The learner iii by Tazh Vernil

Welcome To The Learner III Addiction Recovery

Together We Can!

 Chapter One Recognizing Our Brokenness  Chapter Two Having Faith In God  Chapter Three God Is In Charge  Chapter Four Making A Self Examination  Chapter Five Confession Follows Examination  Chapter Six Repentance: The Way To Forgiveness  Chapter Seven God Is Able To Cleanse Us  Chapter Eight Examine Our Relationships  Chapter Nine Pressing Forward  Chapter Ten Move To Reconcile  Chapter Eleven Draw Near To God  Chapter Twelve Shine Your Light

Chapter One: Recognizing our brokenness We admit we are broken over the effects of our separation from God – that our life has become unmanageable without him. “I know nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” Romans 7:18 Chapter Two: Having Faith In God We believe that through Jesus Christ, we can be restored to a sound mind. “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” Philippians 2:13 “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”2Timothy 1:7 Chapter Three: Submit To God Who Is In Charge and turn your life over to him. Admit and agree to give up control and submit it all to God.

“Therefore I urge you, brothers, in the view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1 “And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of god.” Romans 12:2 Chapter Four: Making A Self Examination Agree To making a search without fear and a moral inventory of our life. “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.” Lamentations 3:40 “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Colossians 3:5

Chapter Five: Confession Follows Examination Admit to ourselves, and to another(s), the exact nature of our wrongs. “Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1John 1:9 Chapter Six: Repentance is the way to forgiveness. We are ready to have God remove all defects of character. Repenting of our sins we turn completely away from them, not choosing to do them anymore, we turn to God for his love and his help. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:10 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5

Chapter Seven: God is Able To Cleanse Us. Ask God to remove our shortcomings and ask him to shape and mold us back into his image and likeness. “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” Psalm 51:2 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 Chapter Eight: Examine Our Relationships Make an effort to repair all relationships that we have wronged. “As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Luke 6:31 “Therefore, if those bring thy gift to the altar, and there remember that thy brother had aught against thee; leave thy gift before the altar, and go thy way,; first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift.” Mathew 5:23, 24

Chapter Nine: Pressing Forward Do not continue to look back at our past mistakes, Look forward to a bright future! “Brethren I count not myself to apprehend; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13 “Wherefore let him stands take heed lest he falls.” 1Corinthians 10:12 Chapter Ten: Move To Reconcile Jesus calls us to love one another, reconciliation makes this possible “For is, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Romans 5:10 “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain enmity (separation) thereby; and came and preached peace to you who were afar off,

and to them which were near.” Ephesians 2:16, 17 Chapter Eleven: Draw Near To God Seek God through prayer and meditation. “Draw nigh unto God, and he will draw nigh unto you. Cleanse your hands and purify your heart.” James 4:8 “Let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with a pure water.” Hebrews 10:22 Chapter Twelve: Shine Your Light. Having accepted Jesus and committing to follow him, we carry the message of his healing grace to others. “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15 “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness: considering thyself; lest thou also be tempted.” Galatians 6:1

Together We Can! Questions Of The Heart Am I an Addict? Do I need help to control my life? Do I recognize, acknowledge, and confess that I am broken and I need a Savoir? Do I believe that Jesus is the one that can help me? Am I ready to learn a better way to live? Am I willing to be totally honest about my life? Do I believe that I can be free from my addiction and can recover from the effects? Now that we have taken an honest look into our heart and be real to ourselves and others, now we are truly ready to be open to changing our life. With that let us begin to allow Jesus to change us! 1

Chapter One: Recognizing Our Brokenness We admit we are broken over the effects of our separation from God – that our life has become unmanageable without him. “I know nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” Romans 7:18 “He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” Psalm 103:14 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Genesis2:7

God has not forgotten, nor will he forget our frame. He promises that he will not give us more than we can bear, he also reminds us to cast our burdens upon him, because he knows how frail we are sometimes and how much we all need him. I would like to suggest something to you though; sometimes we are the ones who forget what we are made of. Too often we think of ourselves much higher than we ought, it is this pride that keeps us from turning to Jesus for help. When we forget that we are created from dust, life gets difficult, because we attempt to carry the burdens of life all alone. God formed us out of the dust, yet there are many who claim that they are as strong as Super Man or Super Woman!

God knows what we can handle and what we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t handle; he is the one that formed us. Do we know? We need to understand that we all need help sometimes, and help comes from God! In this book we offer that help to you, please accept this welcome and our sincere hope that it will be of help to you, Cary Welcome to the Learner III. You have come to the right place if you are seeking love, healing, and understanding. This is a Christ centered book that heals with the truth;

In this book we will seek to support all that are interested in freedom, restoration, and full recovery from the bondage of addiction. We desire to participate in helping those that are hurting and in need of accountability and counsel. Our hearts reach out to those that struggle with the loss of control in their lives due to dependency. We are a brother, a sister, and a friend in the time of need, and we seek to lend an open ear and the wisdom of God to enable the captive to overcome sickness. In each chapter it will require the individual to examine him or herself in truth and through honesty, and accept the tools needed to begin the process of healing. 5

So with this short mission statement we welcome you and look forward to assisting you in full recovery and restoration. This is Chapter One: Recognizing Our Brokenness. Each chapter that we will cover will go deeper into the examination of what causes us to be addicted and what can help us to overcome. Please go with me into this chapter one study of Addiction Recovery. First letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s start with grace:

Amazing Grace Amazing grace how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found Was blind but now I see

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear And grace my fears relieved How precious did that grace appear? The hour I first believed Thru many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come Tis grace that brought me safe thus far And grace will lead me home. When we've been there ten thousand years Bright shining as the sun We've no less days to sing God's praise Then when we first begun. Friends, this is more than a song, this is truth. In this book is grace, not condemnation, but love and grace, because

like everyone else I have needed grace and so do you, I extend my heart to you and a hand of grace in hope to help you rise above these hurts and pains in your life. Let us journey together,

Welcome to chapter one of Addiction Recovery. We are grateful that you have made a decision in your life to live a new way. This will require honesty, willingness, and a total surrender of yourself to a greater power that is able to make a difference in your life. I pray that you are blessed as you read and that these coming chapters will change your life!

Ok, so let us get past the soft introduction, which is the soft truth in love, and begin to move to the hard truth in love, both of which is needed, first to know that we are loved, and second to know that those that love us will not hold us back from the truth. So the truth starts at the cross: for this we will first need to understand that the cross for us all is a journey, The first part of this journey begins with faith in God. How much does God love you? He loves you so much that he took this journey to the cross for you! As I mentioned this book is a journey and the truth in love is that you will need to be willing to go with me and with the so many others that have also went before you in

The effort to break this bondage and be set free. Because someone loves you, they will not soften this matter so that they can be friends, but instead a friend that loves in truth will take you to the truth. Now that you have been told that this is a journey, as with any journey it will require a certain length of commitment, and to everyone this commitment is different, it is for each person WIT, “whatever it takes” Do you want to overcome?, and are you willing to do WIT, “whatever it Takes”? Now I have to be careful here because I have the tendency to jump right out of the gate and go full force, but I want to express the utmost respect and diligence for you the reader, understanding that this

is a crisis, it is very important that a great deal of attention is given to your heart. I know how badly you want to be free! And I also know that this freedom comes from a power that is greater than you or me. So the question and prayer is “How can I help you?” The answer is, go with you to the only one that can help, Jesus. Now I know that many prefer to say, “Your higher power” or “the God of your understanding” but when I ask them what is the name? or Who are they called? They have no answer, because they really don’t want to be accountable to a real person or a real God.

Accountability is forsaken when there is no name, so now we will put a name to this higher power or God of our understanding and his name is Jesus! Only Jesus can set you free! As it is written, â&#x20AC;&#x153;And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free! John 8:32 Now remember we have said that we will commit ourselves to full honesty, so full honesty is acknowledging that we need help, that our lives have become unmanageable, and that we are ready to allow a true surrender to receive the love and assistance that we need to overcome our addictions, and with that we also do not resist the truth, we call our

Dependency what it is, it is an addiction and a sickness that is destroying our life and we want to be free from it! To be free means that we must let Jesus be Lord of Our life, and we must commit to winning against the devil! The very first step to winning against the devil is to tell ourselves the truth. Many people in history have had their eyes open to the truth. We need to understand 1. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We all fall shortâ&#x20AC;? and 2. Only Jesus can save us! The following readings are given to assist us and to begin an open discussion.

Read Romans 7: 14-25 14. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate that do I. 16. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18. For I Know that in me, (that is in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing, for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19. For the good that I would I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

21. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

What questions do you have after reading this?

Answer the following questions: What was Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s problem here? Did Paul admit his problem or did he hide it? What war was Paul talking about? Did Paul love Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s law? Did Paul choose to do good? Why did Paul struggle to do good? Who helped Paul overcome his struggle? Read Romans 6:1-6 1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue to sin, that grace may abound? 2. God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3. Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. What questions do you have after reading this?

Answer the following questions: Is it ok to continue to sin even though God forgives? What must we be baptized into to be free from sin and walk in newness of life? When we receive Jesus do we automatically walk in newness of life? Understanding What Must Take Place: let us serve Jesus!

The Death Of The Cross! "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Philippians 2:8 OUR CHALLENGE TODAY! One way or another we shall all die physically, but the significance of dying on the cross is this, the flesh dies, simply put, the flesh is submitted to, surrendered to, and made powerless to act on its own! Yet the soul lives! The spirit lives! We are not our own to live any way that we choose, and the cross symbolizes a death and a new life that is yielded to living for Jesus!

At the cross the only thing that continues to live is the soul, and the spirit, or good character of our person, in order to be used by God! In other words all that brought us pleasure in this sinful world is put to death, all that is sin in our life, and all that cannot and will not enter into the kingdom of God is nailed to the cross, and remains there even though we live. Our sin stays there nailed to the cross and we come away from the cross to live a new life of service to Jesus, never to live this life of sin again! As it is written, "Know ye not, that as so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?" Romans 6:3

Being baptized into Christ Jesus means committing ourselves to a new life, a life lived for him, and for his purposes. This is the death of the "Sin-Man" he no longer lives! And this is the new life of the "God-Man" and he will live forever! Never to die, but forever to live with Jesus in eternity! So now one might say, "Jesus knew no sin, so why did he die the death of the cross?" The answer is here even in this same passage, "He Being Found In The Fashion As A Man" as a man he lived in this flesh,

When Jesus came from heaven to the earth he became as a man in order to set the example for man, and here he gives to us the example of what must take place in order to live a life in the spirit and not after the worldly sins of the flesh! The fleshly desires of this world must be put away, must be nailed to the cross, and a commitment must be made to live for him! If not we all know the consequences, as it is written, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23 Sure there are many ways to die, as one popular TV show says, "1000 ways to die", but only through the cross can we live!

We must nail sin to the cross and count it as crucified with Christ, so that we may count ourselves as risen and alive with him! "But as like Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life." Romans 6:4 The Christian Life is not for Sissyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as one Pastor put it! The thought of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time is to be or desire anything hassle-free, commitment- free, easy and convenient in life. We find these thoughts are permeating our society and have been allowed to seep into our churches making them dead or ineffective.

Our Lord has strategically placed us exactly where we are not for our convenience, not that we should be hasslefree or commitment- free, nor that we should merely have easy access to attend a morning worship service and afterwards happily go on our way. He has strategically planted our church in its present location to effectively cause Satan to fall. To loose the chains that hold His children in bondage and overcome the battle that Satan wages against God’s people. You might say; “cause Satan to fall?” I thought Satan had already fallen!

Now our topic is and must be about our communities. Since Satan has fallen from heaven where is it that he fell to? You might say what does this have to do with addiction recovery? The answer is, Satan is the addiction dealer! He is the one that is pushing the addictive pleasure so that the people of the world are destroyed before they find out about the good life in Jesus! Read Luke 9:57- 62 Here we find Luke the beloved physician giving an account concerning Jesus and his disciples.

First he starts by showing Jesus teaching the disciples about priority. When we follow Jesus there are priorities. You might say; “Preacher I have always had priorities, I just follow my heart and I know that my heart is good and therefore my priorities are straight. And so it was with a few other disciples. 57 “And as they were going along the road, someone said to him (Jesus) and said, “I will follow you wherever you go.” How many of us can say this today? “And Jesus said to him: Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head.” This doesn’t sound too convenient or hasslefree too me so far. Jesus immediately says to another: “Follow me”

Now this one says “Permit me first to go bury my father.” Can I do a few things that I want to do first Jesus? Jesus replies: “Let the dead bury the dead but as for you go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” Often we say to Jesus I will follow you, but when asked to do something for him or for another we shrink back and seek to set the obligation in accordance with our terms. Beloved in those moments that we say we commit and suddenly we then reevaluate the commitment we show Jesus our terms in which we will do it, but he sets the terms beloved, not us.

The work of God is never done according to our terms, we can never say to him yes, but!! Yes we will go but when we are ready? Yes we will go whenever you call us is what we agree to, is it not? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Another said I will follow you Lord; but first permit me to say goodbye to those at home. But Jesus said to him, No one putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.â&#x20AC;? Again this walk is not set to your terms. If you say I will follow you there is no looking back. No turning aside to the former things. This is an exact commitment not determined by your terms, but rather by Gods terms.

Now, this seems to be very discomforting, certainly not convenient and not hasslefree. This takes commitment! But for Commitment there is great reward! And here are the happy results! Now Jesus, after appointing 35 teams of 2 and dispatching them to various cities with instructions on how to go as we read in Luke 10:1-16, he watches for the results. In pairs of two they went and to every city in which he directed them. They didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ask permission to take care of little things first, they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t delay the operations at all, and they just went as directed.

They laid down their lives to obey their Lord. 70 Disciples denied themselves, they didn’t take anything for the journey, they didn’t make pit stops on the way, they didn’t take it as an opportunity to treat themselves to a lavish dinner, instead they became like John the Baptist and entered into the cities where Jesus himself was going to go. They searched out for an inviting house or receptive people that would hear them and then they laid the groundwork, they planted the seeds, and then they reported back to Jesus with a great and mighty praise report! Why is all of this necessary one might ask?

Why can’t we just assemble behind these 4 walls and let God send them to us? Why can’t we just mind our own business, we believe in God and we attend services and we worship God and we help the Pastor and the Elders when we’re asked. Why do I have to go into the city or to my neighbors? Let me answer, when Satan got kicked out of heaven with one third of the angels where did they go? When Jesus appointed 70 other disciples to send them to every city that he sent them to, what was his purpose? The reason you have to go, the reason why you need to get out of your comfort zone and stop telling God your terms, the

reason you need to look outside these four walls is there is a war right here in your neighborhood, right in your backyard, right in your city where your church is and that war is pressing in trying to take over. What happened when Jesus sent the 70 out and they returned? Well let’s hear the report: “And the seventy returned with joy saying, Lord even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And Jesus said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning!” This is one of the happiest moments in the ministry of Jesus!

Jesus was expressing his joy, his excitement, and his celebration over their victory! Satan was defeated in those areas, his assault against the cities was abandoned, and he fell that very day. Friends Satan is running wild all around us and he is going unchallenged. Is he being challenged in your city? What can you do about it? Get together as teams and go out, as did the others that we read about. Follow Gods instructions; make it a point to give an hour or two every week to going into your neighborhood or city and shining your lights.

Don’t let Satan go unchallenged anymore. Bible studies, bible readings, or even carrying your bibles around town for people to see sends a loud sound of victory. Be seen, be noticed, and be active. Put a smile on Jesus face. You have the power! You can make a difference! 19. “Behold I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you!” Team up Christians, find a partner and get busy, don’t be as some who find excuses. Jesus will say to you! “I was watching Satan fall!” Jesus will smile and celebrate with you your victory!

We must realize that Satan is trying to destroy us and many others, and our addiction is what he is using to destroy us with. If we take the offensive approach we can change our life and be a part of changing the life of others before they are too far into their addiction to come out of it and live free from bondage. Satan is using our addiction to destroy us and many others in our communities!!! Read Romans 8:1-17 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. 2. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. 4. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11. But the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

12. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13. But if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15. For ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. What questions do you have after reading this? Answer the following questions: What is the difference between walking in the flesh and walking in the spirit? When you walk in the spirit what are you free from?

If Jesus is living in us, what happens to the addiction that once occupied our heart? Should we feed our urges of addiction, or should we feed the spirit? How can we feed the spirit? How can we walk in the spirit? Read Galatians 5:16-26 16.This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20. Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, varience, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, herisies, 21. Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in times past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24. And they that are Christâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. What questions do you have after reading this? Answer the following questions: What are the works of the flesh?

What are the works of the spirit? Is your addiction a work of the flesh or the spirit, why?

It is important for us to know our limits, where our abilities end and at what point we should surrender and allow Jesus to direct our life. Jesus never expects us to be able to make it in life without his help!

Chapter Two: Having Faith in God Again let us start with his grace: Amazing Grace Amazing grace how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found Was blind but now I see Twas grace that taught my heart to fear And grace my fears relieved How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed Thru many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come Tis grace that brought me safe thus far And grace will lead me home. 44

When we've been there ten thousand years Bright shining as the sun We've no less days to sing God's praise Then when we first begun. This is about believing, we must believe that we can recover, we must believe that we need help, and we must believe that Jesus is able to help us! Recovery, like all good things requires some effort on our part, but when we believe all the effort rest with Jesus, we are then justified by our faith, and through faith in Jesus, although we have the light burden of believing, we will get to watch Jesus as he works out this change in us, all through believing! One might say well itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just not that easy to believe,

I argue it is easy to believe if you will hear what Jesus has to say, as we read, “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing of the word of God.” Romans 10:17 Are you willing to hear what Jesus has said and in hearing are you sincere in your hearing enough to allow Jesus to work? In other words, do you really want Jesus to heal you? If you are sincere, then you will be listening closely to all that Jesus says, and in listening closely, drawing near to him, you will begin a new relationship with a true friend that cares for you! Now listen closely friend and let faith build in your heart, because as it is written, “without faith it is impossible to please God.” Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it will be impossible to recover!

Now we come here to believe that God, through Jesus Christ, can restore us, our lives, our minds to sanity, and to wholeness. Listen closely friend, “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” Philippians 2:13 “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2Timothy 1:7 “He replied, Because you have so little faith, I tell you the truth, If you have faith as small as a grain of a mustard seed, you can say unto this mountain, ‘move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Mathew 17:20 47

I ask you to listen closely, to read closely, and to get this in you, because as we read this chapter we need to believe that God, that power that is greater than we are, can restore us! When we say, we came to believe, we are saying, we came to a faith, the definition for faith being, belief, therefore in this chapter we have come to a faith that God who is greater than us, is able to restore us to the person we should be. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is impossible to please God without faith.â&#x20AC;? Hebrews 11:6 Hebrews 11:1-16 This is known as the Faith Chapter 1. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2. For by it the Elders obtained a good report.

3. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. 4. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead, yet speaketh. 5. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

7. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness, which is by faith. 8. By faith Abraham, when he was called to do out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing where he went. 9. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10. For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 11. Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

12. Therefore sprang there even of one, of him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable. 13. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16. But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

After reading this do you have any questions? Answer the following questions: What is faith? What is the purpose of having faith? Can we please God without faith? Read Romans 10:8-11 8. But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach. 9. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 52

11. For the scripture saith, whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. After reading this do you have any questions? Answer the following question: What happens when we believe in God and confess with our mouth that he is able? Hearing/Reading/Seeing “Faith cometh by hearing the word of God” Romans 10:17 Hearing/Reading/Seeing the word of God brings us to belief (faith) in the one who is able to heal us, if you take medicine to cure a sickness, of course you won’t take it if you don’t believe that it will heal your sickness, in the same way we must Take the Gods-Pill of Jesus as our medicine, believing always that it will heal us!

Again Read closely friend, Hebrews 3:7-19 7. Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice, 8. Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9. When your Fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, they do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest. 12. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

13. But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be harden through deceitfulness of sin. 14. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end. 15. While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 16. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17. But with whom was he grieved forty years? Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? 18. And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

19. So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Twice we see here that God says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heartâ&#x20AC;? God knows that with a hardened heart a person cannot believe, and when a person cannot believe, they will not be healed.

What is a hardened heart? It is a heart that refuses to listen, refuses to believe that God can do what he says, and a heart that is stony towards truth, always rejecting what is good, and accepting what they know is bad, claiming that they are not able to do what is good. The truth is, no one is able in themselves to do good, but through Jesus all is possible! Also we see that no one can enter into heaven if they have unbelief, or are without the faith in Jesus that is required to get in!

After reading this do you have any questions? Answer the following questions: Who was speaking in this passage of scripture? How many years did God prove himself to the Israelites? 57

What was the problem with their hearts? What might have caused their hearts to become hardened? Hebrews 11:6 tells us, “It is impossible to please God without faith” we need God, with his favor and his power we can overcome our difficulties. Memory Verse: “For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: And this is the victory that overcomes the world, EVEN OUR FAITH!”1John 5:4 Our faith will overcome all addiction, when you believe God, then you are able to have the faith that you need to draw from the only source of power that is able, Jesus Christ! Together We Can!

Chapter Three God is in Charge of Our Life Again let us start with his grace: Amazing Grace Amazing grace how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found Was blind but now I see Twas grace that taught my heart to fear And grace my fears relieved How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed Thru many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come Tis grace that brought me safe thus far And grace will lead me home. 59

When we've been there ten thousand years Bright shining as the sun We've no less days to sing God's praise Then when we first begun. Welcome to chapter three of Addiction Recovery. We are grateful that you have made a decision in your life to live a new way. Again this will require honesty, willingness, and a total surrender of yourself to a greater power (Jesus) who is able to make a difference in your life. We pray that you are blessed as you participate and that this chapter and these coming chapters change your life! In Chapter Three: We make a decision to let God be in Charge of Our lives When we make this decision we decide to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God through Jesus Christ. In exchange we invite His will and His way into our life.

What does it mean when we say that God is in charge of our life? What does it mean if we say that we are married to the cross or that we cherish that old rugged cross? That old rugged cross implies a manner of life that is not easy, if the cross was meant to be easy then we might say that shiny gold cross that we wear around our neck as a shiny necklace, but that is not what the old rugged cross means. When God is in charge of our life we surrender our efforts to make our life easy, we deny ourselves and we take up our cross and follow Jesus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We follow Jesusâ&#x20AC;? if God in charge of our life then we follow Jesus! We are not our own, all things of our life belongs to God, and we trust him to work things out to our good. When God is in charge of our life, we belong to him, and he welcomes us to into his kingdom, as it is written, Listen to Romans chapter 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you brothers in the view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service." 61

Here it seems that God is asking that we stop having fun, that we have no more rights, or that our life is finished! This is so far from the truth. It is true it will take a sacrifice on our part, we will have to give up our old ways, but in return we will receive a new life, a new way of living when we in truth surrender it all unto God. We must let Him be in charge from here on out! To do this we must go to the cross, but herein is the difference, many will go to the cross, but what then? Some say to kneel and pray, some say to lay your troubles at the foot of the cross, but here it is, we must allow our lives to be nailed to the cross, we must forsake fleshly desires and cause our bodies and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hunger or lust for pleasures to die on the cross, while we live a new life, having a new mindset. We have to let go of all that we love about our addictions, the pleasure, and the security of friendship, and all that makes us feel good about it, and let it die at the cross.

We must be able to say within ourselves, “I have left my addiction to ….. at the cross, it no longer is allowed to live” In this chapter we will study how we can let go and let God be in charge. TO DETERMINE, TO SETTLE. OR TO MAKE A RESOLVE ABOUT AN ACTION IS TO DECIDE. IN CHAPTER THREE WE MUST DECIDE! IN OUR LIVES WE MUST DECIDE: WILL WE TURN OUR LIVES OVER TO GOD? 3. MADE A DECISION TO TURN OUR WILL AND OUR LIVES OVER TO THE CARE OF JESUS. Read John 8:12 12. “Then spake Jesus again unto them saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” 63

Jesus is talking about walking in the truth, in our addiction we walk in a lie, we walk in darkness not seeing how much damage this is doing to us and to others, but if we follow Jesus we shall know the truth, as it is written, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, if ye continue in my word, then are ye my Disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” You see Jesus doesn’t want slaves; he isn’t trying to take away your life, and fun, but rather he is trying to give you a better life, a healthier life, one that lives the truth, and not a lie! Jesus is your friend and he loves you, but now if you are to know the truth, you must also know who the lie is, Jesus is the truth, After reading this, Answer the following questions: Who is Jesus? What happens when we trust Jesus and continue in His words?

Read John 15:1-10 1. I am the True Vine and my Father is the husbandman. 2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4. Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

6. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. (Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s examine, this is not meant to send an unwarranted fear to people, but rather a sobering truth and an expected end for those that choose not to follow Jesus) 7. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commandments.

This is written to encourage Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; followers to make a life of following Jesus, all to the good for the faithful follower. What questions do you have after reading this? Answer the following questions: What makes us clean and takes away all of our unrighteousness? What happens when we stay close to or abide in Jesus? If we stay close to Jesus can we ask for things and expect them to be given How is God glorified through your life? What is the difference now, than all the times in the past that we have tried to change our life? NOW WE LIVE TRUTH! One simple word: TRUTH!

The truth shall set us free. Jesus is that truth. Now let us take a look at some more truth, Read John 10:1-11 1. Verily, verily, I say unto, He that entereth not by the door unto the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2. But he that entereth in by the door is the Shepherd of the sheep. 3. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

6. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. 7. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Now the truth is, Jesus is life and love, while the thief or Satan, is death and destruction. That being true, if your addiction is destroying your life then answer this question, Who has led you to this addiction based upon the definition of Jesus and the definition of the devil, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right the devil led you to this addiction in an effort to destroy you and those around you! Now Jesus wants to change the effects that your addiction has had, he wants to lead you to a new way of living that builds your life and restores it. So now, here are some questions for you,

Answer the following questions: Someone that tries to get into heaven without going through Jesus is what?

Who should we follow through this life if we expect a good result. What did Jesus come to give us?

Notice that none of this lesson tells us that we have to change our ways before we can accept Jesus, in fact it is just the opposite, we accept Jesus and let Him be in charge by listening to what He tells us and then our ways will change. If we want a different result we must decide to do things differently by letting Jesus have control. As we have discussed and read here in these few chapters, truth must play a big part in making our decisions. 71

We have made decisions in the past that has hurt us and our loved ones and now we are here to make a change. It was Benjamin Franklin who stated the definition of insanity was "Doing the same things over and over again expecting a different result." According to this we must do things different so that our result will be different than it has been in the past. One thing different is to make a decision to let Jesus have control, to make a decision that acknowledges that we are unable to do this alone and that we need God to help us. So now we are ready to let go of our old ways and to grab hold of God's ways and through faith we surrender it all to Him. We must make a decision to let go and allow God to take charge! NOW COMES THE TIME OF DECISION: YOU MUST COMPLETELY TRUST JESUS CHRIST TO SAVE YOU.

"LET THE WICKED FORSAKE HIS WAYS AND THE UNRIGHTEOUS MAN HIS THOUGHTS: AND LET HIM RETURN UNTO THE LORD, AND HE WILL HAVE MERCY ON THEM. WILL YOU ACCEPT JESUS? WILL YOU REPENT OF YOUR SINS? THEN IF YOU WILL CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH THE LORD JESUS AND WILL BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED! ROMANS 10:9 ARE YOU WILLING TO BELIEVE GOD FOR WHO HE IS AND THE POWER THAT HE CAN BRING TO YOUR LIFE? ARE YOU WILLING TO LET GOD BE IN CHARGE? YOU MUST DECIDE!

Chapter Four: You Must Make A Self Examination Here comes the part where almost everyone thinks that the brutal truth is going to beat them into realizing their problems, you know this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t true, this is not the way that we should expect to be treated, yes we will be looking at truth, but not just the truth about the effects of our addiction to ourselves and to others, but we need to go back to the beginning to hear the whole truth, not only the truth about these effects, which by the way, we all are too aware of the damage, but the whole truth starts by examining ourselves and examining God, why God?, because we are meant to resemble him, created in his image and likeness. So itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bit unfair to have someone look at themselves only to point out their flaws.

Do you know that you have many wonderful things about you?

These wonderful things come from the image that we were created in, things such as creative talents, music, art, writing, speaking, comedy, sports, design, mechanical skills, and on and on! Mostly when others here of addiction they do not consider all of the positives before they begin to tear us down with the negatives. They have forgotten to discover the worth of an individual! What is your worth? Can you think of the thing or things that you are good at? 75

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take some time to consider this, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s make a self examination of what our worth is to ourselves, to others, and to God. Write a paragraph about your self-worth:

Now let us begin with grace: (read) Amazing Grace Amazing grace how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found Was blind but now I see Twas grace that taught my heart to fear And grace my fears relieved How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed Thru many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come Tis grace that brought me safe thus far And grace will lead me home. When we've been there ten thousand years Bright shining as the sun 76

We've no less days to sing God's praise Then when we first begun. Welcome to chapter four of Addiction Recovery. We are grateful that you have made a decision in your life to live a new way. This will require honesty, willingness, and a total surrender of yourself to a greater power that is able to make a difference in your life. We pray that you are blessed as you participate, and that in these coming weeks change will become very noticable to you. Let us begin week/chapter four. Read the following and the join me in the short prayer below. I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fair and appropriate to know the whole truth, Now that we have spent time examining our self worth we can begin to examine what we are supposed to be and what we are and what we will be if we continue this course without change. 77

Let’s begin: Chapter Four - You must make a self examination We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.” Lamentations 3:40 Why return to the Lord? So that we can see what we are supposed to be, not what we are because of our addiction! “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, covetousness, which is idolatry.” Colossians 3:5 Why mortify or what does mortify mean? Mortify literally means to put to death, to not allow these things to live anymore!

If when we look at or imagine who and what God is, how far have we moved away from this image? How can we know? Well God can be described as love, compassion, righteousness, truth, absolute, freedom, and many more things, and we find this by hearing the word of God. It is by hearing the word of God that we will find out what God looks like and what he acts like. Someone might say, well what am I supposed to look like? The answer is, love, compassion, truth, righteousness, freedom, and all that Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s likeness is. Another might say, this is impossible! No one can be God! That is true! It is not impossible to be created in his image and likeness though! So our goal first is to see who he is, second to see how far we have moved away from this, and third to take steps to move towards restoring that image in our life!

The so-called “Rat Race” and all of our cares make it very difficult to slow down long enough for us to take a good look at our lives, where we have been, where we are now, and where we plan to be in the future. Now is the time though! Time to sit still and take a look at what is in us.

UNDER MY SKIN “I the Lord search the heart, try the reigns, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to his doings.” Jeremiah 17:10

“Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.” Lamentations 3:40,41 When we are making a fearless moral inventory and examination of ourselves we must be mindful that nothing can be hidden, swept under or forgotten, because in truth we know it’s there, and in truth God knows it all too! The search of what’s under our skin and in our heart is what we will begin to discuss now, this is deeper than any biology textbook can reveal, more revealing than any anatomy textbook, and more mysterious than any other study that ever exists. The study of what is in the heart, and under our skin has been the topic of all of life! To really understand was lies beneath the skin we much search within the deep halls of our mind and heart, into the secret places that only God and each individual person can go. God is there, as we read, “I the Lord search the heart…” So let us also search. 81

Friend if the Lord is searching your heart and he knows our ways we must know that nothing is hidden from him, so with this understanding let us ask him to reveal all that he finds, pray this with me, Jesus, search my heart and reveal to me the deep hidden things about me that I have suppressed in an effort to hide the truth from myself and others, reveal it so that I can recover in honesty, because you have said the truth shall make me free! As it is written, â&#x20AC;&#x153;And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.â&#x20AC;? John 8:32 We are reading this book for the truth so follow me in your Bible to Galatians chapter five, here we will be searching through this chapter to see if we can recognize within ourselves.

Galatians 5:19 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, sedition, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, reviling, and such.”

In this list did you recognize any of these in your life? Don’t forget when we make a “fearless” examination of ourselves we must tell it all, no matter how bad, how shameful, or how unlawful we have been. Right human conduct comes first by making a fearless examination of ourselves and then holding all that we are up to the light of God. The light of God is not opinion, it is fact. The fact is… The truth is… I am … ?

Did you answer this with all honesty, if so let’s get to work shaping our life into who God says that we are. God did not create addicts! God created mankind, he created you! Special, peculiar, brilliant, creative, wonderful, artistic, and an over comer! You see God created you to overcome, the devil, sin, addiction, enemies of his, trials, tragedy, sickness, and disease! Why do we try to hide the truth from God? If he already knows us and already has a full account of all of our deeds then why do we hide? Adam and Eve did the same in the Garden of Eden, they hid from God, as we read, “And they heard the voice of God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.” Genesis 3:8 84

Are you still hiding anything? Why? Healing comes by revealing! This is one of the most important aspects to recovery. To search ourselves after we have come to the knowledge that Jesus is the source of power that can change us. In searching ourselves we have admitted our need for change and our desire to get an up close reality view of who we are and who Christ says we are. NO MORE LIES! ARE YOU BEING CONFRONTED BY GOD TODAY? Remember we all fall short and God already knows who we are, but we must know ourselves by being honest. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Confess your sins and he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.â&#x20AC;? 1John 1:9 In making this examination of ourselves we cannot hide from God or ourselves any longer. We must confess the truth, remember the good about you, and be real about your addiction and the bad that it causing in you and others around you. 85

Looking at ourselves honestly we find that addiction is very selfish, deceiving, and prideful. We are selfish because we seek only to please ourselves at any cost. Deceiving because we are deceived, and we work to deceive others by covering or hiding our addiction and even denying it, and finally we are prideful, because all of the focus is on “I” and the pride ride comes out so that we can make ourselves feel better about who we are while we are in this addiction. Of the list of character flaws listed in Galatians five, are you saying that you do not have any of those? Be careful of denial, because denial prohibits recovery and lengthens the destructive process allowing for it to continue its course. The truth is, as God clearly says, “As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one.” Romans 3:10 “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 86

Friend God knows all about you, how you were fearfully and wonderfully made, how he wants you to live in his image and likeness, and how you have strayed from that image to become the image that destroys life. You are not made to be an addict; you are made in the image and likeness of God! Now we must move to erase all that is not in his likeness.

Chapter Five: Confession Follows Self-Examination The Learner III seeks to support all that are interested in freedom, restoration, and full recovery from the bondage of addiction. We desire to participate in helping those that are hurting and in need of accountability and counsel. Our hearts reach out to those that struggle with the loss of control in their lives due to dependency. look forward to assisting you in full recovery and restoration. When we discuss confession, first we have to understand that there are many who do not do well at this part, some simply because they are so introverted and shy that they hold everything in, maybe so that only they know? Maybe! But often itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only because they lack the social boldness to share. Others however, are so open that everything comes out and sometimes they regret this later.

Confession, no matter what type of person you are, is vital to recovery, without it there will be no place to start, because without confessing there is no admitting, and we must admit that we need help, we must admit that we have a problem, and we must admit that only God has the power to cleanse us and restore us back to who we were meant to be. For many, including myself this is the hardest part of life, it requires a willingness to trust, a willingness to become vulnerable, and a willingness to be real and openly discuss with another. If you are like me, you will need more grace to do this part, so let us start this chapter like all others with grace to participate in this â&#x20AC;&#x153;scaryâ&#x20AC;? to some chapter!

Amazing Grace Amazing grace how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found Was blind but now I see

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear And grace my fears relieved How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed Thru many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come Tis grace that brought me safe thus far And grace will lead me home. When we've been there ten thousand years Bright shining as the sun We've no less days to sing God's praise Then when we first begun. Welcome to chapter five of Addiction Recovery. I am grateful that you have made a decision in your life to live a new way. This will require honesty, willingness, and a total surrender of yourself to a greater power (Jesus) that is able to make a difference in your life. I pray that you are blessed as you participate, and that in these coming weeks a change will become very noticeable to you. Let us begin chapter five. Read the following and then join me in the short prayer below. 90

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you that I can be here in your presence, Father I confess to you that I need your help, I confess that I need the help of others, I have tried on my own, but have been unable to do it alone, please Jesus lead me as I follow you and learn to trust again, Jesus help me to examine myself completely and confess those areas that I need help with, thank you Lord, in Jesus name, amen!

Chapter FiveExamination

Confession Follows Self-

We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another person(s) the exact nature of our wrongs. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16 “So that you may be healed” Again we see here that confession is a prerequisite to healing, do you want to be healed? Confess all that is wrong in truth. Confess your sin, confess the whole truth about your addiction! “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1John 1:9

See here, look closely, not only will your sin be forgiven, but more than that, God will cleanse you from all unrighteousness, God will take away the effects of your addiction! The addiction will be removed and a cleansing will take place! All that you found in your examination will begin to disappear! Have you forgotten what your search has found? Take a trip back to Galatians five and also ask God to search with you. Take time for a few moments as look at yourself, soul searching. What manner of Person? Here we are to make an inventory of ourselves and then admit/confess to God and to ourselves, and even to others, the exact nature of our wrongs. This takes courage; this takes honesty, brutal honesty, and bravery. No matter how difficult this may be it is a must! 93

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves, for if there be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholds himself, and goes his way, and strait-way forgets what manner of man he was. But whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:22-25 This talks about our examination and what we found, what we confessed, and what we asked God to help us with, that we should not forget it, that we should not return from whence we were after God has cleansed us and restored us. This is meant to be a reminder that God is working a process in you and at its completion you will be healed, but… DO NOT FORGET! Don’t forget where you came from and return again to this pain!

After we looked in this so-called mirror that exposes us and our addiction and the condition of our heart, and how it is depressed, and cast down, this is what truth often does at first before it changes and blesses us by healing us. Ok, so sometimes itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to confess our faults to God and to others because we just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what will happen to us when we do. Because of this we tend to believe that we can get by without confessing the truth. But this is never true, healing starts with confession, and the chastening of the Lord is his hand of love unto our life. Read Hebrews 12:1-11 1. Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

2. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 4. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. 5. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. 6. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? 96

8. But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9. Futhermore we have had Fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of the spirits and live? 10. For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yeildeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Now how can we read this and not talk about God and his love for us? See God wants that we are blessed, but sometimes it requires first that we are corrected. 97

If you will allow him to correct you, then you will be blessed, if you endure and do not quit. After reading this what questions do you have? Answer the following questions: Why must we confess our faults to God and to others? What happens when we do confess all about our addiction? What happens when we forgive others, and what happens when we refuse to forgive?

Memory Verse: â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.â&#x20AC;? 1John 1:9

Chapter Six: Repentance, The Way To Forgiveness

THE SEVEN STEPS OF REPENTANCE AND LIFE Charles Haden Spurgeon once said: “Do not fall under the notion that the necessity for repentance is over. I have heard it said that repentance is “merely a change of mind.” I wish that those who so speak had undergone that change.” “He who looks sin ward has his back to God—he who looks God ward has his back to sin.” Jesus said in John Chapter 10: “The thief comes not but for to kill, steal, and destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.” Jesus loves us! He wants us to have a good life and even more to have an eternal life! 99

Therefore, our topic of discussion today is repentance, the 7 steps that lead to life. Turn with me to James chapter 4:1-10 as it reads: â&#x20AC;&#x153;From whence come wars and fightingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s among you? Come they not hence, even of the lusts that war in your members? Ye lust and ye have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; yet ye have not because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not because ye ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts. You Adulterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is the enemy of God? 100

Do you think that the scripture says in vain, the spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy? But he gives more grace. Wherefore he says, God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble.” Herein we see our biggest problem in life: the fallen spirit of man! The fallen spirit of man lusts, it lusts towards envy. Envy is the desire to have all for you. The fallen spirit of man is prideful and selfish! We desire, yet we ask not or we desire and we ask according to the world’s ways instead of what God has determined to be good and healthy for us. Verse 5 clears it all up for us: “The spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy.” Before Christ, and sometimes after, we decide for ourselves to ask of God things that are of this world, things that would do absolutely no good purpose in our lives or in

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the lives of others, yet we want them for ourselves. We ask amiss! But thank God for his wisdom because he resists us as it reads in verse 6; “But he gives more grace.” Hasn’t he already given enough? Yet he gives more because he realizes how foolish we are when we ask amiss. But he gives more grace: Wherefore he says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble!” Now here is the secret, pride or humility. If you are walking in your pride he will resist you, but if you humble yourself he will assist you! Friend, God has never intended to resist us but in our pride is sin and he cannot and will not look upon it. Ok so here is what he tells us to do if we have fallen into the distresses of life caused by our lust, our envy, and our pride.

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These seven steps are as follows: 1. Submit yourselves therefore to God Romans 12:1 reads: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God.â&#x20AC;? It is reasonable for us to give ourselves over to God, to submit our will to him, to take up our cross and follow him after that he has given all for you! It is reasonable for us to give up the lies of this world in exchange for the truth of God! God has compassion on the broken and hurting heart that turns from the errors of their ways.

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2. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you 1Peter 5:8, 9 reads: “Be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” The Devil is as a roaring lion, he is NOT a lion in fact he is a wormy serpent that is on his belly! Read Genesis 3 God says be sober, so that takes away all dependence on alcohol and drugs! God says resist the devil STEADFAST, be steady at resistance, and continue always to resist the devils ways and the ways of this world which are but lies from the devil. Resist in the faith. In the faith is in God’s word and his teachings. Resist the devil with Gods words of truth!

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3. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Hebrews 10:22 reads: “Let us draw near to God with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” Isaiah 12:3 reads: “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” Friend, God has given a great mystery here. Pure water is God’s word! The wells of salvation are Jesus, his words, and his love! Draw near to his love and his words! 4. Cleanse your hands ye sinners Free yourself from filth! What can wash away my sin, nothing but the blood of JESUS!

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Hebrews 9: 13, 14 reads: “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works.” Friends when you draw near to Jesus and ask him into your heart to take over your life he cleanses you completely removing all filth! The blood of Jesus washes our minds and frees us from all unrighteousness. Ye were bought with a price. While ye were still yet sinners Christ died for YOU! 5. Purify your hearts ye double minded Commit your heart to Jesus only! James 1:8 reads “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

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A doubting person is unstable you never know which way they will turn or what they will do next and they cannot be trusted. Friend, doubt and unbelief are from the devil, which we are to resist steadfast! Proverbs 3:5, 6 reads: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean NOT to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Jesus, and he shall direct your path.â&#x20AC;? Are you unsure about something? Cast it on the Lord and trust only him and his counsel! 6. Be afflicted and mourn and weep, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Friend, God can see all things! God can see your heart! He knows when we are serious. He wants to see that you grieve over the things that can cost you or anyone eternal life. Show him that you hate sin! 107

Show him that you see the price that he had to pay for our souls and the cost of our redemption. John 3:16 reads: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” For your sin God gave his life! Be afflicted; be sad over your sin and his pain, his hurt that he takes when you commit sin! Psalm 34:18 reads: “The Lord is near unto them that are of a broken heart.” Does your heart feel the pain over your sinful ways: God is near to you! 7. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up. This last step tells us to come to him as a child that needs a Fathers love. Jesus loves us and the sooner we really look deeply into 108

this the sooner we can come to him with love and the more we too can love others. Mathew 23:12 reads: “Whosoever exalts himself shall be abased, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted.” If you have the right heart he will lift you up. Proverbs 29:23 reads “A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.” Love God enough to hate sin, love the brethren enough to serve them. Jesus is love! He gave his all. He teaches us to repent and live! Friends there may be among us today one that is wavering, one that is struggling in faith or even one that hasn’t received Jesus into their heart. God has called us to believe on his son Jesus, to repent of our sins and receive his son into our hearts and lives to live with him from this time forth and forever in eternity. 109

God has given us 7 steps to follow to get our hearts right with Him and to live life more abundantly. Repentance is the way to forgiveness, forgiveness is the way to healing! Again let us start with his grace! Father give us grace to repent of our addictions and to turn to you and walk with you in newness of life, In Jesus name we pray! Amazing Grace Amazing grace how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found Was blind but now I see Twas grace that taught my heart to fear And grace my fears relieved How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed Thru many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come Tis grace that brought me safe thus far And grace will lead me home. When we've been there ten thousand years 110

Bright shining as the sun We've no less days to sing God's praise Then when we first begun. Lord we pray that you will help us as we repent before you of our past; we seek your forgiveness and ask for your acceptance of our apology. We pray today that this is the beginning of us drawing closer together again we are ready for you to take over and remove all addiction in our life. Jesus hear us we repent of our ways and heal us, in Jesus name we pray, Amen. We are ready to have God remove our addiction, now we turn away from it, choosing not to do it anymore, Lord we turn to you for help. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:10 “Let this mind be in you, which is also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5

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Repenting of our ways, is there a certain way to repent? This is a very important part of recovery; it is laying the foundation to building a new life. We are now making a commitment to stop doing what we have done in the past. These seven steps is that certain way! As we have read these, we are now ready to apply them in our effort to be free from addiction, remember they are; 1. Submit to God. 2. Resist our addiction. (The devil) 3. Draw near to God. 4. Cleanse our hands from this wrong. 5. Purify our heart by doing what God wants. 6. Be sorry for all that we have done. 7. Humble ourselves before God. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Lord is near unto them that are of a broken heart.â&#x20AC;? Psalm 34:18 Let God be near to you! Remove your pride and allow him to work in your life,

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“A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.” Proverbs 29:23 Jesus loves you, love him enough to hate your addiction and have compassion for all who struggle with an addiction.

With Jesus We Can!

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Chapter Seven God Is Able To Restore! Let us again begin with Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grace: Amazing Grace Amazing grace how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found Was blind but now I see Twas grace that taught my heart to fear And grace my fears relieved How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed Thru many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come Tis grace that brought me safe thus far And grace will lead me home. When we've been there ten thousand years Bright shining as the sun We've no less days to sing God's praise Then when we first begun.

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Welcome to chapter Seven of Addiction Recovery. We are grateful that you have made a decision in your life to live a new way. This will require honesty, willingness, and a total surrender of yourself to a greater power that is able to make a difference in your life. We pray that you are blessed as you participate, and that in these coming chapters change will become very noticeable to you. Let us begin chapter seven. Read the following and the join me in the short prayer below. Is God able? The creator of the universe, our heavenly Father, when we ask Him to do anything, we must believe that He is able! In chapter seven we are seeking God to do a work in us that we must believe that He is able to do. His word tells us that we must come to Him believing. There are many passages that we can refer to that will help us to see that we must come to Him this way, such as Mathew 9:28 115

"And when He was come into the house, the blind men came to Him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched He their eyes, saying According to your faith be it unto you." These men were made whole, they went away being able to see, no longer blind! You also can come to Him believing that He is able and He will heal your heart and remove your hurt! Let's ask Him now to create in us a new heart and give to us a new life! Join with me in this prayer:

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Heavenly Father, thank you that I can come to you at anytime and with any request and you are always available to me, Father today I ask that you will help me, I believe that you are completely able to restore me whole, restore in me a new heart today, and a right spirit, help me to not be blind anymore to the effects of my ways, and give to me the wisdom and strength to overcome this difficult time in my life, I thank you Jesus for saving me and helping me to turn my life around so that I can have a new life that is free from addiction, I give you all the glory and all thanks, in Jesus name, Amen! STEP SEVEN - God is able to cleanse us and create in us a new heart! Humbly we come to God and ask him to remove our shortcomings and we ask him to shape and to mold us unto his image and likeness. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.â&#x20AC;? Psalm 51:2 117

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a steadfast spirit within me.â&#x20AC;? Psalm 51:10 When you believe he is able. Then God will restore you to what he created you to be. A blessing! GOD WILL RESTORE! Maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a family relationship, A Job, a Home, Cars, Riches, Talents, A relationship with God, with friends, your church, parents, and through the effects of your choices you have lost very important parts of your life. Maybe your addiction has cost you more than you ever wanted to lose, but now all of this can be put into the past not to have any more power to steal, to kill, or to destroy anymore, here and now is where we live and the past is no more! Now we realize the errors of our ways, and we are believing God for a change! God can change things, he is able to restore all that the cankerworm has stolen from you! Joel 2 118

Together We Can!

Restoration! "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness: that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified." Isaiah 61:3 OUR CHALLENGE TODAY! That he might be glorified, we understand this visitation of mourning. 119

The times when our heart is squeezed like a wet sponge, it is in these times that Jesus captures our tears even as we are soaked in the flood of mourning from our heart. He captures our tears and begins a healing. It seems that in these times healing is far from us, that joy has left us and forgotten how much we are in need, and that there is no beauty around in any place that we look, but with each tear that we shed, Jesus draws near! Often the world seems so unfair, many are hit with diseases that do not discriminate, with tragedies that sweep in to destroy, and with hard times mentally, physically, economically, or socially that just don't seem fair! Why do bad things happen to good people? To the rich and to the poor alike, to those that live holy and to those that do not? These tests and trials are blind to the choice of whom they should go to! We can only know this, "It is appointed unto man once to die and then the judgment" Questions such as, â&#x20AC;&#x153;How is it that Jesus is glorified in our pain?â&#x20AC;? 120

â&#x20AC;&#x153;How is it that Jesus is glorified in our death?â&#x20AC;? These begin to surface. Their answer is in: How we respond in these tragic times! Herein is Jesus glorified, when our tears turn into joy, when our ruined lives are healed and turned into trees of righteousness, and when we stand tall and praise him despite our pain, despite our sorrow, and despite the heaviness of tragedy! As Christians we have this confidence, knowing that Jesus is always at work causing all of this to work together for our good, as it is written, "For your shame ye shall have double, and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them." Isaiah 61:7 Friends we might think that we know what these times look like, but know this, Jesus is always at work and never ceases! He himself changes not, but he can change us and our situation! This is what has happened for countless people for many years, God has restored them; for example, let us consider just one, Joseph, 121

In Genesis 37 we read of Joseph, and how he had a dream, and was hated by his brothers because of it, he then became the target of their envy as they plotted to kill him, then to cast him into a pit, and then to sell him into slavery. In Genesis 39 we find that Joseph the slave was brought to Potiphar, an officer of the Pharaoh, so that he as his slave would become the Pharaohâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s servant and overseer of his house. So we see so far that Joseph, had a dream and was thrown in a pit, almost left for dead, then sold into slavery and soon to be thrown into prison, as we read in Genesis 39 how Potipharâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wife accused him of rape and he was cast into prison, now none of these things or similar things to this may have happened to you, but it might seem that your life can relate to this tragedy, you see,

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Joseph did nothing wrong, he lost his family, he lost his job, he lost his money, and he lost many days of his life, all because of tragic events. The same as you have lost, regardless of fault, he suffered pain and you have been suffering pain, now does this change? Yes! In Genesis 40 we read of how Joseph while in prison interpreted a few dreams and his words of interpretation was fulfilled by God. Now shortly after this the Pharaoh was told of Joseph’s talent to interpret dreams, the next thing that we see is the beginning of Joseph’s change, from slave, then inmate, then unto the Pharaoh’s right hand man! In Genesis 41:37-57 we read about Joseph being placed into a high position of leadership in the Pharaoh’s Court! Now he is no longer the same Joseph that many people knew, and so it is with you, no longer a failure, no longer an addict, a mess up, a delinquent, or any of the many other negative things that people may have said about you, now you are new!

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Restoration is possible and here is how we can request this in our life: Say this with me, “Have mercy on me O God according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.” “Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” “For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” “Against thee, and thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: That thou might be justified when thou speaks, and be clear when thou judges.” “Behold I was shaped in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” “Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the inward parts thou shalt make me to know wisdom.” 124

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.” “Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice” “Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out my transgressions.” “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.” “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” We must realize the truth about ourselves and then ask God to heal us. We must acknowledge that we have done wrong, that we need work with God, and that our addictions continue to remind us of this always! We must agree that God is supreme and that he is the Truth, and that he knows all about us, and we can’t hide anymore. 125

Like David we must remind God that we are in need of mercy, because of our weakness. When we walk in this truth then we will realize where we are in life, who we have become, how we got here, and who can help us to change. We now seek to be clean, free from our addiction, purged with hyssop, hyssop was a medicinal branch that brought healing, both healing mentally and physically from the effects of sickness. Like David, we too must show our sincerity by repeatedly petitioning God for his mercy and forgiveness. And finally we must fear God and the possibility of losing loved ones because of our addiction. Once we have a right relationship with God he will begin to restore joy, and so many other things that have been taken away.

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“And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.” Joel 2:25, 26 “And ye shall know that I am you God in the midst of you and none else! Good news! God restores all! “Stretch forth thy hand, and he did so, and his hand was restored whole.” Luke 6:10 “Then touched he their eyes, saying, according to your faith be it unto you, and their eyes were opened.” Mathew 9:29, 30 God is able to save, to deliver, and to restore.

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He can save you! Ask him to come and live in your heart, confess him to be your Lord, and believe that he has the power to change your life and to bring you back from the brink of destruction!

Jesus Heals Our Hurts!

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Chapter Eight: Examine Our Relationships Ok, so check this out! Until now we have discussed things at the more academic level or as a study to remedy our problems, you know a step by step procedural attempt to getting better, but know we need to come from the surface and go deep, deep into our heart and how we feel, emotional learning, now we have that big monster, RELATIONSHIPS! We all need love, we need to have relationships, and we never mean to hurt these relationships, and sorry always seems to be so hard! To quote the song, “Sorry seems to be the hardest word” It’s sad, so sad! This song is very true, and the truth is we have all hurt someone without intending to, but the consequences of our addiction has hurt us very badly, but not only us, many of our relationships has suffered much, and some unfortunately have been destroyed beyond normal repair, meaning only God can heal them. 129

Now let us have a heart to heart, take some time to reflect on relationships that have suffered because of your addiction, and write them down, and also write what you would like to change if anything. Addiction Recovery Chapter Eight: Examine Our Relationships Amazing Grace Amazing grace how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found Was blind but now I see Twas grace that taught my heart to fear And grace my fears relieved How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed Thru many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come Tis grace that brought me safe thus far And grace will lead me home. When we've been there ten thousand years Bright shining as the sun 130

We've no less days to sing God's praise Then when we first begun. We pray that you are blessed as you participate, and that in this chapter change will become very noticeable to you. Let us begin chapter eight. Read the following and the join me in the short prayer below.

STEP EIGHT - Examine our relationships Make an inventory of all the relationships and people we have wronged and make a plan to reconcile. Make an inventory of all the relationships and people we have wronged and make a plan to reconcile. Remember that we made a fearless examination of ourselves, now we will do the same with our relationships.

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“As ye would that men should do unto you, do ye also to them likewise. Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Luke 6:31 “Therefore, if those bring thy gift to the altar, and there remember that thy brother had aught against thee; leave thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift.” Mathew 5: 23, 24 Because of our addiction we have hurt others, this is a fact, while some might say, they hurt me first or they hurt me too, this is not a reason to fall onto our addiction, and it is not a reason to avoid reconciliation. Reconciliation is a must before we can move forward. Now we need to take an inventory of all of those that we have hurt and begin to pray for God to help us to make amends. You may not be able right away to remember all that you have known in the course of your addiction so this may take some time, but as you remember, and as individual names resurface, make an effort 132

to make amends with each one, this might require that we swallow our pride, take the high road and be humble as they say, but when we choose to do so, we show everyone that we are seriously committed to changing our life, and by doing this a newfound respect will come to them for you. Now they also will want to help you to recover! Dear Lord Jesus we cannot do this alone so we pray asking for your help to make amends with loved ones that we have hurt, with friends that we have hurt, and with all relationships that our actions have hurt, in Jesus name, Amen. In order for us to work through chapter eight we will have to take a look at what it means to give and not always take, we must admit that people have been hurt by our actions and that we are willing to work to fix these relationships, read with me a story about giving:

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The Man That Gave Livingston on commitment: When Dr. David Livingstone was working in Africa, a group of friends wrote him: "We would like to send other men to you. Have you found a good road into your area yet?" According to a member of his family, Dr. Livingstone sent this message in reply: "If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all." Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s message is about Commitment. Friends we see that it takes a special breed of folks to make a difference in our world. Our world has been hardened. Our road is not been made easy. 134

I know that many people decide to tell others about Christ whenever or wherever it is easy and decline to take this task when it seems to be hard. I was reading this morning a portion of meditation from Charles Spurgeon’s archives. Charles Spurgeon wrote about how we must sharpen our tools and ready them for battle, noting that we can learn from our enemy’s warfare and he challenged us to “go about like good Samaritans, seeking whom we may bless today.” Friends to take this road may not be easy; in fact this road may be one that you have to build first before you can get to them. This is what Dr. Livingston was saying. Before we can reach someone we might have to build the road! What examples do we have of this?

Let us turn to Luke chapter 10:30-37.

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“And Jesus answering said, a certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed leaving him half dead.” Here we see a man that was walking a road, a road that was already laid, and a road that made it easy for another to serve God. Here ministry to another was easy. Let’s see what happens. “By chance their came down a certain Priest that way: and when he saw the man, passed by on the other side.” Friends, the road was already laid. The Priest had every opportunity to minister to a hurting soul. He didn’t have to open a door, and then walk through. He didn’t have to pray first to see if it was God’s will,

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He also did not have to obtain a seminary degree first to become a minister! We will see in a moment what he had to do. What he did do was pass on by the other side. It was easy for him to go around this soul and to ignore him. Next we see another, a Levite. “And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.” He did the same thing only worse; he actually took the time to look at the situation and decided to pass by. Again he didn’t have to lay the road, he didn’t have to pray to see if it was God’s will, and he didn’t have to get a Seminary degree before he could have the opportunity to minister. The road was laid, the door was open, and the opportunity was there just as it is now!

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Finally a third person comes down this road and he isn’t a Priest or a Levite, he is not a person of greatness, and he decides that he doesn’t need a degree, or even to pray if it was God’s will first. Instead he takes action. “But a certain Samaritan as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he the man he had compassion on him, and went to him and bound his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.” Beloved this was an easy task because the door was open and the road was laid already. The opportunity presented itself for Ministry. How many opportunities do we have to minister to others? Do we need a degree? Do we need permission from God? First, if it is his will? Do we need for God to make a road for us? And what about the road we are on?

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I tell you friends the opportunity is here, right here and right now. Will we, do we pass on by the other side? Dr. Livingston wanted people that wouldn’t wait for a good road, that wouldn’t wait for the easy opportunity, but rather the ones that were willing to take the hard road, to make a way, to see the opportunity that is around them to minister and to make opportunities where none are found! Today is a tough marketplace, not every opportunity will be easily had. Charles Spurgeon said: “We are engaged in a great war with the Philistines of Evil. Every weapon within our reach must be used. Preaching, Teaching, Praying, Giving, all must be brought into action and talents which have been thought to be to mean for service, must now be employed!”

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1Samuel 13:20 reads: “But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his ax, and his mattock.” Listen friends we are in a war for souls today, our families and friends are perishing while we walk by the other side seeking this feel good church experience. Ministry opportunities are all around us. Have all our hearts grown hard? Are all our tools become dull? Is it too mean to tell the truth? The Bible tells us in Luke 6:38; “Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure pressed down and shaken together and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you give, it shall be given unto you again.” If there is no road, make the road and it shall be made for you. If the road is there take the road and it shall be taken for you! 140

If an opportunity presents itself to minister to another and you pass by the other side what then should be done to you in your time of need? If there is no opportunities in front of you then seek them, make them, take them and you will be blessed! Let us take a look at the greatest teacher of all Jesus! What did he do? Did Jesus need man to give him a road or an open door? No he didn’t, nor do we. The opportunity is all around you wherever you’re at. People are in need of good Samaritans. The bible tells us; “The harvest is ripe but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore to the Lord of the harvest that he send laborers to help bring in the crop.”

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Here is what God did. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him would receive eternal life.” John 3:16 Listen friends God made the road, he didn’t wait for a good road to be made, and he didn’t wait for a more perfect time. The time is right now! Mathew 25:34-40 “Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was hungry, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying Lord, when did we see thee hungry and fed thee, or thirsty and gave thee drink? When we saw thee a stranger and took thee in? Or naked and clothed thee?

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Or when saw we thee sick or in prison and came unto thee? And the king shall answer unto them, Verily I say unto thee, Inasmuch as you have done these things unto one of the least of my brethren ye have done it unto me.” My friends all around us are opportunities to minister unto hurting, needful friends and sinners. And whatever we do to them we are doing it unto God. Jesus gave his life; he knew that to love others was always God’s will as he gave us these instructions in John 13:34. “A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” See Jesus gave his life for us; this is how he loved us. He didn’t pass by on the other side. He took action by giving.

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The Good Samaritan gives us a great example and Jesus gives us the greatest example ever! Are you moved with compassion today to come to the aid of a hurting world? Friends you don’t need a piece of paper licensing you to act! You don’t need to wait to find out if it’s God’s will, he has made it very clear already, and you don’t need to wait for the good road or open door to give you the right of passage. Friends all you need to do are look around, Look around you and see the need and refuse to pass by the other side! Friends God is calling us to be that man who gave, to be the Good Samaritan, to do as Jesus did. Love. Love. Love!!! Love one another!!! Today there might be one that is hurting, one that is in need of a friend, one that needs a touch from Jesus, or even one that would love to be used of God to help. 144

If there is any that would like to know Jesus better, would like to get closer to him, that has never asked Jesus to come into their life, then come forward and pray with us. Come to the Altar today and watch how Jesus takes you into his arms and comes into your heart with love. He loves you beyond what you could ever imagine. Come to Jesus! Father we know that we are sinners, but today we want to receive you in our life. We confess with our mouth and believe in our heart that you died on the cross for our sins and was raised by the power of God from the grave, that only you can change our lives and make it better. Thank you Jesus, for coming into my life. Now open my heart and my eyes to help those around me to have better lives. Help me to make a difference and be that Good Samaritan, In Jesus name we pray. Amen! Give some love! Friend, our addictions have caused us to become selfish takers, but Jesus teaches us to be givers, forgivers, and to walk unselfishly in love towards others. 145

Give a little love today! â&#x20AC;&#x153;Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure pressed down and shaken together and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you give, it shall be given unto you again.â&#x20AC;? Luke 6:38

RELATIONSHIPS ARE ABOUT GIVING!

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Chapter Nine: PRESSING FORWARD "Consider it pure joy my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." Joseph is made a slave Moses is chased in the desert Sampson was captured by the Philistines David was pursued by Saul Eli's sons were put to death Solomon turned from God Elijah was chased by Jezebel Daniel was thrown into the lionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s den Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego was thrown into a fiery furnace Jesus was hunted by Herod Steven was stoned to death John the Baptist was beheaded John the revelator was sent to the Island of Patmos 147

On and on, the gospel continues, it has pressed on despite adversity. Today there may be some sitting among us that are going through hard times. You may be asking, how can I continue having all this trouble slowing me down almost to a stopping point? How can I keep going? 2Kings 20:1-11 "In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover." Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, " Remember, O Lord how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes. And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him.

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Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, " This is what the Lord, the God of your father David says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hands of the King of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David. Then Isaiah said, "Prepare a Poultice of figs. They did so and applied it to the boil, and he recovered. Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, "What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the Lord on the third day from now?" Isaiah answered, "This is the Lord's sign to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps or shall it go back ten steps?

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It's a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps." said Hezekiah. "Rather have it go back ten steps." Then the prophet Isaiah called upon the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down the stairway of Ahaz. Here we find Hezekiah coming to his end, he does not want to die, but he has been told his time was up. He was told to get his house in order because he was going to die. Now notice what Hezekiah does! Hezekiah turned and prayed to God saying remember Lord how I have walked before you faithfully, (not perfect but faithful) and with whole hearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.

Hezekiah doesn't want to die; he wants to keep going so he cries out to God. God hears him and adds years to his life.

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So how do we press on? We cry out to God! Some of us just need to cry out to God, we are often too busy looking for a way out ourselves and stay stuck. Until we cry out we will stay this way. Jeremiah 33:3 “Call unto me and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Because King Hezekiah called unto the Lord, he was given more time, fifteen years more! The first thing that we need to do is call unto the Lord! Friend, our life is but a shadow, daily I deal with those whose time is in question, so life is short for all of us, we need to learn to number our days! As we read, “For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all of our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.” 1Chronicles 29:15 151

And again, “(For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow)” Job 8:9 When we read this story of Hezekiah we see that Hezekiah asks for a sign that he will live, and the we see Isaiah telling him, saying, “This sign shalt thou have of the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?” 2Kings 20:8,9 When we consider shadows, they either go up or down, likewise so it was with the dial of Ahaz, it went up or down by degree. The answer given to Hezekiah is given by this measurement. The answer from God is based upon the shadow going backward or up giving Hezekiah more time.

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Now the question is, Shall we press on? Will we go backward in time to what we once were and live again? Live a clean life and turn away from this destruction and turn to Jesus?

If so, our shadow will not go down, it will go up and light will come to our life again. Freedom from addiction, freedom to live! Friend it is easy to give up, it is easy to quit trying, and it is easy for our shadow to go down, but not so easy to go back to where it was in the beginning where there was no struggle with these things. Yes! You can! You can start over clean! 153

Hezekiah’s story tells us it is easy to go forward to the grave, but it is a hard thing to stay and continue to press forward. So let’s talk together at the table here, often it is one thing to read a text and another to imagine a friend sitting at the table and talking with us. This pressing forward isn’t easy, let’s keep it real, each person’s situation is different, and their life’s experiences are not the same, so when someone says, “I understand” do they really understand? How can they when their life is different, or their addiction is different? Well maybe they say this because, even though there may be extreme differences, there is also similarities, the similarities that make us friends that can allow us to sit together at the table and talk, and help each other, this is “Fellowship of Suffering” You see, while the addiction might be different, the lives may be different, the support may be different, still what is the same is always the suffering! 154

And what is the same is always the loss, the pain, and to continue on with what is the same, it is the same God that healeth all! Jesus! And because he is the same always, we too can be the same in that we look for similarities rather than our differences. Let us meet each other to discuss at the table what we have as the same and not our differences. Has anyone abandoned you? Has anyone persecuted you? What has helped you until now? These are just a few of the things that we can ask each other to strike up table talk so that we can help each other to press forward, it is so much easier to press forward when we have a friend to help us through by confiding in each other the difficulties that we share and the ways that we deal with them. Now, since Jesus, is always the same, never changing, as it is written, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.â&#x20AC;? Hebrews 13:8

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He heals every day, he is a friend every day, and he desires that we become like him every day, never pushing us away from his table when we desire to talk to him, but always lending an ear to hear us when we call. What do we share with Jesus that is similar? “We are created in his image and likeness” Genesis 1:26 “And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness:” You see, we share with God similarities, now since we see here how we were originally created to be, like Jesus! Now we can also see how far we have strayed from this, but although we have strayed from the person that God created us to be, we can come back to this by his grace. This is why we press forward, because it’s not always how you start, nor is it always how you are now, but instead it is how we finish that matters! Because it matters how we finish, God encourages us to press on and he gives us the grace to live, and grace to heal, and grace to return back to that original image and likeness, his image and likeness as we have read. 156

NEVER QUIT! NEVER GIVE UP! ALWAYS PRESS ON TOWARDS

VICTORY!

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Chapter Ten: Pray and move to reconcile! Let us not continue to look backwards at our past mistakes always revisiting what once was, but now let us look forward to our new future! “Brethren, I count not myself to apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13 “Wherefore let him that stands take heed lest he fall.” 1Corinthians 10:12 It is very important that we recognize the importance of having relationships, family and friends that we can count on, that we can call on, and depend upon in our time of need. 158

In order to establish these relationships we equally also must be there for them in their time of need. “If we desire to have friends we must show ourselves friendly” If we are prideful and insist that we can do things on our own then we fail to take heed of how important it is that we have others to help us, and how easy it is for us to fall. Why is it that we prefer to do things ourselves, knowing that no one person is able to conquer life alone? Now we have made mistakes, but there is none that are so far gone that we cannot be restored, but we must recognize that we need God, and that we need each other, many will say, “I got my God and he is enough” Why then is it that God himself has stated, “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.” Genesis 2:18 It is because together we are stronger, as it is written, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor.

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For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10 You see a move to reconcile is for our good, it is for the good of all relationships, but it is that we should realize that we need to stop hurting the relationships that we have made and move to make amends and repair any that have been broken. The mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus includes love and friendship with others, as Jesus has called to, as it is written, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” John 15:12, this is the high calling in Christ. We need to press towards this mark. A move to reconcile is pressing forward towards this mark. To do this we need to forget the past and forgetting the past can only be done by accepting the forgiveness that Jesus has given to us all by shedding his blood to wash away our sins. We can’t forget what Jesus has done for us, we can’t think that we will be ok without him! Here we pray, what do we pray? 160

We pray for God to help us be reconciled, sure we can go to those that we have offended or hurt and try to be reconciled and this may work, but if you find that it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t working there is a good chance that it will require that you pray, and not just a simple prayer, but a fervent prayer that shows God and the other person that it is important to you, that you care about this relationship and that you value this relationship and you do this by showing to God your effort in prayer. Pray and move to reconcile is exactly in this order, I recommend that you pray and that you ask others to agree with you in prayer, tell of your desire to have your friendship repaired, your family relationship restored, through Jesus this can all take place with a miraculous healing and restoration.

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When we are reconciled with others we learn to live for others and not ourselves only! Living For Others! "I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:1 OUR CHALLENGE TODAY! The famous Evangelist F.B. Meyers said, "A yielded life to God is a life that lives for others." O.K., this is it, we must first be yielded to God, this means that our old man with our old ways are put to death, and the new man wakes each day to live unto God, surrendered and yielded to his call, God's calling is never one that is focused only on our advantage, in other words, it's not about our gain or our advantage, but rather the gain or advantage of others, and his kingdom. 162

Now the question is, are you living your life for others, or are you trying to find the advantage or gain for you? Are you serving God for you, or are you serving God for God, and for others? Since we no longer belong to ourselves when we come to Jesus, and since we were bought with a price, even the crucifixion of Jesus for our sin, who is it that we belong to? And who is it that should gain from this yielding of ourselves unto God? As we read, "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." 1 Corinthians 6:20 To whom does our life belong? We belong to God, and therefore it is reasonable for us to present ourselves ready for service, for God, and for others, and not self alone! As we read Romans 12:1 we further see that this is not unreasonable that we should be ready, yielded, and even excited to serve! 163

God doesn't ask from us more than we are able to do if we follow him, it may be more than some others might want us to do, but we don't belong to these others, but rather unto God! Some do not want to surrender unto God, and some don't want to do for others, but these two are very reasonable expectations, considering that these are commands from our God who loves us so, as we read, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were still yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 Does God have the right to ask that we live for others? Absolutely YES! And this is acceptable unto God!

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Chapter Eleven Draw Near To God Seek God through prayer and meditation. “Draw nigh unto God and he will draw nigh unto you. Cleanse your hands and purify your heart.” James 4:8 “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:22 How do we draw near to God? As a suggestion here is a good start, turn off the T.V., separate yourself from all distractions, put off all thoughts of work, and the normal cares of the world, don’t worry about trouble, situations, work, family, etc., cast all of your burdens upon the Lord as it is written, 165

Psalm 55:22, “Cast your burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee.” Do all to be free, again we read, “Lay aside every weight and the sin which easily besets you” Hebrews 12:1b Be free of all distractions, discouragements, disruptions, and set apart a time for just you and Jesus, this is how we draw near to God, as it is written, “Cleanse your hands and purify your heart, now when all distractions, disruptions, discouragements and the cares of this world have been cast at the feet of God, now begin to pray starting with seeking forgiveness, this is cleansing our hands and purifying our heart, seeking God for forgiveness, confessing our faults, and speaking God’s word into our lives. God’s forgiveness will cleanse our conscience and his word will wash our bodies, as it is written,

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“If we confess our faults unto the Lord, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1John 1:9

Just as it is refreshing to take a shower and be clean on a hot summer day when we have worked hard and the sweat poured, so it is even more refreshing to be cleansed from our sin! Freedom is refreshing! Like an ice cold drink of water on a hot summer day so is the forgiveness of God to our soul! Pure water, refreshing, as it is written, “Now are ye clean through the word that has been spoken unto you” John 15:3 Jesus is love! He loves you!

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The Power Of Love! "Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little." Luke 2:47 OUR CHALLENGE TODAY! How can we love much? There is a difference in power between love and like, between words and action, and between real and fake! It is the power of love like that which produces a lock on the heart that offers no freedom, it is the power of action that brings life to words, and it is the difference between real love and fake that determines the strength of friendship between us and others and God. God is real and to have real results in life we must be real too! We must learn love from the example that this woman shows to us in this chapter, not only washing with words, but with tears, and then drying the feet of Jesus with her hair, not only greeting each other 168

with a friendly nod or handshake, but greeting each other with a holy kiss, and a brotherly or sisterly embrace, not only giving of our excess, but giving our all! When we love with all of our heart, then we shall be loved most, forgiven most, and blessed most! The difference between liking and loving is often the same difference between hot and cold, the difference between liking Jesus and loving Jesus, between believing Jesus in word, and following Jesus for life, between attending church once in a while and daily dying on the cross! The power of love is determined by this difference, whether weak or strong! The power of Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; love for you can break any stronghold! Allow the love of God to do a miracle in you! Addiction Recovery is Recovery from Addiction! Why do we need to recover from our addictions? Because, our addiction has become destructive.

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They have gone too far and need to be dealt with! Recovery needs to become Warfare, a waging of war against that which has been trying to destroy us; it’s time to flip the script! It’s time to destroy addiction! The Bible tells us, “Be angry but sin not” Ephesians 4:26 Now it is not wrong to be angry, in fact it is right to be angry about our addiction, just look at the damage that it has caused, now get angry and fight back, fight back with Jesus on your side, you are not alone in this fight!

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Chapter Twelve Shine your light for the world to see! A spiritual healing has come to us by the grace of God now it’s our turn to share this great blessing with others! Telling others what they can have through Jesus is a gift that we can share now, because the evidence is clearly seen. There are so many that act like they are ok, that they have it all together, when in reality inwardly they are suffering, they manage to present a smile, while their heart yearns for what you have, a clean life, a new hope, and a bright future amidst a darkened world. This is what you have now and God calls us to share this with the world, as it is written, “Go ye into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness: considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.â&#x20AC;? Galatians 6:1 Friend, we have an obligation to others now, that we should reach out to help others, attempting to assist them in restoration, giving them hope, and sharing with them what we know. We need to share with them about this war within so that they might understand this addiction and loss of control. Take note of this battle as described below: The War Within! "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." Romans 7:14, 15

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OUR CHALLENGE TODAY! Is there anything in your life that you are trying not to do, but do, and can't understand why? Is there anything that you hate, or anything that seems to have control over your life? This is not unusual, in fact it is common, all of us have something in our life that we struggle with, whether it is addictions, financial disciplines, studies, reading, overeating, and so on! We all have some area of struggle, as it is written, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Romans 6:23 and, "There is none righteous, no not one." Romans 3:23 We all have this problem, this struggle with the flesh, it is a fact for all of us! For all of us that love God, we have learned to hate sin knowing that our Father God hates sin first, and we seek to please him, but because we hate sin, we can see sin under an amplified scope. When before we were saved we thought very little of sin, and gave no regard to this because we mostly did not know that it existed in our life, but now we can see sin and sin is huge! 173

Now we take notice to it, and we search for the cause so that we can correct our failures! Before we lived our life enjoying the very things that were working to destroy us, but now we work ever so hard to destroy these before they can destroy us. Before it was never a struggle, because we agreed with the enemies work in our life and rarely challenged him, but now that we are saved we fight against him and struggle to be stay free from those sins that held us in bondage! Today we are awakened, awakened unto God, for all who serve him, we can see ourselves clearly in the mirror of his word, and we can see this struggle between the flesh and the spirit. Today I would like to assure you that God sees your struggle too, and the mere fact that you are willing to fight for his righteous ways in your life, and no longer surrender so easily to the ways of his enemy, he has counted you as righteous! O, but for God's grace!

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Thank God for Jesus who covers our flaws with his loving grace! Through Jesus we have victory! Victory! "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the son of God." 1 John 5:5 OUR CHALLENGE TODAY! Being born of God is believing in Jesus, being born doesn't mean that you believe, it just means that you are alive, there are many who are born, but not of God, just born and alive! But of these, to have victory in life, we must be born of God! As we read, "For whosoever is born of God over-cometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:4 Now, not everyone is the Victor, but we all like to see a winner, and we all want to be a winner, but there is no victory, and no Victor without faith! 175

Yet for all who have faith in Jesus, we can know this, "But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1Corinthians 15:57 Victory is given to those that believe in Jesus, that have accepted him into their life, that have confessed him to be their Lord and Savior! For those that refuse and resist him there is no victory, sure they may win a battle here or there, but the spiritual war is lost without faith in Jesus, sure one day might be happy, one song might bring joy, but eternal happiness with an everlasting song of joy only comes through faith in Jesus! Who is he that over-cometh the world? Only he that believeth in Jesus. We must have faith in God, and in his Son Jesus, as it is written, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Hebrews 11:6 Victory is for those that believe in Jesus, and defeat is for those that do not! Accept, believe, and confess your love for Jesus today, (ABC) and be a winner! 176

Thank you for loving Jesus and desiring to live a new, clean life that is free from addiction, it is my prayer that you have enjoyed this book and that more than anything, you will live your life in freedom through Jesus Christ!

Together We Can! 177

YOU ARE LOVED AND GREATLY NEEDED! ONE GOOD DECISION TRUMPS ALL THE BAD DECISIONS IN OUR LIFE! CHOOSE JESUS AND LIVE FOREVER!

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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Please visit us at: www.souls-for-christ.com

Thank you and God bless you! Souls For Christ Ministries Naples, Florida 34110

Email Cary at: word@souls-for-christ.com

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cary McQuaid, is Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Servant at Souls for Christ Ministries, he is an Author, Teacher, and friend. He was saved by grace during a combat tour to the Middle East in 1990 and since that time has been used to reach many souls by preaching, teaching, and writing. He has taught in Rescue missions, churches, prisons, outreach centers and the World Wide Web. His books include: Our Challenge Today I and II, The Learner I (Discipleship), The Leaner II (Evangelism), The Learner III (Addiction Recovery). 21 Stones, and Run The Race To Win. Cary currently resides in Naples, Florida SOULS FOR CHRIST MINISTRIES 2013

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