Drugs, a Deal with The Devil

"Drugs. No matter if it is a drink or something that is smoked, injected, snorted or swallowed, they have been around since near the beginning of human history. Why do we do it? Because we believe the lies they promise."

“Drugs.” That is what the Sherriff and Police Chief told me was the greatest problem their area faced when I was seeking to learn about the needs in their respective county and city.

Since nearly the beginning of mankind, the human race has continually had an ongoing battle with drugs. A grotesque scene between a father and his two daughters from long ago captures the influence they have had on humanity for thousands of years. The stunning episode is recorded in the Bible. Lot fled from his home just before his town (Sodom) was destroyed by fire because of the judgment of God. He had lost everything but his two adult daughters, and their new home was a lonely dark cave. No doubt they were all discouraged, grief-stricken, overwhelmed, and unsure what the next step was. Though they were a religious family, they did not call upon God nor search out Lot’s gracious uncle Abraham for help.

Eventually, Lot’s daughters felt desperate to have children and reasoned between themselves that there was no option for them outside of their father. They each conspired to have a one-time incestual relationship with him, and to do it with the help of alcohol. The first night, they spent time with their father, coaxing him to drink. Lot was unaware of his daughters’ plans, but knew that he was drinking alcohol and refused to stop. When he became drunk, one daughter laid down with him. After Lot woke up from his hangover, he did not remember anything other than being drunk. The next night Lot started drinking again and the same thing happened with the other daughter. Lot never realized the implications of his drinking until he found out that both of his daughters were pregnant.

Lot’s daughters wanted something for themselves, but instead of trusting God for it, they rationalized the need to drug their dad to get it. And as for Lot, rather than going to God for help, he went to alcohol and lost his moral compass at a great cost.

Drugs. No matter if it is a drink or something that is smoked, injected, snorted or swallowed, they have been around since near the beginning of human history. Why do we do it? Because we believe the lie, that they can give us some temporary relief. Indeed, drugs are an evil tool that leads to evil things.

They offer grand promises using demonic lies. “Take this for the pain”, they say. “This will help you have a good time”, is said with a devilish smirk. “It will calm you down,” whispers another minion. We believe the promises, treating them like a god, as if they have the power to give us what we are searching for. These false gods have a high price though. They can take nearly all your money, family, job, possessions, reputation and perhaps even your very life and eternal soul, dragging it to the fires of hell. Taking drugs is a deal with the devil and he wins every time.

What’s the answer? From Lot and his daughters, to every person in the world, if they did this one thing, the drug problem would be solved.

Find freedom in Jesus Christ.

Jesus died and rose again to defeat the power of sin, to set men and women free from its strangle hold. Many are like powerless slaves to drugs, following them like a sheep to slaughter. But the cross of Jesus, came to rescue people from the slavery of sin, that they might be free. Turn from your drugs. Throw them away. Flush them down the toilet. Burn them up. Leave them behind and run to Jesus and there you will be free. Freedom is waiting for you!

A prayer for you. “Lord God, I pray for the drug pushers and users. Open their eyes to the lies they are believing. Open their eyes to what their drug is taking from them. Let them no longer be deceived. Then bring them to turn to you. Help them to see the cross and call out to you and be gloriously set free! In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

What if Tomorrow Never Came?

"Do not wait until tragedy hits your life before you discover what is most important. Open your eyes now to the eternal, the spiritual, the things of God. Prepare for the next life before it is too late." 

What is the focus of your life? Is it seeking things to be happy or achieving important goals? And what if your life was suddenly taken from you today? Would you be ready, or so focused on this life that you were not ready for the next? Questions like this can make us think and may reveal that our life needs some adjusting. (image from IRMP Consulting)

Related to this, a man in a crowd once called out to Jesus, wanting Him to get involved in a personal matter. He was having a dispute with his brother over the family inheritance. In response, Jesus made a profound statement, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15).

Jesus laid His finger on the real problem. It was not his brother, but the man’s focus. He was being tempted by the potential wealth he could have with some of the inheritance, and all the things he could do with it for himself.

Jesus knew this temptation was a common problem in the human heart, so He told a story to illustrate an important truth.

He shared about a wealthy farmer who had a tremendous harvest, “. . . and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ (Lk. 12:17-19)

Now if Jesus ended the story at that point, there would be nothing to learn. Instead, He continued with these striking words, “But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Lk. 12:20-21)

The farmer’s life focus, was the “here and now.” For him, his life revolved around his work, building wealth, and making plans for his future. The farmer gave no thought to anything beyond his own interests, nor to the eternal, spiritual or anything of God. As a result, his Creator called him a “fool.” Why? Because all the things he focused on would mean nothing in the next life. He could take none of it with him. At death it would all be ripped away from his earthly hands and left behind to others.

Let us not be so quick to condemn the farmer. If we are honest, many of us are much the same. The temptation to become fixated on this life is real, because there is so much that grips our attention. The more and more stuff we buy, the day-to-day challenges, the busyness. We all have fallen prey to this common enemy. That is until a major crisis hits.

Cancer. Car accident. Heart attack. Natural disaster. When things like these suddenly appear, it is often a wakeup call. The farmer was focused on this life, storing up things for himself, when God announced he was going to die that very night. That was not in the farmer’s plans. He was not ready.

Do not wait until tragedy hits your life before you discover what is most important. Open your eyes now to the eternal, the spiritual, the things of God. Prepare for the next life before it is too late. Jesus died and rose again to show us our urgent need and greatest priority. That is, to prepare to meet God and live for Him. Store up heavenly treasure though sharing the good news of Christ, obeying God’s commands, being faithful toward Him, forgiving those who have hurt you and loving your neighbor.

A prayer for you. “Lord God, show us if we have put the stuff of this life ahead of you. We admit and repent from our ways. Change us, O God! Become the priority in our life and prepare us for the next, whenever that day should come. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

The World’s Most Polarizing Figure

"When we think of the kinds of people that are polarizing; politicians, actors, musical artists, athletes and activists come to mind. We typically don’t think of religious ones like this, yet the most polarizing person in the world today is a religious one – Jesus."  

Polarizing people. There is no neutral ground. You either love’em or hate’em. It is a combination of their personality, public presence and things they say and do all rolled into one. For some they know what they are doing and purposefully push the limits for their own gain. For others though, they do not want to divide. It is the opposite. They want to be helpful and do good, but as they go about doing their work, they are resisted at every corner and division surfaces.

When we think of the kinds of people that are polarizing politicians, actors, musical artists, athletes and activists come to mind. You typically would not think of pastors or other kinds of religious figures as polarizing. For most of them stay away from controversial issues, and seek to bring people together through sharing messages of hope, love and forgiveness. Yet, the most polarizing person today, which has been for centuries, is not a political figure, but a religious one – Jesus. And He was well aware of this and explained to His followers, "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before . . . you." (John 15:18)

Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, provided food to the hungry and loved the unlovable. His personality was one of kindness and graciousness, always putting others above Himself. Why was Jesus so polarizing then? It was a combination of His message, claims and how He presented those. He was humble, but also bold and confident. He served the outcasts of society, which the religious leaders condemned. He knowingly defied their religious traditions. He courageously addressed their sins publicly before the people and to them personally. He made claims about Himself, aware the leaders would twist and say He was uttering words of blasphemy. On many occasions, when they came to confront Him in front of the crowds, He stood His ground and wisely responded to their deceptive tactics.

Jesus was fully aware of the impact His message of truth was having when He said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.” (Matthew 10:34-36) What was so offensive about Him?

It was His constant effort at pointing out sin in the hearts of the religious leaders, political leaders, the audiences that came to hear Him and even His own disciples. Many times, this frustrated and flat out enraged His opponents. Yet, Jesus stood firm, never wavering and was ultimately the reason He was arrested and sentenced to death through crucifixion.

Why is Jesus still so polarizing today? The very mention of His name in some places can instantly bring tension. Why? For the same reasons. We are born with the instinct to put ourselves first and do life our way. At the same time, we may acknowledge Jesus and recognize Him as a good teacher. But this is where the offense is; we stop short of turning from the sin He points out in us, and following Him by faith. And if the issue is pressed, we will become firmer in our resistance, rationalizing a way to remain in our sin.

One day, whether you have accepted or resisted Him, He will bring the world to its knees. The Scripture says, "God has highly exalted him . . . so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow . . . and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord . . ." (Philippians 2:9,10,11) Instead of resisting Jesus’ to your own demise in this life and the next, turn from your sin and follow Him. Receive Him today.

A prayer for you – "Lord Jesus, bring your light and expose the darkness in our hearts. Help us not to be offended, but welcome it. For you want us to have new life and be free. Help us to receive that new life by faith. Amen.”