Some Drugs and Alcohol – Modern Recovery’s Ancient Lie - Purity 1323
Purity 1323 04/11/2024 Purity 1323 Podcast
Purity 1323 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of a rocky pathway cutting through an
evergreen forest comes to us from an unknown FB friend who shared this scene on
or around April 25th, 2021. If
this trail photo is yours and you would like to be acknowledged, give me a
heads up and I will update the blog after the fact.
Well, It’s Thursday and I share today’s photo as part
of my continuing campaign to clean out my I phone’s photo archive and because I
can use it to encourage all my friends to get on or to stay on the path of Christian
Discipleship which very well lead you to walk free of bondages and
addictions.
Wednesday nights I oversee a Christian Recovery
Support Group, Celebrate Freedom, at Starpoint Church and when you try to help
people walk away from their hurts habits and hangups you have to walk the thin line
between compassion and coddling, and truth and lies, as we seek to encourage
others to get out of their denial, see the lies they have been believing, and
accepting the new life of freedom that the Lord gives to every Christian.
The number one lie we have to combat in our ministry
I think is that “Christianity ( – or Christian Recovery – or Sobriety –) works for
some people but not for me” It’s the false
belief that we – individually – are somehow different, too weak, or just
incapable and will never be free. Just this
morning I was reading about this lie in Neil Anderson’s “Who I am in Christ: A
Devotional and so I will let the good doctor, tell us how:
“We Are All Children of God
One
of Satan’s most common lies is that somehow you and I are different from
other people. We may think, God
accepts these other people but not me. I have researched more than 1, 725
professing Christian high schoolers. Seventy-four percent believed
Christianity works for others, but it doesn’t work for them. Is that true? Of
course not. But if they believe that, will it affect the way that they live
their lives? Yes, it will. In privacy, I have actually had reasonably
functioning adults tell me they think they may be aliens. This may sound
bizarre, but Satan has done such a number on their thoughts, many have
literally believed they are totally different from other people. But it’s not
true. All Christians are children of God, fellow citizens with God’s
people.[1]”
Our lesson last night at Celebrate Freedom taught us
that we have to humble ourselves and ask God to change us. We are not changed by our own willpower or
cunning, when we submit to God we receive His strength and guidance that
transforms our hearts and minds to give us a new life of freedom and victory over
the sins of the flesh that only He can make possible.
Modern Recovery philosophy goes against this
fundamental principle of faith that is still supposedly a part of the 12-step
methodology for overcoming addiction. Because
the original Christian core of the 12 Step model was compromised to include
people who didn’t have in Jesus Christ specifically early on and instead
decided to be “practical” and allow for a non-specific, nebulous, or personally
fabricated concept of a “Higher Power” and because our Western society has
increasing become Post Christian it should come as no surprise that concept of Recovery
is being compromised to “Harm Reduction”.
While I understand that the idea of Harm Reduction
is intended to save lives and address real-life substance abuse problems
practically, they are based on hopelessness surrendering to beliefs that state
that:
· Illicit drug use is part of our world, and it is
best to manage it rather than condemn and eliminate it.
· Drug use is a “complex, multifaceted phenomenon”
rather than a simple and deliberate choice of the will.
· Some ways of drugs are safer than other ways and
thus acceptable.
· Cessation of all drug use is NOT the criteria for
success.
· Our community should assist those who use drugs to
do it safely,
· Addicts should have a voice in defining public
policy to continue the practices of their addictive lifestyle.
· Affirm that socioeconomic, class, or race factors affect
someone’s capacity to get free. (Racist…?).
While I certainly agree with the principle of harm
reductions that seek to meet the addict “where they are at” and work toward practical
and progressive improvement, the overall philosophy perpetuates the
problem.
And please understand, I know how bad it is out
there and I know it is only getting worse. I have lost friends to overdose, and
I have seen others walk away from addiction alive and well. The ones that are alive
and thriving didn’t seek to “reduce harm” by finding an acceptable or safe
place for drugs in their lives, they progressively worked to eliminate it from
their lives altogether and they did the impractical thing of putting their
trust in God through their faith in Jesus Christ to do so.
Also please hear me, these harm reduction policies
are in effect, and they are doing good work, so I am not looking to eliminate them. Instead advocating for the best life of those
who have successfully “reduced the harm” of their addictions by seeking to
encourage them to keep going further into their recoveries and to put their
faith in Jesus to be completely free.
I practice harm reduction strategy by encouraging
our support program participants to take on one problem at a time, to use medically
prescribed treatments to stabilize, and to focus on progress rather than
perfection, and to define their own recoveries but at the same time, I will
point to the real possibility – that existed at one time in their lives – of being
completely free of the need for drugs or alcohol in their lives. We are all children of God in that we were
made in His image, and it is only in the most deranged and dysfunctional environments
were babies or children given alcohol or drugs as a means of coping.
Most of us managed to get to early or late adolescence
before our exposure to alcohol and drugs and I believe that clearly
demonstrates that alcohol and drugs DO NOT need to be a part of our lives as adults. We shouldn’t play nice with the poison we
should have never taken and instead should have the “childlike” faith that we
can live a simple and pure life like we once did as children and that nothing,
including the color of one’s skin, their social economic status, or their class
makes them less capable of being free from drugs and alcohol.
So I might encourage you to establish a course of
recovery that will be practical and meet you where you were at, but I would
encourage you to trust in the Lord to guide you to a full cessation of drugs
and alcohol.
Eric Clapton
got off of heroin by going into seclusion and drinking wine, but the legendary
guitarist nicknamed “God” or “Slowhand” by some didn’t stay there. Eventfully, Clapton
knew alcohol would kill him and instead of living out life just “reducing the
harm” of his addiction, he went into treatment and eliminated it, despite many
personal tragedies after he was sober. “Eric Clapton is living proof that
addictions can be overcome and that people can go on to succeed in life beyond
their wildest dreams, even despite losses, obstacles, and the immense
challenges of life.” (https://clearskyibogaine.com/eric-clapton-and-drug-addiction/).
While I don’t know Clapton personally, there is an
indication online that His victory followed a “Christian commitment” in rehab.
I like to believe that is true and that Eric is my brother in Christ because if
he is our stories are similar.
I suffered from alcoholism since I was seventeen
years old and I was never going to quit, even after I put my faith in Jesus,
because I didn’t think I could – that I was “different” or incapable of
it. But in 2015, Pastor Bob Costello
began a Christian Recovery Ministry at my local church, and I answered the Lord's
call on my heart to trust Him to help me overcome what I thought was
impossible. And after a relapse two weeks in, I knew if I wanted to be free I couldn’t
play nice with alcohol and just seek to reduce its harm in my life – I had to stop
altogether. To be free, I had to actually be free and by the grace and power pf
God, I have walked ever since.
So when someone in recovery tells me they are smoking
weed for their anxiety or that they just had a few drinks (is 13 a few?), I encourage them to keep walking and talking
with God because although that is where they are right now, the Lord will
encourage and empower them to not stay there if they choose to follow Him.
Harm Reduction’s lies are ancient ones. The Lord and
the concepts of Recovery and Freedom would rightly say that drugs and alcohol
have no part in the ex-addict’s life. Satan
and the hopeless extremes of Harm Reduction policy would say you aren’t capable
of freedom and it's best just to live with your personal demons and tell your
family and the community at large just to help you to do so, rather than cast them out.
Don’t believe the lies that would have you
compromise with the sins of the flesh. We might have to be practical in how we deal
with lifelong hurts, habits, and hang-ups but we should never surrender to them
because who the Son sets free can be free indeed.
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For
those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple encouragements provide,
I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .
Today’s
Bible verses come to us from “The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling” By
John G. Kruis.
(
While Bible verses on various topics of Counseling can be found with a quick
Google search, we encourage you to purchase this resource to support the late
author’s work. (https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Scripture-Reference-Counseling-Kruis-ebook/dp/B00CIUJZT2?ref_=ast_author_dp )
This
morning’s meditation verses come from the section on Death and Eternal Life
Psalm 116:15 (NIV2011)
15 Precious in the sight of
the LORD is the death of his
faithful servants.
Today’s
verses fall under the fifth point of our counseling reference guide resource’s
section on Death
and Eternal Life.
5. The death of the Lord’s saints is precious.
Today’s
verse is tough one. Death is precious! No, Lord it’s scary and sad! – You might
think, but look higher brothers and
sisters. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Those who have put their faith in Jesus
Christ have eternal life and Jesus has gone ahead of us to prepare a place for
us in God’s kingdom. So death has indeed
lost its sting. The death of God’s faithful
servants is precious in His sight because it means that we will be with
Him. Don’t be afraid of death. Jesus overcame death and the grave to show us
He is God and that He can be trusted in to save those who believe in Him.
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As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I
always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to
assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.
Today we continue sharing from “According to Your
Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament” By Stephen F. Olford – A
Collection of Devotional Journals: 1940-1941.
As always, I share this information for educational
purposes and encourage you all to purchase Olford’s books for your own
private study and to support his work. This resource is available online
for less than $10 at many sites.
MORNING READING: JOHN 15
“By this My Father is glorified, that
you bear much fruit;
so you will be My disciples.” – John 15:8
The fruit in Chapter 15 of John is the fruit of character
– namely, “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). The production of these fruits, or
better this fruit, is firstly, glorifying to God, and secondly, the expression
of true discipleship.
These two great things were the supreme objects of
Christ's life upon this earth. He lived and died to glorify the Father. He
lived and died as the devoted loyal Bondslave of God.
These two objects can never be achieved without an
unbroken fellowship and union with Christ (abiding). This is maintained through
constant cleansing by the abiding Word and filling of the Spirit.
Cleanse me and fill me, Lord.
Produce in me Your sweet fruit of character. Amen.[2]
---------------------------more
tomorrow------------------------
Join our “Victory over the Darkness”, “The Bondage
Breaker”, "Freedom in Christ" series of Discipleship Classes 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). The mt4christ247 podcast is also available
on Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartradio, and
Audible.com.
These teachings are also available on the
MT4Christ247 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MT4Christ247
Email me at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive the class materials, share your progress, and
to be encouraged.
My wife, TammyLyn, also offers Christian
encouragement via her Ask Seek Knock blog (https://tammylynask.blogspot.com/ ), her
Facebook Group: Ask, Seek, Knock (https://www.facebook.com/groups/529047851449098 ) and her podcast Ask, Seek, and Knock on
Podbean (https://feed.podbean.com/tammalyn78/feed.xml)
“The views, opinions, and commentary of this
publication are those of the author, M.T. Clark, only, and do not purport to
reflect the opinions or views of any of the photographers, artists, ministries,
or other authors of the other works that may be included in this publication,
and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities the
author may represent.”
Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship
[1] Neil
T. Anderson, Who I Am in Christ
(Ventura, CA: Regal, 2001), 79.
[2]
Stephen Olford and Heather Olford, According to Your
Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament, A Collection of Devotional
Journals 1940-1941 (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2008).
