Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 70

March11;    Ephesians 5:18;    70/260(II);    ‘High on God’

Ephesians 5:18 Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you.     NLT

The devil is a counterfeiter.  He endeavors to deceive us and get us to believe that getting high on alcohol or drugs is something we should want to do.  Commercials and movies depict the great times people are having as they consume alcoholic beverages and various drugs.  The Bible does not prohibit a Christian from drinking in moderation.  The Bible warns against being drunk.  The root word for drugs is witchcraft.  The very clear truth about excessive drinking and drugs, is that they are glamorized to lure us in, thinking we will receive something very desirable.  The truth is that drinking and drugs is a deception of the devil to destroy lives, relationships and literally the physical life of some.  We are never offered anything from satan to bless us, no matter how attractive it may appear.  Getting ‘high’ on the Holy Spirit has always been one of the ways the Lord blesses His people.  Prayer, praying in tongues, praise and worship, done sincerely and energetically, will lead a blessed euphoria that the Lord has always intended for His people.  The pressures of life, can at times be very stressful.  The Lord knows this and has given us the Holy Spirit to free us from the pressures of life.  Not only does the exhilarating feeling greatly minister to us, but the Holy Spirit will speak to our spirit as we pray and worship, assuring us that everything will be alright. The Holy Spirit’s ministry throughout Christian history bears this out.  Laughter, joy, running, dancing and the peaceful, healthy euphoria of the Holy Spirit has blessed the body of Christ for centuries.  I believe the church will see much more of this.  We need to.