As the topic of alcohol is examined, the first thing to establish is the fact that God did create it.

Solomon, with all his wisdom, took a long hard look at the topic of alcohol and experimented with its use. Eccl. 2:3, I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives. He drank wine in an attempt to discover its benefits. As the topic of alcohol is examined, the first thing to establish is the fact that God did create it. Often the argument is made that fallen man, attempting to feed the flesh, created alcohol, and indeed, there is specific testimony throughout the Bible as to the misuse of wine. Proverbs 23:20 sums it up, Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine. Proverbs 20:1, Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise. The New Testament gives injunctions concerning those that are addicted to wine. Within the context of this argument against God’s involvement in the creation of alcohol, the point is made that God created grape juice, or new wine, but never created alcohol. However, Scriptures do not bear out such a distinction. Judges 9:13, But the vine said to them, “Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to wave over the trees?” I can’t see how grape juice cheers the heart. Also, Isaiah 20:6, The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow. The Lord is preparing a feast that includes aged wine! Then in Acts 2:13, But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet wine.” Sweet wine, new wine, aged wine–all wine contains some alcohol content. The fact that something is misused does not discount either its creator or its original purpose. If this were true, what could be said of the sex drive, medications, and computers? God has created wine. In fact, God required the sacrifice of wine, a libation, along with the other things that He created.
Ex. 29:40 and there shall be one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering with one lamb. There are other interesting or perplexing passages. Remember, Scripture must be used to interpret and limit the meaning of other Scripture, so a validation of wine is not an endorsement of drunkenness any more than the rightful institution of sex in marriage is an endorsement of wanton promiscuity.
Psalms 104:15And wine which makes man’s heart glad, So that he may make his face glisten with oil, and food which sustains man’s heart.
Proverbs 31:6 Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to him whose life is bitter. Let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his trouble no more.
Eccl 9:7, Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works!
Finally, we have Jesus turning water into wine. John 2:7 Jesus said* to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. 8And He said* to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the _headwaiter.” So they took it to him.

He could see God in everything.

14: 6 “Jesus said* to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
I woke up this morning thinking of an old friend. Charley was my friend from Jr. High on. His mother ran a bar and his father was an absent alcoholic. One day I stole the neighbor’s car with Charley, and when we got it up to 40 mph we discovered that the reason it had been sitting so long was that it didn’t have brakes. Another friend, Clark, had us get close to the ditch, and he jumped out. Charley and I continued until we realized that we could simply turn off the engine. He was a good friend and taught me how to hop the train from the intersection near the school to my house that was a little over a mile away. One day, in high school, a boy from the local reform school told Charley that I said something about his girlfriend that I never said. Charley confronted me and wouldn’t believe that I didn’t say it. He insisted on a fight. That afternoon after school we fought until someone called the police. Here is what is vexing me: If I only knew what I know now, I would have let Charley hit me and never struck back. There is The Way and a not the way. Jesus is The Way and every other way is not the way. Why am I thinking of that? Why do I wish Charley would have been allowed to hit me? I suppose that I am projecting my present revelation on the past, and that is dangerous, for it can cause something demonic called regret. However, I really wish I would have stood still and let him hit me. Well, amen. Charley, like most all of my childhood friends, died by the time he was 33 (one friend died with a brain tumor, one was hit by a train, and the other was killed in a traffic accident). He had quit school to work as a laborer; in the country one night, sitting in his car trying to persuade his wife not to leave him, he shot her and himself. I wonder if I would have let him hit me, would it have made a difference in his life? I am no David, but I am becoming like David in my attitude. When he was with his mighty army and a man came cursing him, David simply said, “Leave him alone; it may be God.” He could see God in everything. I should have let Charley hit me. I have “hit” Christ many times, and yet He has never hit back. Well, amen! Only Jesus knows, but this morning I am thinking of Charley.

Through defeat, what was man’s became the enemy’s.

Luke 10:18, “And He said to them, ‘I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 20Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.’”
When one king defeats another king, the subjects of the defeated kingdom become slaves. Satan conquered the man Adam and became the ruler of the world over which Adam had been given dominion. Through defeat, what was man’s became the enemy’s. However, when the second Adam, Jesus, conquered Satan, things above, below, and on the earth became the Son of God’s. We are in His kingdom, and therefore, what is His is ours. This simply means that we do not have to be controlled by spirits! If you don’t like a spirit, remember that in Jesus’ Kingdom you have authority over it. In Africa an old woman would not call alcohol by that name, choosing instead to call it a spirit. If the spirit of alcohol is controlling you, it is by your permission. I have known those that are controlled by the spirit of suicide, and there simply isn’t any excuse for that. Draw near to Christ and simply tell the spirits to leave. You are in His kingdom, and what is His, He has shared with you. All spirits must now yield to Him. Again, at the highest revelation of Jesus there will be no opposition.

It is believed by those who need to make a choice that they cannot. We believe that it is impossible in certain areas of our lives to choose to be different. Many simply believe that they are stuck with their obsessions, addictions, anger, self-righteousness and all the other deeds of the flesh.

They are like the person standing outside of their house in the snow, holding the key to the locked door, and screaming, “Would someone please let me in!” How can the believer be stuck, be locked out of victory, when they are the only one holding the key?

Let me illustrate. One man said to me, “I am addicted to porno!” At that, I responded, “I bet your family is sick of watching porno with you!” He replied, “Oh no, I never look at it around them!” My question is simple, how can he be addicted if he can choose when and where he watches the porno? How can a drug addict not be able to choose against the drugs when he chooses to purchase it and chooses to do it out of sight?

We hate to be confronted with this truth but we are doing exactly what we want, exactly what we choose to do! We are not unable to choose; we simply don’t want to choose the right thing. We are in unbelief and are constantly choosing. We have to pick between the words of Jesus and the voice of the flesh.

We CHOOSE the flesh. It is an inescapable fact. We are where we are today, all because of personal choice. Some will argue, “It wasn’t my choice to be molested, to have an alcoholic parent, to be emotionally and verbally abused, to be abandoned, to be unloved, and more.” All quite true and at first you reacted out of instinct. However, after maturing you have chosen what your reaction/lifestyle toward the event will be. After getting the proper information we may choose to remain victims, to not see God working, to blame others, to make those around us miserable, to make others pay, to live in self-hatred, to try to undo the past by duplicating it.

Two people have a common, horrific, event in their lives. Years later, one is sweet and the other sour. Why? We want to avoid the obvious, we want to give excuses but the fact is choice. One believed choice was greater than the past. The other did not.