Is Everything OK in Moderation? - NCCG.ORG Ning Network Archive 2008-10

Many Christians/Messianics fall into the trap of creating a category of law or Torah which is in effect lawless. Their argument runs along the lines that water is healthy but too much is harmful. Therefore a little wine is OK but not too much. And then what happens is that they create a category which is all-inclusive which basically says: "So long as it's in moderation, it's ok". The reality is that there are two categories:

1. Anything that is LAWFUL that is taken in excess is harmful - this can include drinking too much water, eating too much bread, sleeping far too long, and fasting until you drop down dead (as recently happened when a Christian woman tried to imitate Yah'shua's 40 day-long fast in the wilderness).

2. Anything that is UNLAWFUL, whether taken in excess or in moderation, is harmful. This includes eating cyanide, smoking, indulging in unlawful sexual activity, thievery, recreational drugs, eating pork, or that which defiles the temple of the Ruach haQodesh.

The fact that something has been done for a long time by a lot of people doesn't make it more acceptable. Yah'shua said that in the beginning there was no divorce but because of the hardness (unresponsiveness of the human heart, always seeking to make excuses) He gave them statutes in the Mosaic Torah which Yah'shua would - and did - reform, by restoring the higher standard. Furthermore, Yahweh made herbs (like tobacco) for medicinal and not recreational purposes (to be applied to the skin, not burned and inhaled).

Who here disputes that smoking is harmful? Even without revelation and apostolic counsel, such as we have given since MLT's inception, the scientific evidence is overwhelming that smoking poisons and kills the vast majority of those who indulge in the vice as well as bystanders (the passive smokers who actually may be in greater danger). It continues only because it is big buisiness and people want the narcotic without the responsibility of change.

There are in general no beneficial effects of caffeine. It's a drug. It spoils the sleep cycle. It creates a narcotic-like dependency. It pollutes the temple of the Ruach haQodesh. It is not so severe a problem as smoking which is more obviously harmful but it's still a problem. Revelation and prophetic counsel given through the apostolate of this ministry has declared that it is unsuitable for the priesthood officers and communicants, and advises ordinary members to quit it as soon as possible. That is our position which won't be reversed.

We believe that there are plenty of caffeine-free herbal teas that are good substitutes for those partial to hot drinks like tea and coffee. We also prescribe decaffeinated coffee for those coming off coffee who can't come off it all in one go. Our priesthood abstains from decaffeinated teas and coffee (all coffee in fact) precisely so that it can look after the temple of the Ruach (our physical bodies) and be maximally sensitive to the Ruach.

By way of an illustration, we had an elder in our early days who went inactive and went back to wine and coffee drinking. He told me, somewhat ashamed, that he noticed how his discernment of the Ruach dropped rapidly because of these things.

So do I think that coffee and tea are "evil"? No, no more than I think tobacco leaves are evil. It's what you do with them that makes them good or evil, like sex or anything else for that matter. Using the Bible to force people into the Kingdom is evil but the Bible is not evil. Cults like the Jehovah's Witnesses's use the Bible but that doesn't make the Bible evil (even if their NWT Bible version is attrocious and destructive to true faith). Likewise, some teas are harmless and suitable for recreational purposes and others aren't. And caffeine isn't only the only harmful substances in these products - there are the tannins and other chemicals which do the body no good.

We leave our people to use their intelligence and wisdom in finding out what is safe and Elohim-pleasing and what is not and it is only when controversy threatens to divine the body because of strongly-held opinions does the apostolate look into the matter and seek direct answers, and then seeks the consensus of the whole Mishpachah (usually annually at General Conference at Sukkot).

MLT has a very clearly defined policy on tobacco, alcohol, caffeinated tea and coffee. This is our position and whilst we're more than happy to give our reasons, it's not something we're prepared to debate with a view to changing it, because it has had the full endorsement of the fellowship for 20 years.

(Given in response to a question as to why we abstain from caffeinated tea and coffee).

Copyright (c) 2006 MLT - All Rights Reserved

Purchase the WHOLE Website by clicking here