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. 

Christian Recovery: Who You Are in Christ

Many Christians who have struggled with addictions don’t feel worthy of the name. Of course, we’re all sinners and not worthy of the sacrifice Jesus made for all of mankind, but the Bible talks of mercy and redemption based on repentance.

Satan likes to keep former addicts thinking that they’re worthless, or at least less worthy than others. By doing so, there’s a higher likelihood of relapse and a decreased chance for spiritual growth.

On the other hand, Christians who not only understand what the Bible says about being a child of God, but also personalize the scriptures, are most likely to move into the sanctification process – a spiritual pattern of growth in which they set themselves apart for holy use.

Christians who have recovered from addictions have a lot to contribute to the Kingdom of God. Below is a list of scriptures with descriptions to help remind recovered addicts who they are in Christ.

•    I am a child of God. (John 1:12)
•    I am part of the true vine. (John 15:1-5)
•    I am Christ’s friend. (John 15:15)
•    I am chosen by Christ to bear His fruit.
(John 15:16)
•    I am a child of God; God is spiritually my Father.
(Romans 8:14-15; Galatians 3:26; 4:6)
•    I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him. (Romans 8:17)
•    I am a temple—a dwelling place—of God. His Spirit and His life dwell in me.
(1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19)
•    I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him. (1 Corinthians 6:17)
•    I am a member of Christ’s body. (1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 5:30)
•    I am a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
•    I am reconciled to God and a minister of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
•    I am a saint. (Ephesians 1:1; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:2)
•    I am God’s workmanship—His handiwork—born anew in Christ to do His work. (Ephesians 2:10)
•    I am a fellow citizen with God’s Family. (Ephesians 2:19)
•    I am righteous and holy. (Ephesians 4:24)
•    I am a citizen of heaven, seated in heaven right now. (Philippians 3:20; Ephesians 2:6)
•    I am hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:4)
•    I am an expression of the life of Christ because He is my life. (Colossians 3:4)
•    I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved. (Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4)
•    I am a holy partaker of a heavenly calling. (Hebrews 3:1)
•    I am a partaker of Christ; I share in His life. (Hebrews 3:14)
•    I am one of God’s living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house. (1 Peter 2:5)
•    I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession. (1 Peter 2:10)
•    I am an enemy of the devil. (1 Peter 5:8)
•    I am a child of God and I will resemble Christ when He returns. (1 John 3:1-2)
•    I am born of God, and the evil one—the devil—cannot touch me. (1 John 5:18)
•    I died with Christ and died to the power of sin’s rule over my life. (Romans 6:1-6)
•    I am free forever from the condemnation. (Romans 8:1)
•    I have received the Spirit of God into my life that I might know the things freely given to me by God. (1 Corinthians 2:12)
•    I have been given the mind of Christ.
(1 Corinthians 2:16)
•    I have been bought with a price, I am not my own; I belong to God. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
•    Since I have died, I no longer live for myself, but for Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
•    I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I am now living is Christ’s life. (Galatians 2:20)
•    I was chosen in Christ to be holy before the foundation of the world. I am without blame before Him. (Ephesians 1:4)
•    I have direct access to God through the Spirit.
(Ephesians 2:18)
•    I have been rescued from the domain of Satan’s rule and transferred to the Kingdom of Christ. (Colossians 1:13)
•    I have been justified—completely forgiven and made righteous. (Romans 5:1)

For more articles about Christian recovery, visit www.thesolidrockroad.com. You can also follow us on Twitter and become a friend on Facebook.

You can also purchase our Christian recovery book on Amazon.com. Click here: http://tinyurl.com/2c3cfem

Top Excuses Christians Use to Relapse

The Solid Rock Road recovery team has heard it all! People who aren't ready to change blame their relapse on everything and everyone but themselves. Even when they admit they blew it, they justify their actions and blame-shift.

At a conference in Seattle that The Solid Rock Road team attended, the speaker asked the audience what the opposite of learning was. We all looked at each other, but none of us could answer it. Then he said something that confirmed what we’ve been teaching in our recovery ministry from the day God called us into it. “The opposite of learning is blaming,” he said.

As recovery counselors, we often do more listening than talking. We can tell when someone has had enough of their addiction and its consequence, and when they haven't. We hear and see repentance, and we can spot those who aren't finished taking and blaming.

When people blame others for their problems and addictions, they aren’t learning the lessons God is trying to teach them. And since God never gives up on the lesson, they will go around the same mountain a million times until He thinks they get it.

The following are some of the main excuses Christians have for their relapse. We gathered these by asking and listening to the truth behind it all.

•    No one will know. I can get away with it.
•    No one really cares.
•    I’m only hurting myself.
•    My family and friends will forgive me in the end.
•    God will forgive me, so why not?
•    I’m bored and lonely.
•    I’m hurt or angry and I’ll show them.
•    I can’t stand the pain anymore.
•    People are always hurting or burning me.
•    I don’t know what else to do.
•    I can’t help myself.
•    I’m one of those people who just can’t quit.
•    I need to escape.
•    I need one last fling and then it will be over.
•    I’ve been good a long time so I deserve a good high.
•    I need to remember how it feels to get high.
•    Being a Christian is too hard.
•    People are expecting way too much of me.
•    I have too much pressure.

The bottom line is that everyone is busy, pressured, suffering, insecure, fearful and in need of a vacation from life. But we are called to be overcomers as Christians, and to be givers, not takers.

For more articles about Christian recovery, visit www.thesolidrockroad.com. You can also follow us on Twitter and become a friend on Facebook.

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.  

Understanding Authority in Christian Recovery

The more you study the Word of God and the more you pray, the more you’ll realize how much you don’t know and how much you need strength, instruction, and inspiration from God and others.

Many Christians who struggle with addictions also struggle with the concept of authority. However, those given authority to speak into your life have moral compasses that direct them toward scripture and spiritual responses, thoughts, and answers. God gives them advice and warnings meant specifically for you.

Hebrews 13:17 makes this point: “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” (NIV)

You would experience radical recovery if you listened and followed detailed advice from those offering wise counsel and spiritual truth. Every time you reject good Christian advice, you miss out on godly opportunities for complete deliverance.

Over the years, we’ve asked a lot of people who relapse why they didn’t do what they were told to do. The following are the five universal answers we’ve heard:

· “I’m tired of being told what to do.”

· “My pastor (or leader) doesn’t know everything.”

· “No one understands my unique problems.”

· “The advice didn’t seem right to me.”

· “They are not God.”

No one likes being told what to do, especially if it goes against instinct and logic. But there isn’t a single scripture that includes the phrase: “If you think it’s right,” or “If you feel like it.”

There are spiritual implications when you resist or reject counsel from those in authority over you. First Thessalonians 4:7-8 provides insight: “For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.”

If a righteous man or woman is teaching you how to live a holy life and everything they teach is backed by scripture, you should listen and follow their instructions (obey). When you reject their counsel, the scripture says you’re rejecting God.

In The Solid Rock Road Christian recovery program in Medford, Oregon, we work with individuals and groups to understand the concept of accountability, authority, surrender and obedience. You can find us at www.thesolidrockroad.com, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad and Facebook.

Christian Intervention: When Someone You Love is Addicted

Many Christians in addiction attend church regularly while others have quit going to church altogether. Some have completely turned their backs on God and rejected the practices of responsibility and personal accountability.

Whether functioning in the world and in church or moving into total dysfunction, Christians who actively abuse drugs and/or alcohol are selfish and create real problems for themselves and everyone in their sphere of influence. While they get what they want at any cost, their close friends and family members worry about the addict’s health, safety and spirituality.

As a counselor for both the addicted and their families, I’ve taken note that the addicted are overly concerned about getting high, and their loved ones (codependents) are overly concerned about getting them well. Both are obsessed. Both need freedom. Therefore, there’s a dire need for Christian intervention strategies.

It’s true that faith is necessary when dealing with those in addictions, but faith alone may not be enough as many have discovered. Praying for years while the addict continues destroying the family and bringing in darkness may seem like the only answer, but it’s not.  In fact, The Solid Rock Road team believes that at some point, families and friends of the addicted have to set boundaries and take very bold steps to ensure that addiction is no longer part of their lives. The following Scripture in James 2:20-24 provides Biblical back-up for this philosophy:

“You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?  Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.” 

So what does this mean for the loved ones of the addicted? It means that you must combine your prayers and your faith with real action. This often requires that you create a crisis – not for yourselves, but for the Christian in addiction. It's the same challenge that Abraham faced. Will you put your loved one on the altar, not knowing the results, but trusting God for the outcome? 

Will you do the hard thing? Will you act in a godly and Biblical manner in order to allow God to be God? For now, pray and ask God to open your eyes, and surrender your loved one into the mighty hand of the Creator!

Check out our website at www.thesolidrockroad.com. You can also follow The Solid Rock Road recovery program in Oregon on Facebook and Twitter.

The Holy Spirit in Christian Recovery

The Holy Spirit is your personal guide in your Christian walk and in your addictions recovery process. 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 resist the temptation to abuse drugs and/or alcohol and enjoy complete freedom.

The problem Christians have is that the Holy Spirit doesn’t possess us. He won’t just spring up and take over our lives. 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.

When we’re under the influence of the Holy Spirit, we’re pleasant to be around. 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).

In Romans 8, Paul paints a beautiful picture of who we are with God. He confirms that we are not condemned, but rather protected by the power of the Holy Spirit to face adversities through His redeeming love.

Romans 8:26 says that even when we don’t know what to pray for, the Holy Spirit does and intercedes on our behalf. Obviously, the Holy Spirit knows us better than we know ourselves. Therefore, the Holy Spirit will lead you to your real Christian image, and He will help you change how you think, act, and even how you feel. When the Holy Spirit protects and feeds your soul, you won’t be so free to feed your addiction.

If you need to get set free from addictions, visit www.thesolidrockroad.com. You can also visit us on Twitter and Facebook.

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.

Follow The Solid Rock Road: Get Off the Yellow Brick Road

Today, millions of Christians are directed to a modern-day Yellow Brick Road to recovery from addictions. They are assured by the treatment industry that sobriety is found along many paths and in a higher power, not the higher power.

People battling addictions get to choose from an array of recovery methods, modalities, therapies, spiritual philosophies, and programs on their journey along the Yellow Brick Road. They’re also given a long list of excuses for their inability to get and stay sober. We’ve used a few ourselves

Anxiety, depression, ADHD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), low self-esteem, and abusive parents are a few reasons addicts give to justify actions. The pre-treatment cure is often a stabilizing pill, which offers a temporary and false sense of well-being. (As ex-addicts, we find it hard to believe that drugs are used to treat addictive personalities. It’s one of the many ironies of life.)

Before anyone gets offended, we acknowledge that mental health issues exist and realize that people have suffered, been mistreated, molested, neglected, and rejected. We’ve had our share of pain, so we have true compassion for anyone who has endured hardship and difficult circumstances.

Still, there comes a time when your past should no longer determine your future – when you leave your old life for a brand new one and enact the new creation reality that God made available through His Son, Jesus Christ.

It’s good to reflect on your life. There’s value in acknowledging the mistakes you’ve made and learning from the pain others have caused you. But Philippians 3:13 tells us to look ahead, “…forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.”

The Solid Rock Road leads people on an experiential journey of discovery along the path of God with Jesus Christ as the foundation. On this path are the plans of God and at the end is a destiny on earth and everlasting life.

To find out more about The Solid Rock Road Christian recovery program in Oregon, visit www.thesolidrockroad.com or visit Twitter or Facebook. You can also contact Jerry of Jamee Rae Pineda at 541-778-8680.

Christian Recovery: God is Enough!

Perhaps the first step in your journey to recovery from addictions is to admit you haven’t believed that God is enough. There’s no shame in making such a confession if that’s your truth. However, once you’ve acknowledged a lack of faith or limited understanding of who God is, you are responsible for doing something about it.

No one can force truth down your throat, nor is God going to place a spiritual feeding tube in you. You have to want it and you have to get it yourself. There’s plenty of spiritual food to go around. At church, your pastor is at the pulpit preaching his guts out. Your Bible is full of the inspired Word of God. If you have doubt, then you would be wise to become obsessed with scripture about faith, the heroes of faith, and hang around people who consistently demonstrate faith.

Whether you lack faith, don’t fully understand Christian principles, or are just being stubborn, your only hope in overcoming your addictions and living a blessed life is to completely surrender to God. And, you must start claiming and believing that God is truly enough.

You can resist all you want or whine about how your situation is harder or worse than everyone else’s, but God can’t be manipulated by your tears, fears, or false promises. And if you believe that your addiction is stronger than his power to set you free, then your message to the world is that Christ’s suffering on the cross was meaningless to you.

The Solid Rock Road Christian recovery program in Medford, Oregon is a template for recovery within the churches. With our website (www.thesolidrockroad.com) and book titled "Follow The Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery" people can learn to fight and win the battle for their souls, and for the souls of others. You can also 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.