The Ballestero Blog

The Suicide Drink

I’m a senior citizen now, but I well remember some adventuresome moments of my youth. It was great fun, to make ‘suicide drinks’ from the soda fountain dispensers.

(It was also decades before anyone had ever heard the name, Jimmy Jones. It wasn’t that kind of suicide drink.)

To the uninformed, a ‘suicide drink’ consisted of a mixture of whatever was available at the fountain. Orange, Coke, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Diet Coke or whatever.

We never quite knew what it was going to taste like and didn’t care, but we liked to show our bravery. Besides, the look of ‘ugh’ on people’s faces always made us laugh.

I don’t do ‘suicide drinks’ anymore. I actually don’t remember when I quit. But I was still very young. I just know that now as an old man, I like to stick with just one flavor. I’ll die happy if I never have a sip of another ‘suicide’.

There is no distinctive flavor to a ‘suicide drink.’ It is nothing but a mixture, a conglomeration.

Did you ever look at someone wearing multiple watches and wonder how they could tell the correct time? If they only had one watch, they could, no doubt, come a lot closer to knowing the real-time. Why would someone ever wear a wad of watches? Why?

I have recently observed several pastors and ministers answer doctrinal questions on Facebook from members of other Pentecostal churches.

Some of these men are encouraging precious saints to discard their holiness standards. They make light of our Apostolic lifestyle.

I am not sure how many are actually influenced by them, but these well-known voices spread their poison for all to read.

Since our local Pastor is the only one that is going to give an account for us in the Judgment, why not listen to him? Why are some so determined to get advice on Biblical subjects from every preacher they can? That is nothing short of spiritually hazardous! It is also very unethical on both parts. Any preacher worth his salt would refer them back to their Pastor. And any saint worth their salt would never ask another preacher a doctrinal question.

If we receive multiple doctrinal opinions from multiple ministers, there is no telling what we will believe in the end. It’s just another ‘suicide drink’ in my opinion.

If you have a Biblical question, don’t ask around on the Internet. Go ask the man who God gave you for a Pastor. After all, he’s the one that loves you, prays for you, counsels you, sits up with you in the hospital and truly cares for you. Sheep don’t expect guidance from multiple shepherds. Neither should we.

Oh, and as for finding the right time? Your cell phone is pretty accurate, but then you already knew that too.