Binge drinkers wanted!
Written by: John Flanner
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I cannot get out of my mind an almost throwaway comment made by one of my local church elders during his preaching a few months ago. He made reference to the fact that folk often speak about "Just popping in for a swift half". I don't know about you, but I am very familiar with that phrase, having heard my Dad use it many times during my childhood and since then I have heard it used on television, especially when I have occasionally watched something like Coronation Street.
Now whilst this may be perfectly acceptable when it refers to a swift half of lager, shandy or bitter, it most certainly is not acceptable when it comes to the things of God. The trouble is that many of us when speaking of the Holy Spirit have been popping in for a swift half for years and God is now calling time on all of that. In seeking to live a life of victory in this world a swift half will not cut the mustard as they say. We will never walk in our true authority and anointing as believers on such a meagre quantity.
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul instructs us not to be filled with wine, but to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The inference is clearly that we go on being filled and filled day after day so that we are totally intoxicated; hence the term “Drunk in the Spirit”. You have probably heard that the Government are really concerned that we have become a nation of binge drinkers and of the ongoing detrimental affect that this is having on people's health and the subsequent drain on the Health Service. Well it is a most worrying trend (if you are into worry that is!).
On the other hand the fact that people want to party, to celebrate and be full of merriment is a most interesting thing, because that is exactly what God wants. Believe it or not, god himself is after a generation of binge-drinkers. Just imagine if the British Church, drank and drank and drank of the Holy Spirit until we were beside ourselves, what an impact we could make on our communities.
That is what happened in Acts 2 when the people of God were so inebriated with the Holy Spirit, they were accused of being drunk - what a load of binge-drinkers they were! In that drunken state however they went out in power preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, turning cities upside down, healing the sick, driving out demons and seeing multitudes come to Christ. In John Ch 7 Jesus says "Is anyone thirsty?" If so then he invites us to come and drink and drink and drink of his Holy Spirit, the rivers of living water which will then flow up from our bellies and out of our mouths to bring life and joy wherever we go.
Individually and corporately in The Church we must take quality time to drink deeply of the Holy spirit and soak ourselves in his presence. God wants for you and me to become like alcoholics for the Holy Spirit; we just cannot live without drinking from those rivers of living water. Please do not let us ever again be satisfied with popping into church for a swift half, but day by day let us drink deeply of the wells of salvation. The King’s arms have/has always been open 24 hours a day; we just did not realise the fact.
Anyone fancy a good long drink?
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