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“Alcohol Lessens Control Of Health Offering Lethalness! (A.L.C.O.H.O.L)”

Ramesh C. Reddy
Publisher

"Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowels of mixed wine. Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things. You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. They hit me, you will say, but I'm not hurt! They beat me up, but I don't feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink? (Proverbs 23:29-35)

APPROACH QUESTION:
What reaction have you experienced if you drank so much of alcohol?

OBSERVATIONS:
I asked myself what word/phrases are repeated?
The word "WHO" was used in this passage 7 times. Six of the times a question is asked and the 7^th time an answer is provided.

OBSERVATION/INTERPRETATION:
I asked myself the significance of the questions asked?
I realized that the 6 questions 

1. Who has woe?

2. Who has sorrow?

3. Who has strife?

4. Who has complaints?

5. Who has needless bruises?

6. Who has bloodshot eyes?

refer to those in v.30: "Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowels of mixed wine."

It is those people that have woe, sorrow, strife, complaints, needless bruises, and bloodshot eyes.

I asked myself where can these 6 things be present?
What came to mind is where the BOTTLE exists, these things can be present. A bar scene or a household where drinking is out of control came to my mind. I saw the first 4 being intangible effects of alcohol and the last 2 being tangible effects of alcohol on a person who lingers over wine and goes to sample bowels of mixed wine. I believe this type of wine is wine that is alcoholic in nature.

I asked myself how do I avoid being in that situation?
 I saw the solution to avoid these situations in v. 31: "Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly" (Proverbs 23:31)

I asked myself what are the consequences of giving in?
This commandment is not with reason as I saw tons of other reasons to avoid those situations. Verse 32 provides the beginning reason by making the statement, "In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper."

I asked myself the significance of using 'In the end'?
What stuck out in my mind is the phrase, 'In the end' because it made me think that for the moment no matter how much drinking we do, nothing may seem to be happening but than before we realize it, enough venom enters our body to slowly destroy it and soon that poison can take over as 'Sclerosis of the Liver' or alcoholic poisoning that could cause death because our metabolism could not handle it. These are only some of the consequences. This sadly happened to Matthew Tembo, a 22-year old student from France who partied at a Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity in Carnegie Mellon University and died of alcoholic poisoning.

I asked myself the significance of v.29-35?
It made me really excited to see the symptoms mentioned in Scripture ahead of any psychology textbooks. The textbooks mention what God has already revealed in His Word.

 I wanted to examine those symptoms and looked at v.s33-35: "Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things. You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. They hit me, you will say, but I'm not hurt! They beat me up, but I don't feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink? (Proverbs 23:33-35) 

1. Your eyes will see strange things.

2. Your mind imagine confusing things.

3. You will be like one sleeping on the high seas.

4. You will be like one lying on top of the rigging.

5. 'They hit me,' you will say, 'but I'm not hurt!

6. They beat me up, but I don't feel it.

7. When will I wake up so I can find another drink?

IMPLICATIONS:
I asked myself the implications for my own life?
I saw important implications for my own life. One of my degrees has been in Psychology and so reading these verses in the Bible made me so excited after I learned similar things in psychology. God's Word already reveals the symptoms of getting drunk on alcohol even before Psychology books. I need to heed God's Word.

 I thought to myself what terminology can describe these situations for each one and couple of things came to my mind. 

1. Eyes seeing strange things made me think of the term HALLUCINATIONS.

2. Mind imagining confusing made me think of a type of HALLUCINATION.

3. Being like one sleeping on the high seas made me think of the concept of 'GETTING HIGH'

4. Being like one lying on top of the rigging made me think of  the concept of a type of 'GETTING HIGH' 

5. Being hit and thinking you are not hurt made me think of a  BLACKOUT'

6. Taking it a step further rather than being hit but beat up, and not feeling it made me think of 'BLACKOUT' too.

7. Not knowing when a drunk person will wake up and wanting another drink bought 3 concepts to mind: First, a HANGOVER, Second, a WITHDRAWAL, and finally, ADDICTION.

 As I have studied this passage, it made me think of so many students who are excited just to come to college to party and have a good time.

I ask you now dear friends, what has A.L.C.O.H.O.L done to you in life?
Dear friends, the Lord loves you so much and sets rules not to hurt you but to help you. At the spur of the moment on Thursdays, Fridays, and the weekends it may seem awesome to just hang out with friends and party by drinking, drinking, and drinking. Nothing may seem to happen but the venom of the alcohol can take its toll on the spiritual, physical, psychological, social, and mental dimension of your life slowly and then that venom will poison you. I learned temporary pleasures whatever they maybe are just not worth it if they conflict with the Word.

The Lord wants you to be healthy and take care of yourself. Alcoholic beverages do not provide safety in the long run. Think about the starting 6 questions of the passage including the last 7 symptoms and effects of getting drunk on alcohol and see if anyone comes to your mind where you know those things have occurred. For you will find if they have not occurred in your life at the moment, they would have occurred in someone's life because God's Word provides the Truth.

As school reopened after Spring Break, we will be put in compromising positions and we need to ask ourselves if we want the vocabulary of HALLUCINATIONS, GETTING HIGH, BLACKOUTS, HANGOVERS, WITHDRAWALS, AND ADDICTIONS to describe us?

I know the Lord Jesus does not want this vocabulary to describe you or me.  When I study God's Word, I love learning messages of comfort and assurance. It would be nice if those were the only messages I got out of God's Word but than I won't be growing because a touchy feely Gospel does not help in the wrong run.

There are times what I learn are hard for me to share because they are not popular topics to be addressed but I am reminded that if the Lord teaches me something and whether it be an encouraging word, an exhorting word, etc I should share it and so I have shared this Quiet Time with you too.

I did not learn that drinking is a sin but getting drunk is a sin from this passage for it affects not only us but those around us. Think to yourself the number of lives that have been lost because of the BOTTLE. That is why I do not even touch the BOTTLE and ask for God's grace. If there is a beer I drink, I like to call it ROOT BEER.

Friend, if you have been part of a household where alcohol rules, I wish I had the words to say to comfort you but this I know, the Lord wants to comfort you and bring healing in those situations. The Lord provides help in different ways and calls out to us, Come to me all who are heavy laden and burdened, and I will give you rest. Wear my yoke, for I am gentle and humble and give rest to your souls. (Matthew 11:28-30) 

If you are personally struggling with addiction to alcohol, the Lord can intervene in your life too and help you. Don't let the enemy deceive you into thinking that you have to be clean and sober before you can come to Jesus. On the contrary, Jesus said, I have come not for the righteous but for the sick.

This verse is so powerful because in our weaknesses, the Lord can work and then His glory will be revealed and shown. So friend, if you have not been close to the Lord because of the bottle, don't let that stop you. Come to the Lord and ask for His help. He is willing my friend, and He can bring healing.

May you come to know the love of Jesus and know that whatever commandments and rules the Lord sets, they are for our good and well-being and He loves us and accepts us as we are. Jesus loves you so much. May you know His love and know alcohol lessens control of health offering lethalness but Jesus everyday seeks us seriously!

You Booze, You Snooze:
(c) 1998 By Ramesh C. Reddy

Making you a prisoner they call me booze.
Have a tendency to make you loose.
If you hang around me too long.
Your loved ones will sing a dirge song.
You think getting drunk is cool.
You won’t when I rule.
I give a black out.
And a stinking mouth.
Make no doubt.
You have entered a killer route.
Heard about sclerosis of the liver.
Well I am the giver.
Heard about abuse.
Well I let you blow a fuse.
I become your boss.
I can your life toss.
I have never come to a loss.
Addiction is my secret weapon of choice.
I only fear addicts listening to the Lord’s voice.
Cause His voice has the healing power through the noise.
He has a way of bringing my addicts to the cure.
Making my business go down for sure.
Then I am stuck.
Unable to make the buck.
Cause the Lord is real.
Sending the help to heal.
The pain I will feel. I am booze on the run.
My future is done.
With the Lord on your side.
Cause He will be your guide!

"Alcohol Lessens Control Of Health Offering Lethalness!" (A.L.C.O.H.O.L)/"What has A.L.C.O.H.O.L done to you in life?"

 Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much for your Word and how your Word addresses current issues and current events of today too. Oh Lord, I pray that you will guide us and lead us Lord. And Lord help us to avoid compromising situations and give us the strength and willingness to endure through peer pressure and not give in but only give in to you. If there is an addiction we want, we want to be addicted to you Jesus! Please help us Lord and I pray for those who are struggling with addiction to alcohol and those that try to find happiness and identity in the bottle. Please Lord intervene in people's lives that we know that have taken that path. Thank you so much Jesus. I thank you so much for the relevancy of your Word for all of us as we study it and meditate on it. Also, I thank you Jesus for dying for our sins and coming back to life to save us. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! I thank you for your help and accepting us as we are. Amen!

May you experience the POWER OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION this day, and give Him the LOCKED areas of your life too so you can experience His PEACE as you become an ACTOR in the film called LIFE being directed by your DIRECTOR, JESUS CHRIST who comes to give JOY and PEACE.

If you are reading this and do not know Jesus as your Lord and Personal Savior and would like to invite Jesus Christ into your heart and make Him a daily part of your life, you can this very moment. You will never be alone. You can claim God's promises for you in the Bible and see them come true, before your eyes, in His wonderful timing. You don't have to wait for a special time to come to the Lord. You can come right now as you pray this prayer, meaning it in your heart. You can invite the GREAT PHYSICIAN right now as you make this your prayer.

Dear Jesus, I want to be free. I don’t know everything about you. I still have a lot of questions. What I do know is that you died on the cross for my sins. When it comes to sin, I am a paralytic Oh Lord. I am infected with this deadly disease known as sin. I am not perfect but a sinner who needs your cleansing blood to clean me of my sin. I confess to you my sin and repent of my sin. I know you have forgiven me when you died on the cross and shed your blood. I want to accept that forgiveness. Thank you for shedding your cleansing precious blood for me. You were nailed to the cross because of me. It is like I actually held the hammer and pounded the nails. Thank you for willingly dying for me Jesus. Thank you for taking the shame and pain for me. Thank you for doing that to set me free. I come to the cross and ask you for your healing in my life. Thank you for the power of your love using your Blood to redeem all humanity that comes to you. Thank you for coming back to life to save us and give us Eternal Life as we yield to you. Your blood can heal us where we are. I love you Jesus. I want you Jesus. Even with my questions, I come to you now and accept you into my heart. Please Jesus come into my heart and make my heart your home. Give me a transfusion of change. Live in me Jesus and I will live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. I thank you Jesus for coming into my heart and making my heart your home. Thank you for living in me Jesus. I acknowledge you now as my Lord and Personal Savior. Please be the Lord and Savior of my life. Thank you for being my Lord and Personal Savior Jesus and because of what you have done for me when God looks at me, He now sees me covered in Your blood and His judgment passes over me. Thank you that you have heard my prayer and answered me. Thank you for being with me Lord and Personal Savior! Thank you for saving me. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit. Thank you Jesus I now belong to you and never need to be alone! You will always be with me and have given me Salvation.  Thank you that you have heard my prayer and answered me! Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

May my spoken words and unspoken thoughts be pleasing even to you, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)

No matter what you feel in your heart, know that Jesus has come in and resides with you! You are not alone! To make your walk strong with the Lord, spend time in prayer talking to Him as you would to a friend. You don’t need special words to talk to the Lord. Spend time in His Word reading Psalms and turning them into prayer. Next allow God to heal you and speak to you through the Gospel of John or Gospel of Mark before moving on to other Books of the Bible! Slowly, let the Lord show you to which Scriptures He wants you to go to next. It is also important to be part of a body of believers to help you grow in the faith. Find a Bible believing church that preaches the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation proclaiming Jesus Christ our crucified and risen Lord who brings us hope, healing, and help! But beware of churches who do believe in the Word of God completely but there is no freedom in Christ but legalism involved.

As a professional, it is not too late to join a church! As a student, it is not too late to join a fellowship on campus this  new year of 2010! May the Lord's presence and peace fill you with His love now and forever! Amen!

Friend, if you have prayed this prayer and meant it in your heart, you are a new creation in Christ and all old things are passed away and everything has become new! You may feel something or may not but don’t base it on feelings but base your new life in Christ on the promises of our Savior who will never leave you nor forsake you! Amen!

Spend time in His word and let the Lord speak to you! Start out in the Gospel of John! You can also check out the Gospel of Mark which are the devotionals I have been going through.  Learn from Jesus through study and prayer. Also find yourself a church fellowship and a college fellowship you can be part of where you can be part of a community of believers to supplement your own walk with the Lord. Let it be a Bible-believing and Bible-breathing church! Believe in Bible LIVE Eternally!

Feel free to email me at reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com if you want to meet to study the Bible, pray with, talk about Spiritual issues or whatever is on your mind! My number is 412-641-9426

"This is my work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)

Express Your View

2010 DEVOTIONALS:

Mark 10: "What do you do with an I.N.T.E.R.R.U.P.T.I.O.N in life?" (March 13, 10, 11:40 p.m.)

Mark 10:13: "Why S.H.A.R.E Jesus with others in life?" (March 09, 10, 4:59 a.m) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Mark 10:13: "Why B.R.I.N.G Doggy Poo to Jesus?" (March 08, 10, 9:01 a.m) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Mark 10: "When have you become an A.D.U.L.T.E.R.E.R in life and what now?" (Feb 24, 10, 9:31 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Mark 10: "Why D.I.V.O.R.C.E the one you marry in life?" (Feb 22, 10, 12:15 p.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Mark 10: "What do you do with what is P.E.R.M.I.T.T.E.D in your life?" (Feb 20, 10, 10:08 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

1 Corinthians 13: "How will you be someone's V.A.L.E.N.T.I.N.E using 16?" (Feb 13, 10,  12:16 p.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Mark 10: "Who do you become an A.T.T.R.A.C.T.I.O.N to and why?" (Feb 05, 10, 9:43 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Mark 9: "How can you be a S.A.L.T in someone's life today?" (Feb 04, 10, 11:27 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Mark 9: "What do you help your friends E.S.C.A.P.E from?" (Feb 03, 10, 12:30 p.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Mark 9: "Why bother with H.E.L.L in life?" (Feb 02, 10, 2:39 p.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Mark 9: "When are you planning to cut your hand, foot, or eye to escape Hell?"" (Feb 01, 10, 1:41 p.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

 Mark 9: "Why heed Jesus' W.A.R.N.I.N.G in your life?" (Jan 30, 10, 12:41 p.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy