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Monday, March 22, 2021

Purity 372: Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship



 


Purity 372 03/22/2021 Purity 372 Podcast

Good morning.

Today’s photo of a forest stream comes from a local friend’s hike on the first day of spring somewhere presumably in Columbia County New York.

The changing of the seasons can be a time for new starts and leaving the regrets of the past behind.  It’s Monday so whatever regrets we have concerning the past weekend, week, month, season, or year can be left behind as we set our sights on the work at hand and the days ahead.   

Six years ago, I woke up on the 22nd of March with serious regrets.  Although I had decided to go into recovery and was walking strong two weeks prior, I had succumbed to the pressures of my old habits because of a relationship I was placed in an environment where my resolve and will power seemed utterly pointless.  So because I was “in Rome”, I enthusiastically relapsed with drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes too!

But that morning after, the only thing I was enthusiastic about was never doing it again.   I learned that I was powerless over my addiction in my own strength and that the only way I was going to be able to succeed was by placing my faith in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirt to lead me out of the darkness of a life defined by emotional turmoil, brokenness, and addiction.       

Amazingly, that’s what I did. By surrendering myself to God’s will for my life, it has been six years since that morning after and I have overcome my lifelong addictions to drugs and alcohol, and cigarettes too! It was only by the power that God gave me that not only led me out of addiction but has also led me out of a broken relationship defined by dysfunction to establish a home for me and my kids where there are no drugs and no alcohol, only peace.    

So, I’m here encourage you this Monday morning.  There is nothing and no one that can stop you from becoming the person God created you to be. 

If you place your faith in Jesus Christ and follow where the Holy Spirit leads you, you can overcome because with God nothing is impossible.   

(An Audio version of this message is available at https://mt4christ247.podbean.com, you can also find it on Apple podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mt4christ247s-podcast/id1551615154) and Google podcasts (https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL210NGNocmlzdDI0Ny9mZWVkLnhtbA%3D%3D).) There is more content at the restricted blog. Follow me on Twitter or MeWe for easy access.  Blog M T 4 Christ dot org – This is where the Facebook post ends.)

This morning’s meditation verse is:

Philippians 4:6 (NKJV)
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

Considering my six-year milestone of sobriety, today’s verse is highly appropriate.  

This verse speaks of setting aside our worries and anxiety and trusting in God.  We can do this when surrender to be His children and make a commitment to live our lives following Him.  When we realize that we are securely held in His hand and that even in the worst-case scenarios that we may face, He will never leave us or forsake us, we can stop worrying.  

I love its advice to not only make prayers and supplications to God but to do so “in everything”.  Our prayer life is supposed to be our continuous conversation with God that builds our relationship with Him.  

And when we realize that we have total security and this intimate relationship with God Himself, there is no way we could fail to follow this verse’s instruction to bring our prayers with thanksgiving.  

Every morning I thank the Lord for another day in His kingdom before I get out of bed.  Every morning I thank God for my life and for what He has provided and for what He has brought me through.  

A continuous practice of gratitude is a foundational practice of a discipled life and it lays the foundation for joy and peace every day.    

So, lay your anxieties aside.  Thank the Lord for who He is and for what He has done.  Pray to Him to tell Him what you are going through and to request what you need.  He loves you. He cares for you. And He will show you the way to go. 

Keep walking and talking with God.  

I invite all to mt4chritst.org where I always share insights from prominent Christian counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. 

 

Today we will share from Dr. June Hunt’s Biblical Counseling Keys on “Alcohol & Drug Abuse: Breaking Free & Staying Free.

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage all to purchase Dr. Hunt’s books for your own private study and to support her work:

B. What Are the Warning Signs of Substance Abuse?

On the day Josh is drafted, the team's scout comments on why he was chosen:. "I think character may have been the final determining factor. You read so many bad things about professional athletes, but I don't think you ever will about Josh."

But then... a dump truck speeds through a red light and almost destroys Josh's hopes and dreams. The devastating blow results in twisted metal and a twisted back. Josh had been on the smooth road to success — drafted by Tampa Bay with a record signing bonus of almost $4 million ... dubbed the top major league prospect in the minors — but the accident sidelines the 19-year-old with lingering back problems.

Josh lands on the team's disabled list for a month and other sports-related injuries are quick to follow, keeping the star off the baseball diamond more than on it. Separated from his parents and hampered by injury, Josh recalls, "The two things that I really knew in life, baseball and my parents, were taken away from me at the same time."

The one-two punch sends Josh reeling, and before long the warning signs of substance abuse surface. At least four failed drug tests ... and eight trips to rehab follow.

Job experienced similar losses. Life was good, then came one crushing blow after another. ...

"And now my life ebbs away; days of suffering grip me. Night pierces my bones; my gnawing pains never rest."
(Job 30:16-17)

In the midst of stressful circumstances, when do certain characteristics become signs of an addiction? For a substance abuser, a combination of many symptoms can be observed — symptoms that fall into all five of these categories: emotional, physical, behavioral, relational, and spiritual.

Emotional

  • Anger
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Fear of rejection
  • Frustration over little things
  • Guilt ("My choices are bad.")
  • Shame ("I am bad.")
  • Unpredictable mood swings

Because Jesus cares about our hearts, He gives us these words of warning ...

"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap."
(Luke 21:34)

Physical

  • Bloodshot eyes
  • Loss of sexual desire
  • Night sweats
  • Poor general health
  • Shaky hands
  • Unhealthy complexion
  • Tendency to look older
  • Weight gain or puffiness

The Bible describes those who are addicted as those who have sorrow in their hearts. ...

"Who has woe? Who has sorrow?...Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine."
(Proverbs 23:29-30)

Behavioral

  • Compulsive drug use
  • Defensive about the addiction
  • Denial that there is a problem
  • Dishonest about usage
  • Reclusive from those wanting to help
  • Rebellious toward those in authority
  • Secretive about time spent on the addiction
  • Obstinate about change

Many a person has made an alliance with an addiction. God issues this warning to those who make choices that are contrary to His will for their lives ...

"'Woe to the obstinate children,' declares the Lord, 'to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin....'"
(Isaiah 30:1)

Relational

  • Associating primarily with other users
  • Attempting to hide addictive behavior
  • Being too weak to stop and too stubborn to get help
  • Deceiving others about money spent on the addiction
  • Lying to others about frequency of use
  • Prioritizing the drug over people and profession
  • Refusing to act responsibly in relationships
  • Shifting blame to others for problems

All close relationships are harmed when anyone struggles with an addiction. The Bible describes the warning signs of an abuser. ...

"This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard."
(Deuteronomy 21:20)

Spiritual

  • Aversion to Scripture
  • Conviction by the Spirit
  • Diminished prayer life
  • Fear of God's punishment
  • Feeling estranged from God
  • Hardened heart toward God
  • Lack of joy
  • Withdrawal from church life

The Lord describes those who choose to turn away from Him and choose "new wine."...

"They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail on their beds. ... appealing to their gods for grain and new wine, but they turn away from me."
(Hosea 7:14)


Biblical Counseling Keys - Biblical Counseling Keys – Biblical Counseling Keys: Alcohol & Drug Abuse: Breaking Free & Staying Free.

----------------------------more tomorrow-------------------------

God bless you all!

Join our Victory over the Darkness Discipleship Class via the mt4christ247 podcast!

at https://mt4christ247.podbean.com, You can also find it on Apple podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mt4christ247s-podcast/id1551615154) and Google podcasts (https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL210NGNocmlzdDI0Ny9mZWVkLnhtbA%3D%3D

Email me at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive the class materials, share your progress, and to be encouraged.

 


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