The Real Miracle Cure for Addiction

When we first started The Solid Rock Road Christian recovery program in Oregon, our goal was to help as many Christians in addiction as we possibly could. As a team, we created a Vision, Mission and Values statement specifically geared toward spreading the message of freedom in Christ throughout the world. 

A decade later, we have seen this happen, especially since creating a website and publishing our book “Follow The Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery” two years ago. Through our book and website (www.thesolidrockroad.com), people from every state in the nation and from 86 countries have learned about The Solid Rock Road. And many who are suffering from addictions have asked for help. 

From the start of our Christian recovery ministry, we have acknowledged that the real help for addicts is the Holy Spirit working from within, but it must come from a person's steadfast commitment to getting set free. There must be real repentance and total surrender to God. It’s true that our counseling is wisdom-filled and our book provides insight, inspiration and guidance. However, The Solid Rock Road Christian Recovery program is simply a resource. The power to transform lives comes from God and God alone. 

The only miracle cure for addiction is the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ and the process of sanctification. Recovery is all about turning away from sin -- doing a complete moral u-turn. It’s giving God the same energy given to the addiction and living a godly life based on the application of Biblical principles. 

The Solid Rock Road team continues to partner with addicts in the battle for their souls. We have faith for the addicted and grace for the ministry. And we operate with our eyes wide open in order to counteract the lies of the enemy and to impart truth into the minds and hearts of God’s people. Often, we tell the hard truth the hard way because it has to break through strongholds.

Our recovery team has seen miraculous healings and deliverances and we’ve supported those who have suffered through withdrawals and temptations. Sadly, we have laid several of our Christian friends to rest who failed to overcome the battle of addictions.  However, we remain confident that all those who call on the name of Jesus in the midst of their addiction, and all those who surrender to God and sanctify themselves will find freedom from addictions for a lifetime. 

You can visit The Solid Rock Road Christian recovery website at www.thesolidrockroad.com. You can also visit their Facebook page and find them on Twitter.

The Power of the Tongue

Words have power.  They can breathe life or they can promote the death of one’s spirit. Many people often talk about how negative and demeaning words have stuck with them from childhood – words from their abusive parents or from mean kids on the playground.

The Bible talks about the power of the tongue. God’s word is clear that as Christians, we’re to be mindful about what comes out of our mouths. It says that we have the tendency to bless one minute and to curse the next. This means we have to forego our flesh to enact the Spirit of God within us.

The inspired Word of God reminds us that words either build or tear down. The following are scriptures that show God’s heart in this matter. (Taken from the ESV)

Proverbs 21:23
Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.

Ephesians 4:29
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Proverbs 12:18
There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Psalm 34:13
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.

James 3:2-10
For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. ...

Proverbs 15:1
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

1 Peter 3:10
For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;

James 1:26
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.

James 3:1-18
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! ...

Proverbs 17:28
Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

Proverbs 15:4
A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

James 3:10
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

Matthew 12:33-37
“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

James 3:11
Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?

Proverbs 10:19
When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.

Proverbs 26:20
For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.

Psalm 39:1
To the choirmaster: to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. I said, “I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, so long as the wicked are in my presence.”

Psalm 37:30
The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.

Proverbs 17:9
Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.

Why Do Christians in Recovery Continue to Relapse?

In the Solid Rock Road recovery ministry, we’re always amazed when addicts find the right path and start living an honorable and blessed life, then suddenly change directions. It doesn’t make sense. People discover what works, they get sober, safe and happy, but an off-ramp catches their attention and away they go -- with Christian leaders warning them of danger and destruction.

We’ve asked many relapsed Christians why they went off course. Some said it was because they were bored. Others reported that they were fearful of taking the next step, or taking responsibility for their lives. Then there’s a whole group of relapsed people who claim that being a Christian is too hard. This is the biggest lie Satan tells those struggling with addictions. The truth is, it's hard being an addict. It takes a lot of money and effort to stay high and out of legal trouble.

Admittedly, the devil is the father of lies. Plus, he has installed plenty of detours to take Christians off of God’s well-beaten and blessed path. He makes the off-ramp look like an easy and fast way to get somewhere. But we all know that these insidious detours are not quick and easy. Instead, they result in spiritual death and in many cases, physical death.

No matter how many people urge their addicted loves ones to keep moving forward along God's path, many follow their addiction cycles and agree with Satan’s strategic plan for their lives. Some actually believe it's their destiny. But if God created them, He's the one with the true destiny.

As Christians in relapse wander from safety, they justify their actions with clever excuses and bold-faced lies. They also find validation for their crazy actions from people who either don’t understand addictions, or from those who share their propensity to abuse drugs and/or alcohol.

Veering off the path seems innocent enough, like taking a Sunday afternoon car ride down a one-lane country road. But it’s far from innocent. Where the devil tempts people to go is the opposite of where God wants to take them. Christians who struggle with addictions knows this in their souls, but their drug dealer is waiting and the liquor store is around the corner. Before they know it, they’ve gone way off the wagon and there’s no turning back until the damage has been done.

It’s hard for Christians heading toward relapse, or those in full-fledged addiction, to admit they’re guilty of cooperating with the dark side. It’s much more comfortable to claim they have a chronic disease and can’t help it. And that might be true for those who don’t know Christ and don’t understand the power of God or the work of the Holy Spirit, but Christians are without excuse.

No matter how well Christians in addiction argue their "I can't help it" case, the Bible wins the debate. It says we are more than conquerors.

To make matters even more clear, the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

In other words, God works on our behalf to ensure that Christians are protected from the plans and hands of the enemy. However, He leaves room for free will and people often choose Satan as their master. 

What can family members and loved ones do? Pray, enter into spiritual warfare, then release them to God as the Father did in the story of the Prodigal Son. Don't make the mistake of enabling them with your love or your money. This is counterproductive to Christian principles, and doesn't help the addict in the long run.

The Solid Rock Road is a Christian recovery program in Medford, Oregon using the book “Follow The Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery” to offer freedom from addictions. We also work with families on intervention strategies and creating boundaries. 

Visit www.thesolidrockroad.com or follow us on Twitter and become a friend on Facebook.  

Winning the Battle of Addictions

There is a constant struggle going on inside your mind. It’s a war between your old and new self. For people with a history of relapse, the old self often wins. Since the old self is not redeemed, it is still of the world and controlled by Satan. If Satan controls your mind, he becomes the filter by which all information is received. Even the Word of God gets interpreted incorrectly.

Since our minds lead our actions, the devil knows that if we think bad thoughts, we’ll act badly. Joyce Meyer wrote a book called Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind. In the first chapter, she explains that Satan is strategic and creates deliberates plans to defeat us.

Meyer brings this point home early in her book when she writes, “He (Satan) knows our insecurities, our weaknesses and our fears. He knows what bothers us most. He is willing to invest any amount of time it takes to defeat us. One of the devil’s strong points is patience.”

With such a patient devil, you must make up your mind to invest any amount of time it takes to defeat him! Even though you surrendered, Satan will wait for the right time to return as your master. He’ll wait until you’re tired, you’re showing signs of weakness, you’re having a moment of doubt, or someone at church offended you. He’ll wait years if he has to.

So far, you have let Satan win the battle of your mind. But if there is one concept you must believe, it’s that when you receive Jesus, you really are a new creation, and that all things really are brand new.

It’s time for you to embrace higher-level thinking so you can mature in Christ and live soberly. You can’t move forward if you’re looking back. You have to keep your eyes on tomorrow and trust that God is who He says He is.

Galatians 4:8-9 explains: “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?” (NIV)

For information about The Solid Rock Road Christian recovery program and our recovery book titled Follow The Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery, check out our website at www.thesolidrockroad.com. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

A Note from the Director of the Solid Rock Road

After nine years in the Christian recovery ministry, I’ve made some observations about the addicts and their families. Here’s a brief summary:

The addicts
As a former addict who was delivered by the power of God, I wonder a lot about why Christians continue to struggle with addictions. Years ago, Pastor Steve Schmelzer asked this question during one of his sermons: “Do you want to know who makes it out of addictions and who doesn’t?” Of course I wanted to know, as did the rest of the congregation. He answered it so simply. “The givers make it, the takers don’t.”

That has stuck with me, and it has proven to be true. The goal of all Christians is to live an unselfish, service-filled life. That’s why the 10th Principal of The Solid Rock Road is “Serve God and others.” If you’re all about yourself, you can’t be all about God. Therefore, freedom from addictions comes when Christians put a stop to their lusts and start to put the needs of others in front of their own.

The families of the Addicts
Denial runs rampant in addicts, but it is also prevalent with their Christian families. In faith, they pray and believe that their loved ones will win the spiritual battle and get set free. Faith is necessary, and as the director of The Solid Rock Road, I count on it a lot. However, there comes a time when the loved ones are working harder on sobriety than the addicts. At this point, they become codependent and can often get in the way of what God is trying to do.

We have a heart for the families of addicts, but we are often in a position of counseling them to do the hard thing, which is to take their loved one to the cross and leave them there. This is grueling because it often means families have to step aside and watch as their loved ones hit bottom.

But isn’t that what happened in the story of the Prodigal Son? The father let the son make his choices. He didn't chase the son down, nor did he devise 101 ways to keep his son from blowing it. Most importantly, the father didn't bring groceries to the pig pen so that his son could eat. Instead, the father lived his life and waited for the son to come back to his senses, and then back home. Of course, there was a feast waiting for the humbled and repentant son.

The Bottom Line
God is in the deliverance, healing, restoring business, but God won’t supersede the will of man. Christians in addiction have rejected the ways of God in favor of their own lusts. The Solid Rock Road team can’t change a person’s mind, but we offer the truth in love and the principles necessary to win the spiritual battle.

If you or your loved one has been taken captive by addictions or you have found yourself in the midst of codependent behaviors, we offer guidance and help with our ministry and book. Visit www.thesolidrockroad.com, or follow us on Twitter and Facebook. You can also call me (Jerry Pineda, Sr.) directly at 541-778-8680.

Missing Body Parts in the Church

If Christians are the Body of Christ, then it makes sense for it to be healthy and fully functional. But the Body of Christ appears to be anemic, and worse yet, has missing body parts.

God created each person to be part of the church body. "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." (1 Cor. 12:27) But there are Christians who have become missing body parts. Plus, there are a lot of artificial limbs that are missing the DNA of the church. These people go to church, but they are disconnected from God’s way and His truths.

When Christians become addicted to drugs and alcohol, they obviously detach from the Body of Christ because their sin separates them. But many Christians in recovery have yet to fully re-attach to the Body. Instead, they attach themselves to a recovery program.

Recovery programs are not the problem. It’s the mindset of the people that are not always in line with Biblical principles. For example, The Solid Rock Road helps people to get back on the path and to stay on it. Our goal is to assimilate every participant back into the Body of Christ. That’s why there’s a beginning and an end to our program. People graduate in order to assimilate.

However, many other Christian recovery programs take body members hostage. They help them to the right path, but then insist that the program must be a lifetime addition to their Christian journey. Often times, addicts are told that they must give back to the program, or give back to addicts, which may be steering them from their actual destiny in God.

Not all addicts have the grace and anointing for the addictions ministry. If someone is counseling addicts but it’s not their call, they have become a missing body part. The goal is to discover the gifting and the call of God on every individual’s life so they can be placed properly in the Body of Christ.

The Solid Rock Road is a Christian recovery program in Oregon that promotes freedom in Christ and assimilation into the Body of Christ. Learn more at www.thesolidrockroad.com or follow us on Twitter or Facebook. You can also call us at 541-778-8680.

Obedience in Christian Recovery

In the first few verses in the book of Acts, we read that just prior to his ascension, Jesus commanded his followers to wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. With such an awesome promise, it’s surprising that a mere 25% of them actually obeyed. And yet, verse 8 gives us a clue as to why at least some of the 380 out of 500 followers left before the miraculous event took place.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

The command to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit wasn’t what the followers had a problem with. It was the command to go do something with that power. In other words, selfishness and self-serving attitudes were evident even in the days of Jesus.

It’s true that some followers may have been impatient and that a few may have had emergencies or outside circumstances that prevented them from participating in the original outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But history tends to repeat itself. We see in churches today that many members of a congregation want the benefits of Christianity but not the responsibilities that go with it. They come in with great enthusiasm and tout the amazing miracles of God, only to walk away when they discover that God wants something in return.

A lot of people miss out on the real blessings of God that are gained through faith, obedience and the process of sanctification. Obedience to Christ will always lead to deeper levels of relationship with God and ultimately, increased power of the Holy Spirit. Peter is a great example of this.

Directly following the impartation of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other languages, Peter found himself passionately preaching to the Jews, as described in Acts 2:14-39. The fruit of his obedience is described in Acts 2:40,41.

“With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”

With Peter as one of many role Biblical role models, it’s clear that obedience to God’s commands results in the manifestation of God’s power and the miraculous.

The Solid Rock Road Christian recovery program in Medford, Oregon, is a 10-week program that teaches people about obedience. Visit www.thesolidrockroad.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Christian Recovery for Co-Dependents

Since serving in a Christian recovery program in Medford, Oregon, I have discovered that addicts get all the attention, when their loved ones are often just as desperate for help. Christians in addiction meet with their pastors, they get treatment in both secular and Christian programs and are presented with many opportunities for individual and group counseling.

Christians in addiction usually have teams of people working with them on their sobriety and recovery programs. Meanwhile, the spouses and significant others of addicts do what they do best: They pray and ask others to join with them in crying out to God on behalf of their loved ones; They focus intently on the addict’s recovery, anticipating their needs and putting aside their own. In most cases, co-dependents work harder on recovery than Christians in addiction.

The Solid Rock Road not only provides a system of recovery for addicts, but works with the co-dependent to surrender, to forgive and move forward in their own walk with God. The Solid Rock Road ministry offers counseling and strategies for those whose co-dependency has clouded their judgment over an extended period of time, and whose own addiction has been to rescue the addict in their lives.

Christian counseling for co-dependents is offered by Sherry Colby, CADC1, a certified alcohol and drug counselor. The strategy portion of the Solid Rock Road’s ministry is done by Jamee Rae Pineda, who works with women to create boundaries and bottom lines with the addicts. Sherry and Jamee are the authors of a recovery book titled Follow The Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery.

When men are co-dependent, Pastor Jerry Pineda counsels and works with them to understand their role in enabling the addict. Jerry is the director and a lead facilitator of The Solid Rock Road recovery ministry.

To find out more about The Solid Rock Road recovery program in Medford, Oregon, visit www.thesolidrockroad.com or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad or on Facebook. You can also call The Solid Rock Road Christian counseling team at 541-778-8680.

How to Work with Christians in Addiction

Christians who are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol have a great advantage over agnostics, atheists and people of other religions. With the power of God and the blood of Jesus, Christians can be delivered, healed and restored to experience total freedom from addictions. They can be transformed by the renewing of their minds and forgiven by God for every sin they have ever committed.

While Christians have everything they need to resist temptation and to live clean and sober lives, there is an epidemic of addictions within the church. Many Christians live secret lives, addicted to marijuana, methamphetamines, heroine and other street drugs. However, the abuse of prescription medication is on the rise as well. This includes Vicodin, Oxycodon, methadone and other pain-killing drugs.

When people get addicted to narcotics prescribed by doctors, they often run out of their drugs and have no way of getting more from the doctor. By over-medicating themselves, addicts resort to purchasing illegal prescription drugs, moving them into dangerous criminal activity.

Many pastors and leaders are at a loss for how to work with Christians in addiction. As a result, the issue of addictions in the church gets swept under the carpet or ignored altogether. Many times, pastors recommend that addicted members of their congregation get help from the secular system. While this may be necessary in some cases, the role of the church in the realm of addictions should be an offer for prayers of deliverance combined with Christian counseling.

The Solid Rock Road works with addicts and their families. The Christian recovery program in Oregon uses the book “Follow The Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery” for individuals and group treatment. Visit www.thesolidrockroad.com or find The Solid Rock recovery ministry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad or on Facebook.

The Holy Spirit and Christian Recovery from Addictions

The Holy Spirit is your personal guide in your Christian walk. In John 14:16, Jesus tells the disciples He will be leaving (meaning crucified) but someone better will take His place. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.” (NIV)

That Counselor is the Holy Spirit that lives in you from the point of salvation. Counseling from the Holy Spirit is divine. It’s also free and available twenty-four hours a day. The Holy Spirit overpowers evil and is your source of strength, wisdom, and inspiration. When you are guided by the Holy Spirit, you will not relapse or fall back into negative patterns of behavior.

The problem we Christians have is that the Holy Spirit doesn’t possess us. He doesn’t just spring up and take over our life. We wish He would. It would make everything so much easier, and much better. Instead, the Holy Spirit lives in us, but waits for us to empower Him through surrender and the process of emptying ourselves of our sinful nature.

As Galatians 5:22,23 explains: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

The Bible also describes the Holy Spirit as the abiding guest (John 14:16), Spirit of truth (John 14:17), teacher (John 14:26), testifier (John 15:26), guide, voice of God, the Prophet (John 16:13), Glorifier of Jesus (John 16:14), witness to sonship (Romans 8:16), helper in prayer (Romans 8:26), and power to witness (Acts 1:8).

Christians in recovery from addictions can count on the Holy Spirit to help at every level. The goal is to engage the Spirit so that it has control of your soul.

Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com and look for a book I've cowritten called Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery.