Rather than answer every post individually, I'd like to respond to the subject of smoking. I was raise by parents who smoke. I was in the military where smoking was normal. I was married to a smoker for 9 years, until we divorced. I see this issue from both sides.
Smoking is a natural issue, not spiritual. Charles Spurgeon is one of the most famous and influential preachers in history. He smoked cigars.
About 40 years ago I met a man that was obviously a man of God. He knew God in a way I'd never come across before. He had an amazing gift of discernment, tremendous compassion for the suffering and was always helping the poor and needy. He was also a smoker.
My first reaction was confusion. I could not imagine that a spiritual man could also smoke. I did not know about Spurgeon at the time. The Lord spoke to me the word in Matthew 15:11, then added that the words some people speak are far more offensive than the smell of cigarette smoke. I could add, far more destructive also. Life and death are in the power of the tongue, not in smoking or not.
Smoking used to be considered quite normal. In the last few decades, it's been classed as evil. Many more people have given up or never started. And how much better off are we socially? In the same time, homosexuality has become acceptable, children can decide what gender they want to be, evolution has become entrenched in the education system, the USA is becoming a generation of woke wimpy progressives and freedom of speech is being constantly eroded. The church is in decline. But oh boy, we got this smoking business licked.
Give.me.a.break.
Smoking is a natural issue, not spiritual. Charles Spurgeon is one of the most famous and influential preachers in history. He smoked cigars.
About 40 years ago I met a man that was obviously a man of God. He knew God in a way I'd never come across before. He had an amazing gift of discernment, tremendous compassion for the suffering and was always helping the poor and needy. He was also a smoker.
My first reaction was confusion. I could not imagine that a spiritual man could also smoke. I did not know about Spurgeon at the time. The Lord spoke to me the word in Matthew 15:11, then added that the words some people speak are far more offensive than the smell of cigarette smoke. I could add, far more destructive also. Life and death are in the power of the tongue, not in smoking or not.
Smoking used to be considered quite normal. In the last few decades, it's been classed as evil. Many more people have given up or never started. And how much better off are we socially? In the same time, homosexuality has become acceptable, children can decide what gender they want to be, evolution has become entrenched in the education system, the USA is becoming a generation of woke wimpy progressives and freedom of speech is being constantly eroded. The church is in decline. But oh boy, we got this smoking business licked.
Give.me.a.break.
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