Christian Recovery -- Moving Past our Fears

Fear has so much power in so many of our lives. For some, fear takes over. It becomes so big in our minds that many of us work harder to avoid getting past the fear than we do getting to the other side of it.

No matter what, we must remember that fear is our enemy! We must get rid of fear if we are to move forward in our Christian walk. Fear likes to stop us from doing what God has asked us to do. Fear makes us retreat when we should move forward. Fear has us standing still when we should be running into the arms of God. And fear will have us experience anxiety instead of joy. 

For those who struggle with addictions, fear will keep you connected to the life that you say you hate. You fear being straight, which means that you fear reality and responsibility.You fear losing what you love, which is your alcohol or drug of choice. And you fear the pain of withdrawals. In other words, you fear having to suffer.

We all must suffer and we must allow ourselves to feel some pain as Christians. This is what Jesus asks of us, and it is what He modeled as he suffered on the cross. Here’s what Jerry Pineda, the director of our recovery ministry wrote on the last page of our book “Follow The Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery:” 

“My personal message to those of you who want freedom is this: Don’t be afraid to suffer. Be more afraid not to. You’re not alone or without a purpose when you’re suffering for Christ. Most importantly, make sure to suffer all the way to the cross as Jesus did for you. It’s time to finish what you started. Your new life begins when you die to yourself and are resurrected into the life and love of the Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Many people use the acronym for FEAR as False Evidence Appearing Real. What this really means is that most of our fears never happen. This is the trick of Satan who sets us up with fear so that we are anxious and worried, and filled with negative thoughts. The thing that we fear doesn't even need to happen for our lives to be a big bummer.

God has a remedy for fear, and that is to get into HIS thoughts. We need the mind of Christ in all situations, which we can get when we access the Holy Spirit that lives in us. The mind of Christ will give us peace no matter what is in front of us. And it will remind us that our fears are really all about our concern for our own lives. Christ suffered on the cross willingly because He was thinking about you and me.

To learn more about Christian recovery using the 10 Principles of The Solid Rock Road, click here: You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Christian Recovery: Check Your Heart

Have you ever wondered why God wants the adoration of humans, especially since He knows our hearts. According to Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…”  But it’s His way of connecting, and God knows that His presence can soften our hearts and remove evil from them.

The Bible says that David was a man after God’s own heart. If you have ever been after someone’s heart, you know what it takes to get it. You think about that person day and night. You’re consumed with what they think and remember the words they speak. You are kind and loving to that person and want to spend time with them more than you want anything else. When you have hope that love will result, you will do whatever makes that person happy and you will make sure that you touch their heart.

David deliberately put God first. He kept his heart pure and devoted to God. That doesn’t mean David never made mistakes; we know he did. The Bible tells the story of David’s lust for Bathsheba, the sins that followed, and the consequences of his poor choices.

Still, David didn’t let his past mistakes keep him from connecting with God. In fact, he was more devoted afterward and more inclined to visit the throne because he knew how much he’d grieved God, and better understood the mercy of God.

Psalm 51:1-6 provides insight into how David’s sin and suffering allowed him to fully experience God’s redeeming love. (This scripture is from The Message because it totally reveals David’s heart.)

     

“Generous in love – God, give grace! Huge in mercy – wipe out my bad record. Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry. I know how bad I’ve been; my sins are staring me down. You’re the one I’ve violated, and you’ve seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair. I’ve been out of step with You for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born. What you’re after is truth from the inside out. Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.”

At this point, David didn’t blame anyone else for his mistakes. He wasn’t rationalizing or justifying his behavior. Instead, he acknowledged his evil and gave God the right to change him. That’s why in Acts 13:22, the Apostle Paul refers to David as a man after God’s own heart.

You desperately need the heart of David. And you need to get to your truth from the inside out. Go ahead and read the entire book of Psalms out loud, day after day. No matter what other scriptures you read, add Psalms to your devotions.

Before you recite David’s words, pray God will exchange your hard heart for a God-loving, faithful heart like David’s. Ezekiel 36:26 makes you such a promise. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

 

You can follow The Solid Rock Road on Facebook and twitter. You can also learn all about this Christian recovery program at www.thesolidrockroad.com.

Christian Recovery: The Problem with Justification

In our Christian recovery ministry, we have seen and heard a lot. Nothing surprises us, but there’s a lot that makes us cringe, especially when we’re sure that no good can come from the words we hear. Recently, a former addict decided that having wine with dinner was perfectly acceptable and condoned by Jesus. We tried to correct her carefully crafted reasoning, but she rejected our warnings with two typical points of justification:

1. Jesus drank wine so I can too.
2. Alcohol is not my problem.

Well, we’ve heard these two points before – more times than we care to count! Why is it that addicted personalities like to use Jesus as the example of drinking wine, but leave out all the Biblical warnings about its link to the demonic and the dangers of drunkenness? In my blog titled “What Does the Bible Say about Being Sober?” I list many of the Scriptures that refer to this issue. Here are some of the points that these Scriptures make.

• Bad things happen when you drink.
• You shouldn’t hang out with people who party.
• Your drinking can cause someone else to stumble. In other words, you can trigger them.
• Alcohol makes you a slave to it.
• Don’t act like the world acts.

It’s true that having a glass of wine is not a sin, that is, if you’re not someone who struggles with addiction. If you are one of those people, then even a single glass of wine is foolish, no matter how it’s cleverly justified.
Like every one of Satan’s tricks, justification works out great in the beginning, but the snare is fully set in no time at all. Consider the passage of Scripture in Proverbs 23:29-35.

“Who has Woe?
Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions?
Who has complaints?
Who has redness of eyes?
Those who linger long at the wine,
Those who go in search of mixed wine.
Do not look on the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it swirls around smoothly;
At the last it bites like a serpent,
And stings like a viper.
Your eyes will see strange things,
And your heart will utter perverse things.
Yes, you will be like one who lies down
in the midst of the sea,
Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying
“They have struck me, but I was not hurt;
They have beaten me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?”

When justification rears its ugly head, The Solid Rock Road team does its part to tell people that what we see isn’t pretty, but then we often find ourselves stepping back, letting go and allowing the consequences to unfold.

If you or your loved is a Christian in addiction or struggles to get set free, visit our website at www.thesolidrockroad.com . You can also find our book “Follow The Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery” on Amazon (in print and on KINDLE). Click here! You can also call us at 541-301-3717.

Christian Recovery and Elder Abuse

I have been counseling a lot of elderly people lately who don't know what to do with the addict in their life. What I've come to note is that older people don't truly understand the issues of addiction, nor can they deal with the situation properly, which is why addicts take such advantage of them. The addicts lie incessantly to get money, they steal the elderly's property to sell it for drugs, and they take over their homes.

In the past month, I have talked with two women in their 70s and 80s who have actually moved out of their homes and left the addicts to live there. In both cases, the elderly women paid the rent and all the bills. My advice to each of them was to at least charge the addicts partial rent, or have them pay the utilities. While this seemed like an obvious first step to making the addicts responsible for their lives, both women didn't believe they could ask for money from the addict, and neither had the courage to remove them from their homes. In the end, all that I could do was pray for them and offer my support with an invitation to stay in touch.

I have often said that Christians in addiction work on the fear and guilt of their loved ones.When it comes to the elderly, the addicts also work on their vulnerability. They become predators, feeding on the weaknesses of the elderly. As a result, I have come to see this behavior of addicts as a form of elder abuse.

If you are a senior citizen and find yourself in this situation, I highly recommend you get the support of other family members and that you trust the wisdom of recovery counselors. If you are a family member and your parents or grandparents have fallen victim to the addict's manipulations, please intervene and get the help that's necessary to force change.

You can learn more about The Solid Rock Road at www.thesolidrockroad.com. You can also find this Christian recovery resource on Facebook. 541-301-3717.

The Holy Spirit in Christian Recovery

Christians who struggle with addictions often say it’s impossible to resist temptation. Recently, I talked with a young mother who confessed that the urge to use meth was stronger than the need to save her daughter from the hands of Children’s Services. While I appreciated such brutal honesty, her words broke my heart and vexed my spirit. With more than 10 years in our Christian recovery ministry, I see how Satan has succeeded in his bid to steal, kill and destroy families through addiction to drugs and alcohol.

Addicts lose their heart for their children and go to extremes for their obsessions – using and burning everyone in their path of destruction and falling into serious criminal activity. That’s why the foster care system in America is overcrowded. Sadly, many children who become wards of the court are rescued out of Christian homes that have become dark, scary places. This has not happened by chance. It’s a strategy or one of the “wiles” Satan has used to tear families apart and to mark Christian homes as his own.

Many would say that Christians in addiction have been taken captive, but my observation is that most have chosen sides – either willfully or inadvertently. 

Self-will is the devil’s secret weapon. Christians who refuse to die to themselves will live in their flesh. When operating in the flesh, they connect with the lies and schemes of the devil. Therefore, it’s essential that Christians surrender to the will of God and enact the Holy Spirit on a daily basis. This is how all Christians choose God’s side! 

Christ lives in God’s people through the Holy Spirit. But we have to engage the Holy Spirit for its power to work in our lives. When we do, God prevails and freedom is truly at hand! 

The first Principle of The Solid Rock Road is surrender. If you need to die to yourself, visit our website for resources and our book “Follow The Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery” at www.thesolidrockroad.com. You can also follow our Christian recovery program in Oregon on Twitter and Facebook.

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The Heart of God in Christian Recovery

We used to wonder why God wants the adoration of humans, especially since He knows our hearts. According to Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…”  But it’s His way of connecting, and God knows that His presence can soften our hearts and remove evil from them. 

The Bible says that David was a man after God’s own heart. If you have ever been after someone’s heart, you know what it takes to get it. You think about that person day and night. You’re consumed with what they think and remember the words they speak. You are kind and loving to that person and want to spend time with them more than you want anything else. When you have hope that love will result, you will do whatever makes that person happy and you will make sure that you touch their heart.

 

David deliberately put God first. He kept his heart pure and devoted to God. That doesn’t mean David never made mistakes; we know he did. The Bible tells the story of David’s lust for Bathsheba, the sins that followed, and the consequences of his poor choices. 

Still, David didn’t let his past mistakes keep him from connecting with God. In fact, he was more devoted afterward and more inclined to visit the throne because he knew how much he’d grieved God. David’s temporary fall from grace helped him better understand the mercy of God. 

Psalm 51:1-6 provides insight into how David’s sin and suffering allowed him to fully experience God’s redeeming love. We used scriptures from The Message because it totally reveals David’s heart.

“Generous in love – God, give grace! Huge in mercy – wipe out my bad record. Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry. I know how bad I’ve been; my sins are staring me down. You’re the one I’ve violated, and you’ve seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair. I’ve been out of step with You for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born. What you’re after is truth from the inside out. Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.”

At this point, David didn’t blame anyone else for his mistakes. He wasn’t rationalizing or justifying his behavior. Instead, he acknowledged his evil and gave God the right to change him. That’s why in Acts 13:22, the Apostle Paul refers to David as a man after God’s own heart.

We all desperately need the heart of David. This requires a change of heart. Ezekiel 36:26 reveals how God works in this realm. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

(This is an excerpt from my Christian recovery book titled "Follow The Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery.") You can learn about our Christian recovery program at www.thesolidrockroad.com, and you find me on Facebook and 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.

The Problem with Christians in Addiction

There’s not really one problem with Christians in addiction, but there’s one that stands out above the rest, which is separation from God. Ask anyone dealing with substance abuse issues and they will tell you that they no longer have a close relationship with God.

We hear stories about how in the midst of a person’s addiction they saw God, or God spoke to them. We acknowledge the reality of these kinds of spiritual experiences, but believe they are rare and meant to remind certain backsliders who they are in Christ. But on the whole, the sin of addiction causes a major separation.

Some addicts ask our ministry leaders, “Where is God?” Our answer is that God is still around, but he’s waiting for you to come to your senses – like in the story of the Prodigal son. And like the father in that story, God doesn’t chase after the addict. He waits and allows the consequences of choices to bring people to their bottom. It’s in their weakest moments that addicts and others allow God’s strength and enabling grace to rescue them.

Christians in addiction can’t be rescued unless they want to be. This is the troubling news for family members who work so hard to help their loved one get set free from drugs and alcohol. Often times, they work harder on sobriety than the addict. And the results are discouragement, frustration and many questions for God. Oftentimes, the loved ones of addicts find themselves separated from God because He hasn’t worked on their behalf.

The problem with Christians in addiction is that they have been taken captive and need to be set free once and for all so that they can connect with their source of life and energy, which is God.

The Solid Rock Road Christian recovery program in Medford, Oregon, works with Christians in addiction who have made the decision to get right with God. The program also works with family members to help them with issues of co-dependency, which is also sin. You can call The Solid Rock Road at 541-778-8680 for more information, or visit www.TheSolidRockRoad.com. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

In addition, there’s a recovery book available titled “Follow The Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery.” It’s available on the website, on Amazon.com.