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Desi News Corp - Desi News - April 2009 - Index

A demon in disguise
By Becca Zekveld
I
am ruined, thought Sam*, as he opened yet another bottle of
alcohol. A year ago, he was fired from his job as an engineer.
Since then he had spent his days sitting around the house,
thinking about what a failure he was and drowning his guilt with
any sort of alcohol he could get his hands on.
His drinking habits had caused his wife and three children to
leave him – they were fed up with the situation. In his mind, Sam
loved his family very much and had made countless promises to
them that this would be his ‘last drink’, but time and again he
would succumb to the pressure.
For Sam, alcohol makes life somewhat bearable.
Yes, alcohol is both Sam’s “best friend and worst enemy”. He
knows it’s ruining his life but, at the same, time he believes that
there is no way he can live without it.
When stresses of life come up, his bottle will ‘never leave him
or forsake him.’ At the same time, Sam can’t decide whether he
hates himself more when he’s sober or drinking.
Does Sam have any hope? Many people think not. But is Sam
so different from any of us? We might not be controlled by alcohol,
but there other things that we look to for fulfillment. Money
perhaps, drugs, sex…the list could go on and on. We see that
alcoholism is not simply a physical illness; instead, it is a matter of
the heart. Our hearts are no different than Sam’s. We too struggle
with what or who controls our lives.
So why is it that people feel such an urge to be serving something? It
is ultimately because we have a Holy God who created us for this purpose.
However, because of sin our hearts don’t desire to serve God
anymore, but instead we want to turn to other things. Sam has not yet
trusted in Christ to be his only Saviour, so he has turned to alcohol in
order to face his problems in life.
Thus there is hope for Sam. Hearts can change. He needs to
turn to Jesus Christ. And Jesus is no ordinary person.
The Holy Bible says:
Christ died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves
but for Him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Corinthians 5:15).
Once Sam learns to trust Jesus, he will realize that alcohol
does not have a say in his life anymore. Jesus does not fill the
place of alcohol. Instead, He crushes the power of alcohol under
His feet and proclaims Himself as the Saviour. This does not
mean that once Sam owns Christ that he will never touch alcohol
again. But it does mean that he will begin more and more to rely
on Christ instead of the bottle.
* Identity changed.
Christ, Our Hope,
An Anchor for the Soul,
Firm and Secure
Whatever the problem,
there’s Hope.
The Hope Centre is open daily Mondays
through Saturdays, 9 am to 12 pm or by
appointment at any time. We are open for
hospitality, prayer, spiritual help and to
assist you in any questions you may have.
For listing of activities,
please call us. Service is
FREE. So is the chai.
FREE FUN FOR KIDS!
IN BRAMPTON
Ebenezer Hall, Gore Road, Brampton
4-12 years. Join us for stories, singing,
crafts, Bible reading and fun!
Call 416-740-0543 for details.
FREE BIBLE!
Reverend
Tony ony Zekveld
Zekveld
I’d like to receive a FREE COPY of the Bible.
Name......................................................
Mailing Address.......................................
The Hope Centre, 1620 Albion Road, Suite 312, Etobicoke, Ontario M9V 4B4. 416-740-0543.
HOPE CENTRE
42 Desi News April 2009