Windows One thru Twenty-Nine Please

I was very “pressed upon” and tired yesterday, but today I feel surprisingly well. Don’t get me wrong; my feet still hurt, my toe on my right foot feel like it’s bruised, and I’d happily take on about three more hours of sleep if I didn’t have so many other things that I believe I should attend to. Yes yesterday was quite a day.

Got there a little after ten AM. First I went to window one and was told by someone in line that I should go to window three to complete my “previously approved” 12(a) visa. At window three I was told that I needed to have my tourists visa extended by one month. But before I go to window twelve I needed to make two copies of several of my documents. Ok at window twelve I was told I needed to go to window fourteen, who politely explained to me that I needed to go back to window three to get something called an “Agenda”.

Back at window three and he showed me that the document which I already possessed was signed by the director and so I didn’t need an Agenda. Knowing about beurocracy at it’s best I requested that he write a very short note that I could give to the guy at window fourteen so Mr. Window Fourteen wouldn’t think that I simply didn’t know what I was talking about. Mr. Three didn’t seem to want to give this to me however. So after I did my best three to four minutes of unsucceful persuasion I finally just got his name (MacDave) and accepted another printed document that was different than what I had but wasn’t what Mr. Fourteen was asking for.

After taking this to Mr. Fourteen he looked at what I got from Mr. Three with an expression of “This isn’t what I asked for”. After a few seconds of that he seemed to come up with a way that he could make this do and gave me some paperwork to fill out. After filling out the paperwork I went back to Mr. Fourteen who promptly sent me to window sixteen to pay for my one month visa extention. This was about P3,100 (but I don’t have the receipt in front of me right now). Going back to Mr. Fourteen with the receipt I was told I can pick up my passport and visa later at 1:30pm (a bit more than an hour and a forty five minutes). So I walked to Manila SM to run some other errands.

1:33pm I went to window sixteen to pick up my visa. Now back to Mr. Three and was given another form to fill out and the task of getting two copies of a handful of other documents. Now back at window three who tells me to go to window six to pay (another P5,300) and then back to window three. Mr. Three then tells me at 3:45pm that I can pick up my passport and this new visa at window one. Ahrighty another hour and a half to do something, back to SM Manila (which is a brisk ten minute walk by the way).

Three forty-five PM; your friendly neighborhood “Hey Joe” (as they call all Americans) makes his way back to window one and waits there for ten minutes for his turn. After getting to window one I am told to wait while the clerk goes to the back and gets something that has nothing to do with me and then comes back. My visa (and various paper work) is on the top but I am asked for P8 and the task of making two more copies of several documents and then to come back to window one. After waiting in a short line for the copier (pleasant surprise) I come back to window one and am told that I am not done yet (what?!?).

Ok, now at window number twenty four where I am give another document to fill out and the task of going to the other side of the building to get two copies of seven different documents. I come back to window twenty four a few minutes later and am told that I missed one. So I go back to the copier and come back to window twenty-four with what I think is everything however Mrs. Twenty-Four says that I have the wrong copy of the visa page of my passport. Now back to the copier to get this corrected and then back to Mrs. Twenty-Four.

Everything is completed so I take a finger print card to a make-shift finger print station behind me where I wait for five minutes before going back to Mrs. Twenty-Four who points at two chatty women sitting down about six feet from the station. I just thought they were there just like me, neither one of them said “How may I help you” when I was standing right beside the finger print station for five minutes.

After the finger printing is done I go back to Mrs. Twenty-Four and she tell me that I should go to Window twenty-six to pay an additional fee. Oh no!; when I started this fiasco I had printed out a page from the Phil Immigration website that said my total fees would be P5100. So like a good little Boy Scout I thought I would double that amount just so I could be prepared. Well that wasn’t quite enough and at this point I was P700 short; where would I get this money?

With a smile Mrs. Twenty-Four said “oh no, you’ll just have to come back tomorrow. We will be open at 9am.”. Well I smiled back politely and said “ok well I’ll just come back tomorrow then”. But that’s not what I was thinking. I was trying to figure out how I could get out of this situation without having to make the nearly two hour trip back to Marikina only to do this again tomorrow.

I thought of the lawyer that helped us with this process in the beginning. So I went up to the forth floor to his office and talked the matter over with him. After I was somewhat convinced that I wasn’t being treated unduly in this matter, I remembered that I had P1000 in my BPI account. So I went down to Mrs. Twenty-Four and asked if there was a BPI ATM near by and if I had the time to go to it. “It’s just over there but you’ll need to hurry; it’s 4:30pm already.”.

Ok so I hurry about fifty meters to the ATM and then hurry back; pesos in hand. Mrs. Twenty-Four reorganizes my paperwork and sends me to window twenty-six to pay P2991. The middle age woman at window twenty-six was about the most disinterested and slow employee I’ve ever come across. I waited there patiently for a very full five minutes before she ever got to me. She simply sorted and organized the other work that she had there, not once making eye contact with me. My paperwork simply hung there over the edge of her side of the window (I wanted to make sure that she knew I was there). And once every ninety seconds (about) I would shift my paperwork in front of her. Again with absolutely no eye contact I had no idea that she even knew I was there.

Paid the P2991 and then was told to proceed to window twenty-nine where I would have a picture taken for my new iCard and my contact and identifying information was inputted into a computer. The only piece that was incorrect was my age. It said 39 (I’m only 38) but it had my birth date correct of course but the age was still wrong. The explaination?; “The computer calculates age based on year”. They apparently had no way to correct this. And finally, about seven hours after I got there, I was given a telephone number to call to find out the status of my iCard tomorrow. But no one knew (I asked three of the people involved) whether the card would be ready when I called or whether it would take two days, three days, one week or three weeks .

Am I unhappy about this situation? Well no, was just tired and felt that my patience was quite tried. But as the old saying goes, “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger”; or the scripture says “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

There area lot of details to this story (like the cost of everything) that I have left out. I spent nearly P12,000 yesterday and hopefully I’ll collect the receipts from upstairs and add those details another time as I think it will be useful for others in in the same situation.

Sin is Fun !

I wish I could write a whole book on this subject but I just don’t have the talent/time. The talent that I have for writing is more suited for short entries into a blog (which I do) but not for the content of an entire book. To do so would require that I live like a hermit completely uninterrupted for three to five years. And since I have a family and I am not independently wealthy, the likelihood of that happening is very small. I’ve only heard one speaker dare to say “Sin is Fun” (a few years ago). As I searched across the internet it seems that the religious right only wants to talk about how sin is ‘not’ fun and all of that “wages of sin is death” stuff which has nothing to do with whether or not sin is actually fun.

I mean, how can anyone deny it? When I was “out there” doing whatever I wanted, I did enjoy it. How could I not; I was out there doing whatever I wanted with little or no restraint. Sex, women, alcohol, drugs, stealing, lying, pursuing a career that gave me a certain level of respect or power, “getting over” on someone who I considered less intellectually capable than I was; etc. I wouldn’t have done any of these things if I had not thought they were not fun. “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.” … Heb 11:24-25

But I can attest to how short lived this fun is. When I had finished have a night out with a woman, I had to go to work the next day. When I had a few drinks or smoke a little weed with friends at the bar or a one of their houses, the effect of the alcohol or marijuana eventually wore off. When I was young enough to be surrounded by friends who were impressed with my stealing, eventually the thrill and the bragging rights were over. And after I had climbed a few rung up the ladder of power, I eventually realized that even ‘my’ loose definition of morals and ethics were starting to become strained, and that wasn’t any fun.

Yes, the wages of sin is death; something much greater than death in this world. And the fun of doing things that are contrary to what God wants us to do (sin) is certainly temporary; not normally more than just a few hours; or a few days (if you don’t count the hours of gaps between “the fun”. I’d be lying to you if I didn’t say that my heart sometimes longs for the things that I once did several years ago. But then I don’t give much attention to my heart “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” … Jeremiah 17:11

What I do give regard to is something that doesn’t sound too sane for those that don’t believe in God and the Spirit of God that Jesus Christ said that he would send. I give regard to a “separate voice” (which is more like a separate thought really). But none-the-less I have truly come to understand that it is actually something completely different than I am because I have dared to follow it’s “voice”. And although there aren’t hundreds of times that I can tell you amazing stories, there are enough amazing stories for me to go ‘wow’ “I can’t ignore that there is something more hear than I can just simply see, hear, touch, and taste.

It’s because of this faith that God has given me that I can not deny Christ. I can not ever deny what I have personally experienced. I don’t need a bible to tell me that it is true, and I don’t need a pastor to tell me what I know for myself.

The Law is Spiritual. But I am Unspiritual

Pray that I will continue to keep in mind ‘today’ the great love that Jesus Christ gave so that I might daily be free from the law of sin and death. And that all of our brothers and sisters around the world will struggle relentlessly in the understanding of that great love. I pray that we will all be awake and ready. Fully aware that one of the schemes of the enemy is to rock us asleep while singing the great lullabies that will get us thinking about our jobs, our families, our friends, and our responsibilities. Satan doesn’t needs us to think about something vividly evil in order for him to be happy; as long as we don’t think about God in this moment, then the devil is happy.

“We know that the Law is spiritual; but I am a creature of the flesh [carnal, unspiritual], having been sold into slavery under [the control of] sin. For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled, bewildered]. I do not practice or accomplish what I wish, but I do the very thing that I loathe [which my moral instinct condemns].

Now if I do what is contrary to my desire, [that means that] I acknowledge and agree that the Law is good (morally excellent) and that I take sides with it. However, it is no longer I who do the deed, but the sin [principle] which is at home in me and has possession of me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it. [I have the intention and urge to do what is right, but no power to carry it out.]

For I fail to practice the good deeds I desire to do, but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I am [ever] doing. Now if I do what I do not desire to do, it is no longer I doing it [it is not myself that acts], but the sin [principle] which dwells within me. So I find it to be a law (“rules of right and wrong” acting in my being) that when I want to do what is right and good, evil is ever present with me and I am subject to its insistent demands.

For I endorse and delight in the Law of God in my inmost self [with my new nature]. [Ps. 1:2.] But I discern in my bodily members [in the appetites and wills of the flesh] a different law (rule of action) at war against the law of my mind (my reason) and making me a prisoner to the law of sin that dwells in my bodily organs [in the appetites and wills of the flesh]. O unhappy and pitiable and wretched man that I am! Who will release and deliver me from [the shackles of] this body of death? O thank God! [He will!] through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One) our Lord! So then indeed I, of myself with the mind and heart, serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. … at Romans 7:14-25 AMP

Benefit of Suffering

Today I read over a devotional and the accompanying scripture that my wife sent a few days ago. I sensed a leading to read something like this since last night. And as I read it I was thinking about the contrast between the amazing things that the first century believers witnessed and this seemingly simple request that God was making of Ananias. However I appreciate the way this devotional “fleshed out” the things that might have been going through Ananias’ head.

Suffering. Down through the centuries it has been God’s taming ground for raging bulls. The crucible of pain and hardship is God’s schoolroom where Christians learn humility, compassion, character, patience, and grace.

Every time that I read something like this I know how true it is. And I reminded of how much I am lacking. There was a time that I was very very close to being fully obedient to God’s will in every moment. But these days I just look and watch. But then I also ‘know’ ! … There are still times that I know and do. I can recall times that my wife or someone else will arouse in me something that is a challenge to make a decision.

And during those challenges, I usually make the right decision and do something that would more likely put something on the line for the faith that God has given me. … This reminds me of a part of one of my favorite books written by C.S. Lewis. In the Screwtape letters in chapter five. It’s quite long but I’ll place it here in case the resource link is taken offline one day:

MY DEAR W OR MW OOD,

It is a little bit disappoin ting to expect a detailed report on your work and to receive instead such a vague rhapsody as your last letter. You say you are “delirious with joy” because the European humans have started another of their wars. I see very well what has happened to you. You are not delirious; you are only drunk. Reading between the lines in your very unbalanced account of the patient’s sleepless night, I can reconstruct your state of mind fairly accurately. For the first time in your career you have tasted that wine which is the reward of all our labours—the anguish and bewilderment of a human soul—and it has gone to your head. I can hardly blame you. I do not ex pect old heads on young shoulders. Did the patient respond to some of your terror-pictures of the future? Did you work in some good self-pitying glances at the happy past?—some fine thrills in the pit of his stomach, were there? You played your violin prettily did you? Well, well, it’s all very natural. But do remember, Wormwood, that duty comes before pleasure. If any present self-indulgence on your part leads to the ultimate loss of the prey, you will be left eternally thirsting for that draught of which you are now so much enjoying your first sip. If, on the other hand, by steady and cool-headed application here and now you can finally secure his soul, he will then be yours forever—a brim-full living chalice of despair and horror and astonishment which you can raise to your lips as often as you please. So do not allow any temporary excitement to distract you from the real business of undermining faith and preventing the formation of virtues. Give me without fail in your next letter a full account of the patient’s reactions to the war, so that we can consider whether you are likely to do more good by making him an extreme patriot or an ardent pacifist. There are all sorts of possibilities. In the meantime, I must warn you not to hope too much from a war.

Of course a war is entertaining. The immediate fear and suffering of the humans is a legitimate and pleasing refreshment for our myriads of toiling workers. But what permanent good does it do us unless we make use of it for bringing souls to Our Father Below? When I see the temporal suffering of humans who finally escape us, I feel as if I had been allowed to taste the first course of a rich banquet and then denied the rest. It is worse than not to have tasted it at all. The Enemy, true to His barbarous methods of warfare, allows us to see the short misery of His favourites only to tantalise and torment us—to mock the incessant hunger which, during this present phase of the great conflict, His blockade is admittedly imposing. Let us therefore think rather how to use, than how to enjoy, this European war. For it has certain tendencies inherent in it which are, in themselves, by no means in our favour. We may hope for a good deal of cruelty and unchastity.

But, if we are not careful, we shall see thousands turning in this tribulation to the Enemy, while tens of thousands who do not go so far as that will nevertheless have their attention diverted from themselves to values and causes which they believe to be higher than the self. I know that the Enemy disapproves many of these causes. But that is where He is so unfair. He often makes prizes of humans who have given their lives for causes He thinks bad on the monstrously sophistical ground that the humans thought them good and were following the best they knew. Consider too what undesirable deaths occur in wartime. Men are killed in places where they knew they might be killed and to which they go, if they are at all of the Enemy’s party, prepared. How much better for us if all humans died in costly nursing homes amid doctors who lie, nurses who lie, friends who lie, as we have trained them, promising life to the dying, encouraging the belief that sickness excuses every indulgence, and even, if our workers know their job, withholding all suggestion of a priest lest it should betray to the sick man his true condition! And how disastrous for us is the continual remembrance of death which war enforces. One of our best weapons, contented worldliness, is rendered useless. In wartime not even a human can believe that he is going to live forever.

I know that Scabtree and others have seen in wars a great opportunity for attacks on faith, but I think that view was exaggerated. The Enemy’s human partisans have all been plainly told by Him that suffering is an essential part of what He calls Redemption; so that a faith which is destroyed by a war or a pestilence cannot really have been worth the trouble of destroying. I am speaking now of diffused suffering over a long period such as the war will produce. Of course, at the precise moment of terror, bereavement, or physical pain, you may catch your man when his reason is temporarily suspended. But even then, if he applies to Enemy headquarters, I have found that the post is nearly always defended,

Your affectionate uncle

SCREWTAPE

As you most likely have already concluded, this is a book of many fictitious letters from an older (mentor) demon to a younger one. In this particular letter the elder demon is scolding the younger one of doing things that would inadvertantly awaken the human prey that the younger demon has been assigned to. … This is what I mean by what I said earlier. I find myself often not doing God’s will until something challenges me or awakens me and in that moment I will do what I should have always done every day. But this “problem” with me is the result of my own disobedience as well. Because I do believe that if I lived the life that God has called me to that I would be in a lot more situations that would seem perilous to me or require me to rely on ‘Him’. I could say much more about this but I am sure you already get my point.

“Each painful, awful ordeal brought him to his knees, turning him into a deeper man of grace, humbly committed to following his Savior’s lead. What have you “suffered for the name of Christ?

Yep, that’s the question that I ask myself often. What today (or even this week) have I suffered for the name of Christ?

Letting Scripture Interpret itself

From time to time I hear someone tell me that the bible is up for interpretation. What they refer to as the bible is something that I more literally refer to as scripture. I do this because I think that it is important to let the scriptures interpret themselves. Very similarly to the way a specialist takes an unknown language and then begins to compare the symbols with each other until he eventually find meaning in the previously unknown symbols.

I wonder what target he 'is' gonna hit?

Someone more familiar with this idea than myself listed this idea in these terms –> The text of Scripture must be interpreted by historical exegesis, taking an account of its literary forms and devices, letting Scripture interpret Scripture and not relying on the knowledge of man. The reason we should let the Scripture interpret itself is because the bible always tells the truth concerning everything it talks about, but man continually makes errors. If man interprets the bible then the interpretation is open to error, but if the bible interprets the bible, it will always be completely true. This is why the exegesis of passages is important, so that we know what the scripture is actually saying, contrary to what we think it is saying.

It’s usually the people that have something they don’t want to give up that like to adopt the idea that the scripture is up to interpretation. Of course if they ever accept the idea of letting the scriptures interpret themselves then they’ll probably resort to some other form of poking holes in the idea. They would rather do that than think that they themselves are not living up to a mark that the believe is true. “The mark” obviously has to change, because they certainly are not going to change :-)

It’s Good to Ask

It is good that our family is going through things that require us to ask for help. “Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” – Luke 18:17 … Think about it for a moment. Have you ever seen a child that had difficulty asking for help because of their pride and their desire to be self sufficient.

I was originally looking up something else in connection with pride when I found a blog entry about becoming like children. And then I believe that the Unique Person of God (the Holy Spirit) began to teach me as I was reading that scripture above in the context of pride. And I started to think how much I really need to set aside my pride and become more like a little child in so many more ways.

I should start getting to know the children that God has placed in my life and looking at them more. I should start learning from the way that God has made the ones that are closest to me before they lose too much of their innocence. And hopefully before that happens God will have given my wife and I another child that is old enough that I can learn from. Well actually wife to be, just nine more days to marriage.

Overheated

It was running just a little hot :-)

There are so many things that are happening that are pressing the faith that God has given me. First of all I wasn’t planning on getting married so soon, but we both know that God had other things in mind. Before I had plans on getting married I had looked at the money that God had given me and thought to myself “ah ok. If I live frugally it looks like I will have enough money here to live in the Philippines for six months before I really must look for a job. And I already think that God is leading me to start looking for work much sooner than that, maybe a month or two, so it will be quite easy to do this.”

But then God put the burden on my heart to get married much sooner according to His timing. So I had to spend a little over half of what I had saved up to buy the ring and pay for what I thought was going to be half of the wedding (but it keeps getting bigger). But I thought to myself, “Well that still leaves me 3 months of provision and I still have my last paycheck and my tax refund that is left. And I also have two hundred in the U.S. that I can send a check to Malu so she can deposit in her dollar account.”. But then this hope of provision has also gone away, at least temporarily, because of the fraud that has been occurring on my accounts.

And then lastly I had been thinking; “Ok, maybe instead of directly through me, God will be providing for the remainder of our needs for the wedding through the Honda that will be sold”. But then this overheating thing happened today where the water cap must have been placed back on the radiator too loosely and I did not look at the temperature gauge as I should have. So for almost an hour my faith was shaken and I was struggling to keep my desire and hopes upward. It was shaken I believe because I had, once again, been putting my faith in what I could see instead of what I could not see. God has taught me that it is foolish to trust in myself (man). As one scripture puts it “It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in princes.” PS 118:9 . And another one that says “Woe to those who … trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD!” ISAIH 31:1

However as I fought inwardly through this I kept my eyes and my desires “looking up”. And though it was a struggle to keep my eyes and my desires looking up, I kept them that way because I knew that was the only real hope that I could have. And as I prayed to God my “heart thoughts” turned to things like “What is God’s will here, what is God doing? What can I do to understand what God’s plan is here.”. And over the next hour I would slowly begin to realize that this was actually an answer to my prayer. I have been praying over and over again that God would help us to see that the most valuable part of what He has given me and the family that will soon be mine is the FAITH in Him and his provision. “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” I Pe 1:6-7

So I started to feel better. And I knew though it was all so difficult, that everyone still had food and clothing. And even though it would make me feel sad I would still have that joy 2Cor 6:10 in knowing what God has promised is more than anything, even a wedding, that I might get in this world. It was only the provision of food and clothing that God had promised. And that not even my wedding is something that He had promised beyond the provision of those. However I still think that He would see to it that this wedding is beautiful because our desire is, this time, to honor Him in this wedding and not ourselves. We hope to point to all good things coming from Him. Without just assuming this, like so many people like to use as an excuse not to recognize God in everything.

Lastly, just a few minutes ago. I found out that the car was ok. Malu’s brother tried the car and it cranked just fine and he said the engine was not any worse than it was before. I was concerned because I had tried the car one time before and it had trouble cranking at that time. However the car must have cut off before there was any real damage that was done. I was going very slowly at the time, and when I noticed the gauge was in the red I stopped the car by placing my foot on the brakes. But when I stopped the car with the brakes, the car then stalled on it’s own and the engine halted. So it’s good that it must have just got in the red for a very short time. And once again, as God would have it, I had stopped right in front of a home where a woman was outside already. And she was able to help me by fetching a pale of water that I placed in the radiator after the engine had cooled a little.

An Email from my WTB

Just thought I would share one of the emails that my WTB (Wife-to-Be) just sent me. Just another reminder of who God has chosen for me :-)

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - –

Hi HTB,

Thought I would share this bible study with you.  It reminded me of the verse that we were talking about last Sat. after we came from Quiapo – when the parking attendant took advantage of us.

Today, I have decided to keep praise & worship songs and bible study lessons going continuously in an effort to be sensitive to God’s voice, hear Him more, and start living as God wants me to.  I was affected by one of the discussion questions in the devotional I was reading: “Imagine for a moment, Jesus would replace your life with His life for one day, with His heart’s desire; He would go through your one day routine – wake up on your bed, drive your car or commute through road traffic, talk to your peers, pay your bills, etc. – would people around you see a radical difference in you? Or would there be no difference from what you’ve been doing on a regular day because, Jesus already lives in your heart always?”

Malu

Playing with my Cell Phone

I’m sitting here “playing with my cell phone” for the last fifteen minutes when I was supposed to be sitting down to write down what was on my heart and what was on my mind. I have so much to do and right now is no exception. But despite everything that I “have to do” I know that God is not blind to what I think that I “need” to get done. An arrogant race of men is what we are. We prove ourselves arrogant as what we actually spend our time on defines for us what is actually the most important to us.

We can say over and over again that God is the most important thing in our lives but what do we speak about the most, what do we write about the most, what do we give to the most in our mind’s time. It is so easy to get lost in what ‘we’ think is important to do. And then fall into the prowling lion’s trap of trying to define what we think is important to God. That is to say that we try to do what we think is important and then later attempt to shape that which is important to us into something that is “important” to God.

Here is the truth. There is no way to find out what is important to God unless we talk to God and ask him. Or if we are having trouble “hearing” that gentle voice (1 Kings 19:11-13), then reading the scriptures are useful for teaching us what God wants, how we should live. I keep on saying “we” but of course I am thinking primarily about me this morning. But I also hope that others will benefit from the things that I am struggling with this morning.

Legal Drugs

Thanks so much for your last article. I for one don’t think that you are “a fundamentalist” or out of your mind in any way regarding your view on “legal drugs”. I in fact might be a little more “fundamentalist” than you are regarding my views on legal drugs. My view is that we don’t “need” any of them. Even the drugs used for stabilizing chemical imbalances.

Notice of course that I’m putting several things in quotes. I’m doing that because each of these things need to be further defined in the context that I am using them. First of all lets take “fundamentalism”. That is a word, in this context, that I believe is used by people that need a box to put others in to dismiss whatever it is that is being stated. They use this box because they are typical unable to or unwilling to truly describe what it is they believe about a particular topic. These are the same people that often (but not always) say people are too wordy or too verbose when others actually take the time to write out most of what they really believe on a topic.

Next is the phrase “legal drugs”. These are drugs that believers realize change them in such a way as to take away their sobriety and make it difficult for them to be “clear minded and alert”. However those that are either unbelievers or are “tossed back and forth by every waive of teaching by deceitful men” are deceived by these false teachings. They in turn believe the physical/psychological benefits are of greater benefit than the teachings of scriptures that teach them to stay away from anything that would impair their judgment and the clarity of mind that God gave them.

Lastly I have the word “need”. Need is something that I define only the way the scripture defines need. We need only the basic necessities of life. And basic necessities in life are only covered as food, clothing, the need to stay warm, and I’ll possibly add the need to have your thirst quenched which is someone redundant considering the first one. You’ll notice that I didn’t even mention basic housing. That’s because “basic housing” is not listed as a “need” in the scriptures either. I could write several paragraphs about that last observation but that will be for another time.

“Needing” any kind of drug is not necessary. I believe that God has shown a purpose or reason in every kind of mental issue in the scriptures. One involved Nebuchadnezzar, another involved a demon possessed man, and I am sure there are others that I simply don’t have the time to look up at the moment. In any case I am convinced that God has a definite purpose in allowing, or bringing into play things that would cause others to act and feel a way that society would say is not “in their right mind”.

But before I am placed too far on the “left side” I would also add that I do not disregard the scripture that says Timothy should take a little wine for his stomach. Without this scripture, and the fact that Luke was a doctor, there would be no way believers could realize the truth that there is a time for us to take medicine. When is this time? Well the scriptures say in Rom 14:23 that “whatever is not from faith is sin.”. So as usual we can’t be legalistic here and come up with a blanket list of dos and do-nots for everyone. We can only encourage those that have truly laid their lives down due to the life that was laid down for them. Because if they realize how grave in importance is the ransom that was given for them then they would not trade a hundred promises from a hundred physicians in this world for one slight whisper lead by the Spirit.