50 Days of Wisdom
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Wisdom is a skill in living that begins with fearing God, then progresses to guarding your mind, choosing your companions, controlling your body, monitoring your words, pursuing your work, managing your money, and loving your neighbor. Very simple. But that’s it. And when you’ve done that, you’ve learned wisdom. It’s vital to be taught wisdom. For example, as a father, if I fail to teach my son to fear God, the devil will teach him to hate God. If I fail to teach my son to guard his mind, the devil will teach him to have an open mind. If I fail to teach my son to obey his parents, the devil will teach him to rebel and break his parents’ hearts. If I fail to teach my son to select his companions carefully, the devil will choose them for him. If I fail to teach my son to control his body, the devil will gladly teach him to give it completely over to his lusts. If I fail to teach my children to enjoy speech that is honorable to God, the devil will fill their mouths with filth. If I fail to teach my children to pursue their work, the devil will make them lazy. If I fail to teach them to manage their money, the devil will teach them to waste it on riotous living. If I fail to teach them to love their neighbor, the devil will gladly teach them to love only themselves. And the only reason I can pass such wisdom on to my children is because God has graciously made it all available in the Bible.
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Christians and Alcohol
The dangers of alcoholism are obvious to all of us. And as a responsible shepherd to the Lord for you, I want to speak about Christians and drinking alcohol. The presence of many young people in our church makes them particularly vulnerable and susceptible to the dangers of drunkenness, so this is just another element in shepherding that needs to be addressed. Therefore, I will endeavor to give you a biblical understanding of this issue, which will provide some protection. Let’s look at Ephesians 5:18, where Paul says, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Why would Paul contrast being filled with the Holy Spirit with getting drunk with wine? Well, he’s contrasting the drunkenness that was essential to pagan religious experiences with a true communion with God produced by the Holy Spirit. You see, the religions that dominated the Mediterranean area during that time engaged in drunken orgies, gluttony, and immorality, and this was all intended to elevate them to commune with the deities. And Paul speaks of that in 1 Corinthians 10 when he says, “They don’t communicate with God; they communicate with demons.” So Paul is talking about a very different kind of religion. And the apostle Paul is drawing a stark and extreme contrast by saying that to truly commune with the one true God, you must be under the full control of His Holy Spirit. What you gain from drunkenness is dissipation—another word for debauchery—and you’re exposed to demons. That’s the unregenerate way of life. Paul says—in 1 Corinthians 5 and again in 1 Corinthians 6—that’s how you used to live. But you’re washed, you’re sanctified. You don’t live that way anymore; that’s the old way. That’s the behavior from which you have been saved. Now, unmistakably, drunkenness is a sin. It’s condemned in the Old and the New Testament: any kind of drunkenness; anything that dulls your senses, that removes the restraints on your behavior, or that alters your thinking. You’re to be sober-minded and clear-headed, and drunkenness is a sin. Now, being filled with the Spirit is living under the power of the Holy Spirit, which means you’re living under the power of the truth, and the Word of Christ is dwelling in you richly. And you’re being conformed to the truth—both written and incarnate—by the work of the Holy Spirit who fills you. Now obviously, we don’t want to be a part of a debauched, pagan orgy; that’s extreme. But should Christians drink at all? What should be the Christian’s view of that? Well, Christian believers who advocate for drinking alcohol have one basic argument: believers in the Old Testament and the New Testament drank wine; that settles the case, right? That’s always the argument. Listen, the Bible never condemns slavery in the Old Testament or the New Testament. In fact, it used slavery as an analogy of how we are to relate to Jesus Christ; He’s the Master, and we’re His slaves. But what slavery is today is human trafficking, which is very different from a benevolent system that took destitute people in and made them part of their family and gave them care in exchange for work. So yes, wine and slavery are both in the Bible, but that doesn’t mean they are acceptable today. Times were very different in the Old and New Testaments than they are today. But even then, Paul said, “Christians should not be drunk with wine but filled with the Holy Spirit.” Repent and believe! GTY.org (80-381) - Interrogating Alcohol – 80-381
Today's Wisdom
April 15, 2026
Day: 897
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My name is Mark Paul from Wauchula, Florida, and like the Apostle Peter said in 2 Peter 1:14, “I know that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent." Consequently, my goal is to leave a legacy that will continue to advance the kingdom of God long after I have departed. In other words, bear fruit for eternity. And by simply reading and sharing my free eBooks, you too become contributors to the advancement of His kingdom. Thank you for partaking in this endeavor, and I look forward to greeting you on heaven's shore.
The Truth in Love,
Mark Paul - Servant of God
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