The Republican., 1942-09-03
THE ALCOHOL PROBLEM: PAST
AND PRESENT


LESSON TEXT-Genesis 1918; 19:23-25;
Deuteronomy 32:31-33 Amos GILT.
GOLDEN TEXT-The way of the ungodly
shall perish.-Psalm 1:6.
The necessity for using to the limit
every resource-man power and
material-in this time of national
crisis should make every American
doubly alert to the devastation and
loss which has come (and is coming
in increasing measure) to us as a
result of the sale of intoXicants.
This is no time (nor was there
ever a time) when men should
put their enemy in their mouths to
steal away their brains; that we
should with joy, pleasure, revel and
applause transform ourselves into
beasts! To be now a sensible man.
by and by fool, and presently a
beast!" shakespeare.
Christians-ande especially Sunday
school teachers-should use this les
son to drive home anew the great
lesson of moral accountability, of
the importance of mans choice of a
way of life, and the certainty of
judgment.
l. Man is Morally Responsible
(Gen. 1913; 19:23-25).
Life is not just a careless drifting
from day to day, from pleasure to
pleasure, from sin to sin. Man was
created in the likeness and image
of God, which means that he is a
personal being, knowing right from
wrong and possessing the power of
choice. Sodom and Gomorrah drew
upon themselves the judgment of
God because of their determination
to persist in horrible wickedness
What happened to those cities, ter
rible as it was, is but a prophecy
of even greater judgment to come
(Luke 10: 10-12).
If man chooses to do right, he
may count on all the resources of
the omnipotent God to uphold him.
But if he chooses to go in the way
of sin, he must look forward to the
judgment of God. 1t is important
to remember that
III. He Chooses His Own Way of
Life (Deut. 32:31-33).
Moses contrasts the Rock-Jeho-
vah-in whom his people trusted,
and the corrupt standards of their
heather neighbors, of Sodom and
Gomorrah; but note it well, each one
made his own choice.
One greater than Moses, our Lord
Himself (Matt. 7:13, 14), spoke of
the two ways, and noted with sad
ness that many go down the broad
road to destruction and but few walk
in the narrow way of life.
1t is vital matter that we teach
our boys and girls the great and
noble spiritual standards of Christi
anity; bring into their lives the pow
er of God through faith in Christ
that they may choose well for them
selves and be able to lead a beWil-
dered war-shocked world in the
right way.
The need of humanity is great
now, but it will be even greater in
a postwar world of broken homes,
broken lives and broken hearts. We
must be ready to minister in the
name of Christ.
III. Neglect and Ignorance Are No
Excuse (Amos GID.
Surprise attack is always doubly
effective. Remember Pearl Har-
bor." Yes, and remember mans de-
feat in spiritual things.
Satan would like to lull US to sleep
with the assurance that all is we'll.
The heart of man is prone to cher
ish optimistic thoughts; to magnify
that which encourages him to take
his ease; to keep away the fear of
reality by sweet music, good food,
and flowing bowl of wine.
The people of Amos day, to whom
this message was given, had come
to the point where prosperity had
made them at ease, when they
should have been actively alert;
foolishly serene, when they should
have been vigilant and ready for
battle.
Who can say that the same is not
in all too large a measure true of
the people of our own beloved Amer
lea. Many elements enter into that
dangerous situation, but not the least
of them is our increasing use of in
toXicants. 1t may shock some to
learn that the per capita use of al
coholic beverages has increased
greatly throughout the country. The
appalling fact is that the city of
Washington, D. c., which should in
these days set an example of So
briefly and sanity, has led the ma
ton in the increase of the use of
strong drink.
That way is the way of captivity
". y unless we repent-and that
right soon. America needs to awak-
en- to the dangers which threaten it's
precious liberty-and, we repeat,
the liquor question is not the least
of these problems. We must win a
victory over it soon, or we may find
that it has won the victory over us
which may God in His mercy
forbid!
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Lords Prayer
The Lord 8 PRAYER engraved IN