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My Dad was alcohol dependent for most of his adult life. When I was in my early teens he nearly lost his life one night whilst drunk. We had alcohol in the house as I grew up and had a few at Christmas but never really liked it. I have one brother who was probably an alcoholic be never received treatment or acknowledged it. Clearly, the Bible does not prohibit the use of alcohol but abstinence has worked well for me considering my background. The Biblical warnings are good counsel.

"There are in the world today many who close their eyes to the evidences that Christ has given to warn men of His coming. They seek to quiet all apprehension, while at the same time the signs of the end are rapidly fulfilling, and the world is hastening to the time when the Son of man shall be revealed in the clouds of heaven. Paul teaches that it is sinful to be indifferent to the signs which are to precede the second coming of Christ. Those guilty of this neglect he calls children of the night and of darkness. . . . "The watchful Christian is a working Christian, seeking zealously to do all in his power for the advancement of the gospel. As love for his Redeemer increases, so also does love for his fellow men. He has severe trials, as had his Master; but he does not allow affliction to sour his temper or destroy his peace of mind. He knows that trial, if well borne, will refine and purify him, and bring him into closer fellowship with Christ. Those who are partakers of Christ's sufferings will also be partakers of His consolation and at last sharers of His glory."1 Reference(s): 1 The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 260, 261.

Racism is not unique to white people. Racism is as popular among the black,red or any other race as it is to those that are white and racist

I have yet to see a misleading post here on this subject. As to "moderate" drinking, it's impossible to for someone who has never used alcohol to know if they are going to become an alky before they take their first drink. Thus, it is a huge risk, not because the odds of becoming an alky are so extreme, but because the downside is so extreme. This makes telling anyone it's OK to drink a highly problematic position on the moral scale. As an example of someone who became an alky the first time they drank, I'm exhibit #1. The first time I drank, I drank to the point of getting sick, and yet I loved it. I was hooked that first time, and the downside was very extreme for me. Of course it isn't that way for everyone, but if we love our fellow man how can we justify telling someone who has never used alcohol it's OK if they do for they may very well have their life destroyed by our "innocent" recommendation. To me that is anything but caring for, i.e. loving, my fellow man. I owe my neighbor far more than that kind of carelessness. And who is my neighbor? Even those who hate me.....

While this may (or may not) be true, we always have to remember that - if it does happen - it is the consequences of America's actions; not God actively punishing the U.S. God already doled out the punishment for sin when Jesus was crucified. Example - Bankruptcy or economic collapse is the consequence of - not the punishment for - spending more money than you take in.

One of the rules in the Bible Study I have at work is that the harshest thing you are allowed to tell someone else is "I don't believe like you do"; never "You're wrong". It seems to be working well.

The most 'common sense' habit one would/should avoid is driving....just saying!!

according to CNN Scotland will remain part of the United Kingdom - along with England, Wales and Northern Ireland - following a historic referendum vote. A majority of voters Thursday rejected the possibility of Scotland breaking away and becoming an independent nation.

And if we are going to be preaching to the choir, it seems we would be remiss if we avoided those points only that make us friends. 51"Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; 52for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three.…Luke 12 God is Love! Jesus saves!

...which all applies to abuse, rather than use. Moderate use is either neutral or slightly positive for health, based on the evidence. As ever, I completely respect people's choices for themselves, but strongly encourage them to avoid misleading posts in advocating for their positions.

Today is the day. Whatever happens, I pray this will not end up in blood shed.

In my own case I choose to abstain also, yet my decision was not based on any religious reasoning. Its evident that Jesus drank alcoholic wine from time to time, my personal theological belief there is that alcohol was likely used as a preservative to make the grape juice last for the full year. I suspect the alcholic content to be less than modern wines today however and I suspect that is why gluttony is often paralleled with drunkenness for sheer volume. I grew up in the Salvation Army and took various pledges not to drink alcohol, I left the SA as a young adult and became a moderate drinker, yet I never really enjoyed it. I went along on one occasion to a friends wedding where a drinking competition took place as it was all being supplied free of charge and I did not like how it ended and the following morning made my decision that I no longer wished to continue so I stopped, that was a number of years ago, joining the SDA this one was a non issue, but again not for religious reasons. A friend of mine is a psychologist who deals a lot with young adults and she tells me that its becoming common for her clients not to drink at all after having made similar decisions to myself that they did not wish to continue with it. Personally I have no problem with anyone that wants to drink moderately, sometimes its a case where common sense simply applies IMO.

AGREE ! The OT believers offered a lamb - which symbolized salvation thru faith in the One True Sacrifice. NT believers look BACK, by faith - to the One True Sacrifice. We are all looking to the SAME Sacrifice - Jesus the Christ.

All I read were your first two posts so if I'm assuming something that isn't true it's from ignorance, not from trying to pick a fight.. From those two posts it appears that you are under the false assumption that salvation before Christ's birth was somehow different than it is after Christ's death and resurrection. There is no difference. Abraham, before Christ, was saved by faith, just like we are as he was justified by faith, just as we are now. Salvation has always been by faith in our Redeemer.