Yesterday seemed like Monday with concerns about family (my mother and my father-in-law) and my church family. Billy Sutton who has lung cancer received bad news yesterday with news that the original tumor in his lung has doubled in size and two additional smaller tumors are now in that lung plus another small tumor in the other lung. The bright spot in this is that Billy is an optimist and has such a wonderful attitude. He is going to try some different chemo therapy and we pray God will bring healing.
Monday night I went to a forum on alcohol and substance abuse in our area. The problem is rampant among our young people! One woman who said she had raised her two older children in Dallas said the problem in our area was much worse with other students continually approaching her children about buying illegal substances. Three methamphetamine labs have been put out of business in a community close to ours which is only slightly larger with other labs in the area suspected. In our own community a 16 year old a few weeks ago received burns as he attempted to cook a batch of meth. Another young man was also involved. A survey of high school students in our area shows 66% have used illegal substances. 89% of those students have used alcohol. Also it was revealed that the methamphetamine now being produced is much more powerful and similar in addictive power to that of crack cocaine.
It is a great concern that the parents of these young people do not seem to be very concerned. At least very few came to the meeting. I am also concerned that there must be at some adults involved in facilitating all of this abuse. There appears to be a continued downward spiral in the morality of our young people. It may be that there is a lot of double mindedness going on (James 4:6-7). One of the members of the drug task force said that he was disturbed that in many of the searches they go on they find illegal drugs, pornography, and a picture of Jesus on the wall with an open Bible close by. It boils down to a matter of true repentance. When we ask for forgiveness do we really intend to change or do we just want our conscience to be soothed a little so that we can go on with the way we have been living. It is a question we all need to face honestly when we sin. I John 1:9 is true but it is easily abused when there is no true repentance. Romans 13:14 says that we should make no provision for sin in the KJV. Another version says we should not even think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. If we are serious about ending our sin then we will get rid of the provisions and break off our love affair with the devil. How do we do that? Get rid of all of the illegal substances, get rid of all the materials that could be used to make illegal substances, get rid of the pornography. Then we must fill the void with the things of God such as: the Word of God, church attendance, prayer, service, etc.
Monday night I went to a forum on alcohol and substance abuse in our area. The problem is rampant among our young people! One woman who said she had raised her two older children in Dallas said the problem in our area was much worse with other students continually approaching her children about buying illegal substances. Three methamphetamine labs have been put out of business in a community close to ours which is only slightly larger with other labs in the area suspected. In our own community a 16 year old a few weeks ago received burns as he attempted to cook a batch of meth. Another young man was also involved. A survey of high school students in our area shows 66% have used illegal substances. 89% of those students have used alcohol. Also it was revealed that the methamphetamine now being produced is much more powerful and similar in addictive power to that of crack cocaine.
It is a great concern that the parents of these young people do not seem to be very concerned. At least very few came to the meeting. I am also concerned that there must be at some adults involved in facilitating all of this abuse. There appears to be a continued downward spiral in the morality of our young people. It may be that there is a lot of double mindedness going on (James 4:6-7). One of the members of the drug task force said that he was disturbed that in many of the searches they go on they find illegal drugs, pornography, and a picture of Jesus on the wall with an open Bible close by. It boils down to a matter of true repentance. When we ask for forgiveness do we really intend to change or do we just want our conscience to be soothed a little so that we can go on with the way we have been living. It is a question we all need to face honestly when we sin. I John 1:9 is true but it is easily abused when there is no true repentance. Romans 13:14 says that we should make no provision for sin in the KJV. Another version says we should not even think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. If we are serious about ending our sin then we will get rid of the provisions and break off our love affair with the devil. How do we do that? Get rid of all of the illegal substances, get rid of all the materials that could be used to make illegal substances, get rid of the pornography. Then we must fill the void with the things of God such as: the Word of God, church attendance, prayer, service, etc.
posted by Ed Wrather @ 8:52 AM
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