A fellow I knew in a different church than the one I am a member of now told me on several occasions that since he was saved he could do anything he wanted without fear of losing his salvation. I figured that since he was the drummer in the worship band he knew what he was talking about. This was one of his explanations of why he would illegally score some marijuana and get stoned out of his gourd every night (his other explanation being "hey, I'm a drummer.")
At this point in my walk with Jesus I hadn't learned enough of our Masters word to realize that if Mr. Drummer was truly saved he wouldn't want to get so stoned he could barely find his bag of Doritos and watch Japanese cartoons all night long every single night. And the fact that he wasn't the only man in this church that was saying "I'm saved, I can do what ever I want" was a whole lot disconcerting to me although I didn't know why at the time.
21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we? 23 All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. (1 Corinthians 10:21-23)
When taken in context this verse is about idol worship and pagan idol worshipers, but the world of pagan idolatry is becoming wider and wider to the point where worship of pagan gods is becoming prevalent and is actively being taught in the Christian church. I mean, it's scary enough out there with the ultra charismatics spiritually slaying each other left and right, malcontents like Rob Bell making up their own scripture in order to lead you into hell, and agents provocateur like Eugene Peterson making up their own scripture and calling it a bible. Even the once godly Mennonite church has cast God aside to worship man.
That's just inside the church, outside it's a nightmare. Prostitution is now legal in Canada, polygamy is okey dokey in Utah, the rape of young children is becoming considered normal, the Bible is banned as hate speech, US Soldiers are denied Christmas, and marijuana is legal in Colorado.
Wait... what? Dude! Isn't that a good thing?
Many people consider the legalization of marijuana a victory, a positive step, a very good thing. They bemoan the money lost in the war on drugs, the unfair prison sentences, and the demonization of a natural substance. I on the other hand believe this is a foretold thing, a step closer to the end times, I bemoan the money lost in the war on poverty that only enslaved the poor and aggrandized the lazy, only 0.7% of the prison population is in there for marijuana possession and many of them are there because they plead down to a lower charge, and natural substance? Anthrax is natural too, is anyone enjoying a joint laced with that natural sweetness?
I will not deny that there are good medical uses for marijuana, but then there are good medical uses for cobalt too - and cobalt is just as natural as marijuana. If you look through the list of ailments that marijuana is found to help you'll find AIDS/HIV, Alzheimers (I'm not sure how a drug that's known to destroy short term memory will help Alzheimers, but they say it does) many forms of cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic pain such as back pain, and glaucoma. Unfortunately the #1 medical use of marijuana is the battle against the debilitating effects of boredom. Cobalt brownie anyone?
Adherents of marijuana will point to the dangers of alcohol and tobacco, and I'm not going to deny the physical dangers of either, however both have a clear, distinct advantage over marijuana; both can be used in moderation, both can be used without debilitating effects on your sobriety. I can enjoy a glass of wine purely for the flavor or as an accompaniment to a meal or as a way to keep the Lord's supper in memory without getting drunk. I can enjoy a fine cigar and appreciate the flavor profile as it changes throughout the cigar, and I can do that without becoming a danger on the highway. As for marijuana - the only reason to take it is to get blitzed. You cannot use it in any way without getting stoned. You cannot smoke it, eat it, or drink it without getting stoned.
There is no appreciation in marijuana, it's not an accompaniment to dinner, there's no complex flavor to appreciate, you're only imbibing to lose your grasp on realty, to loose self control, to turn your back on God. God calls on us to remain sober of mind and spirit, to be on the lookout for satan's tricks
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galations 5:22-23)
You may say that there's no mention of marijuana in the bible, but actually there is, but it's not where those who worship marijuana will tell you it is, and you won't believe the heresy involved. But that's next...
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