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Dripping Springs Weekly Bulletins
"This Just In . . .!!"
You know how it works. A “big story” comes from a reliable source, gets a lot of headlines and a lot of TV coverage – the full treatment. You may hear it first on the morning news shows, or it may be on the front page of the newspaper. The serious news people take the issue and air the views from all sides, critically examining the facts and all possible conclusions.
Now, I may have missed it, or perhaps it is going to be there tomorrow, but a big news story came out recently and I have not seen even one “big story” on any of the networks. Not even the local newspaper. But, I’m not surprised that it is being kept secret.
No, I’m not talking about the Super Bowl. Or the NBA finals between the Cavaliers and the Spurs. It’s not the Iraq war or the new stem-cell discovery, or the storms in Florida, the Northeast and in the mid-section of America.
It’s news that few people want to talk about. Reporters don’t want to discuss it, perhaps because he/she does not want the news to get out, and no one wants to contemplate all of the changes necessitated if it really is true. WHAT NEWS?!!
Alcohol Is Dangerous!
You may be thinking, “I knew that already!” Yes, you did and so does every news reporter in America, but many do not want to accept it. Please pay close attention to the following statistics on the subject of beverage alcohol. If you or a friend is determined to drink, these numbers will not mean a thing. They will go right through your head without registering. Why? Not because they are false, not because they cannot be shown to be true by objective research. The only reason would be that many do not want to know how bad the consequences are to a nation that needs clear heads and intelligent decisions. Many want to drink, and they will do it regardless of the problems that go with it. Judges do it. Preachers do it. Congressmen do it. Bus drivers do it.
Our sources include Austin American-Statesman, USA Today, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism.
- Alcohol is involved in 30% of all suicides, and in 30% of all fires, all homicides and all drownings.
- Over 50,000 babies will be born this year already addicted to alcohol. They call it Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. It causes retardation, deformity and genetic disorders. The reason? Mom had consumed her share of alcohol during her pregnancy.
- Alcohol is a contributing factor in half of all violent crimes in our nation and 40% of all property crimes.
- Between 20% and 40% of all Emergency Room traumas involve alcohol.
- More than half of the rapists were drinking just before their crimes.
- Mothers and fathers convicted of child abuse are three times more likely than other parents to be addicted to beverage alcohol.
- Alcohol is involved in half of all household injuries and other accidents at home.
- Evidence reveals that even so-called “social drinking” causes birth defects, Alcoholic Organic Brain Syndrome, peptic ulcers and heart muscle damage.
- We are now aware that some people have a genetic “pre-disposition” to alcohol problems, and that even minimal amounts of beer or wine consumed can result in addiction.
- Latest figures indicate that in Texas alone there are more than 1,000,000 “problem drinkers.” You and I know what that means.
- One of the most alarming discoveries is the increasing number of adults who host and provide alcohol parties for their minor children and their peers.
- Every single day in America over 1,000 adolescents begin to drink alcoholic beverages. That’s every single day! Should that not be a big “story”?
How many “big stories,” how many “this just in” news flashes have given you these numbers? This problem impacts all of us, even more so if we drive on public streets and highways. You check it out. It’s true, even if you do not want to believe it. Please don’t let yourself think that nothing like those things could happen to you. That is the mindset of too many people just before they become one of these statistics. You may not see this on tonight’s Network News, but it could happen to you!
Carl B Garner
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“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”
“Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.”
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Moses' Bare Feet
Flip-flops enjoy immense popularity right now. Amusingly, I remember thinking my dad looked silly in his flip-flops during the 80s. Now my daughter has a pair of them in nearly every color! My generation isn’t the first to spot the flip-flop; sandals have protected feet since the time of Moses. I know that Moses wore them because on one occasion he had to remove them:
“Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn." So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground." Moreover He said, "I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God,” Exodus 3:1-6.
Regarding this incident, Keil and Delitzsch cite several references that mention that ancient practice of removing footwear to exhibit reverence. They conclude, “The place of the burning bush was holy because of the presence of the holy God, and putting off the shoes was intended to express not merely respect for the place itself, but that reverence which the inward man (Eph. 3:16) owes to the holy God.” Moses, to extend the proper respect and reverence towards God, removed his sandals.
The principle derived from this event applies across time – God hasn’t changed and still deserves our reverence. When we worship our Father, we enter the realm of His throne (Heb. 4:16). Absolute veneration and awe for Him should envelop our every action. He remains the Great I Am!
Careless and nonchalant conduct before God characterizes those who refuse to remove their spiritual sandals. So what describes your attitude when you assemble for worship? What about your personal worship to God? What about the tone of your heart when simply meditating upon God?
Whenever we draw near the throne of God in worship, our hearts must overflow with humble astonishment. Our actions should typify an attitude comparable to the ancient custom of removing sandals, and possibly the exact action if social contexts demand it. Outer displays before God should reflect, to our world, a person bowed in admiration.
A blasé and casual demeanor before God reveals a heart unaffected by His holiness. Things as simple as appropriate dress, attentive posture, and willful participation represent today’s cultural cues of reverence. Sloppiness in any of these areas exposes a deeper issue of disrespect. As rebellion and irreverence continue to pervade our culture, Christians must reclaim the spirit underlying Moses’ bare feet.
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