Daily Devotional for Thursday July 5, 2018

Did You Know Jesus Performed His Miracles by Using Marijuana

(Ephesians 5:18; Acts 2:13-15)

***DAILY PERSONAL PRAYER FOR YOU: Dear Lord, help me to stand strong in these difficult days. I know that in the end, YOU...and YOU alone will have the final word. Give me boldness and courage to stand for you as evil abounds. In the name of Jesus I pray..AMEN!!!

Did you know Jesus performed His miracles by using marijuana??? After 25 yrs of ministry, very little surprises me!!! Simply because you will be hearing about this, and even talking about it with your non-saved friends, I have to refute this utter nonsense. Sadly, what is nonsense to “most” Christians (I did say most), is actually believed by those who are looking to justify their rejection of Jesus!!!

Let me also point out, that after writing the Daily Devotional each day for nearly 19 yrs, apx. 6800 Daily Devotionals, the Devotionals on smoking marijuana have always been one of the most read through being forwarded and posted everywhere. As we have watched this nation in spiritual freefall over these past 2 decades, we now have over 1/3 of the states where they are selling marijuana either recreationally or for medicinal purposes.

So sadly, like many issues in our culture, what is clearly a black and white issue is now becoming accepted as normative. Subsequently, it should not be a surprise that this ridiculous assertion that Jesus used cannabis to perform miracles will be accepted by many as true!

Author David Bienenstock says the drug was widely available across the Middle East 2,000 years ago and may have been used to treat the sick. He suggests the ingredient kaneh-bosem, contained in the holy anointing oils used by the early Christian church, was a cannabis extract. Bienenstock states that the early Christian church may have been an early champion of its medicinal properties.

The author said, ” Historical records show that cannabis was widely available at the time-they would’ve known how to grow it and exploit its medicinal properties. Someone of the religious mindset from that time, not understanding the scientific underpinning of how or why it works, would be likely to view that as a miracle.” He added: "Jesus himself was anointed, and if that anointing involved using cannabis oil, then he certainly did use it."

Many in the science community pushed back stating that the evidence kaneh-bosem was a cannabis extract is so weak it is not worth looking into. One Professor of Botany at Old Dominion University, Lytton John Musselman, said that evidence it was part of the holy anointing oil is "so weak I would not pursue it"

MY FRIEND, THE MIRACLES OF JESUS WERE NOT PERFROMED LIKE A DAVID COPPERFIELD MAGIC TRICK, OR IN SOME SORT OF HALLUCENIGENIC STATE, BUT BY THE OMNIPOTENCE OF ALMIGHTY GOD HIMSELF!!!

A question I get at least once a day and often on the television program is, "Is it OK to smoke marijuana?" The person asking the question always throws in that marijuana comes from God and that makes it all right. There are also many websites that give people what they think is Biblical support that smoking marijuana is acceptable for a Christian. Before I deal with this issue in more depth, let me answer the question first. NO! Letter N. Letter O. NO!

Why no? Let's start first with the fact it is ILLEGAL! You really don't need any other reason. However, putting that fact to the side, let's deal with the argument that it is OK to smoke pot since it is a creation of God. Yes, God did create the plant marijuana comes from. However, God NEVER intended you to dry the plant out, go to 7-11 and buy a pack of Zig Zags, crumble the dried plant in the rolling paper, roll it up and smoke it. That my friend is a perverted use of God's creation.

In addition to the fact it is illegal and a perverted use of God's creation, smoking marijuana is extremely harmful to your health. It is actually worse than smoking cigarettes and can kill you. Sucking that toxic smoke into your lungs will not only ruin your health and take years from your life, but it is polluting the temple of the Holy Spirit. The only difference between smoking marijuana and putting a loaded revolver to your temple and pulling the trigger is the gun will kill you instantly and smoking marijuana takes some time.

Lastly, the only reason you smoke marijuana is to get that "high" feeling. God wants us to have a SOUND mind, not an altered mind! When you are high, you are not able to think clear and under the influence of marijuana will make choices that you normally would never make otherwise. We have spoken in the past how every day we make many choices. Our choices to follow and obey God bring blessings. Our choices to rebel against God bring consequences. When you are high you are much more likely to make choices in rebellion to God and His Word and end up paying a huge price for those choices.

Listen my friend, satan is the great justifier. He will always help you to rationalize and justify sinning against God, almost making it seem like the right thing to do. There is absolutely NO Biblical support for smoking marijuana. The same game people play in using the Bible to try and justify the sin of homosexuality is played in using the Bible to try and justify smoking pot. Taking verses out of context, stating a verse means one thing when it clearly means another, making assumptions the Word does not support, are all tricks the enemy will use to try and justify smoking marijuana. Never forget, satan is a LIAR!

Let me add that I am well aware that marijuana is also used medicinally by terminally ill people with cancer and other diseases. We are talking about a fraction of 1% who are in this group and have been legally prescribed medicinal marijuana by a doctor. What we are talking about today is the 99+% who smoke marijuana illegally simply to get high. I am also well aware of the efforts by some to legalize marijuana and the various arguments on both sides. The biggest mind altering substance is already legal and that is alcohol. We don't need another mind altering substance legalized that will create even more marijuana addicts. Marijuana already destroys so many lives and legalizing it will only destroy more.

I love you and care about you so much. If you ever wanted a great example of the power of our culture today, just the fact I am doing an entire Devotional on this issue is proof of that. While for most reading these words today, this topic is a no brainer, I can assure you there will be many who think there is nothing wrong with smoking marijuana. They will tell you it is no different than alcohol, though they forget one small detail. Drinking alcohol, as bad as it is, is legal while smoking marijuana is against the law. It is not only illegal but is ruins your health, alters your mind, is a perverted use of God's creation, and destroys lives.

For those of you in bondage to marijuana or who knows someone who is, I want you to know that it is no accident you are reading these words today. God is speaking to you about quitting. The first step to finding freedom from this bondage you are in to marijuana is to want to quit. Once you come to that place, God will help deliver you and set you free by His power. It is like any other bondage, you need to find people to be accountable to, drop those in your life who are still part of that world, and fully surrender to the Lord and find His strength each day to walk in victory. I will be praying for you today to be set free from this bondage!

In His love and service, Your friend, brother, and co-laborer in His work, Bill Keller