The War On Drugs An Impossible Task

America wants to win the war on drugs, but it has become an impossible task. Since the late 1960’s, we haven’t made a dent in the sale and use of drugs. Yes, we have won a few battles, but the war rages on.

Which begs the question, is the war on drugs really an impossible task? The war has become so costly that many large cities have curtailed much of their actions against drugs, and most large cities are beginning to have a different approach to how the war on drugs should be fought.

The “Just Say No” program has failed, say some prevention experts.

Since 1 in every 31 Americans are either incarcerated, on parole or on probation for drugs, our new drug czar, Gil Kerlikowske, in The Wall Street Journal May 7, 2010, said he wants to end the "War On Drugs” and said he favors policies that emphasize making treatment available to drug users rather than putting them behind bars. In other words the war has become too costly to continue the fight because now taxpayers have to foot the bill.

Our prisons are so crowded that new facilities to incarcerate the additional men and women coming from the drug raids are causing the penal system to burst at the seams. Many state prisoners are being housed in county jails that have been built for the purpose of housing the additional state prisoners—a great business for those counties!

Can we actually win the war on drugs? The answer, becoming clear to our justice system leaders, is an unequivocal NO. Why do I say this?

In Revelation 18:23b, John writes, “. . .for your merchants were the great men of the earth; because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.”

Some explaination is needed about the Greek word “sorcery.” In this verse the Greek word is pharmakos. Our English word “pharmacy” comes from the Greek word, pharmakos. Therefore, you see that the anti-christ used the power and enchantment of drugs to deceive the whole world.

Since the whole world is deceived by the use of drugs, our war on drugs isn’t going to be won. Actually, we are in essence beating a dead horse by continuing to fight it. So what’s the solution? Not too many answers to the drug problem exist. If we continue to fight the war, we are going to have more criminals. Many of these criminals could be useful citizens in our communities.

However, once a drug user/seller is arrested and becomes a felon, taxpayers foot the bill for him/her for 3 to 5 years. When this person is released from prison, he/she with the label of felon can’t buy a job. So taxpayers will still foot the bill for him/her. Usually, the felon gets in trouble, violates his/her parole and returns to prison. It’s a vicious cycle. So why make them a felon in the first place?

Another possible solution is for the individual user to get help coping with his/her use. There is a recovery program called Celebrate Recovery that, when seriously pursued by an individual, will work! If an individual is ready to quit his/her habit, works the program as it is designed, he/she will be helped. Celebrate Recovery, unlike Alcoholics’ Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is a Christ centered recovery program.

The war on drugs is an impossible task! Let’s quit making criminals of the users, arrest the large dealers and manufactures who exploit the sales of illegal drugs and use the recovery programs available to us today. Most alcoholics and drug users want one thing—help to quit, not imprisonment. Prison isn’t working as a winning solution for the war on drugs. Therefore, maybe our justice department needs to rectify the problem with another viable solution.

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The Book of Revelation and the Four Horsemen Riders

In the book of Revelation four horsemen riders have been identified. These riders are horrific. They ride to the destruction of mankind. They bring havoc on the world for a short period of time. Seven years is a comparatively short period of time.

These riders, the four horsemen, in the book of Revelation, chapter 6, represent many things. The first rider rides a white horse and represents the anti-christ. The white horse rider takes control of the whole world.

The white horse rider will conquer in an unconventional way. He will take over many countries through economics. Many of the global communities today are in serious financial trouble. The white horse rider will exploit the countries by his superiority in economics.

Then the second rider rides a red horse, and he takes peace from the world. At the middle of the tribulation, the anti-christ breaks a peace treaty with Israel, and he removes peace from them.

Although only two verses separate the first two riders of Revelation, there is time differentiation of three and one-half years.  

The third rider of the Book of Revelation rides a black horse, and he is bad, bad, bad. He represents inflation and famine, two things that follow the war brought about by the second rider. This rider has in his hands a pair of scales to weigh out grain. Comparatively, a loaf of bread will cost the equivalent of a day’s wages for someone on minimum wages, i.e. around $54.00.

Finally, the fourth horseman of Revelation rides out on a pale horse. Actually, the word translated “pale” in Greek is chloros, a green color. Except in children’s books, we usually don’t have green horses, so this rider rides a pale horse. He kills one-third of the population of the world. Probably using chlorine gases which is an English word that comes from the above Greek word.

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Can The Second Coming Of Jesus Christ Be Predicted

If Jesus Christ says that His second coming can not be predicted, then you know that it can not be known. However, we have learned more about which second coming Jesus was talking. Did He mean the second coming where He will come back to claim His Church, His betrothed bride, or was He talking about the second coming where he would come to reclaim the earth?

As men have studied the scriptures, the Holy Spirit has revealed truth about the above scripture from Matthew 24. The second coming Jesus is talking about in this scripture is His coming back to get His bride, the Church. Who is His audience in Matthew 24? That’s right! His audience is the members of the First Church, His close followers. On the Day of Pentecost, these very followers, who were on the Mount with Him when He makes the above prediction, are the ones who received the Holy Ghost and began His church.

Therefore, Jesus’ prediction about His second coming was a meeting in the air—a meeting in the stellar and atmospheric heavens—at the rapture of His Bride, the Church. This is the coming that we do not know when it will take place!

Can the second coming of Jesus be predicted where He comes to reclaim the earth. Yes, it can. That second coming will happen immediately after the tribulation period, a seven-year period that Daniel writes about in Daniel chapters 9, 11 and 12. Jesus talks about this return in Matthew 24:15-30 briefly, as well.

To read the entire article about this second coming, check out our article at http://www.ezinearticles.com/

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How Relevant Is Revelation To Your Life Today

“Let’s see now! If I am saved and you tell me that I am not going through the tribulation, then why do I need the book of Revelation?”

That’s a real good question. My first answer would be because it is in the Bible, but that is a much too flippant response. So basically what you are asking me is, “How relevant is Revelation to my life?”

Chapters 2 and 3 give an exact blueprint for how you are to have church. You can look at the church types in these two chapters and see how well your church measures up to the “standard” set by God.

So using God’s blueprint to evaluate your church and your commitment to the Lord are a couple of ways the book is relevant to your life. Also, from the book you learn that the use and sale of illegal and prescription drugs will increase during the last days. We at B. C. Ministries believe you can witness this phenomenon taking place in your world today.

The spending for prescription drugs rose by 5.1% in 2010. This rise is higher than the previous two years. According to The Associated Press/Forbes, “. . .increased filling of prescriptions grew at a 2.1% pace compared to 1% in 2008. The increase comes despite the recession.”

Notice that the above only includes drugs that are legal! The increase of illegal drugs is so vast that any data you get concerning the sell and use of it most likely is way too conservative. Our police forces and judicial systems spend most of their money trying to combat and prosecute illegal drugs and the problems the sale and use of them contribute to our society.

Here’s just one other way that the Book of Revelation is relevant to your life. Do drugs affect you? Most of us are touched by someone, a family, friend or church member who has a problem with drugs or alcohol.

Therefore, in order for Revelation to be relevant to your life today, all you have to do is study it in depth to see that the book, now over two-thousand years old, is still very relevant to you today.

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All Lights Out, All Times End and Revelation

When all times end, all lights will be turned off according to the Book of Revelation chapter 6. A few years ago, February, 2009, a savage ice storm gripped parts of western Kentucky. People were without electricity for three to six weeks.

In order to get fuel either for heating or for the auto, people had to travel several miles outside the affected area. At night as you might guess, it was dark. Actually, it was creepy feeling because we had never been without the conveniences of electricity for so long a period.

Food was scarce, and grown men fought over the last loaf of bread on the counter at a local food market. Strange times cause strange behaviors, don't they?

With all this in mind when all the lights go out at the end times before Jesus returns, It will be even darker. According to Revelation 18 and Jesus in Matthew 24, there will be no electricity, no lamps, no stars nor sun and moon. At least during the ice storm, we had stars at night.

Why will this take place? Jesus says it well in Matthew 24:29. 30a, But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. . .

The lights will be turned off so everyone on earth will see the glory of the Son of Man coming back to earth. That’s why all lights will be turned out when all times end. I believe it is very close!

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