What Can We Learn From History?

I've been reading a great book called, Alcohol Friend or Foe? by Dr. James Jones, Jr.  I highly recommend the book. The author talks about his hometown of Harriman, TN, a little over 2 hrs. from where I live. Interestingly, the author heard from a long time resident that the man that gave the acreage for their town gave it with the stipulation that they would not sell alcohol. It became known as "the town that temperance built," and was founded by a group of temperance advocates in the late 19th century. This phrase was (and perhaps still is) on a historical marker in front of what used to be the city hall. They even had a university called American Temperance University, which opened in 1893. 

Several years back (around 1992), the city council was voting on whether or not to allow citizens of Harriman to change the city charter to make selling beer in city limits legal. Several pastors of the city formed the Committee For Preservation of the City Charter, to preserve the charter and keep their promise that the town was built upon. However, the city council decided that selling beer would generate a lot of revenue. They felt it would cause many businesses to come into the town because they could sell beer. They assumed people didn't want to build businesses due to the restrictions of temperance. They threatened that taxes would increase and they would lose their city schools if they didn't make this change. So it was passed, and their utility bills went up. They lost their city schools to the county, as they could no longer finance them. The pastor who took a strong stand against it and encouraged the other pastors to form the committee to save the city charter was pressured by the church officers to resign, and he did. Their church covenant read: "...to abstain from the sale of, and use of, intoxicating drinks as a beverage..." At that time there were 28 Baptist churches in Harriman, TN. Why weren't they taking a stronger stand? 

Now they have Tri-Dog Brewing Company. There are at least three package stores in the town, which I found in a search this morning. They have a Bar and Grille. Wed., Feb. 1, 2023 there is an article on the internet entitled, "The Temperance Town Brewhouse Coming to Harriman." The article reads, "I am pleased and proud to announce to you that something great is coming to Harriman! A 20,000 square foot brewhouse in the former location of Rock Top General Store in beautiful downtown South Harriman! You will also be amazed and proud to have this establishment in our community. Look for Temperance Town Brewhouse to open sometime around late spring to early summer 2023...A love for these kinds of places prompted Tri Dog Brewery Company to join in this effort..." They kept "Temperance Town" in their title.  What a mockery of a town that had promised to never sell alcohol! Notice the word, "proud." 

The residents in Harriman were told that "great revenue comes through the sale of alcohol. The fact is, for every dollar of tax revenue, the tax payer's cost is more than $4.00; actually, it is closer to $5.00. Of course, this takes into consideration, rehabilitation of the drinker, rebuilding of health, property loss due to accidents, added police workers, loss of down time due to absenteeism from drunkenness, workman's compensation from injury due to alcohol, crime, prisons, increase on insurance rates, etc...I have read an article proclaiming that ninety percent of all crimes are alcohol related" (Alcohol Friend or Foe, p. 35). I met with our sheriff here in Blairsville a few weeks ago, and while statistics have not been kept, he did say that "most crimes are [related to alcohol]," or particularly in our area, drugs.

Let's consider Murphy, NC, a little closer to home. They voted in alcohol to be sold within city limits, but didn't include the county, only those living in city limits in 2008. It passed, but many citizens in Murphy speculate that had they allowed the entire county (Murphy is a large area, and the city limits is much smaller) to vote, it would not have passed.

Let's bring it right to home: Blairsville, GA, the next town south of Murphy, NC. Blairsville is part of Union County, and it used to be a dry county. A vote was taken a few years ago on whether or not to allow the sale of alcohol, and they voted no. However, I’m told a second vote was taken when several people were away, and it passed. It is very difficult to take something like that away once it passes. Now we have breweries, distilleries, restaurants that serve alcohol, bars (Grandpappy Mims), Blairsville Social, etc., and even Walmart has a large section of alcohol in it. Across our nation the alcohol industry is booming! Even during COVID, when the government wanted churches closed, bars could stay open. I've been out West for vacation the past two years and I can testify to the large presence of alcohol, and even gambling, across our nation. Even Cracker Barrel is selling alcohol now! And closer to home, Comfort Grub in Murphy, NC.

Alcohol brings with it a curse. It allows legal ground for the devil in your life. And if you sell it, or offer it to someone else, a curse is put on you also. I only recently became aware of this powerful verse: Habakkuk 2:15: "Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest thy bottle to him..." 

Proverbs 20:1: "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." James 1:15: "Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." Sin brings death. Oh, how many regret having fallen into its trap.

Drinking alcohol as a beverage works just like sin, which works to deceive the person into thinking they are in control, when really the sin controls the person. It is addictive and has ruined many lives. This is not new; we have seen this countless times, so why are we not learning from history? Why are we not learning from our own mistakes?

The good news is this: Jesus Christ has overcome the world. In John 16:33, Jesus said: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." He broke the chains of sin and death, and He is the Hope of the world. Trust in Jesus as your Savior, and He will break your chains of sin and darkness. He is the only One who can because of His authority and payment He made with His own blood on the cross, taking your punishment and offering you for free this highly valuable gift of salvation and forgiveness of your sin. With the Holy Spirit indwelling you after you accept Jesus as your Savior, you will then have the power to overcome the addiction of alcohol. 

The best way to not become ensnared in alcohol is to never start drinking it as a beverage. Let's work on PREVENTION!

Churches, I know the church covenant is on many of your church walls. It is on ours. Please take a stand in our community if you are not already. We need you. Let's not be like Harriman. Establishments can sell addicting substances, but we don't have to buy them. They will continue to sell when there is a demand, and from a purely business standpoint, who could blame them. The addictive nature of the alcohol keeps you coming for more, which means more profits. The lie is that you have to have alcohol to have a good time. No, Blairsville has known how to have good family fun time without alcohol for years. Let's not be deceived, whether you live in Blairsville or anywhere else on the face of the earth. 

Let's be the city on the hill that stands for righteousness. God will be honored, and we will keep sin at bay.

Temperance Hall

The former American Temperance University, Harriman, TN

What's the Problem with Alcohol?

If you have read my first two blog posts, "Culture Shock" and "Doorways," you will understand why I have decided to step forth out of my comfort zone to speak out against alcohol, among other doorways, in Union County. I guess it shouldn't surprise me that so many people are still promoting alcohol. It's a great money-maker, and it is a way people self-medicate for mental health illness. It also promotes social gatherings. Some like the taste of it, and like how they feel while they are drinking (maybe not so much once it wears off). Some drink a little wine for medicinal purposes. It may be stylish, depending on who you hang around. It shuts down inhibitions, so people sometimes feel they have a better sense of humor while drinking, and loosen up to have more fun. I think also some may feel like they fit in better with their friends when they drink alcohol.

What about the down sides? Have you known anyone whose life has been damaged or destroyed from the effects of alcohol? How many families has it broken? How many jobs have been lost due to this addiction? How many have been killed from drunk drivers? How many wish they could stop drinking but the addiction has them in its clutch? How many have ended up with cirrhosis of the liver? 

When did we think we needed alcoholic beverages to be sociable? Why not drink lemonade, soda, water, coffee, or sweet tea? Have you tried counseling, church, prayer, finding good friends, or a good healthcare provider to help? Have you considered the amount of money you could save if you didn't purchase addictive substances? Have you ever mixed alcohol with your prescription meds and put yourself at risk for an interaction?

Did you know this? "According to a U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, more than twenty million Americans aged twelve or older suffered from an addiction in 2015. That number included millions of teens and young adults. Studies have shown that 40 percent of twelfth-graders, 30 percent of tenth-graders, and 13 percent of eighth-graders have used a drug in the past year.

"Three addictive substances top the list of drugs favored by young abusers: alcohol, marijuana, and opioids. Teens and young adults misuse alcohol more than any other substance.

"Studies also show that in 30 to 50 percent of teen suicide cases, substance abuse is actually a part of the event itself; a large number of teens who take their own lives do so not only while they’re intoxicated but because they’re intoxicated. Intoxicating substances tend to worsen any mental or emotional problems an adolescent may already have. At the same time, they remove any inhibitions that may keep a teen from carrying out his desperate plan. No wonder the result is often tragic." https://www.safamily.co.za/alcohol-and-other-drug-use/

What amazes me is that we know better! Alcohol has been around for a very long time, and we have seen over and over the harm that it does. And yes, people who want to get it will get it, whether legally or illegally. Sin is in the heart of each of us, and that corruption is what is behind wrong choices we make in any area of our lives. This applies to obesity when it's cause is the sin of gluttony, drug addiction, sexual immorality, domestic abuse, crimes against humanity, etc. But if law enforcement, our local government, parents, teachers and principals, churches, and others in authority embrace corruption, then what will be the end result? How far will it go? 

Leaders in authority need to be moral and frown on the use of destructive substances. It should be discouraged, not encouraged. The reason that open carry of alcohol, while shut down this time, will keep coming to the ballot is that evil will never stop trying to overcome good. But we are commanded in Scripture, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). What will Blairsville, GA's leadership do to discourage the use of harmful drugs and alcohol? I encourage discussion for ideas to protect the citizens of this town and county, to promote a culture of safety and health. 

I for one am stepping forward to take a stand for our children and our community to place a focus on Healthy Minds for Better Lives. We need clarity of thought to fight evil temptations and promote good in our families and communities. This starts with me. It starts with you. Each of our hearts needs repentance of our sin before a holy God, trust in Jesus Christ to save us from our corruption and sin, and walk in newness of life. Find a good church. Simplify life as much as you can. I am committed to continue to encourage you to stand for what is right.

Doorways

It's probably been around 3 years or so ago that I embarked on a study about spiritual warfare from a woman who was an emergency room doctor who was a Christian, and lived out West. She has passed away fairly recently, but she has written four books, all of which I have read cover to cover. She had a deliverance ministry, which is when a Christian leads people in the occult to Jesus Christ. The term "deliverance" describes being delivered from the chains of darkness and bondage that the people were in before they came to trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Only Jesus Christ can break those chains! There is nothing in and of ourselves that can do that because it is only Jesus who has the authority over Satan and his kingdom. We are wise to tread carefully because Satan is described in the Bible as not only a liar, but the Father of lies. He is a deceiver, an accuser, a roaring lion who seeks to devour us, an angel of light who deceives entire nations, the destroyer, a murderer, etc. He is not our friend, but he has dangled shiny things before our eyes and lulled us to sleep so he can essentially harm us! He is more powerful than we are, but God is more powerful than he is. Satan cannot work outside God's permission, but if you understand the spirit world, you will understand that Satan has legal ground to do certain things because we give him that liberty in our lives when we sin.

After many months of study, I came to realize this one critical thought: there is a reason why God has commanded us to do and not do certain things. There are laws and rules in the spiritual world that must be abided by. There are reasons why He has so carefully laid out in Scripture warnings and instructions to keep us from sin. That is why Jesus came to this earth clothed in human form so He could sacrificially die in our places to free us from the bondage of our own sin to reconcile us to God our Heavenly Father. He paid our debt, and died so we can live. Because He resurrected, so can we! When we live in disobedience to God and sin against Him, we essentially give Satan legal ground to possess us if unsaved, or to oppress us if saved. Our safeguard against the devil is to resist him and he will flee from us (James 4:7: "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you"). If we resist sin and keep our hearts and minds clean, then we protect ourselves from harm spiritually. 

There are doorways that allow Satan and his demons to entangle themselves in our lives legally. Some examples are the occult, including games that use witchcraft like Dungeons and Dragons, role playing fantasy games, etc.; rock music; drugs; alcohol; movies and entertainment that use witchcraft like Harry Potter; toys that use witchcraft like ouiga boards; biofeedback; yoga; sexual sins like adultery, sex outside of marriage, gay lifestyles, transgender lifestyles; abuse, including rape, sex trafficking, domestic abuse, crimes against humanity, etc. Once you become aware of these links to witchcraft, you can better pray and confess your sins, put them under the blood of Jesus, and flee from all appearance of evil.

Take heed to this truth that alcohol is not just another drink. There is a reason why we are to be abstain from it. It is a spiritual doorway that gives Satan legal ground to your life. You might like the taste, you might like how you feel, it might make you some friends, but there is a price to pay for it. The only way to live a holy life before God is to keep from sin. We cannot do it except by trusting in Jesus Christ as our Savior, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by Him (see John 14:6). 

Culture Shock

Like you may have experienced, I've been in culture shock the past four years. I've marveled at the changes I've seen in America and around the world. It feels like we're in a bad dream that won't end. Most of us in America have been so comfortable that we have been referred to as "sleeping." We have blindly trusted where we should have been more skeptical. We haven't paid attention to the warning signs. Now that our eyes are beginning to open up to the harsh reality that our government doesn't always have our best interest at heart, the political right claims we have "awakened." We are coming back to a place where we consider ourselves patriots, and we cherish our constitution and our Bible, and believe we should all act with good morals, law and order, justice and mercy, and grace. The far left have decided to claim a similar term: "Woke." They are counter culture and trying to "cancel" our American heritage and history and oppose moral living. Many are paid to do this.

So much corruption has been revealed in our country since 2020. I'm amazed at how much I didn't know was occurring behind the scenes that was not good. Those who understand biblical prophecy can see how Satan has been working for years to set up the antichrist. Parts of the Bible such as the book of Revelation, Daniel, Matthew 24, and 1 Thessalonians 4 tell us about things to come. When we see AI coming along; chips being developed to implant in the skin to buy and sell; world economies failing; movement toward a one-world digital currency, one-world government, and one-world religion; the world becoming more openly evil, etc., we are not surprised, but we are still saddened. It's hard to see our nation that we love so much and whom our heroes died suffer, and we hope we don't get turned over to communism by evil leaders whom many believe hijacked the White House. 

Will our military fight for us? Will we be taken hostage or taken as slaves? Will terrorists in our country attack us from within when given the order to do so? Where are our American heroes? Oh, right. Apparently we are. We have to be. Who else will protect our children? We must.

I'm a Bible believer. You cannot believe in God without believing in Satan. Like every good story, you have a good guy and a bad guy. If you're a Christian, God is the good guy and Satan is the bad guy. If you are a Satanist, Satan is the good guy and God is the bad guy. 

North Georgia is full of people who love God, and I know this because I see them every day. I work and live in this community. I have personally met many of our veterans who risked their lives and sacrificed for our freedoms, and they are grieving for this country they fought so hard to protect. If age didn't deter them, they would fight again in a heartbeat to preserve our constitution and this nation they love. 

But perhaps not everyone who lives here loves God. We have to use wisdom and discernment as we walk this life. Blairsville is the "Land of Lakes, Mountains, Scenic Beauty and Friendly People.” As the dark cloud of evil spreads across our nation, we have to be ready for it so it doesn't overtake us and destroy the heart of this community that puts Jesus first. The battle is real. Our children need real heroes. Are you ready to fight evil, at least by standing firm upon what is right by God's standards, and not wavering? What is the alternative?