Drugs

The Greatest Desire

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. Psalm 42:1

This Psalm’s title is “For the sons of Korah”.  Korah was a leader in rebellion against Moses’ leadership through the wilderness journey (Numbers 16).  There were three men who are noted for that rebellion; Dathan and Abiram being the other two.  All who joined these three in the rebellion were destroyed when the ground opened up and swallowed them alive.  Some of Korah’s sons evidently did not join their father, and lived.  They had a heart for God; which was given them by God’s grace.

There are human desires aplenty in our times.  They have in fact run amuck.  Many think that life is all about having their desires fulfilled.  The greatest desire for which I am aware is the desire to know God.  Many will deny that of course.  The desire for God is usually masked by craving other things to find fulfillment.  They do not.

Whether it is beer, wine, hard liquor, cannibis, cocaine, heroine, or any other mind robbing drug; there is no fulfillment for the human mind and heart until we find our rest and peace in GOD.

The deer, or hart as the text says, after running through the woods, or across the plains, or the meadow longs for that fresh, flowing stream of water for a drink, for refreshment.  Just as that deer desires water, and finds refreshment the one who knows GOD seeks fulfillment in Him.  Once you are fulfilled in Him, you long, you desire to know Him even more.

You can look in religion, but you will not be fulfilled there.  You can look in nature you will not find fulfillment there.  You can look wherever you choose, but you will not find fulfillment until you believe what God says about His Son Jesus Christ.  “This is my beloved Son, hear Him.”

In Jesus Christ Son of the Living God there is fulfillment, and everlasting life.

The Angry Prophet

/ Tim A. / 1 Comment

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.  And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, ‘I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.  Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech Thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.”  Jonah 4:1-3 (KJV)

This prophet who despised the people to whom the LORD had sent him, did not want to see this people forgiven, but rather his desire was to see this mass of people destroyed.  The LORD was having mercy on Nineveh, when He saw their repentance.  Due to their sin Nineveh was destroyed about 100 years later.

Of all things for a preacher to become angry about.  People getting right with God, and changing their hearts and minds about the way they were living.  That is why preachers preach.  There are things worth getting angry about for the preacher.  The murder of the innocent unborn.  The slavery of women and children around the world.  The captivity of drugs, alcohol, gambling, and pornography; and its destruction to our society.  There are many other things for which the preacher to be angry.  Rejoice, however, when people repent of their sins and get right with God.

To give us little bit of background on Jonah; he was a patriot of Israel.  He loved his nation.  He loved his God; and Nineveh was the enemy to himself, his nation and his God.

Let me just end by asking this question:  Is patriotism; love for one’s country more important than following the call and will of God?  I leave the answer with the reader.

-T.A.

The Christian and Beverage Alcohol

/ Tim A. / 7 Comments

The following articles are not new.  I wrote them a few months ago at The Watchman’s Trumpet, and will be updating and moving them to this site.  They will be posted on Wednesday of each week.

Alcohol and the Christian

 

In the coming days, the Lord willing, I will be writing some articles of alcoholic beverage in the Bible. It is not, nor will it be, my purpose to condemn, but to inform and instruct.

With the way alcoholic drink is being almost revered, and then, accepted by many Christians as an acceptable beverage for having with a meal, or to cool down after a hard days work; is it any wonder that we have families falling apart, children on drugs, and a powerless church. A church who will not stand against the tide of immorality.

A few years ago I had started being more agreeable with many concerning beverage alcohol. After a few years of Bible study, and reading, and seeing the peril and moral dilemmas of beverage alcohol my views have changed. It will be my goal, however to be Biblical in this approach. I can guarantee that my belief will not change. I hate beverage alcohol. I will say too, that I will pray for the leadership of the Spirit of God. I fully know that I have brothers and sisters in Christ who will not view it as I do, but I do see their view as being wrong. They are none the less my brother and sister in Christ.

Let me say right hear. There is no commendation for drinking beverage alcohol in the Bible, but there is commendation given for not drinking it.

First, Let me give you…

A Logical Reason

 

Before I begin dealing with Biblical reasons for abstaining from beverage alcohol, let me give you just one logical reason.

There are many parents who warn their children to stay away from drugs. There are legal and illegal drugs that they have been warned of. They are warned not to have anything to do with them.

At the same time some of these parents are warning their children they themselves have the drug of beverage alcohol in their homes, go to bars and drink, to parties and drink. Maybe you say, “Well, I only drink one little wine glass”, and what does this say to your child about the doing of drugs?

When you have the most dangerous drug on the street in your house, can you honestly look your child in the eyes and tell him/her to refrain from using drugs. Your drug, Mom and Dad, has killed far more on the highways of our land, ruined more homes, broken up many more marriages, killed more spouses, than these other drugs have.

Now, look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself, with that glass of wine in your hand, “Don’t use drugs”. Doesn’t that seem even a bit hypocritical? That is how your child will see you.

Just think about it.

-by Tim A. Blankenship

The Curse of Beverage Alcohol

/ Tim A. / 2 Comments

A SHAMED GLORY

“Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!  Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD’S right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory.  For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.” Habakkuk 2:15-17 (KJV).

This whole prophetic message seems to be presented in song. The prophet has been angry because in his way of thinking God is letting evil go, and not doing anything with it. He is firstly upset because he sees the evil of “God’s people”, then when God tells him that punitive judgment is coming for God’s people in the form of the ruthless, evil Babylonian kingdom, he begins questioning God’s wisdom in the matter. I do not know about you, but I see where the prophet is coming from.

There are some who tend to believe that since this is only a song, then the words are not literal, but are allegorical, or poetic imagery. I could see it as an analogy; at least in some of the words that are presented. The definition of “analogy” is, “Inference that if two or more things agree in some respects they will probably agree in others” MIRRIAM/WEBSTER DICTIONARY.

The picture given here is of the Babylonian horde persuading their neighbors to come along and aid them. They woo them with big promises of treasures, wealth, and great popularity with their people, etc. They become “intoxicated” by the thoughts and dreams of the bounty; then when the battles were fought and they head home their help leaves with less than they entered the battles with. Babylon leaders made great promise, then, take all for themselves.

There is still a lesson of the evils of alcoholic beverage here. A woe is pronounced upon the people who purposely sell beverage alcohol, knowing they will buy it, drink it, get drunk, then, not even know what their day or evening was like.

We live in a day when there must be a policy of abstinence from beverage alcohol. For some reason people are enticed by beverage alcohol, even from a young age. It is advertised as the way of getting the pretty girls, the handsome guys, and having a great time. When the party is eventually over they will be left without anything to show for it, except decay and death. It is an evil in our society which has and is poisoning our lives, killing our children, and mothers and fathers. Beverage alcohol has been and is a source of physical abuse between spouses; husbands abusing their wives; wives abusing their husbands, and all due to this poison that kills and does so legally. Both parents when inebriated have been known to abuse their children. We certainly know the numbers of deaths from accidents on the highways due to beverage alcohol. There is cost associated with lost time at work. Costs in health care due to beverage alcohol. Why is it worth having around? Unless of course it is because some profit at the expense of the dead man on the road.

The judgment of God fell on Babylon because of their arrogance, in particular of the king. They had stripped the forest, frightened the wild animals, and all for the sake of taking the lives of men, and for the sake of gain. That dish would be returned upon them and with their own entrails.

ANALOGY? You could say that, but it makes a good point. There are those who argue, and I believe without merit, that the Bible says nothing against the drinking of beverage alcohol. Here are some references. Proverbs 20:1; 23:29:-35; 31:1-9. Then, here is a good illustration of the blessing of God on those who choose to be temperate Jeremiah 35:1-19.

In a culture, such as ours here in the United States of America it seems quite foolish to be defending the use and abuse of beverage alcohol. What is there to guarantee that you will never become drunk? There is only one answer. Do not take a drink of beverage alcohol. Drunkenness can also come about by doing drugs. That too, should not be tolerated by Christian America.

“Well, I only drink a glass of wine with my evening meal”, that would mean you keep it in a closet or some place in your home. You have children seeing you drink. What will guarantee they will not become an alcoholic or drunk? If you do not have the poison in your home, and if they never see you take a drink, they will be less likely to begin the process toward alcoholism and drunkenness.

The message of Habakkuk is a “Woe” to those who put it to their neighbor’s lips, that they might look upon their nakedness. The analogy being; taking advantage of their neighbor for personal gain. The literal rendering is “Don’t sell alcoholic beverage or disperse it in any manner“. God help those who do not follow God’s Word.

I know there are arguments and debate all around these references, but I just trust what the verses say. Unless we want the judgment of the Babylonians on us we who profess Christ as our Savior better begin living a life of temperance. Others are watching you. The best way to avoid becoming an alcoholic is to never take a drink of beverage alcohol. Let us, especially not take part in causing others to become drunken and alcoholic. Let us rather show them the New Wine of Jesus.

-by Tim A. Blankenship