Foley, Alabama - Revival In Pictures

Even though our resident picture taker is gone this week sailing around the great big ocean on that great big boat with all those singing people, we did manage to snap a few pictures during revival this week. Speaking of our resident photographer, Odie should be exiting the boat today for the final time and then she will fly back to Mobile Saturday night.

We had another wonderful service Thursday night at Bibleway and it has really been a great week. Since we started on Monday, it seems like we are arriving and leaving at the same time. Not beginning on Sunday makes a huge difference on my perception of time.

It has not hindered revival one ounce though. God has been good to us again and we have enjoyed His favor all week long. I appreciate Pastor Eddy Sullivan and his people for making us welcome on our first visit. It could not have been much better than this!

I hope you enjoy the Revival In Pictures. Thanks for reading.

Davy

You can plainly see what my preaching does to some people. Sweet Dreams!

50 Reasons Why I Do Not Drink Alcohol

Amazing!

This list of 50 Reasons Why I Don't Drink was published as an article on the PE News site recently and it reached out and grabbed a hold of my attention in a hurry. Please take time to read this no matter what your feelings may be on the subject of alcohol one way or the other. This list is powerful.

The lady that wrote the article was saved and delivered from alcoholism at age 26. She speaks from experience and I sure wish that folks that may be contemplating the possibility of drinking AND being a Christian would read and consider carefully.

Do me a favor, take time to read it and pass it on. It may save a person you know a whole bunch of heartache down the road.

Davy

50 Reasons Why I Don't Drink

By Jamie Morgan on January 23, 2017

I am a Christian and I don't drink. I am also a pastor and ex-alcoholic. I need to make that disclaimer right up front. Although it makes me biased, it also makes me an expert on this hotly debated issue. 

Some of the worst "shudder moments" of my life have been under the influence, and as a pastor, some of the worst "shudder moments" I have witnessed in the lives of others have been because of alcohol. You have come too late to tell me it's God's best for a Christian to drink. 

We are living in a church age where drinking has become "hipster" for some. Christian young adults post pictures of their signature drink on Facebook. Middle-aged Christian women name-drop their favorite brand of Pinot Grigio to impress their wine snob friends. Churches send direct-mail postcards that read, "Give our church a shot!" featuring an edgy shot glass graphic. Even some pastors drink. Not this one. 

I stopped drinking when I became a Christian 26 years ago. No one told me to abstain. I just knew it would be contradictory and self-defeating to my relationship with Christ. I had given my life to follow Jesus and nothing was going to hinder my walk. For me, it was a no-brainer. 

This article is not a theological defense on the topic of Christians and alcohol (another article for another time), but it is a heartfelt plea. I humbly ask you to table any knee jerk, pro-alcohol, fight-for-my-right-to-drink arguments that you have ever heard, or made, and prayerfully consider this list. 

Here are the 50 reasons why I don't drink: 

1. I can't be sober-minded if I'm not sober. 

2. Alcohol has an assignment: destruction. 

3. Alcohol is a depressant. Anything that depresses should be avoided at all costs. 

4. I don't want to make my brother or sister stumble in the name of exercising my "Christian liberties." My choice to drink could lead to someone's demise. 

5. Alcohol skews my judgment. 

6. Alcohol leaves me worse, not better. 

7. What I do in moderation, my children will do in excess. 

8. Even the unsaved know I shouldn't drink. Bible in one hand, beer in the other — any lost person could point this out as a confusing contradiction. 

9. Alcohol doesn't bring others closer to the Lord when they see me drinking, but further away. 

10. Alcohol doesn't bring me closer to the Lord when I drink, but further away. 

11. I want to be fully awake and ready for the return of Christ, not drowsy, sluggish, or hung over. 

12. Show me a family for whom alcohol has made a positive difference in their lives. You won't be able to. 

13. I have never heard anyone say, "Wow, that gin and tonic made me feel so Christlike!" 

14. I want to avoid all appearances of evil. 

15. Alcohol makes it much harder for me to practice the fruit of self-control. 

16. Alcohol causes me to lose my filter. 

17. Alcohol is a legal mind-altering drug. 

18. Alcohol is addictive. 

19. Alcohol is a numbing agent for pain and sorrow only Jesus can heal. 

20. Many regrets are associated with alcohol. (I can give you a whole bunch!) 

21. No one has ever said, "If only I had taken a drink, things wouldn't have gotten out of control." 

22. Alcohol causes me to act in ways I normally wouldn't. 

23. Alcohol kills brain cells. 

24. Alcohol is a counterfeit and provides a false peace. 

25. The Bible says that no drunkards will enter the kingdom of God. Being drunk starts with one drink. I don't want to see how far outside the lines I can color when eternity is at stake.

26. Alcohol is a waster — money, gifts and talents, destinies, and so on. 

27. Alcohol leads to really bad behavior. It is a factor in 50 percent of violent crimes. 

28. Alcohol distracts and derails you from living the victorious life for which Christ died. 

29. Wisdom is the principle thing that I need to pursue at all cost; alcohol makes me stupid.

30. Alcohol has ruined many, many marriages. 

31. The only influence I should be "under" is God's. 

32. The Bible tells me to be alert; alcohol delays my reaction time. 

33. If I don't start drinking, I'll never have to stop. 

34. Alcohol severely tarnishes my testimony. 

35. Don't want your teenagers to drink? Yep, same reasons apply to you. 

36. God is holy; alcohol is not. 

37. Alcohol and prayer don't mix. 

38. Alcohol and Bible study don't mix. 

39. Alcohol lowers my resolve to resist temptation. 

40. Alcohol = Brokenness (broken lives, health, dreams, and so on) 

41. When the world sees us drinking, it sends the message that Jesus isn't enough. 

42. Moderate drinking? How about moderate pornography or moderate heroin use or moderate lying or moderate adultery? 

43. Christians are called to live a life of total surrender and separation from the world. 

44. Alcohol makes me forget. It can make me forget that I am married, that I am saved, and so on. 

45. "I don't get drunk. I only have one or two drinks." If they didn't affect you, you would drink soda. 

46. I should never look to the glass or bottle for joy, which can only be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

47. Alcohol fills my mind with impure thoughts. 

48. If it could hinder my faith walk or love walk or dishonor the lordship of Jesus Christ, I need to forsake it. 

49. Alcohol doesn't help me run the race that Jesus has marked before me to finish with more accuracy. It does the polar opposite. 

50. For any argument that tries to justify Christian drinking, there are at least 50 other reasons not to. 

The writing is on the wall. It's not God's best for Christians to drink.

The Mystery - Where Is Sherlock Holmes When You Need Him?

We had another great service at Bibleway Tuesday night. If God keeps helping us and the people keep responding, we are going to have sure enough revival around here. Praise God for His help!

The Mystery - Where is Sherlock Holmes when you need him?

I posted Monday about the weekend and told you about the 1/4" by 12' threaded rod that we picked up with the bumper of the Green Machine.



We ran across it some where between Saraland and Foley but did not know where. I reviewed the dash cam for about the the last 20 miles and thought it could have been about 10 miles up the road.

Here is the picture with the possibility.

Kelly Jo found an authentic Mexican place with good traditional tacos and she chose that for Valentines Day. We were going right by the spot in the picture above so we decided to check it out.

First, my Valentine and her taco!

As I posted in the update yesterday afternoon, it was clearly a mark in the road and was still there when we went by. That means it was not the rod and not where we picked it up.

Yesterday evening I started viewing the dash cam footage as I was pulling out of the church at Saraland and watched it all. On Old Spanish Fort Trail/Hwy 98 just before we crossed the bay and joined I-10, I spotted another possibility. Could this be it?

It definitely looks like an object laying in the road. When you zoom it up real close you can kind of see a shadow under it.

There is one big problem with that being the point where we picked up the debris. That point is 35 miles from the church in Foley. I do not believe we carried the rod dragging from the Green Machine bumper for 35 miles for two reasons.

Number one, I do not thing the bumper would have hung on that long. We were going 65 MPH for several miles on the interstate and that rod would have been bouncing all over the road. Dragging it 10 miles was a stretch but 35 miles with several miles of fast driving is too much. It was barely hanging on any way.

Secondly, if the rod was dragging 12 feet behind the bumper for 35 miles, some one surely would have let us know! Once we exited the interstate, we were in stop and go traffic with red lights and even policemen passing us. I have got to believe some one would have honked or something. I remember cars pulling up behind us in the back up camera and they would have had to be on top of the rod if it was hanging from the bumper.

Here is a possibility. We know it ripped the rear mud flap on the driver's side nearly off. Maybe it was hanging from the mud flap or something else back there for most of the ride to Foley. If it was, then most of the rod would have been under the bus and not visible to passing cars. At some point, maybe on our only 90 degree turn about 5 miles from the church, it came loose, went under the car and punctured the bumper of the car.

I know that is grasping at straws but it is all I have for the moment. I know one thing, it makes me want to look at the bottom of the bus as good as I can. IF nothing else is damaged, I call it a miracle.

Thanks for reading.

Davy