On The 5th Day of Christmas, the Lord Revealed To Me ......

..... that we are to be filled with the Spirit, not filled with distilled spirits.

One of the reasons Eggnog is so popular this time of the year is that so many people like it as a mixer for Bourbon or some other form of alcohol. This season of the year (with all the secular parting that goes on) is yet another excuse for many to rationlize drinking. They say they are "getting in the spirit".

What does the Bible have to say about this? Let's look.

Ephesians 5:15-18
"15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Wherefore be you not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit."

Luke 1:15 (referring to John The Baptist)
"For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb."

Proverbs 20:1
"Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."

Proverbs 23:31-32
"31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! 32 In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper."

Romans 14:21
"It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak."

Clearly, the bible position is not to intake wine in excess. However, the law of love in Romans 14:21 says we should not even take any wine or drink it if will offend or cause a brother to stumble.

A bigger concern though is not those who are drinking in excess but those who have a lack of the Holy Spirit in them. For if we are filled with the Holy Spirit, there would be no room for these distilled spirits. People drink to cope with problems and stresses. Life is stressful and everyone needs something to ease the pain. We should be seeking God and His Spirit to help ease our pain rather than seeking the temporary pain relief of "happiness in a bottle".

I am going to say this as plainly as I can say it, as though God was speaking Himself, (which He is through me right now) and I make absolutely no apology for it. If you have to drink anything alcoholic at all, you are not filled with the Holy Spirit. I don't care what kind of title you hold, how spiritual you think you are, or if you have been to 10 different seminary schools. If you are TRULY filled with God's Spirit, you will not desire the distilled spirits at all. It's that plain and that simple. If you disagree with that you are either in denial or a liar. I am not saying if you drink that you aren't saved and that you don't have the Holy Spirit in you at all. I am saying you are not FILLED with the Holy Spirit and this is an area that you need to surrender to God and let Him reign in you.

I would ask that the next time you feel stressed, don't reach for the bottle... reach for the Bible and let the Spirit of God fill you, not a distilled spirit. We should be less concerned about getting deeper into the Holiday spirit and more concerned about getting deeper into God's Holy Spirit or better said... getting God's Holy Spirit in us more deeply.