Get drunk.
That’s right I said it, get drunk. Two of my main points of this book are to die and to get drunk – wow, this life thing is awesome! Before you go and crack open that Kokanee, let me explain. I am not one to dream, but a few months ago the Lord spoke to me while I slept. I was at work, a Salvation Army residence called Grace Mansion and I was also babysitting. I was on one of the floors with three of my favourite kids, Joshua, Ciara and Noah White. We were worshipping together and I was getting lost in worship – but quickly came back to reality lest I neglect my job duties. There were also two glasses of wine in front of me. One of the glasses was a dirty mug filled with a cloudy liquid that looked almost mud-like. The other glass was a clean, pure, shiny wine glass filled with a mouth watering red wine that looked so good. They were both mine for the taking but I chose to drink out of the first one. This wine did not taste good. It was bitter and tasted like what I imagine the wine Jesus was force fed upon the cross tasted like. During our worship a couple guys joined us and one of them took the pure red wine and took it up to floor seven. My first reaction had nothing to do with the fact that he took my wine, but rather showed the legalism and religion in me for I responded with “hey, Grace Mansion is a drug and alcohol free building.” My old corps officer, Danielle, was in this dream too. She encouraged me to let go of responsibility and not let my wine be stolen. I responded with what about my job, what about the kids I’m babysitting and she said go; don’t let your wine be stolen. So, I went up to the seventh floor and when the elevator opened I was in a white room, like a bridal chamber, everything was pure and everything was white. Across the room on the window sill sparkling was the red wine, beautifully contrasted against the white room.
The first glass of wine represents the old covenant which brings death as the second glass represents the new wine which brings life.
The old written covenant ends in death, but under the new covenant, the Spirit give life. 2 Corinthians 3:6b
We have a lot to learn from Jesus, clearly. Specifically though, regarding old and new covenant, old and new wine. When Jesus was given wine mixed with bitter gall (which we identified is the old wine told about in my dream above) he refused to drink it. (Matthew 27:34). The book of John tells us that when this old bitter wine was placed on His lips was when Jesus famously said “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and released His Spirit. The old wine is death. Jesus refused the old wine and when the old, bitter wine was placed on His lips he released His spirit. We too must refuse to drink this old wine. We too must refuse death. Not only because it is bad for us and bad tasting, though it is, but because we have something better right in front of us. The new wine or the new covenant (which brings life) is hand delivered to us. Jesus took a cup of wine and gave it to us. He says this is my blood, which confirms the new covenant. (Mark 14:23-25) So refuse death, refuse the old wine, when you are given sour wine on a hyssop branch from the thief, say “it is finished” to your sin and release your sinful nature. Reach across the table and take hold of the appetizing, thirst quenching red wine and drink up. Get drunk on life.
While I am talking about dreams here, I shall expand on another recent dream of mine. This time I was waiting for a bus. When the bus came I got on and my friend Lisa was there. She began to tell me that a few stops back some guy was stabbed and the police were going to question all of us. Sure enough at the next stop two men in uniform stepped onto the bus. One began to ask us all for ID and proceeded to question us. When it was my turn I gave him my ID and stated I didn’t know anything. The police man began to drill me with questions and asked for a sample of DNA from me. Although I was innocent I was fearful. I said to the police officer “hey if it helps, I wasn’t even on the bus when the guy got stabbed.” After saying that he let me go.
I asked the Lord for interpretation when I awoke, and he said “The truth has set you free.” I immediately paralleled this to my life and began to argue that, sure in the dream the truth set me free, but that’s because in my dream I was legitimately innocent, I legitimately did not stab anybody, whereas in my own life I am guilty for the things that are causing death within me. The Lord was quick to respond, reminded me that “He who the Son sets free is free indeed.” We are innocent because Jesus took our shame, our pain, our debts, our chains and our guilt upon the cross with Him. He has declared us innocent. That is the truth and the truth has set us free. I also think the ID part of the dream is significant. We must have our identity on us. We must wear who Jesus made to be boldly and surely. Our identity is in him – we are innocent because he has freed us. It is like the double jeopardy law. If someone served the time for a crime they didn’t commit and then go out and commit it, they can not serve the time again. We have all been given this double jeopardy grace gift. Jesus already served time for our sins. He already bought and paid for our debts. He already died for us. That is our identity – He who the Son sets free is free indeed and the truth shall set us free.
