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To those who love God, 

 

"Of all tyrannies a tyranny exercised for the good of its victim may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated, but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. "

- C.S. Lewis. - A SMOKING CHRISTIAN

 

I am one who has been reborn in the love of Jesus Christ.  Many years ago I had a very serious problem with alcohol.  Thanks to the power of God, I have not touched alcohol since 1978.  You can see my resume, to learn some things I've been up to since then - Click Here  Though in years after that I begged the Lord to also release me from cigarettes, it only happened once, for a week.  Yes, I did quit one Sunday - came out of church in about 1987, and had a perfect release from any desire to smoke!  It was just as miraculous as my release from alcohol.  So, I very well KNOW the Lord can do this, if it's his will.

 

I personally believe every word in the King James Bible. 'Thou shalt not smoke' is NOT in there. And, the verses usually quoted about holiness, and the body being God's temple nowhere refer to smoking or not smoking. They are often referring to sexual immorality.  Nowhere does it say that if you smoke you're going to he... (well, never mind).  Nowhere does it say you get to heaven by not smoking. And, the last chapter of Revelation says what will happen to those who either add to, or take away from the Bible. I think the anti smoking witch hunt is just another Devil's plot to separate good Christians from each other. Yes, we are supposed to take good care of our bodies.  But not everyone believes the anti-smoker's junk science.  And there's GOOD EVIDENCE that they LIE about the 'risks', or at the very least, exaggerate greatly.

The Scientific Scandal of Antismoking: http://members.iinet.com.au/~ray/TSSOASb.html

 

If you are Christian, consider these things.  Whether or not YOU believe tobacco is 'bad' for us, God did create each person with FREE WILL.  MANY people honestly BELIEVE smoking is not hurting them - and there is a LOT of scientific evidence to back up their position, in spite of the propaganda campaign to the contrary.  The Bible also enjoins us NOT to be a 'busybody in other men's affairs' - and even classes it WITH being a murderer, thief, and evildoer (I Peter 4:15 KJV) I believe we are supposed to follow Jesus, and the Bible.  We are called to works of CHARITY, but NOT to forcing our will arbitrarily on others, to make them obey 'our' law.  Our governments should be enforcing God's laws - not the whims of all the social engineers, who seem to believe someone has elected them to BE god - who come along.  That is the road of the communists, and fascists - the ungodly.  I don't think that was the example our Lord gave us to follow.  Though He did get angry enough with a RIGHTEOUS anger to physically THROW the money changers out of the temple - though he often RAILED against the Pharisees, lawyers, scribes and others - NOT ONE TIME did he ever FORCE someone else to 'do it his way' - except when he cast out demons.

 

God, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, forgives ALL of our sins.  We are called upon to remove the log from our own eye before trying to remove the sty from our brother's eye.  I can nowhere find reference in the Bible to smoking as sin.  But let's just take the short list - 'the seven deadly sins', recorded in Mathew, Chapters 5-7.  These are pride (are you self righteous because you don't smoke?), greed, envy, wrath (anger), lust, gluttony (overweight?), and sloth (lazy?).  Also, for those familiar with the 10 Commandments, consider them.  Nope, 'no smoking's' not on that list, either.  Also remember what Jesus said to those who wanted to stone the whore taken in adultery; "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone."

 

If you believe that NICOTINE is the culprit, and the 'bad' thing in cigarettes, consider that tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers, and tea - as well as other popular foods - also contain nicotine.  And GOD put it there - not 'big tobacco'.  Though the amounts are much lower than in cigarettes, they are not 'trace' amounts, either.  It seems, the LEAVES of tomatoes and potatoes have enough, that they could also be smoked.  I saw a study recently (found that by doing a Google search on nicotine) showing that COOKING can CONCENTRATE the nicotine content in these vegetables.  French fries and potato chips, for instance, contain about 10 times the nicotine of raw potatoes.  Have you heard that potato chip commercial, 'Bet you can't eat just one'?  Wonder when they are going to get around to saying McDonalds has purposely 'concentrated' the 'drug' in it's product to hook our children???  (NONSENSE, I SAY!)  But, let me add, that some more new information I've just come across shows that the jury is STILL out on whether nicotine is in fact the 'active' ingredient in cigarettes.  The highest priced Cuban cigars have almost NO nicotine in them - only about 1/10 as much as an average cigarette.  If nicotine is the reason people enjoy smoking WHY would they pay so much more for so much less?  And the nicotine pills and patches seem to have limited success at stopping smoking, too.  When it has been banned in some situations, people were smoking all sorts of substitutes - NONE of which had nicotine in them.  WHY, if the problem is an 'addiction' to nicotine?  It seems, smoking is simply a habit, one that people enjoy, and provides some benefit for those who do it.  Otherwise, they would all quit.  MORE EVIDENCE Click Here  Some more new info – it seems God created all of us with NICOTINE RECEPTORS IN OUR BRAINS.  And, nicotine is a form of NIACIN – which is a VITAMIN.  Perhaps man knows better than God, but I do not think it’s a coincidence that Chantix (a drug invented to block the nicotine receptors, and being used now to ‘help’ people quit smoking) has killed at least 1,000 people… SO FAR!

 

Hitler is gone, but his IDEAS are still very much alive.  I always have considered that it was obvious he wasn't doing God's work, so he MUST have been doing the devil's.  Jesus said if we are not for him, we are against him.  I think there should be NO doubt whose side Hitler was on. And Hitler wasn't just a nico-nazi - he was a HEALTH nazi! - JUST as these antismoking people today are!  I have included some links to some historical reading about Hitler that will shock you.  There are more on the smoker's rights blog pages.  VERY great evils were done by the Nazis, using bodily health (for their 'master race') as the EXCUSE.  Hitler apparently thought he was like God.  He was trying to 'create' a 'master race'.  Take a look at Genesis 3:5 KJV. 

 

These SAME IDEAS are resulting right NOW in very great EVILS being done - with YOUR tax money, and YOUR 'blessings' in the name of 'health', except they are LYING - and these days it looks like it's simply about PLUNDER AND LOOT.  And as a result, millions of families have lost their livelihoods, millions are being robbed of hundreds of billions of dollars (INCLUDING YOU - SEE BLOGS and LINKS FOR ECONOMIC INFO), families are being divided.  A whole segment of society is being 'demonized', ghettoized, and abused.  Children are BEING KILLED right NOW WHILE they are still children (not 'maybe' in 40 years), by these LIES.  Judges are even removing custody of children whose parents smoke, in a day when homosexuals may be allowed to foster or adopt them!  Much more evil is on the way, if things continue like this. 

 

Alcohol prohibition made MUCH worse problems than allowing freedom.  So will tobacco prohibition.  It's probably not a coincidence that the huge stock market crash, and the Great Depression happened within 10 years of alcohol prohibition.  I am not in favor of drunkenness, either.  While the Bible does have many warnings for us about drunkenness, it also says to give wine to the poor, sick, and old.   And Jesus changed water into wine at a wedding.  He obviously drank wine himself, and I don't believe as some do that the wine was actually grape juice.  Certainly some people have problems with alcohol.  I know about that first hand.  But I ALSO KNOW that using the force of government for prohibition was the WRONG approach.  It created MANY more evils than it solved.  And what an opportunity for the Lord to make blessings in my life, by allowing Him to take care of that problem for me.  SEE SMOKING BAN FACTS

 

ALL our blessings are from God.  The good health I do enjoy is from HIM.  Even though it is established that there IS a lung cancer GENE, there are also studies showing that people of faith who smoke have THE SAME rates of lung cancer as those who DON'T smoke.  Those of faith also have less heart disease, and less of every health problem WHETHER OR NOT they smoke.  I saw that years ago in a Focus On the Family Newsletter, and also some references to it in other places over the past few years.  I think it was in Reader's Digest, also.  It didn't surprise me.  Since I KNOW where I am going when I die, I am not much afraid of it, anyway.  Please if you are Christian - or a person of any other faith, remember this before you are insensitive and cruel to those you love who are smokers - 'for their own good'.  What good?  Pray for their souls.  Their faith is much more likely to keep them well than persecution from others.  If their health is your REAL issue, there is no excuse to be harsh to those you love.  Smoking is a wonderful help for stress.  Harassing smokers just makes it that much more difficult for them to even think of quitting.

 

I am not asking you to believe me.  I am asking (PRAYING) for you to open your mind a bit, and look at the evidence with your own eyes.  Look behind all the propaganda and find the truth.  There are MANY other similar campaigns on right now, seeking to change the values of our citizens - and CHILDREN in many other ungodly ways.  I highly recommend Educating for the New World Order, one of the books below, for some very shocking information about how our school systems are being used to bring 'social change' - acceptance of the homosexual, planned parenthood, and other similar agendas.  If you are a thinking person, with some awareness, you surely know of some other similar lying and hate campaigns currently under way. 

 

I'm asking you to PRAY on these things.  Jesus almost always showed LOVE to people - even the worst sinners.  And NOWHERE does the Bible indicate that smoking is any kind of 'sin'.  Meditate on the Salem Witch trials.  It seems to me that tobacco has been chosen as our modern day witch.  Bad things have always happened, ever since we got kicked out of the Garden of Eden.  People have always seemed too ready to find something ANYTHING to blame, and a mob mentality to go with it.  HORRIBLE injustices have always followed.

 

 We have been very richly blessed in our lives, and we pray for blessings for you

(whoever you are).

 

Lynda Farley

 

Sole 'webslave' of 'The Most Beautiful Pages On The WWW'

www.hosanna1.com/    ~    Visit 9/11 Meditations - Updated 9/11/2005

hosanna1@scrtc.com  (I don't always have much time for a lot of typing)

You are welcome to call, but please not early.  I'm usually up very late.

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PS:   Since there are HUNDREDS of REFERENCES IN the King James Bible to SMOKE INSIDE GOD’s own Temple, at His OWN Command, I thank the Lord that the EPA was not around thousands of years ago to tell Him how many carcinogens there are in a burnt offering.  Can you imagine?  By the way, INCENSE has ALL the SAME things as tobacco smoke, at about 40 TIMES HIGHER CONCENTRATION.  Woah, talk about ‘second hand smoke’.  And there are NO warnings in the Bible to keep our CHILDREN AWAY from there because of the ‘dangerous’ smoke!????!

 

I finally understand WHY the Lord has not removed my smoking - and why he gifted me with the skills I have.  I have a real burden for all those who could be saved, but are not yet because they won't talk to God - because of their smoking habit.  This includes all those many who fear for their loved one's souls because of smoking.  I also have a burden for any misguided folks in churches who may have contributed to this idea, and perhaps helped some smoker(s) to stumble this way.  God himself does NOT reject anyone for smoking - so why should any churches?  And, any churches that are not teaching what is in the Bible, or are teaching contrary to what the Bible says, have lost the narrow path.

 

I will continue to pray for all those who are afraid that God won't listen to them, or think they can't be saved because they smoke.

 

The WONDERFUL NEWS is that, YES, smokers - and also even those who are in the DEEPEST (ANY KIND!) of sin CAN and WILL be SAVED! 

 

ALL that is necessary is  to come to Jesus - JUST AS YOU ARE, and BELIEVE he died to pay for YOUR sins, and rose from the dead to live eternally.

 

That is ALL - it's SO VERY SIMPLE!

 

In the VERY INSTANT you do that, God will forgive ALL your sins.  Not only that, the Bible says God won't remember your sins - he will remove them as far away from you as the east is from the west - lot's more. 

 

Once you are saved, you can begin by making a habit of TALKING to God - praying.  You can ask him to heal all your hurts.  You may also have to ask him to help make you WILLING to be healed.  Took a lot of that for me to finally let Him have my alcohol problem.  At times, HE WILL HEAL INSTANTLY.  Sometimes, it may take awhile of continuing to pray, asking for WILLINGNESS, and letting your faith grow.  It has taken me years to realize this, but God's timing is ALWAYS PERFECT.  There is no way we can know all that He knows, so it's important to start TRUSTING HIM. 

If you ARE HEALED, don't forget to THANK HIM.  : )

 

At other times, he may not heal - all is according to His perfect will for each person.  I am still a smoker - and he left the Apostle Paul (and many others) with some infirmity also.  The Bible says His strength is made perfect in our weakness.  When he doesn't heal us, he ALWAYS gives us His strength and peace to do what we need to do for Him.  He promises to work ALL things together for our good, if we will trust Him as a child trusts a good father.  So, very important - even if you are NOT healed, THANK HIM ANYWAY.  'In ALL things give thanks.'

 

If you have said a prayer, and asked God's forgiveness, get your hands on a King James Bible, and start reading it every day.  If you've been saved for years but still worry you aren't on the right track, this is also something that will help you, too.  Spend some time in His word every day.  Here is a link to a Bible Search website, so you can look for some answers right now, if you wish.

 

PPS:  Remember that commandment about NOT BEARING FALSE WITNESS.  God HATES lies – even IF they are about the ‘evil’ tobacco companies, even IF there is a ‘worthy cause’ such as stuffing the coffers of big pHARMaceutical at their expense.

 

PPPS:  I am so VERY PASSIONATE about this because I WATCHED BOTH of my own parents LOSE THEIR HEALTH AFTER they quit smoking due to MULTIPLE problems that are all LOWER RISK IN SMOKERS, and  Quitting smoking KILLED my father.  Every day I meet quitters who are ILL from a long list of these things, not least of which is the obesity and stress related issues.  NO, I will not quit, unless God wills it for me..