00:00Over many years in ministry, I cannot begin to count the number of people I have spoken to, prayed for,
00:12counseled, whose lives have been destroyed by alcohol.
00:18If you listen to the stories of such people, for the majority of them, it started as something casual.
00:30Something small. Something social. I'm in control. I'm not getting drunk. It's just a little bit here and there.
00:43But, if you give the devil an inch, when trouble comes, don't be surprised it becomes a foot.
01:04Thank you very much for the seminar. I'm learning a lot.
01:09Well, my question is about drinking wine occasionally, if it's a principle or if it's an adjustment.
01:17Tomando en cuenta que yo sé que la Biblia dice que uno no se debe de embriagar con alcohol, pero
01:24hay algunas culturas que ellos tal vez toman vino en restaurantes o en ocasiones especiales.
01:30O, por ejemplo, la Biblia menciona que Cristo convirtió el agua en vino en una boda, tomando en cuenta que
01:37el hermano Cris nos dijo en el primer seminario que el hogar cristiano no depende de la cultura, sino que
01:45de lo que dice la palabra de Dios.
01:47Entonces, yo estoy conociendo a alguien con el objetivo de tener una relación de noviazgo, si todo funciona bien.
01:55Y si esa persona dijera que toma vino ocasionalmente, sería como algo que yo debería terminar esa relación por eso,
02:04porque es un problema de principio.
02:06O sería como un problema de ajuste, por decirlo así, de que no es un problema, pues que sería algo
02:12que esté en contra de la palabra de Dios.
02:18Okay, that's a good question. That's a good question. But let me just, let me ask our sisters to be
02:24clear. Are you saying that you personally sometimes take wine as a social thing, or you are referring to the
02:33person you are interested in a relationship with, or is it yourself?
02:37No, yo no tomo alcohol de ningún tipo. Yo pregunto por la otra persona. Si yo conozco a alguien que
02:44todo va aparentemente bien, pero de repente me dice que ocasionalmente toma vino.
02:50My answer to this may seem quite extreme for some, but I will back up and explain why I will
03:02put it like this.
03:02I would say unequivocally that alcohol consumption is a big red flag, and it is not an issue of preference,
03:13it is an issue of principle.
03:15Why? Why do I say that? Over many years in ministry, I cannot begin to count the number of people
03:27people I have spoken to, prayed for, counseled, whose lives have been destroyed by alcohol.
03:36If you listen to the stories of such people, for the majority of them, it started as something casual, something
03:49small, something social.
03:53I'm in control. I'm in control. I'm not getting drunk. It's just a little bit here and there.
04:01But, if you give the devil an inch, when trouble comes, don't be surprised, it becomes a foot.
04:16This is a big problem in society today.
04:23I start something casually. A little bit of wine, a little bit of beer, a little bit of alcohol.
04:30I'm in control. It's okay.
04:35What happens when you go through a challenge in your life, and a time comes where you are not spiritually
04:45strong?
04:48Temptation will strike through what door you have opened, a little door you have opened to alcohol.
04:57You go through a tough time. Maybe you lose a loved one. You are sorrowful. You are depressed. You are
05:04distressed.
05:05What can I do to overcome this? Let me take more alcohol.
05:09Before you know it, something that started small can become an addiction.
05:17Destructive to your life. Destructive to your health. Destructive to your reasoning.
05:26People of God, we should be very careful of anything that interferes with our will.
05:33Alcohol. Alcohol.
05:36Even if you say, I take it casually, I just take a little bit of wine.
05:41Alcohol has the ability to influence your will.
05:46For many years, I have been in ministry.
05:52I have not heard someone say, under the influence of alcohol, they have done a work of charity.
05:59Under the influence of alcohol, they fornicate.
06:02Under the influence of alcohol, they fight.
06:05Under the influence of alcohol, they take terrible decisions.
06:12Alcohol is a catalyst.
06:16The devil uses to infiltrate your will.
06:23To sin.
06:25Examine yourself.
06:27All of us connected here.
06:29You can examine yourself in the lights of what I'm saying.
06:35Yes.
06:36You may open a portion of the Bible to try and justify a little bit of alcohol.
06:45Oh, Jesus turned water into wine.
06:47Paul said, a little bit of wine is good for the stomach.
06:50But I would say to you this.
06:52If I know starting something can lead me down a wrong road, why would I even start it?
07:01Am I forced to take alcohol?
07:03Are there not many other drinks I can take in a public setting that don't include alcohol?
07:11Paul, if you are with someone and they go out and they say, let's go for a drink.
07:17Do you want wine?
07:18And you say, no, I will just take a soft drink.
07:21Is that a problem?
07:24So my brothers and sisters, that's why I said, what I'm saying may sound almost extreme.
07:32And there may be people who will look and say, oh, brother Chris, I can take a little bit of
07:38wine at a social gathering.
07:39I'm okay.
07:40It doesn't affect me.
07:42I'm telling you my own experience in this journey of life.
07:49Don't start something, no matter how small, if it can lead you down a road that is destructive.
07:59Don't even give the devil an opportunity.
08:02Does wine taste that good?
08:04Does beer taste that good?
08:07That you can engage in something potentially at the cost of your soul?
08:14Under the influence of alcohol, so many homes have been broken.
08:21So many people have woken up the next morning and said, oh, what did I do?
08:27What did I say?
08:29People have even slept with someone they don't even know under the influence of alcohol.
08:37Every service on interactive prayer.
08:39Do you know how many people reach out to God's Heart TV saying, please pray for me.
08:43I'm addicted to alcohol.
08:45Alcohol has ruined my life.
08:47Alcohol has destroyed my life.
08:49Alcohol has ruined my marriage.
08:52Something that can be capable of such destruction.
08:56Why should we toy with it for the sake of a little bit of social enjoyment?
09:02And you say, well, it makes me relax.
09:04I feel more at home.
09:06I feel a bit more relaxed if I take alcohol.
09:08If you need something to relax you, to enjoy a time with someone, question whether that is a true friendship.
09:19If there's a true friendship, you will not need something to shift you from your normal position before you can
09:27relate with them.
09:28Oh, I take a bit of alcohol.
09:31I relax.
09:32I calm down.
09:32I'm able to enjoy more.
09:35If you need something to make you enjoy more, then there's a problem.
09:39So, my brothers and sisters, I said, I'm being quite strong on this point, and I have my reasons for
09:47this.
09:47Personally, personally, I will stand and say, alcohol is a red flag.
09:55Whatever ground you may use to justify, I take it socially, I take a little bit, it's not a big
10:01deal.
10:02I would say to you, it is a red flag.
10:04But, let's not even go down a road that we know can end in such destruction.
10:13You don't need to.
10:15There is enough nice drinks in this world.
10:18If you like the taste of wine, take a non-alcoholic wine.
10:23You say, I like the taste.
10:25Why do you have to have alcohol?
10:27Something that will interfere with your will.
10:30Something that will interfere with your discretion.
10:33Something that will pollute your decision-making.
10:37Once again, have you ever heard someone say, under the influence of alcohol, I have done good.
10:43You hear, under the influence of alcohol, people end in destruction.
10:48They make decisions they regret.
10:53I would call that a red flag.
10:55I would call that an issue of principle.
11:04Sometimes we give, and even though we may not expect something back materially,
11:09we expect it back in the form of some compliments or appreciation or gratitude.
11:15And that also can rob us of spiritual blessing if we have that expectation of a kind of return.
11:23We'll see you then.
11:25We'll see you then.
11:27We'll see you then.
11:29We'll see you then.
11:30We'll see you then.
11:30We'll see you then.
11:31We'll see you then.
11:31We'll see you then.
11:31We'll see you then.
11:31We'll see you then.
11:31We'll see you then.
11:32We'll see you then.
11:32We'll see you then.
11:32We'll see you then.
