A Hard Road
I grew up in a home with a father who was an alcoholic. What a difficult and unhappy life it was. It was a hard road. In all my years, I have never seen anything worse than alcoholism in a home. Yet, there are tens of thousands of homes where alcoholism is in control.
In one year, sixty percent of the divorces granted in Champaign County, Illinois could be traced directly to the use of liquor. Think of the sadness brought into these homes. Consider the children who must suffer as the result of these divorces. Young people think little about such things when they are offered their first drink. They are fearful of how their friends might react if they do not indulge. But what does God say in His Word? Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder (Proverbs 23:31,32). Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise (Proverbs 20:1). My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not (Proverbs 1:10).
We must not be deceived by Satan’s beguiling lies. We’re to put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and give Him first place in our life. He will provide the strength to overcome all temptation. In Romans 13:14, we are exhorted to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. We can only do this as we take Jesus Christ into our life and follow Him. He gives the courage to say no when the drinks are passed.
Ponder the words of wisdom left to us by Andrew Carnegie. “The first and most seductive habit and the destroyer of most young men is the drinking of liquor. I am a man who knows, and I say to you that you are more likely to fail in your career from acquiring the habit of drinking liquor than any or all the other temptations likely to assail you.”
On one occasion, Thomas Alva Edison was asked why he never used intoxicating liquors. His interesting reply was, “Because I have a better use for my brain.”
At a banquet in New York City, a well-known Austrian surgeon was reported by the newspapers to have said, “I cannot say that I’m a great temperance agitator, but I am a surgeon. My success depends upon my brain being clear, my muscles firm and my nerves steady. No one can take alcoholic liquors without blunting these physical powers, which I must always keep on edge. As a surgeon, I must not drink.”
There is nothing that more surely steals away the alluring charm of feminine beauty and robs masculine powers of their efficiency than alcohol. There is no glamour in befuddled brains, bloated faces, and bleary eyes. Why destroy beauty and charm with that which is but a tool of Satan to wreck lives? Drinking has been a curse to mankind throughout the ages. Read the Bible and see how it caused Noah to commit the first sin following the flood. It caused Lot to become the father of his own daughter’s children. It played a part in David’s sins of adultery and murder. Absalom was under the influence of it when he slew his half brother, Amnon. It ruined Nabal, the son of famous old Caleb. All those present were drunk when Belshazzar saw the handwriting on the wall. It caused Ahasuerus to dethrone good queen Vashti. Everywhere liquor has gone, it has left in its way nothing but pain, misery, and death. No single force has caused more tears and sorrow. This poem was written by a prisoner in the Illinois State Penitentiary.
THE BAR
A place for drinking is a bar,
The fittest of its names by far.
A bar to heaven, a door to hell,
Whoever named it, named it well.
A bar to manliness and wealth,
A door to want and broken health.
A bar to honor, pride, and fame,
A door to grief, and sin, and shame.
A bar to hope, a bar to prayer,
A door to darkness and despair.
A bar to honored, useful life,
A door to brawling, senseless strife.
A bar to all that’s true and brave,
A door to every drunkard’s grave.
A bar to joys that home imparts,
A door to tears and aching hearts.
A bar to heaven, a door to hell,
Whoever named it, named it well.
The tragedy of alcohol is that others are affected. Children are undernourished. Loved ones are nervous and distraught because their minds are filled with worry and stress. This is the result of a father or mother being trapped by the evil of alcohol.
It all started, you remember, with the first drink. No one ever became an alcoholic without alcohol. But, you may be thinking, this is not my problem. I know when to stop. I can control it. Maybe so now, but you do not know what the future has to offer.
Science has no way of determining beforehand who will be or who will not be a chronic alcoholic. You say you can stop anytime you want? We shall just have to wait and see.
Has alcohol gotten its hold on you? Maybe you admit that you would like to quit but you can’t. There is One who can give you a real and lasting victory. This One is the Son of God who died on Calvary’s cross years ago and shed His precious blood, which can wash away all your sin. By believing on Christ you can have a complete change of heart and mind. We read it in 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
But you must realize these things. First, you must see yourself as a sinner before God. Second, you must recognize that you need His cleansing power. God says in Romans 3:23, For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. For this reason all of us need the power of Christ to transform us and give us new life. That was Christ’s main purpose for coming into this world. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 1:15, This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Do not give up in despair. Alcohol or drugs may have a hold on you, but the Son of God is stronger than these. The Lord Jesus can break the fetters that have bound you for years and deliver you into newness of life.
You can't change things in your own strength. Jeremiah confessed, O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself. It is necessary to act upon the promises of God right now. Invite Christ to come into your life now. The penalty for delay may be tragic. You’ve tried to get victory in your own strength but you’ve failed. Let the Lord do a work in your life. Don't say, “God won’t take me as I am. Let me get straightened out first. Then I will go to church.” Get right with Christ first — then church will become meaningful. In yourself you will never be any better than you are right now. Only Christ can deliver you from your sins.
J. Allen Blair
Remembering Those Special Days!
Elva Erma Butcher and Joseph Allen Blair were married in Atlantic City, New Jersey on August 10, 1938. The years that followed have yielded three daughters, nine grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, ministry in churches, Bible conference centers, camps, and other venues across the United States, Canada, Bermuda, and South and Central America. Together they founded the Glad Tidings radio broadcast forty-nine years ago.
93 years ago, on August 10, 1913, Dr. Blair was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Having his birthday and wedding anniversary on the same date insured that he would never forget it, and he hasn't.
Happy Birthday, Dr. Blair!
Happy Anniversary Dr. & Mrs. Blair!
Gifts in honor of this special occasion will be published in the Glad Tidings newsletter.
Project Studio Renovation
As the equipment in the studio ages, there are unexplained creaks and pops that are not acceptable. We don't want the message hindered because of technical problems. The board has approved the renovation and some of the equipment is on order. Make your gift to this project your summer missions trip! You won't have to pack a suitcase nor wait in the airport. Through your gift, you will touch people across the United States, in Guam, in Panama, in Bermuda, and literally around the world via the Internet (people respond from Germany, Kenya, Ireland, and many other countries). Our goal is to tell the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ!
Join us in ministry with your gift!