Alcohol: Public Enemy #1

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.                                                                                                                             Proverbs 20:1

            What if I told you there was a killer here in America that was claiming the lives of more than 26,000 people in the United States each year (one person every 20 minutes)? That’s the same as having a 9/11 incidence happen every month for 8.6 months out of a year.

          This same killer influences over 40% of the people charged with serious crimes like murder and rape. Its deadly venom kills 6.5 times more people than those that died from cocaine, heroin and every other illegal drug combined. What is this killer’s name? Its name is alcohol! 

          What makes alcohol the most dangerous drug in the nation is because its legal.  Many people believe that Prohibition during the 1920’s proved to be a failure, but was it?

As one can see from the graft above, it shows the lowest amount of malt (beer) that was made during Prohibition. The other interesting thing this reveals is that when the Bible and prayer were removed in 1962, production of beer increased another 200%

From 1933 to 1963 Malt production increased over 600%. Then it increased from 1963 to 1981 another 200%. Just in the year 2000, alcohol-related crashes alone cost America $114 billion.

          When a person is addicted to an illegal drug he/she will fight and say that they can quit or that they really don’t have an addiction. The good thing about their problem is that the law helps keep it off the street. Alcohol is worse because it is not only legal, it’s the starting point most teens take in their quest for drugs.

          Today the average child watches some 20,000 commercials a year, of which 10% of those commercials are on alcohol. For every “Just say no” or “know when to say when” a child sees, he will view 25-50 alcohol commercials. The average age young people start drinking is 15 years old, these young people will have four times greater chance of developing alcohol dependence than those who start drinking at 21.

           More than half of runaways in our country come from households where one or both parents are alcoholics. Even with these amazing facts, the average American has been desensitized from the abuses of it and would rather keep it legal than to try to stop the killings. Everyday I see crosses along the road indicating that someone died on that spot. Most of these deaths were victims of alcohol.

          Its amazing that at one time to get a constitutional amendment it took the majority of all Americans to agree that it had come to that. Now we would rather see senseless killings of innocent people die every day because of America’s addiction to alcohol. 

          One day I received a phone call from a woman saying they wanted me to sign a petition to change the law concerning a particular subject. I pointed out to her that even if you were to get the laws changed, if the hearts of the people are still against it, it will not change.

Isn’t Wine allowed in the Bible?

          Some would argue that Jesus drank alcoholic wine and even performed a miracle at Canaan making more alcoholic wine. Our Lord said that wine is a mocker not over drinking he would not contradict his word. To explain this discussion further; In the Old Testament the Hebrew word for wine (grape juice) was “Tiyrowsh” which was referred to as new wine.

The Hebrew word for alcoholic wine was “Yayin” this is the word found in Proverbs 20:1

          In the New Testament, the Greek word for wine in reference with the miracle in Canaan is “Oynos”, this is the same word used in I Timothy 5:23 when Paul told Timothy to use a little wine for his stomach. The last thing one would want to drink concerning a stomach problem is alcohol. This is because once alcohol gets into the stomach it goes through the lining and then into the blood stream. In reference to Acts 2:13, this is the only reference to new wine being alcoholic (Gleukos).

          Lets not forget the Rechabites of Jeremiah 35 who were commanded from the Lord to drink alcoholic wine (Yayain). They refused saying that they were commanded by their grandfather that they drink no alcohol.  As a result of their obedience the Lord greatly blessed them.

            The Scriptures clearly teach that we as Christians are to be the salt of the earth, but how can we be when alcohol is now an issue within Christian families. The number one killer in a Christian’s life is not alcohol, but compromise!

          As a committed Christian, I purpose to live my life in such a way that every area of my life is submitted to the principals of God’s word. Here are a few basic truths that I live by:

·        The Bible says that God created the earth in six literal days, therefore not only do I believe it, but the scientific evidence points to it. I look at science with the Bible as its foundation. When I didn’t do this I could not see it.

·        The Scriptures says to build my treasure in heaven and not desire to be rich, so I don’t buy lottery tickets.

·        God’s word says that he opens and closes the womb, therefore birth control has no place in a committed Christian family. Remember that birth control was promoted by a woman who had a deep resentment for the Bible and God’s people, to the point that she promoted having Christians sterilized.

·        Scripture reveals a principal that if I am not successful in my home I will never be successful in my job, even if I am president of my company.

          One can fill boxes of proof that alcohol has no place in America, but until the hearts of our country change all the laws in the world will not remove this killer.  

How alcohol can destroy a Family

           Growing up as the youngest in the family I did not see much of the pain and suffering our family went through until the time of my parents divorce. My father was an alcoholic.  I remembered when my Dad was drinking a lot I would hope and pray that he would come home sober. When my father was sober he was a good man, but his weakness to alcohol slowly destroyed him. Like any drug, alcohol makes you lose focus and causes you to hurt the ones you love.

          The tragedy of all this is a doctor told him that there was no cure for him. It is also said that children of alcoholics have a tendency to alcohol, but I thank the Lord that wasn’t in my case.

          Even with all that happened, God has taught me that even if my childhood was not the best I could come to him and he could use me for his kingdom and heal me of my past.

          Now, I am happily married with eight beautiful children and have some of the best friends/servants of the Lord a man could ask for. We need to remember that nothing is too hard for the Lord and he writes the last chapter of our lives, if we only humble ourselves and come to him.

          Friend, have you been a victim of alcohol? Are you hurting and needing comfort?  Regardless of what some doctors say, there is deliverance from this drug. The cure is Jesus Christ. Most importantly, do you know for sure that you are going to heaven? This same Jesus died on a cross so that you and I and the rest of the world could put their trust in Him as savior and have eternal life.

Would you like to be free in this world as well as the next? Jesus said:

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”                                                      Matthew 11:29 & 30