I often have conversations with young Christian men and women who have become entangled in the “snare of the Trapper” (Psalm 91:3). Their entanglement is far too often directly related to the use of beverage alcohol. During these conversations, these young men and women tell me that they thought they could “handle it.” They also tell me something else. They often tell me that their parents, who are “very strong Christians,” have taught them it was “OK to drink, if I did so responsibly.” Some have told me that their Youth Pastor uses beverage alcohol and told them it was “OK to drink, if we do it intelligently.” There have been a few that told me something else. Sadly, and I mean sadly in a gut-wrenching way, a few have told me that the pastor of their home church told them that it was “OK to drink beverage alcohol if done in moderation.”
Have we gone mad? How is it that men of God have taken such a passive position when it comes to the use of alcohol as a beverage? Why is it that men of God (I should say some men of God, because, thankfully, there are still many who have not gone mad.) are preaching and teaching that it is OK to use alcohol as a beverage? Why don’t we just tell our sons and daughters that it is OK to kiss a rattlesnake as long as it is not by means of a “French Kiss”? (That would be moderation in Rattlesnake kissing, right? I mean, as long as we can kiss him and get away before he bites us, that’s OK, right? Just don’t kiss him too deeply, right?)
I thank Holy God for those men of God who still take a stand against the use of alcohol as a beverage. I was delighted early this morning as I read the Weekend Reflections for August 3 from the Stand Firm: God’s Challenge For Today’s Man devotional guide published by LifeWay, edited by Jason Ellerbrook, Men’s Ministry Leader, LifeWay Men. Thank you, LIfeWay.
Here is the Weekend Reflection, August 3, 2013. Read it and thank Jesus that some guys are still standing strong in hard places and hard times trying to help Southern Baptists not shipwreck their lives or the lives of their children.
“’Wine is a mocker, beer is a brawler, and whoever staggers because of them is not wise.’ (Proverbs 20:1) Choosing to drink alcohol is asking for trouble. It’s simply not wise. And as we all know, there are often very negative consequences to living unwisely.”
Thank you, LifeWay, for standing tall today, August 3, 2013, and telling the truth. It is my prayer that every man of God who fills a Southern Baptist pulpit will take a strong stand against the use of beverage alcohol. It is the number one drug problem among our children today . . . and sadly, among some of us who preach the Good Story of Jesus Christ and pray no one knows about our addiction to beverage alcohol that has been used to snare us by the Trapper, because he convinced us we could handle that of which we cannot. Wine is a mocker. So, don’t be mocked.