This message may “date” me a little bit, but I wonder how many of you remember this: do you remember, back in the 1970s, watching the evening news when the local grocery store broke into the programming with a horse race? Yeah, I said a HORSE RACE.

It was called “Let’s Go to the Races,” and it was about a minute-long clip of a horse race, and it was sponsored by the local grocery store. Here’s how it all worked… to encourage the viewers of the evening news to shop at their store, the local grocery would hand out free horse race tickets with every purchase. Then, each evening, during the local news broadcast, they would play a short clip of a horse race. If the number of “your” horse on your free ticket matched the winning horse in the race, you would win a big prize…. anywhere from $2 to $500.

This wasn’t considered “gambling” (something that was still “unseemly” to most people in those days) because, after all, the tickets were “free” with every purchase at the local grocery store — and everybody has to buy groceries, so most every home would get at least one race ticket a week. The store benefited because, as people saw the excitement of the horse races on TV during the evening news each night, they were enticed to shop at THAT particular store — they had to buy groceries anyway, so why not have a chance at that $500? The TV news station benefited because they knew that all those grocery store shoppers were going to be SURE to tune in for “Let’s Go to the Races” every night, so they would be watching THEIR channel’s news broadcast, instead of one of the other TWO that were available in those days.

I’m not sure how long “Let’s Go to the Races” continued. But I don’t know anybody who ever won anything on it, and eventually it faded away… But was this just a mere advertising gimmick, or was it something a little more than that? You see, it wasn’t long after that the citizens of our state voted for a constitutional amendment legalizing a state-run lottery and pari-mutual betting.

Soon we had dog-racing tracks throughout our state. That didn’t catch on real well with folks, and the dog tracks went broke. But today you can go to any convenience store and find dozens of different ways to play the lottery — from scratch-off tickets (costing anywhere from $1 to $25 apiece) to any number of different “pick-your-own-numbers” lottery tickets.

And then it was only a few years later that the state negotiated with the Indian tribes, allowing them to build 22 casinos across Wisconsin. These casinos have continued to expand, as they rake in over $1 billion a year. Most now feature luxury hotels attached to them, as well as bars and restaurants. It’s estimated that casinos in Wisconsin make a net profit of 48%, while returning a mere 2% to the state.

By the way, that was one of the “perks” we were promised when casino gambling and the state lottery were legalized here — we were promised huge relief on our property tax bills. But the “lottery tax credit” represents just a few scant dollars for most homeowners — not even enough to go out and buy one of those more expensive lottery TICKETS!  So much for THAT. SERIOUSLY, it really is no more than just a couple of dollars.

According to the website CitzensAgainstGambling.com, approximately 333,000 Wisconsin residents have a gambling problem. The average debt of callers to the “Problem Gamblers’ Hotline” is nearly $47,000.  The website also cites that 65% of compulsive gamblers commit crimes to finance their gambling and that 90% of pathological gamblers gambled with their paychecks or family savings. More than 60% borrow money from friends and family to avoid credit problems, and 20% borrowed from “loan sharks.”   Women, children and older adults are among the highest risk for gambling addiction.

Knowing this, it’s pretty sickening to see the casino buses pulling up regularly at retirement homes and assisted living centers — clearly, they’re preying on the senior citizens who live there… lonely widows eager to get out and socialize with their friends, while also hoping for a big win. Most return home on the casino bus with nothing left.

Nowadays, most people think nothing of this. Just another normal part of life. In all, 48 states now permit some form of live gambling. Hawaii and Utah are the only two that don’t. To make matters worse, ONLINE poker and casino games are now available to players in EVERY state.

I can’t help but think back to how it all began — with a simple “advertising gimmick” promoted by something as innocent as your local grocery store. You see, “Let’s Go to the Races” softened us up. If that had not been such a popular and “fun” thing for people — even just ordinary, everyday folks who would NEVER think of “gambling” – then I doubt we would be seeing gambling as such a huge industry in our state today. Not to mention the rest of the country where gambling has ALSO increased.

We used to be a nation of innovation, creativity and industry. We used to MAKE things, PRODUCE things — things of value — here in America. Now one of our top industries is gambling, which produces nothing but profit for those who operate the games, promising huge jackpots, but handing out mere pennies instead… and leaving in its wake a lot of broke and broken people, homes and families. It’s very sad where this has all gone.

Fast forward to today. Recently, as I was out traveling on my distribution route for our newspaper, I couldn’t help but notice that many of our smaller cities are in recession — tons of empty commercial buildings. Factories closed down. Businesses for sale or “going out of business” or already closed completely. Shopping malls are all but completely vacant. And yet the businesses that ARE in operation all have “Help Wanted” signs out. As I speak with business owners, they can’t find the help they need.  They all say the same thing: “Nobody wants to work anymore.”

Another thing I noticed is the HUGE increase in tattoo parlors, “vaping” shops, adult bookstores… and the latest craze seems to be stores that sell “CBD” products. Even stores that have nothing whatsoever to do with health or “wellness” products are now selling “CBD” as a sideline, to help bring in extra cash flow.

The one thing all THESE stores seem to have in common is the notable picture of the marijuana leaf. On just about every street, you’ll come across at least a couple of stores that sell CBD products, and they all have that picture of the marijuana leaf. Is it just me, or are we now being indoctrinated with the imagery of the marijuana leaf, with stores everywhere selling CBD products — as a way to just get us “used” to the idea of pot — for “medicinal” purposes, of course!

Now to be clear, CBD is NOT marijuana. It is Cannabidiol; the second most active ingredient in cannabis.  CBD is derived from the hemp plant — a “cousin” of the marijuana plant. It does not get a person “high” and has no intoxicating affects. The products are available in oils, creams, lotions, capsules, drinks and even in “gummy candy” form, and CBD is said to be beneficial for a myriad of health issues.

However, the ONLY real scientific studies on CBD that show any positive effects at all are for childhood epilepsy. Under a doctor’s supervision, some studies have shown that CBD can help these children in some cases. But the marketers of CBD are making all kinds of outrageous claims for these products, saying they’ll do everything from easing chronic pain, to helping with insomnia and anxiety, and even curing cancer — but none of these claims have any scientific backing.

What’s more, CBD products are very poorly regulated; so poorly, in fact, that some products may contain little if ANY CBD oil at all — and some have even been found to contain small amounts of THC — the ingredient in marijuana that gets you “high.”

But all this is really beside the point I’m trying to get across here. I believe what we’re seeing now, with the huge increase in all the marijuana leaf imagery and what can only be described as a CBD “craze,” is a push for all-out legalization of recreational pot, nationwide. Of course, it will happen incrementally, but I don’t think it’s going to take long. Maybe at first it will just be made legal for “medicinal purposes.” But we know, just like all the other stuff we’ve seen come down the pike, this is only a stepping stone to the real goal, which is fully legalized recreational marijuana.

Eleven states have already legalized it completely. The rest of the country isn’t far behind. Several others have made it legal for medical purposes only, and other states have very loose, unenforced laws regarding the use of marijuana. Only in 8 states is it still fully illegal.

So I believe what we’re seeing now is marijuana put on the fast-track toward being fully legalized, for any purpose at any time, anywhere; and in those states where it’s still illegal to possess or use, the CBD industry is at its peak. It seems people can’t get stoned fast enough. And while they KNOW they’re not going to get “high” off CBD… well, they can TRY…

But how has that worked in states where it’s already been legalized for recreational use? Well, first of all, let’s look at who the big WINNERS are in this: once again, like with gambling, it’s the almighty State.  In Colorado, for example, in 2018, legal pot sales were more than $1.2 BILLION, with the state getting $270 million in taxes. (Compare that to the mere $45 million they received from all alcohol sales.) Now, if you think legalizing pot in all 50 states is ever going to reduce our income or property taxes, take a look at how that worked out with the lottery.

What’s more, even though there are age limits on legal recreational pot, it’s still MUCH more accessible to kids in states where it’s now been legalized. This is a problem because studies have shown that until somewhere in their mid-20s, a young person’s brain is still in the developmental stages. Ingesting marijuana on a regular basis during these crucial formative years causes irreparable harm to the young mind — resulting in cases of life-long depression, anxiety and even schizophrenia later in life. Not to mention the younger a person begins using this drug, the more likely they are to become addicted.

In many areas where pot has been legalized, we’re seeing “tent cities” pop up now — communities of homeless people. Some flock to these states and towns from other parts of the country simply BECAUSE they can purchase pot legally there. So they hang out with others in these “tent cities,” and the tent cities grow. But others, having become hooked on the drug, have now become homeless — except for their “tent.”

Marijuana-related traffic deaths rose 62% following the legalization of marijuana in Colorado. Not to mention the loss of productivity… when you’re hooked on pot, you don’t want to do much of anything, especially work. It’s also a “gateway” drug. Young people, in particular, having tried and enjoyed marijuana, will be much more likely to move on to cocaine, heroin and meth. And 68% of those who use marijuana report using it DAILY. Now, many will say they can stop anytime they want… but DAILY use?  Does that not sound like an addiction to you?

In my opinion, the last thing our country needs is another drug. The pharmaceutical industry has been reaping billions every year pushing a prescription drug for every possible purpose — MOST of which, I dare say, are totally unnecessary, and MOST of which have worse side effects than the malady they claim to cure. We also have a problem in this country with other illicit drugs. Should we make cocaine, heroin and meth legal too? Where will that get us? You legalize something, you get more of it. It’s a pretty basic concept.

So I’m just wondering — is it just me? Or do you think, also, that we have a problem in America with addiction? We have gambling addiction, porn addiction, alcohol addiction, prescription drug addiction, illegal drug addiction… do we really need ONE MORE THING to victimize our children — and our most vulnerable adults with?

I just ask you to be aware and BEWARE: when you see those pot-leaf pictures on the video stores, the convenience stores, the drug stores and coffee shops, understand it’s just a process of NORMALIZING the image for you… getting you used to the idea. Soon, they’ll take the next step toward full legalization, as they have in other places.

We don’t need more drugs. Most of us are already comfortably numb in our apathy and ignorance. Instead, let’s remember 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober-minded, be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

Don’t let that be you.

www.WisconsinChristianNews.com

Audio CDs and transcripts of this message are available when you call me at (715) 486-8066 or email Rob@WisconsinChristianNews.com. Ask for message number 279.

Isaac was probably a teenager or young adult when he had his “altar call” experience. I’m sure it left a lasting impression on him for the rest of his life. Isaac would always remember the words that were spoken by the angel of the Lord to Abraham. “I will bless you, and in multiplying your seed [through Isaac] as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore, and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because you have obeyed my (angel of the Lord) voice” (Genesis 22:17-18).

Sarah lived a long life and died at the age of 127 years. After her death, Abraham asked his eldest servant and steward, Eliezer, to make a vow unto him and the Lord: Abraham told him, “And I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife unto my son of the sons of the Cananites, among whom I dwell: but you shall go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac” (Genesis 24:3-4). This wording of the vow described by Abraham is unusual. Why didn’t he just say; swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth?  It’s ambiguous, but I think he could be referring to God the Father as the God of heaven; and the angel of the Lord as the God (who appears) of the earth.

Eliezer suggested taking Isaac with him on the trip, but Abraham said no to this idea. Abraham was afraid that he might not see Isaac again, for he was getting very old. Abraham told Eliezer: “The Lord God of heaven which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spoke unto me and that swore unto me, saying Unto your seed will I give this land; He shall send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife unto my son from there” (Genesis 24:7). Regarding this last verse, the He that Abraham mentions is God the Father; the angel is the angel of the Lord, not just a created angel.

The second person of the Trinity, Christ and/or the angel of the Lord is the angel/messenger that God the Father sent to guide and protect Abraham and accompany on their long journey from Ur of the Chaldees. He is the same one that appeared unto Abraham when He confirmed His covenant with him as per Genesis 17:1-8. The same angel was with Eliezer on his long journey, allowing him to be successful with his mission for Abraham.

Upon entering the land of Abraham’s brethren, Eliezer prayed to the Lord for a test to determine which girl would be the right choice for Isaac. “And let it come to pass that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down your pitcher [at the well], I pray you, that I may drink; and she will say, Drink, and I will give your camels drink also, let the same be she that you appointed for your servant Isaac” (Genesis 24:14). The one who passed this test was Rebekah who was the daughter of Bethuel. Bethuel was the son of Nahor, who was a brother of Abraham’s.

“And the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord, and he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who has not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way [of no use], the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren” (Genesis 24:26-27). Eliezer then recounted to Laban (Rebekah’s brother) what Abraham had told him at the start of his trip: “And he said unto me, the Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and prosper the way; and you shall take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house” (Genesis 24:40). In verse 17, Eliezer said the Lord led him to the house, and in verse 40 it is the angel who led him. This suggests the angel is the Lord Jehovah Himself.

Eliezer returns home safely with Rebekah in tow and tells Isaac everything he had done. “And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death” (Genesis 24:67). Rebekah was Isaac’s one and only wife throughout his life. Sometime later, Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah. She bare Abraham six children.

“And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, and hundred threescore and fifteen years. Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre; the field which Abraham purchased on the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife” (Genesis 25:7-10).

Abraham dies at the ripe old age of 175 years, and Isaac inherits all of his possessions. This instantly makes Isaac very wealthy as Abraham was indeed blessed by God throughout his long life. “And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahai-roi” (Genesis 25:11).

Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah for his wife. She was barren for 20 years before Isaac “intreated” the Lord for his wife to conceive. Rebekah gave birth to twins shortly after Isaac’s prayers to the Lord. They named them Esau and Jacob. The Lord was with Isaac as He was with Abraham. “Then Isaac sowed in the land, and received in the same year and hundred fold: and the Lord blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great” (Genesis 26:12-13).

As Isaac grew old, his eyesight failed him and he became blind. When Isaac was approximately 155-160 years old, it came time for him to bless his eldest son, Esau. Rebekah devised a plan to trick Isaac into blessing Jacob instead. Esau had already sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew. When Esau heard that Jacob received his father’s blessing, due to his trickery, he became irate and vowed to kill Jacob. Rebekah told Jacob to flee for his life and go to the land of her brother, Laban, for a “few days.”

Isaac confirmed Rebekah’s decision and told Jacob to go and take a wife from the daughters of Laban in Mesopotamia. Rebekah and Isaac did not want Jacob to take a wife from the Canaanites as Esau had done. Jacob did as he was told and left Beer-sheba and went north toward Haran. Unlike Eliezer’s trip to Haran, Jacob traveled alone and not with a caravan. Also, Jacob did not have a huge dowry to give to the family of his future wife.

Jacob traveled about 60 miles until he came to a place called Luz (later named Bethel). As the sun was setting and night came, Jacob lay down and fell asleep. “And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And behold the Lord stood above it, and said, I AM the Lord God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac: the land where you are on, to you will I give it, and to your seed” (Genesis 28:12-13).

God’s covenant promise to Abraham and Isaac was given to Jacob as well. The Lord would bless Jacob with numerous descendants and would give the land to them. He also said: “And behold, I AM with you, and will keep you in all places wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land; for I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken to you about. Jacob awoke out of his sleep and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:15-17).

“And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my fathers’ house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: and this stone which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and all that you shall give me I will surely give You a tenth (as a tithe)” (Genesis 28:20-22).

Jacob spent 20 years in Haran under his uncle Laban’s authority, and worked for him during all this time. Seven years were spent there in lieu of wages for marrying his oldest daughter Leah, and seven years wages for marrying his younger daughter, Rachel. The last 6 years were for accumulating his flock in lieu of wages for shepherding Laban’s flock. During this time, eleven sons and one daughter were born to Jacob and his wives (and their handmaids). Jacob fed and took care of Laban’s livestock.

He made a deal with Laban concerning his wages. Jacob would claim all the speckled and spotted cattle and brown cattle and goats among the sheep. Laban would claim the remainder of the livestock for himself. The Lord was with Jacob and blessed him (as promised). “And the man increased exceedingly; and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses” (Genesis 30:43).

Jacob’s success was not lost on Laban’s sons. “And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob has taken away all that was our fathers; and of that which was our fathers has he gotten all this glory. And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and behold, it was not toward him as before. And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of your fathers, and to your kindred; and I will be with you” (Genesis 31:1-3).

“And it came to pass at the time the cattle conceived, Jacob had a dream where the angel of God spoke to him, saying: Jacob: And I said, Here am I. And he said, Lift up now your eyes, and see; all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban does unto you. I AM the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar, and where you vowed a vow unto me; now arise, get out from this land (Mesopotamia/Haran), and return unto the land of your kindred in Canaan” (Genesis 31:10-13). In verse 11, the angel of God (or angel of the Lord) speaks to Jacob in a dream. In verse 13, He tells Jacob that I AM the God of Bethel (where Jacob had encountered Him decades earlier). This confirms that the angel of the Lord is God as one Person of Elohim.

Jacob obeyed God and left Haran with his entourage to make the long journey back home. He had no way of knowing his mother Rebekah had died by this time. She had always believed Jacob’s stay would only be for days and not years, but she was wrong. They never had their reunion (this side of heaven). It had been 20+ years since he had last seen his parents and twin brother. When they entered the northern part of Canaan, they were greeted with quite a spectacle. “And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s host: and he called that place Mahanaim” (Genesis 32:1-2).

These were actual angelic beings that appeared in their natural state (not as men) to Jacob. The Bible doesn’t mention the reason for the meeting, but I assume God was showing Jacob that He was with them and would protect them. Jacob probably needed this reinforcement of faith, as he was informed by messengers that Esau and 400 men were coming from Edom to meet him. This news put the “fear of God” into Jacob as he feared Esau would kill him, so he prayed mightily unto the Lord for protection and deliverance.

They camped that night by Succoth near the Jabbok River. Jacob made his family cross over the ford while he remained behind. “And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the Hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And the man said, Let me go For the day is breaking. And Jacob said, I will not let you go, until you bless me” (Genesis 32:24-26).

Evidently Jacob knew this was no ordinary man, but an angel or messenger of God. This messenger asked Jacob a rhetorical question (for he already knew the answer): “What is your name?” Jacob told him his name and the man told him: “Your name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel: for you are as a prince that has power with God and with men, and have prevailed” (Genesis 32:27-28). Jacob then asked the angel what his name was, “and he said, Why is it that you ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved: (Genesis 32:29-30).

After the messenger blessed him, Jacob knew he wasn’t an ordinary angel but the angel of the Lord, God Himself, in a human body. Jacob did indeed get the blessing; however, he did walk with a limp for the rest of his life. As the sun was rising, Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with all of his men. Jacob’s prayer must have been answered for Esau was genuinely happy to see him and to meet his new family. “And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are these with you?” (Genesis 33:4-5). The twin brothers made peace and went their separate way.

Jacob and his entourage came to Shalem, a city of Shechem which is in the land of Canaan, and lived there for a while. Jacob’s older sons Simeon and Levi killed Shechem, a prince of the city, for raping their sister Dinah. They also killed his father Hamor and all the males of the city. They spoiled the city and took all of their flocks and wealth, their wives and little ones, and took them captive. After this tragic event, God told Jacob to go to Bethel and dwell there. The Lord instructed him to build an altar unto God, who had appeared unto him when he first fled from the wrath of Esau his brother decades earlier.

God appeared again unto Jacob at Bethel and confirmed his covenant with him “And God said unto him, Thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be your name; and he called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of you [Israel], and kings shall come out of your loins; and the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to you I will give it, and to your seed after you will I give the land” (Genesis 35:10-12). Just as God changed Abram’s name during the original confirmation of the covenant, so he did with Jacob. The name Israel means a prince who prevails with God.

As they traveled south from Bethel towards Hebron, Rachel (who was pregnant) went into labor and had her second son. However, she died giving birth to Jacob’s son, and was buried in Bethlehem, near Hebron. Jacob named his new son Benjamin. He was Jacob’s 12^th son. “And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned. And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years. And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him” (Genesis 35:27-29).

Randy Nettles

nettlesr@suddenlink.net