While waiting to cross the road, a pretty young thing walked to my side. She was also waiting to cross the road. Next thing I saw was smoke coming out of her mouth, but she did not have a cigarette. Then I saw hidden under the jacket on her hand was a vaping device. Ah, she was vaping (electronic cigarette); a habit that is more deadly than smoking. More nicotine enters the lungs and known to be many times more harmful than conventional cigarette smoking. It causes you to age much faster. I wonder if this young girl knows that!

More information and research are available to us now than ever before. We are at the age where we should know better. What’s good or bad is literally at our fingers, courtesy of ‘google.’ We can search and read, almost on the spot, on any subject that we want to know. And “Knowledge is Power.” Yet, there are still people who abuse drugs, smoking, and participate in other vices. Does that mean that knowledge does not save us? It is more likely the ignoring of knowledge that’s the culprit.

Did Adam not know of the consequence of eating the forbidden fruit? He did but ate anyway, thus plunging the entire humanity into perdition. So, knowledge is not power. The proper use of knowledge is power.

The sinful nature of humanity is a very powerful force that causes us to do what is wrong rather than what is right. The devil will always ‘sweeten’ the deal and make it really easy for us to sin against God. You may want to say that smoking is not sin. Well, maybe you are right but hurting your body like so is painful for our loving Father in heaven. And when the harmful effect of smoking is fully manifested, then the sick person always blames God for the illness. Did he or she not think that will happen?

Brothers and sisters, the road to perdition is paved with good intentions, and may I add, with many wrong assumptions. Better to listen to God’s word and take the narrow door to heaven, than to walk the broad way and end up in hell. Follow God and follow well.

God bless,
In Christ’s service,

Barry Leong

我正等待着过马路，一个年轻漂亮的女子走到我的身边。她也在等待过马路。随即我就看见有烟雾从她的口中飘出来，但是她却没有香烟。接着我就看到她藏在外套下的手有一瓶蒸汽烟。啊，她在抽吸蒸汽香烟；一个比抽烟更致命的习惯。更多是尼古丁会被吸进肺里，据说要比一般惯用的香烟会造成更大的损伤。它将加速你的衰老，我猜想这年轻女孩是否知道！

相比过去，我们现在可以找到更多的讯息和资源。我们处在一个应该拥有更多知识的时代。通过酷哥，要知道什么是对或错是轻而易举的事。我们几乎在弹指之间就可以浏览和阅读任何我们要知道的课题。更何况“知识就是能力”。然而还是有人滥用药物，抽烟并涉及其他恶习。这是不是等于知识并没有拯救我们？其实更像是轻视知识才是罪魁祸首。

亚当难道不知道吃下禁果的后果吗？他知道但还是吃了，因此陷全人类于毁灭之中。所以，知识不是能力。善用知识才是能力。

人类的罪性是非常强大的力量，足以让我们去作错的事过于对的事。 魔鬼常常会“甜化”整件事，让我们更轻易的得罪上帝。你可能会说抽烟不是罪。好吧，或许你是对的，但是伤害你的身体会让慈爱天父心疼。此外，当抽烟的恶劣后果完全显露出来的时候，生病的人就会因为病痛而埋怨上帝。难道他或她不曾想过这些会发生吗？

弟兄姐妹，通往灭亡的道路可以出自好的动机，请允许我加一句，它是带着错误的假设。聆听上帝的话语并选择通往天堂的窄路，胜于走在宽敞大道却以地狱为终点。跟随上帝，好好跟随。

上帝赐福，
在主里同工的，

Barry Leong