Two Abominations

Drinking and gambling I utterly detest. These are two extremely harmful practices that can become damning addictions that bring irreparable harm to the partakers and countless other people as well.

I will first address the consumption of alcohol and some of its devastating effects. Some people contend that the Bible does not forbid drinking. Even some members of the clergy partake thinking that God sanctions their action. I disagree with the assetion that the Bible doesn't condemn it. I agree with Solomon who wrote this warning about drinking wine, "At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder" (Proverbs 23:32)

Ironically, the first mention of drinking in the Bible was by a man who was called "a preacher of righteousness" (2 Peter 2:5). After Noah unloaded his family and the animals from the ark he got drunk. "And he drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent" (Genesis 9:21) before his sons. Shame on you Noah!

Lot was a sorry far less than a half-way follower of God. After being delivered from the fires that destroyed Sodom, his two daughters got him drunk and he committed incest with them (Genesis 19:32-36). Poor old drunk Lot didn't know what was happening, did he?

Daniel 5 relates how Babylonian King Belshazzar met his doom. He threw a feast with a thousand people present. The wine was flowing freely. "They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, or bronze, iron, wood, and stone" (Daniel 5:4). In the midst of their wild partying handwriting appeared on the wall that only Daniel could interpret. It was God's message that the end had come for arrogant Belteshazzar and his proud and powerful kingdom. That very night he meet his doom and went to face the judgment of his Creator.

There are numerous other sordid examples in the Bible. Now, I turn to the news makers. A few years ago a group of high-school graduating seniors went to Aruba to celebrate. I am sure they expected to have a good time with no thoughts of the tragedy they would encounter. One of the young ladies was abducted in a bar, taken out and disappeared never to be seen or heard from again. The young man accused of abducting her was not prosecuted. Recently he made the news again being charged with killing another young woman. A lot of fun going with the gang to a bar to have a great time. Can you have more fun while getting loaded? Not in my books!

Right now a trial is being conducted involving a highly successful, revered university basketball coach. I highly respected this man who returned the UK Wildcats to prominence and won another coveted NCAA basketball tournament championship. In the year 2003 this man visited a bar and was drinking. He played the so popular "blame game" claiming that he was enticed by a woman to have sex with her. Duh! Does this guy think we are stupid or is he crazy?

It seems that she became pregnant from this euphoria moment. Or did she? Anyhow he gave her $3,000 to have an abortion. But now she is suing him for a pile of money. "Way to go, coach! Way to go! If you think this makes you a winner, your idea of a winner and mine are entirely different. You are a loser, loser of real character. My guess is that you are now having a lot of drinks to get you through this humiliating mess."

Now, my brief tirade against gambling. I am like the young man who was asked by his mother when he returned from church what the preacher preached about. He said, "Sin." Mother asked, "What did he say about it?" Son replied, "He was against it." Suffice it to say that I am against gambling. Some of our top government leaders in Kentucky contend that expanding gambling in our state will bring in taxes that will help scores of our people. I am not the smartest guy in the state, but when did it become okay to hurt people to help the common good? I know that medical doctors hurt people to cure them. If one is performing surgery to remove a cancer, he doesn't implant a worse cancer in the patient. That is precisely what gambling will does, in my opinion.

The first of this week a program aired on a channel that is not available on our TV about a man from Madisonville who was convicted of murdering his aunt by stabbing her multiple times. He is now serving a life sentence, at the same time declaring his innocence. Soon after that fatal night when his aunt died he fled to Costa Rica, but was eventually apprehended and brought back.

Gambling was at the heart of his gigantic money problems. He was borrowing thousands of dollars from his aunt. The day she was brutally, savagely attacked, she had refused him more money to throw down the rat hole that he had dug for himself by his gambling habit. He fell in right down to the bottom. He may never get out. I for one cannot say that gambling is helping Madisonville maintain its self-proclaimed slogan, "Best Town On Earth."

What Is Inception?

Occasionally I do something so stupid that I am embarassed to let it be known. But I share this stupid act in the hopes that someone reading this might not make my mistake.

By now, your curosity is screaming, "Tell us what that stupid thing you did is. Hurry up, man. Don't keep us in the dark."

Here is what I did. Last week Peggy was away from home. Had she been home I probably would not have made this stupid mistake. On Friday afternoon I ventured to the mall and purchased a ticket to see the movie, "Inception."

I must confess that I was in total darkness as to the point of this idiotic movie. I simply can't tell you what it was about or what message it was trying to send. As far as I am concerned it was a sad commentary on the American people who would make it the number one movie at the top of the charts this week.

What a waste of 2 hours and-half. I didn't walk out because I kept hoping to get a clue as to what was going on. Who ever heard of being able to get into other peoples' dreams? Beats me! Anyone who can explain "Inception" to me will have my thanks. I am a simple man, so it must be explained in language I can understand.

I have seen a few good movies lately, especially those video ones we watched in Tanzania. On our flight home I watched "Invicitus" about Nelson Mandella. I recommend it. "The Blind Spot" is good. What ever happened to good old John Wayne Westerns where right triumphed over wrong. It seems to me that there is no right or wrong in a lot of the modern movies.

New Techonolgy Today

Today I have begun learning how to operate Facebook and establish a blog as daughter Emily wanted me to. Yesterday was special at Lafayette Baptist. Peggy and I made our presentation regarding our trip to Tanzania and my trip to Costa Rica. Peggy worked our new projector and I talked about the pictures. The 50 (almost twice our usual number) people present seemed to enjoy seeing these pictures. We are hoping for a few invitations to make the presentation in other churches at evening services, since we would not leave our church in the mornings.
Several changes have come to me since these two trips. I did without TV, radio, or newspaper in Costa Rica and Tanzania. My mind cleared, as a result. I have realized that I was wasting time watching News Talk Shows on TV. The benefits were negative--simply causing me to be confused, distressed, and depressed about the condition of our world and particularly of our beloved America. My time is now being spent reading and other more worthwhile endeavors. In Tanzania I read four excellent books. Reading, I am told, keeps the mind sharper than watching TV. Mine needs much sharpening.

I read for the second time about 2/3 of Randy Alchorn's classic book Heaven. I finished it after getting back home. Even though it is almost 500 pages every Christian needs to read it. Another excellent book that I recommed is, Crazy Love, by Francis Chan, one of Emily's books that she sent home by us. My beloved friend, Hughlan Richey loaned me a soul-shaking book that I just started today, Revolution in World Missions by K. P. Yahannan.

I am hoping to get our picket fence around the back yard all painted before winter. It is an astronomical job since it requires much scraping. I have only worked on it a few hours since getting back from world travels. I worked about an hour and half this morning, getting four panels. I will wait until the heat moderates or get up earlier than usual to hit it.

Today I was called to go to the hospital to visit a man near our church who doesn't appear to have long to live. I was glad I visited him in his home last week. I don't think he is saved
though he says he is. I talked to him very forthrightly today and used the 51st Psalm explaining that we are all sinners and that we must repent. God loves us and wants to save us, if we will turn to him. I pray a sinner's prayer with him though I didn't have him pray aloud, I did ask him to pray the prayer if he needed to. When I finished he said he did pray it. Tomorrow I hope to visit him again. Several months ago I conducted the funeral of one of his sisters. There were 12 brothers and sisters in his family. Almost none of them are church folks. How sad!