancient church were drinking at the table at last supper itself? Kool Aide? Please. The Bible tells us exactly what it was….. it was real, authentic, genuine, fermented wine, made from grapes. I doubt very seriously that as the wine goblet was making it’s way around the table that night, that the reaction of the desciples was, “Oh no thank you Jesus… I’m really sorry….. But I’m afraid I’m going to have to pass on taking this final communion with you. I couldn’t possibly partake in drinking such a sinful drink with you!”
And what in the world could Jesus have been thinking in trying to coax and get them all into partaking such a sinful drink with him on their last night together? Had Jesus finally fallen? Was it a glass of wine that finally got him, that finally did him in? Please. But if a minister was caught today drinking a glass of wine, it would be a huge scandal/issue in the church. First he would be asked to step down from his position in the church and told he couldn’t lead again until he agreed to be entered into a man made “spiritual restoration program” developed by the church.
But they can’t say that Jesus sinned, can they? Saying that would just discredit everything that their savior stands for, right? So since they know can’t go there (it’s too taboo of a subject that they know they can’t justify to themselves or to others) they just ignore the part that Jesus drank wine and completely go around it. Rather, they just religiously use it to attack others in the church if they are caught drinking and then heap condemnation all over them for not living up to their “man made” church bylaws and standards.
So these people in the church who do drink (and I know of many including ministers, and so do you?) just end up hiding it. Because they know if they are caught, they will be immediately labled as “hypocrites” in the church.
So “what” is the truth real about it? And “who” is being the real hypocrites about it?
Obviously, Jesus did drink real wine (not a grape juice substitute or Kool Aide) and it was not a sin, or he wouldn’t have drank it.
So here is my take:
Why is it —— that we can have such a deep, personal, intimate, and completely transparent relationship with the absolutely perfect, sinless, God Almighty Himself, in all of His holiness, who loves us and accepts us for exactly “who we are,” “and where we are at” completely unconditionally, whether we’ve had a glass of wine or not, despite knowing all of our sins and shortcomings; And yet, in the church …. with all of our fellow sinners saved by grace (just like us) which also include BTW the pastors, church leaders. we have to hide things about ourselves for fear of the condemnation they will heap upon us?
How is it that Jesus who is perfect can accept us for who we are, but they who are not perfect can’t until we can prove to them we can live up to their man made church bylaws and standards?
So who is the real hypocrites here? Where does the hypocrisy lye in this subject? The Christian brother and sister who will drink a glass of wine here or there (which Jesus did not condemn, but even drank wine himself)? Or is it in the judging, condemning, whispering, backbiting and gossiping hearts of the church leaders who caught the brother or sister drinking a glass of wine?
I’ve sat in churches for years listening to people (including pastors) getting up in front of churches, proclaiming and trying to impress everybody else with stuff like, “My wife’s lips…. have never touched or tasted from a glass of wine” or some kind of self-exalting garbage like that. It’s like they are trying to convince themselves and others that they have achieved some form of self-holiness over all of the rest of us or something. And these are the very same people that are always the quickest and the very first, to jump out and judge, condemn, whisper, backbite and gossip to others in the church about, a brother or sister they know of that is in such need of “repentance” and an such an excellent candidate to be enrolled into their “spiritual restoration program” they are personally overseeing i the church. Please.
I’m ashamed I’ve spent years of my life behind closed doors with those kind of people in church helping them build up and supporting their so called “restoration programs” they’ve formulated for other people who they feel aren’t living up to their level of personal self-holiness they believe they have achieved about themselves.
Now days Daniel, I’d rather sit down at the table with a brother at a meal in their home even if I knew they were going to be drinking a glass of wine with their dinner, than spending it sitting around a bunch of self-righteous hypocrites tables behind closed doors gossiping with them about all of the shortcomings they see in others in the church. All the while patronizing on another about their self-perceived holiness levels about themselves that they think they have achieved as a result of all of their marvelous personal works they’ve done around the church, over the years. They can have those tables.
02.12.2009 @ 1:46 pm
Here’s my take on the whole thing..first, our entrusting our life to Christ. I’ll address evangelism and our “witness” in a moment but first to my personal choices in terms of my “walk” with Christ. First and foremost, I can’t believe how freaking blessed I am on a daily basis. Because I know who I am, where I’ve been and what I’ve done…and Christ loves me anyway. Loved me enough to die for me, to literally ask God to forgive ME (yes all sinners were included in that “forgive them speech on the cross”). On top of that He feeds me every day, warns me, instructs, disciplines…it is just an amazing thing to know that the creator of all things has time for me. I say all that to say this, I don’t judge anyone…as Paul said I don’t even judge myself. And I know that through His word He makes it plain to us that God knows who we are, what we’re capable of, and HE will judge us according to that knowledge.
Now does that mean that we can participate in the current American Mantra of “it’s not my fault, I had this crummy life, poor examples, no chance, I’m WEAK, etc.”? Think again folks. Joseph’s own family conspired against him, when he landed in a cushy place, once again it was pulled out from under him..and then even forgotten (initially) by folks that he helped. But the reality that hit me the other day was this…If all those things hadn’t happened, if the guy’s wife hadn’t yelled rape he wouldn’t have been in the “right place at the right time”, and honestly those experiences prepared him for leadership. REAL LEADERSHIP…you know humble, and the one who realizes that true leadership is really service to others. Again, as I continue to ramble, my point is this…for me personally, I’m so jazzed that I am allowed to serve at the pleasure of the Lord Jesus Christ everyday, I don’t need the other crap in my life. I’m high on the fact that I am able to be used by Him, for Him to bring others TO Him.
NOW, to the rocks flying at other Christians (cause that is how all this read), take heed my friends..you are now as guilty as they. How on earth do we expect the world to look to our Lord as a Savior, when His people are busy doing the work of Satan by destroying the testimony of His Church! I’ll tell you this, if you will focus on living the life that God called you to live –it is explicit in the bible. Living with integrity, honestly, kindness, compassion…you might not have time to pick up all those rocks. Because I fail at it every day, and know it is a full time job serving him with dignity, humilty and humor………….
02.16.2009 @ 4:33 pm
I’m with you - Jesus drank wine. In fact, I’m convinced life is better with wine. The problem is in gluttony - losing control.
06.23.2009 @ 5:15 pm
Eat Shit
[**above is the original comment** I just wanted to take time to thank Jesus for personally taking time to comment on my blog. Honestly, I'm kind of worried if Jesus would instruct me to do such a thing. But that's what we drone Christians do. If we get something from God@gmail.com we take it literally as a sign from God himself, so I just may be so crazy as to actually "eat shit". I mean, that's what we insane Christians do right?]