October 16th, 2006
A Smoking Study: Edition II – Smoke Signals
(Notes from friends)
#1: I just wanted to mention a couple of things about when I quit smoking 11 years ago. I remember those anxious feelings and crabby attitudes I had that controlled my thoughts whenever I craved a cigarette I really turned that anger towards the companies that made money off of an addiction that their products caused (I hope you take that in context, because I do take responsibility for my own addiction and sin.). I couldn’t even bare the thought of giving them another dime by buying a pack from them. Think about all of the people that have flat out died because of them. All the people that are going through the same thing you are because of them. I will not support an industry that hurts so many people and all for a few dollars in their pockets. Another thing has been brought to my attention recently and that is “Love is not rude” smoking is just rude to all those who com in contact with you. “Love your neighbor” how can you say you love your neighbor and support all the above mentioned things. I don’t know if this will help but it sure helped me in a time when I needed it.
#2: Personally, what helped me stop to smoking before and even after I became a disciple (and I struggled like a mad woman trying to stop), I want to share the scripture where God plain and simple spoke to me that night I said “good bye” forever to cigarettes.
The cost of following Jesus is not easy, but is a commitment that I made and honor. I can’t have the bible in one hand and a cigarette in the other. It's just not right.
Luke 9:62
Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow (bible) and looks back (old way of life) is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
That alone did what I couldn’t do by myself.
-
Thanks, I always appreciate feedback. And I appreciate the anger check on the cigarette companies, but I’m not angry at them. What I am trying to build is a case of “why do I ever want to even remotely consider letting one brain cell buy a pack of cigarettes again”. And the way I am doing that is by showing my self the dangers of cigarettes and their contents and also with scripture. And I’m going to beat this dead horse into the ground until I feel my heart has really grasped it and embraced it. That, to me, is the point of a quiet time. I really want to learn something here. And if someone wants to pop in with “helpin’ a brotha’ out”, well, I most certainly encourage that.
6-Acetoxydihydrotheaspirane: Industry claims used in: baked goods, instant coffee/tea, snacks, soups, seasonings, meat products Properties: industry claims FEMA GRAS; used in cigarettes.
Romans 7:7-25
What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.
For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Proverbs 26:1-12 (the fool verses)
Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool. Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. A whip for the horse, a halter for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools! Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes. Like cutting off one’s feet or drinking violence is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool. Like a lame man’s legs that hang limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool. Like a thorn-bush in a drunkard’s hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or any passer-by. As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Luke 9:57-62
As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good bye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
This is good stuff to think about. How many “buts” are there? Of course, with cigarettes, there is always a butt with each cigarette, and that means there is always a look back. And in that day, when you plowed with an ox, you had to have both hands on the thingamajig (steering wheel, for lack of a better phrase), and if you took one hand off and turned to one side or the other, well, the ox also turned in that direction due to the thingamajig turning. That was the technology of the day. I guess to modernize it in my mind… anyone who listens to a CD and stops half-way through is not fit for the kingdom of God. God doesn’t want someone to come in and give a half-hearted effort. He wants the whole deal or no deal. I guess it’s like that game – DEAL or NO DEAL. God doesn’t care how much he ends up with, so long as it is a complete effort, whether $1 or $1 million… God is willing to make the deal, so long as I am.
A Smoking Study: Edition II – Smoke Signals
(Notes from friends)
#1: I just wanted to mention a couple of things about when I quit smoking 11 years ago. I remember those anxious feelings and crabby attitudes I had that controlled my thoughts whenever I craved a cigarette I really turned that anger towards the companies that made money off of an addiction that their products caused (I hope you take that in context, because I do take responsibility for my own addiction and sin.). I couldn’t even bare the thought of giving them another dime by buying a pack from them. Think about all of the people that have flat out died because of them. All the people that are going through the same thing you are because of them. I will not support an industry that hurts so many people and all for a few dollars in their pockets. Another thing has been brought to my attention recently and that is “Love is not rude” smoking is just rude to all those who com in contact with you. “Love your neighbor” how can you say you love your neighbor and support all the above mentioned things. I don’t know if this will help but it sure helped me in a time when I needed it.
#2: Personally, what helped me stop to smoking before and even after I became a disciple (and I struggled like a mad woman trying to stop), I want to share the scripture where God plain and simple spoke to me that night I said “good bye” forever to cigarettes.
The cost of following Jesus is not easy, but is a commitment that I made and honor. I can’t have the bible in one hand and a cigarette in the other. It's just not right.
Luke 9:62
Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow (bible) and looks back (old way of life) is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
That alone did what I couldn’t do by myself.
-
Thanks, I always appreciate feedback. And I appreciate the anger check on the cigarette companies, but I’m not angry at them. What I am trying to build is a case of “why do I ever want to even remotely consider letting one brain cell buy a pack of cigarettes again”. And the way I am doing that is by showing my self the dangers of cigarettes and their contents and also with scripture. And I’m going to beat this dead horse into the ground until I feel my heart has really grasped it and embraced it. That, to me, is the point of a quiet time. I really want to learn something here. And if someone wants to pop in with “helpin’ a brotha’ out”, well, I most certainly encourage that.
6-Acetoxydihydrotheaspirane: Industry claims used in: baked goods, instant coffee/tea, snacks, soups, seasonings, meat products Properties: industry claims FEMA GRAS; used in cigarettes.
Romans 7:7-25
What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.
For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Proverbs 26:1-12 (the fool verses)
Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool. Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. A whip for the horse, a halter for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools! Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes. Like cutting off one’s feet or drinking violence is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool. Like a lame man’s legs that hang limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool. Like a thorn-bush in a drunkard’s hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or any passer-by. As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Luke 9:57-62
As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good bye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
This is good stuff to think about. How many “buts” are there? Of course, with cigarettes, there is always a butt with each cigarette, and that means there is always a look back. And in that day, when you plowed with an ox, you had to have both hands on the thingamajig (steering wheel, for lack of a better phrase), and if you took one hand off and turned to one side or the other, well, the ox also turned in that direction due to the thingamajig turning. That was the technology of the day. I guess to modernize it in my mind… anyone who listens to a CD and stops half-way through is not fit for the kingdom of God. God doesn’t want someone to come in and give a half-hearted effort. He wants the whole deal or no deal. I guess it’s like that game – DEAL or NO DEAL. God doesn’t care how much he ends up with, so long as it is a complete effort, whether $1 or $1 million… God is willing to make the deal, so long as I am.
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