Be Not Deceived By Yourself!

Tuesday's Devotion (4-4-06)

"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;" Ephesians 5:18 (KJV)

Some people think that it's sin to even drink a small bit of alcohol, but I don't think so. I believe that it's only a sin if you drink in excess like the scripture says. In other words, the sin is drinking until you're drunk. You are to be filled with the eternal Holy Ghost, not with temporary drugs. I believe that drinking a little, not enough to get drunk on special occasions is all right. BUT even with that comes a problem. Most of us have the ingredients to become alcoholics. I come from a long line of alcoholic family members, so I'm in a danger zone. I might not be able to control myself once I get started. If I became an alcoholic then I put myself in a very dangerous place... The Bible says that drunkards will not inherit the Kingdom of God!

I have to say this too. There are some of you that think it's all right to be an alcoholic because alcohol is a "legal substance." You think it's "ok to smoke tobacco," because "tobacco is a legal substance," but these things are STILL drugs. There are smokers and drinkers that judge people who are addicted to other drugs. Maybe to make themselves feel better about their own addictions? I can't answer that question, but the drinkers and smokers are in the same boat as the pot smokers, the heroin users, the cocaine users, etc. I don't believe for a minute that the Bible only means using alcohol is a sin. It means every drug that you become addicted to. Every drug that destroys your body and alters your mind. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost, and we should respect our bodies. I can't say that I always have respected my body. I wish I could tell you and God that I have, but I haven't. I wish that all those people who have used drugs and act like they never did, I wish that they would be revealed for what they are - liars, deceivers and condemners. It's not right to make people feel guilty for their sins when you're just as guilty as anyone else. That's just my opinion. So, I'm not trying to make you all feel guilty. I'm just trying to help some of you to stop deceiving yourselves by saying, "This is ok, that is ok, it's all OK!" I would hope that you all would stop me from deceiving myself if you knew I was deceiving myself. I'm famous around my house for deceiving myself. Haven't you ever lied to yourself? Have you made yourself believe something that you know isn't true? Come on, admit to it! Admitting to deceiving yourself is the first step to stop deceiving yourself. I have and I have to watch myself at times.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this message and for all things. Please forgive us of all our sins, and we forgive all those who've wronged us. Please help us not to deceive ourselves and help us to keep our noses out of bad things. Make us holy people. In Jesus name. A-men!

God bless!

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