I want to talk to you about something that might be hitting close to home: the struggle with alcohol. It can lead us down some pretty rough paths, hurting ourselves and those around us. It's important to really think about the ripple effect our choices have, you know? We have to own our actions.
If you're finding yourself in situations where alcohol is taking control, please know there's support out there. Don't hesitate to reach out and get the help you need to stay safe and healthy.
From my perspective, alcoholism, like any addiction, is a form of idolatry. Anything we turn to instead of God to fill that deep need in our hearts becomes an idol, and ultimately, a spiritual chain.
I want to share something that can truly set you free from this struggle. It's the power of Christ's blood. I believe it's strong enough to cleanse you, detoxify you, and make you a new person. There's real freedom waiting for you.
neither thieves, neither avaricious [or covetous] men, neither men full of drunkenness, neither cursers, neither raveners, shall wield the kingdom of God.
And do not ye be drunk of wine, in which is lechery [or is luxury], but be ye filled with the Holy Ghost;
Do not thou be in the feasts of drinkers, neither in the oft eatings of them, that bring together fleshes to eat.
Drunken men, wake ye, and weep; and yell ye, all that drink wine in sweetness; for it perished from your mouth.
For men giving attention to drinks, and giving morsels together, shall be wasted, and napping shall be clothed with clothes rent.
Be ye sober, and wake ye, for your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion goeth about, seeking whom he shall devour.
It is good to not eat flesh, and to not drink wine, neither in what thing thy brother offendeth, or is caused to stumble, or is made sick, [or unsteadfast].
If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just, that he forgive to us our sins, and cleanse us from all wickedness.
Behold thou not [the] wine, when it sparkleth, when the colour thereof shineth in a glass cup. It entereth sweetly,
They shall grope, as in darknesses, and not in light; and he shall make them to err as drunken men.
A! Lemuel, do not thou give wine to kings; for no privacy there is, where drunkenness reigneth.
Wine is a lecherous thing, and drunkenness is full of noise; whoever delighteth in these, shall not be wise.
and he said to her, How long shalt thou be drunken? Avoid thou a little the wine, by which thou art moist.
And the works of the flesh be open, which be fornication, unclean-ness, unchastity, lechery,Lo! I, Paul, say to you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall nothing profit to you.service of false gods [or serving of idols], witchcrafts, enmities, strivings [or strives], indignations, wraths, chidings, dissensions, sects [or heresies],envies, manslayings, drunkennesses, unmeasurable eatings [or gluttonies], and things like to these, which I say to you before, as I have told to you before, for they that do such things, shall not have the kingdom of God.
Woe to you that rise altogether early to follow drunkenness, and to drink till to eventide, that ye burn with wine.Harp, and gittern, and tympan, and pipe, and wine be in your feasts; and ye behold not the work of the Lord, neither ye behold the works of his hands.
Do not thou be in the feasts of drinkers, neither in the oft eatings of them, that bring together fleshes to eat.For men giving attention to drinks, and giving morsels together, shall be wasted, and napping shall be clothed with clothes rent.
To whom is woe? to whose father is woe? to whom be chidings? to whom be ditches? to whom be wounds without cause? to whom is putting out of eyes?desire thou not of his meats, in whom is the bread of lying.Whether not to them, that dwell in wine, and study to drink [up] all of cups?Behold thou not [the] wine, when it sparkleth, when the colour thereof shineth in a glass cup. It entereth sweetly,but at the last it shall bite as an adder, and as a cockatrice it shall shed abroad venoms.Thine eyes shall see strange women, and thy heart shall speak wayward things.And thou shalt be as a man sleeping in the midst of the sea, and as a governor asleeped [or sleeping], when the steering, either the instrument of governance, is lost.And thou shalt say, They beat me, but I had not sorrow; they drew me, and I feeled not; when shall I wake out, and I shall find wines again?
For the time that is passed is enough to the will of heathen men to be ended, which walked in lecheries, and lusts, in much drinking of wine, in unmeasurable [or oft] eatings, and drinkings, and unleaveful worshipping of maumets [or of idols].
Also it behooveth deacons to be chaste, not double-tongued, not given much to wine [or not given to much wine], not following foul winning;
A! Lemuel, do not thou give wine to kings; for no privacy there is, where drunkenness reigneth.Lest peradventure they drink, and forget dooms, and change the cause of the sons of a poor man.
for a cup of clean wine, full of meddling [or mingling], is in the hand of the Lord. And he bowed of this into that; nevertheless the dregs thereof is not diminished, either made less, for all [the] sinners of [the] earth shall drink thereof.
But take ye heed to yourselves, lest peradventure your hearts be grieved with gluttony, and drunken-ness, and busynesses of this life, and that day come suddenly on you;
As in [the] day wander we honestly, not in superfluous feasts [or in oft eatings], and drunkennesses, not in beds and unchastities, not in strife and in envy;but be ye clothed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and do ye not the busyness [or the cares] of flesh in desires.
But now I have written to you, that ye be not meddled, [or mingled, or commune not with such]. If he that is named a brother among you, and is a lecher, or covetous, or serving to idols, or a curser, or full of drunkenness, or a ravener, to take no meat with such.
Give ye cider to them that mourn, and wine to them that be of bitter soul.Drink they, and forget they their neediness; and think they no more on their sorrow.
envies, manslayings, drunkennesses, unmeasurable eatings [or gluttonies], and things like to these, which I say to you before, as I have told to you before, for they that do such things, shall not have the kingdom of God.
For they that sleep, sleep in the night, and they that be drunken, be drunken in the night.
Blessed is the land, whose king is noble; and whose princes eat in their time, to sustain their kind, and not to lechery.
They were troubled, and they were moved as a drunken man; and all the wisdom of them was devoured.
The parables of Solomon. A wise son maketh glad his father; but a fond [or foolish] son is the sorrow of his mother.
Thou hast made ready a board in my sight; against them that trouble me. Thou hast made fat mine head with oil; and my cup, that filleth greatly, is full clear.
I shall be exercised, either busily occupied, in thy behests; and I shall behold thy ways.
He that loveth chastising [or discipline], loveth knowing; but he that hateth blamings, is unwise.
That if that servant say in his heart, My lord tarrieth to come; and begin to smite children, and hand-maidens, and eat, and drink, and be filled [or full-filled] over-measure,the lord of that servant shall come, in the day that he hopeth not, and in the hour that he knoweth not, and shall part him, and put his part with unfaithful men.
For why the realm of God is not meat and drink, but rightwiseness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
for why each man before taketh his supper to eat, and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
Thou shalt spew out the meat, which thou hast eaten; and thou shalt lose thy fair words.
I thought in mine heart to withdraw my flesh from wine, that I should lead over my soul to wisdom, and that I would eschew folly, till I should see, what were profitable to the sons of men; in which deed the number of days of their life under the sun is needful.
Most dear, I beseech you, as comelings [or as guests], and pilgrims, to abstain you from fleshly desires, that fight against the soul;
Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunken men of Ephraim, and to the flower falling down of the glory of the full out joying thereof, that were in the top of the fattest valley, and erred of wine.For why command thou, command thou again; command thou, command thou again; abide thou, abide thou again; abide thou, abide thou again; a little there, a little there.For why in [the] speech of lip, and in other language, he shall speak to this people,to which he said, This is my rest; refresh ye a weary man, and this is my refreshing; and they would not hear.And the word of the Lord shall be to them, Send thou, send thou again; send thou, send thou again; abide thou, abide thou again; abide thou, abide thou again; a little there, a little there; that they go, and fall backward, and be all-broken, and be snared, and be taken.For this thing, ye men scorners, that be lords over my people which is in Jerusalem, hear the word of the Lord.For ye said, We have smitten a bond of peace with death, and we have made covenant with hell; a scourge flowing, when it shall pass, shall not come [up] on us, for we have set a leasing our hope, and we be covered with a leasing.Therefore the Lord God saith these things, Lo! I shall send in the foundaments of Zion a cornerstone precious, proved, founded in the foundament; he that believeth, shall not hasten.And I shall set doom in weight, and rightfulness [or rightwiseness] in measure; and hail shall destroy the hope of leasing, and waters shall flow on protection.And your bond of peace with death shall be done away, and your covenant with hell shall not stand; when the scourge flowing shall pass, ye shall be to it into defouling.Whenever it shall pass, it shall take away you; for why early in the gray morrowtide it shall pass, in day and night; and only travail alone shall give understanding to [the] hearing.Lo! the mighty and strong Lord, as the fierceness of hail, and whirlwind breaking altogether, as the fierceness of many waters flowing, and sent out on a large land.Forsooth the bed is strait, so that the tother fall down; and a short mantle shall not cover ever either.For as in the hill of partings [or divisions] the Lord shall stand, as in the valley, which is in Gibeon, he shall be wroth, that he do his work; his work alien [or alien is his work], that he work his work; his work is strange from him.And now do not ye scorn, lest peradventure your bonds be made strait together; for I heard of the Lord God of hosts, ending and abridging on all earth.Perceive ye with ears, and hear ye my voice; perceive ye, and hear ye my speech.Whether he that eareth, shall ear all day, for to sow, and shall he carve, and purge his land?Whether when he hath made even the face thereof, shall he not sow gith, and sprinkle abroad cumin? and he shall not set wheat by order, and barley, and millet, and fitches in his coasts?And his God shall teach him, in doom he shall teach him.Forsooth gith shall not be threshed in saws, and a wheel of a wain shall not compass on [the] cumin; but gith shall be beaten out with a rod, and [the] cumin with a staff.Soothly bread shall be made less, but he that thresheth shall not thresh it without end, neither shall travail it with a wheel of a wain, neither shall make it less with his claws.And this thing went out of the Lord God of hosts, that he should make wonderful counsel, and magnify rightfulness [or rightwiseness].The crown of pride of the drunken men of Ephraim shall be defouled with feet,
Therefore whether ye eat, or drink, or do any other thing, do ye all things to the glory of God.
the cheers thereof were parted from ire; and his heart nighed. The words thereof were softer than oil; and they be darts.
He that keepeth the law, is a wise son; but he that feedeth gluttons, shameth his father.
And do not ye be conformed to this world, but be ye reformed in newness of your wit, that ye prove which is the will of God, good, and well pleasing, and perfect.
Do not thou yet drink water, but use a little wine, for thy stomach, and for thine oft-falling infirmities.
He that loveth meats, shall be in neediness; he that loveth wine and fat things, shall not be made rich.
Know ye not, that they that run in a furlong, all run, but one taketh the prize? So run ye, that ye catch.Each man that striveth in fight, abstaineth him from all things; and they, that they take a corruptible crown, but we an uncorrupt.Therefore I run so, not as to an uncertain thing; thus I fight, not as beating the air;but I chastise my body, and bring it into servage [or servitude]; lest peradventure when I preach to others, I myself be made reprovable.
For he shall be great before the Lord, and he shall not drink wine nor cider, and he shall be full-filled [or filled] with the Holy Ghost, yet from his mother’s womb.
For why each man that eateth and drinketh, and seeth good of his travail; this is the gift of God.
Therefore slay ye your members, which be on the earth, fornication, uncleanness, lechery, evil covetousness, and avarice, which is service of maumets [or simulacra];
The way of a fool is rightful [or right] in his eyes; but he that is wise, heareth counsels.
Brethren, if a man be occupied in any guilt [or overcome in any trespass], ye that be spiritual, inform ye [or teach] such one in spirit of softness, [or meekness], beholding thyself, lest that thou be tempted, [falling in the same wise].
A patient man is better than a strong man; and he that is lord of his soul, is better than an overcomer of cities.
Bow thou not [down] mine heart into words of malice; to excuse excusings in sin. With men working wickedness; and I shall not commune with the chosen men of them.
And I say to you, I shall not drink from this time, of this fruit of the vine, into that day when I shall drink it new with you, in the kingdom of my Father.
Therefore, brethren, I beseech you by the mercy of God, that ye give your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, and your service reasonable.
God, thine avows [or vows] be in me; which I shall yield praisings to thee.For thou hast delivered my life from death, and my feet from sliding; that I please before God in the light of them that live.
The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Lo! a man a glutton, and a drinker of wine, and a friend of publicans and of sinful men. And wisdom is justified of her sons.
Man’s Son came eating and drinking, and ye say, Lo! a man a devourer [or a glutton], and drinking wine, a friend of publicans, and of sinful men.
When thou sittest to eat with the prince, perceive thou diligently what things be set before thy face,Touch thou not the terms, or the boundary stones, of little children; and enter thou not into the field of fatherless and motherless children.For the neighbour of them is strong, and he shall deem their cause against thee.Thine heart enter to teaching, and thine ears to the words of knowing.Do not thou withdraw chastising or discipline, from a child; for though thou smitest him with a rod, he shall not die.Thou shalt smite him with a rod, and thou shalt deliver his soul from hell.My son, if thy soul is wise, mine heart shall have joy with thee;and my reins shall make full out joy, when thy lips speak rightful [or right] things.Thine heart pursue [or follow] not sinners; but be thou in the dread of the Lord all day.For thou shalt have hope at the last, and thine abiding shall not be done away.My son, hear thou, and be wise, and address thy soul in the way.and set thou a coulter in thy throat. If nevertheless thou hast power on thy soul,Do not thou be in the feasts of drinkers, neither in the oft eatings of them, that bring together fleshes to eat.For men giving attention to drinks, and giving morsels together, shall be wasted, and napping shall be clothed with clothes rent.Hear thy father, that begat thee; and despise not thy mother, when she is eld.Buy thou truth, and do not thou sell wisdom, and doctrine, and understanding.The father of a just [or rightwise] man joyeth full out with joy; he that begat a wise man, shall be glad in him.Thy father and thy mother have joy, and he that begat thee, make full out joy.My son, give thine heart to me, and thine eyes keep my ways.For a whore is a deep ditch, and an alien woman, is a strait pit.She setteth ambush in the way, as a thief; and shall add despisers in men, that is, shall multiply despisers of God among men.To whom is woe? to whose father is woe? to whom be chidings? to whom be ditches? to whom be wounds without cause? to whom is putting out of eyes?desire thou not of his meats, in whom is the bread of lying.
For the flesh coveteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these be adversaries together, that ye do not all things that ye will.
Come ye, take we wine, and be we filled of drunkenness; and it shall be as today, so and tomorrow, and much more.
For he that deemeth, is condemned [or is damned], if he eateth; for it, [his eating], is not of faith. And all thing that is not of faith, is sin.
A sinner shall borrow, and shall not pay back; but a just [or rightwise] man hath mercy, and shall give.
not with lechers of this world, nor with covetous men, nor raveners, nor with men serving to maumets [or to idols], else ye should have gone out of this world.
A man that loveth wisdom, maketh glad his father; but he that nourisheth a strumpet, shall lose his chattel [or substance].
But we firmer men owe to sustain [or to bear up] the feeblenesses of sick men, [or unfirm in faith], and not [to] please to ourselves.And again he saith, Ye heathen men, be ye glad [or joy] with his people.And again, All heathen men, praise ye the Lord; and all peoples, magnify ye him.And again Isaiah saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, that shall rise up to govern heathen men, and heathen men shall hope in him.And God of hope full-fill you in all joy and peace in believing, that ye increase [or abound] in hope and virtue of the Holy Ghost.And, brethren, I myself am certain of you, that also ye be full of love, and ye be [full]-filled with all knowing [or all science], so that ye may admonish each other.And, brethren, more boldly I wrote to you a part, as bringing you into mind, for the grace that is given to me of God,that I be the minister of Christ Jesus among heathen men. And I hallow the gospel of God, that the offering of heathen men be accepted [or be made acceptable], and hallowed in the Holy Ghost.Therefore I have glory in Christ Jesus to God.For I dare not speak anything of those things, which Christ doeth not by me, into obedience of heathen men, in word and deeds,in virtue of tokens and great wonders, in virtue of the Holy Ghost, so that from Jerusalem by compass to the Illyricum sea [or till unto Illyricum], I have [full]-filled the gospel of Christ.Each of us please to his neigh-bour in[to] good, to edification.
But thou, God, shalt lead them forth; into the pit of death. Men-quellers and beguilers shall not have half their days; but, Lord, I shall hope in thee.
Thou hast found honey, eat thou that that sufficeth to thee; lest per-adventure thou be [full]-filled, and spew it out.
And the works of the flesh be open, which be fornication, unclean-ness, unchastity, lechery,
He that stoppeth his ear at the cry of a poor man, shall cry also, and he shall not be heard.
as sons of obedience, not made like to the former desires of your unknowingness [or your ignorance],
All things be leaveful to me, but not all things be speedful. All things be leaveful to me, but not all things edify.
But also they knew not for wine, and erred for drunkenness; the priest and prophet knew not for drunken-ness; they were sopped up of wine, they erred in drunkenness; they knew not a prophet, they knew not doom.
but I chastise my body, and bring it into servage [or servitude]; lest peradventure when I preach to others, I myself be made reprovable.
And he clothed cursing as a cloth, and it entered as water into his inner things; and as oil in his bones.
A fool worketh wickedness as by laughing; but wisdom is prudence to a man or but prudence is to a wise man.
My son, hear thou, and be wise, and address thy soul in the way.and set thou a coulter in thy throat. If nevertheless thou hast power on thy soul,Do not thou be in the feasts of drinkers, neither in the oft eatings of them, that bring together fleshes to eat.For men giving attention to drinks, and giving morsels together, shall be wasted, and napping shall be clothed with clothes rent.
Shame they, and dread they together; that joy for mine evils. Be they clothed with shame and dread; that speak evil things on me.
And I shall say to my soul, Soul, thou hast many goods kept into full many years; rest thou, eat, drink, and make feast.