Advent Recovery Ministries

An Important Lesson from ER

2008-03-18T22:35:00.001-04:00

Nothing's Too Hard for God

2008-02-17T14:34:00.018-05:00

I really like the 2008 theme chosen by the Assemblies of God, because it fits so well with the idea of recovery. Jer 32:27 "I am the LORD, the God of all humankind. There is, indeed, nothing too difficult for me" Sometimes in our addiction, we seem to think that we have to tough it out alone, that it's all about us. Nothing could be further from the truth.

1 Jn 2:1, 2 "(My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.) But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One, and he himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the whole world." Jesus tells us that, even when we mess up, He will forgive us. But, we can't just use that fact as an excuse to sin. Jesus is saying, "I'm writing to tell you I'll forgive you, but I would rather you got your act together, not just use Me as an escape clause."

The person in recovery who seriously wants the freedom Christ offers must totally surrender his/her life to Christ. Christ must be Lord of their life - not just "a friend" or "big brother." Lordship requires total surrender. Matt Redmon's song, "Heart of Worship" says it so well:

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about you, all about you, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about you, all about you, Jesus

When we try to make it about us, we fail. When we realize it's all about Jesus, we win. Starting today, let's turn it over to Jesus and become a winner! If you don't know how, start at http://www.adventrecovery.org/ and take the "Are you a good person?" test. Your eternal life hangs in the balance.

_________________________

Scripture quoted by permission. All scriptures quoted in this post are from the NET Bible® copyright© 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/ . All rights reserved.

"Heart of Worship", Written by Matt Redman, © 1999 Kingsway's Thankyou Music.

Luke 2 - The Birth of Jesus

2007-12-25T15:36:00.000-05:00

A Blessed Christmas to You!

1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. "Don’t be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger." 13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."

15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.

The Touch of the Master's Hand

2007-12-19T20:08:00.000-05:00

by Myra B Welch

Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile.
"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?
A dollar, a dollar, then, two! Only two?
Two dollars, and who'll make it three?
Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three . . ." But no,

From the room, far back, a grey-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loosened strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
said: "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.
"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?
Two thousand! And who'll make it three?
Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice;
And going and gone." said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand,
what changed its worth?"
Swift came the reply:
"The Touch Of The Master's Hand."

And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.

A 'mess of potage,' a glass of wine;
A game - and he travels on.
He is 'going' once, and 'going' twice,
He's 'going' and almost 'gone'.
But the Master comes and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that's wrought
By the touch of the Master's Hand.

Great Expectations

2007-12-02T22:38:00.000-05:00

In Matthew 13:31-2 Jesus . . . "gave them another parable: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest garden plant and becomes a tree, so that the wild birds come and nest in its branches.'"

Two short verses. But what a contrast! Please notice the two pictures below. What a tiny seed! It is said to be the smallest seed the people in Jesus' day knew about. Planting such a small seed obviously would produce a very small plant, one would think. But no, the mustard "tree" grew to over six foot tall! (For the curiously scientific: the Black Mustard plant is not a tree, but can get over six foot tall. With birds making their nests in it, it is very "tree-like." Jesus was not trying to teach botany here, He was just making a point.)

God honors our willingness to work with what we have been given. He then gives us more, until our "mustard seed" becomes a "mustard tree." In recovery, we start out with very basic stuff. We admit we are powerless, that only God can set us free, and that we need to give it to Him, and let Him do so.

That is why we use the term "God as I understand Him." Our "mustard seed" understanding of God is very simple and basic. We don't need to come to Him after spending years learning theology and biblical interpretation. God isn't impressed by fancy "King James" type prayers. Some of the best prayers I have ever heard (or uttered) were basically, "HELP!" But, as I learn to give God areas of my life that need His cleansing touch, I grow stronger -- just like the mustard seed becomes that "tree." Eventually, I can truly say, "I am free! I have absolutely no desire to ever use again!" That freedom is worth the wait and work!

A Note for Webmasters and Webmistresses

2007-11-11T15:16:00.000-05:00

If you have a web site dealing with any aspect of recovery from a Christ-centered viewpoint, please consider our new web ring -- "Christ-Centered Christian Recovery Web Ring." The link to the ring home page is on my home page at http://www.adventrecovery.org/ and the page gives you all the details about the ring.

Help me help you and together we can raise each others' web site statistics and search engine placement while declaring our center is Jesus Christ, the only "Higher Power" that can set the captive free!

Thanks,
Randy

I Am Addiction

2007-11-11T15:08:00.000-05:00

I Hate meetings...I Hate higher powers...I Hate anyone who has a program. To all who come in contact with me, I wish you death and I wish you suffering.

Allow me to introduce myself, I am the disease of addiction. I Am cunning, baffling, and powerful. That's Me. I have killed millions and I am pleased.

I love to catch you with the element of surprise. I love pretending I am your friend and lover. I have given you comfort, haven't I? Wasn't I there when you were lonely?

When you wanted to die, didn't you call on me?I was there, I love to make you hurt. I love to make you cry. Better yet, I Love to make you so numb you can neither hurt nor cry. When you can't feel anything at all. This is true gratification. And all that I ask from you is long term suffering.

I've been there for you always. When things were going right in your life, you invited me. You said you didn't deserve these good things, and i was the only one who would agree with you.

Together we were able to destroy all the good things in your life.

People don't take me seriously. They take strokes seriously, heart attacks, even diabetes, they take seriously. Fools. Without my help these things would not be possible.

I am such a hated disease, and yet I do not come uninvited. You choose to have me. So many have chosen me over reality and peace. More than you hate me, I hate all of you who have a 12 step program. Your program, Your meeting, Your higher power. All of these things weaken me, and I can't function in the manner I am accustomed to. Now I must lie here quietly.

You don't see me but I am growing bigger than ever. When you only exist, I may live. When you live I may only exist. But I am here... And until we meet again, If we meet again, I wish you death and suffering.

_____________________________
Reprinted with permission of Christians in Recovery®. Permission to reprint and adapt this material does not mean that Christians in Recovery (cir) is in any way affiliated with this program.

Christians in Recovery® provides information, referrals and and an Internet Community for anyone who is in recovery or who Desires to recover from self-defeating behaviors, abuse, grief, depression and addictions. Feel free to contact us if you need help: Christians in Recovery®, P.O. Box 4422, Tequesta, Fl 33469 USA. http://christians-in-recovery.org/

Theology of Christian Recovery

2007-10-29T22:40:00.000-04:00

The primary distinctives that differentiate Christian Recovery from other approaches to life change lie in our approach to spirituality. Here are some of the major theological tenants of the Christian approach to recovery.

1. Recovery is truly Christian only if God is part of it. This God is not just a nebulous "Higher Power", but rather is the Creator of the Universe Who has revealed Himself in the Bible. Additionally, this God is a loving God, who showed His love by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, into this fallen world to save us. (John 3:16)

2. The Word of God is the authoritative rule and guide for our recovery. We believe there is, indeed, some objective TRUTH in this world and that it is revealed in the Holy Scriptures. (Hebrews 4:12)

3. There is a real devil. He is a real entity, who though the power of deception, is fighting for the minds of men. Truth is therefore the ultimate weapon in the spiritual warfare of Christian recovery. (John 8:31-32)

4. Sin is deceptive, powerful and addictive. As Christian author, Keith Miller states, sin (or the "control disease") is the root of all addictions and compulsive disorders. (Romans 7:15-25)

5. There is a Redeemer. Jesus Christ has won the victory over sin, death, and the devil by His death on the cross. (1 John 3:8b) Therefore, the message of the Gospel brings forgiveness and the power to experience real change in our lives through God's power. (Romans 1:16)

6. This is a fallen world. Not only are external things warped, perverse, confused, and corrupt, believers in recovery must still contend with their own fallen natures, as well. (Romans 7:21)

7. All human beings need spiritual rebirth. Because spiritual death is a reality, we must assume that everyone needs to experience new life from God. (John 3:3)

8. There is a significant difference between guilt and "toxic shame". Guilt is a response of the conscience to specific sinful actions. On the other hand, destructive (or "toxic") shame is an inner sense of being unlovable, unredeemable, hopeless, irreparably flawed, incomplete, and worthless. Everyone who struggles with a compulsive disorder experiences this to some degree. The Gospel provides the answer for both of these dilemmas. Confession and forgiveness are God's way to overcome guilt. And, growing in relationship to Him and other healthy people enables us to accept ourselves as loved and lovable. (1 John 4:9)

9. There is a definite difference between the terms "drunkard" and "alcoholic." According to the Bible, drunkenness is a moral condition. On the other hand, alcoholism is a therapeutic condition. What separates the addict from the non-addict is not how often they drink or how much they drink, but what happens when they do drink - the loss of control (or powerlessness). Once an individual becomes addicted, he can never be a social drinker. (Ephesians 5:18)

10. God works in processes. "Recovery" is not a one time, once-and- for-all thing - it is a process (Romans 12:2). Recovery is not just "fixing" ourselves, but rather it is gaining the "tools" to succeed in working out what God has already put within (sanctification). (Philippians 2:12,13)

11. God works through His Spirit. The word Greek word "paraclete" is used in the scriptures to refer to the Holy Spirit. This term means "counselor" or "personal tutor." To succeed in recovery, believers must learn to respond to God's Spirit and walk in His will for their lives. (John 16:13-15)

12. God works through people. There is no more isolated and lonely person than the addict. John Bradshaw says, "The deepest wound of toxic shame is the inability to develop meaningful, intimate, human relations." The message of Christian Recovery is that God's grace is experienced as a process which involves intensely honest and nurturing relationships with other people. They serve as agents of His grace to unravel our woundedness and reshape our thinking. (Hebrews 10:23-25)

13. Christian recovery is "intensive discipleship." "Putting the cork in the bottle" (not using drugs or alcohol) is no guarantee of any lasting change in an individual's life. What addicts need is a systematic commitment to an ongoing process of personal growth. Christian recovery means gaining new tools that enable us to live a new sober life and to remove all the "stumbling blocks" to a life of Christian victory. (2 Peter 1:5-11) We might also consider "recovery" as another word for what that Bible refers to as "sanctification".

14. Repentance is more that simply confessing our sins to God. We all must own up to our own sin if we are to experience forgiveness. (1 John 1:9) Still an additional step is necessary -- repentance. The Greek word for repentance is "metanouia" which implies a complete change of mind. New thinking comes from new attitudes that have been formed by new perspectives. (Acts 3:19)

15. "Rigorous honesty" is essential for true spirituality. Jesus declares that the truth will set us free (John 8:32) So, we must make a commitment to "walk in the light". (1 John 1:5-9)

16. There is a "therapeutic value" to talk. Self-revelation in a safe environment is a tremendously healing experience. Support groups provide an environment that promotes this process. (James 5:16)

17. "Grace flows freely through unclogged conduits." Christian workers cannot bring people to a place they have not come to themselves. Therefore, if we want to reach out to hurting people, we must be in the process of dealing with our own issues first. (1 Cor. 11:31; 2 Cor. 4:1-2)

The above was adapted from A Guide to Effective Rescue Mission Recovery Programs by Michael Liimatta, Director of Education for the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions. Visit their site at http://www.alcoholicsvictorious.org/

PASS ME NOT

2007-10-26T18:22:00.001-04:00

I’ve blown it, dear Lord my life is a mess
I’ve done things all my way and I must confess
That nothing has gone right it’s all turned to sand
So, Lord take the wreckage I place in Your hand.

I come to You now and ask You to sear
My scarred heart with fire bring Your Spirit near
Take all that I am and what I could be
If I lived for You and stopped living for me.

   Pass me not, O gentle Savior. Hear my humble cry
   While on others You are calling, Do not pass me by.

You took all the wreckage and made my heart new
And I was so grateful to be livin’ for You
You gave me Your Spirit and filled me with fire
But as the years rolled by I lost my desire.

My life of faith faded my carnal life grew
And slowly, so slowly I drifted from You
O Lord, heal the pain and once more set me free
I want to surrender this wreckage to Thee.

   Pass me not, O gentle Savior. Hear my humble cry
   While on others You are calling, Do not pass me by.

And now I am old, Lord and ready to go
To the place You prepared for me so long ago
I fought the good fight, Lord I finished the race
And I am victorious because of Your grace

Yes, there were some bad times when I ran away
Like Jonah before me I failed to obey
But You never left me You prodded me on
Now, Lord I am ready my service is done.

   Savior, Savior, Hear my thankful cry
   While on others You were calling, You never passed me by!

Copyright © 1999, Randy Wood.
All rights reserved.

12 Steps to being a Sponsor

2007-10-16T13:18:00.000-04:00

1. I will not help you stay and wallow in Limbo.

2. I will help you to grow, to become more productive, by your definition.

3. I will help you become more autonomous, more loving of yourself, more excited, less sensitive, more free to continue becoming the authority for your own living.

4. I cannot give you dreams or "fix you up", simply because I cannot.

5. I cannot give you growth, or grow for you. You must grow yourself, by facing reality, grim as it may be at times.

6. I cannot take away your loneliness or pain.

7. I cannot sense your world for you, evaluate your goals for you, or tell you what is best for you in your world, for you have your own world.

8. I cannot convince you of the crucial choice of choosing the scary uncertainty of growing, over the safe misery of not growing.

9. I want to be with you and know you as a rich and growing friend; yet I cannot get close to you when YOU choose not to GROW.

10. When I begin to care for you out of pity, when I begin to lose trust in you, then I am toxic and bad, inhibiting for you, and you for me.

11. You MUST know - my helping is conditional; I will be with you, I will hang in there with you, as long as I continue to get even the slightest hints that you are willing and still trying to GROW.

12. If you can accept all of this, then perhaps we can help each other to become what God meant us to be - mature adults - leaving childishness forever to the little children.

Anonymous

_________________________
Reprinted with permission of Christians in Recovery®. Permission to reprint and adapt this material does not mean that Christians in Recovery (cir) is in any way affiliated with this program.

Christians in Recovery® provides information, referrals and and an Internet Community for anyone who is in recovery or who Desires to recover from self-defeating behaviors, abuse, grief, depression and addictions. Feel free to contact us if you need help: Christians in Recovery®, P.O. Box 4422, Tequesta, Fl 33469 USA
http://christians-in-recovery.org/

Let's Do Church!

2007-10-09T21:18:00.000-04:00

Just a quick invitation to all those in the Lee County area of Southwest Florida:

On Saturday nights we are doing church at the ARC.

6:30 pm starts with a potluck dinner and communion, and then at 7:30, we are having an interactive Bible Study -- starting with
I Corinthians.

Check out our schedule of this, and other open meetings at:
http://www.adventrecovery.org/services.htm
and then kindly RSVP using one of the methods on the "contact us" page. Thanks.

Looking forward to meeting you!

Randy

A Former Alcoholic/Addict’s Plea

2007-10-05T02:24:00.000-04:00

Today’s Addiction Dilemma

Shall a seemingly hopeless, recidivist addict be sent for help to church, a clergyman, a physician, a psychologist, a detox, a hospital, A.A., a 12-Step program, treatment or rehab, counseling, a mental health clinic, the drug court, jail or prison, a dui information course, a diversion program, a secular recovery program, a Christian recovery program, a Christ-centered program, behavioral therapy, nutritional therapy, pharmaceutical therapy, or what! It should be no surprise to learn that most chronic cases have done most or all of the above. I did. Yet, in 21 successful A.A. years, I’ve seen relapse after relapse, failure after failure, overdoses, drunkenness, and despair that has led to death by any number of means. Read More

Katartismenoi

2007-09-29T15:49:00.000-04:00

Paul, in addressing the church at Corinth, chided them about their divisions. They were dividing the church into factions - the Appolons, the Cephans, the Paulonians, and letting their "hero worship" of various servants of God destroy their unity. In 1 Corinthians 1:10, Paul tells them, "Brothers, I urge all of you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to be in agreement and not to have divisions among you, so that you may be perfectly united in your understanding and opinions." In this verse he uses a very interesting Greek word - Katartismenoi - translated "united."

It’s the same verb used in Ephesians 4:12, translated "to perfect" (to perfect the saints, to do the work of ministry, and to build up the body of Christ). The word is translated "restore" in Galatians 6:1 (Brothers, if a person is caught doing something wrong, those of you who are spiritual should restore that person in a spirit of gentleness. Watch out for yourself so that you are not tempted as well.) In Matthew 4:21, it is translated "repairing" and refers to restoring nets to usefulness. (Going on from there he saw two other brothers-James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee repairing their nets....)

Therefore, we can see by the way the word is used in these verses, Katartismenoi (pronounced kat-ar-tis-mos') could very well be paraphrased as "mending with a view toward rendering something as functional again."

That is why Advent, and especially, "The ARC" exists. We acknowledge a mandate from God to "mend" lives shredded by substance abuse. As a friend of mine, Rev. Mickey Evans, so aptly puts it, we are to "make diamonds from the devil’s scrap pile." That is our mandate, and by God’s grace, that is what we plan to do - until the end of the age.

Randy

(The verses used are taken from the International Standard Version® (V.1.2.2) of the Bible, Copyright © 1996-2001 by The ISV Foundation, All Rights Reserved. The ISV Foundation's website is at: http://isv.org.)

Information for Site Vsitors

2007-09-29T02:56:00.000-04:00

New site features were added today.

We now have a forum for recovery related discussions. The link is on the index page to the website: http://www.adventrecovery.org and I welcome everyone to stop by and check it out.

Randy

A New Blog for a New Day

2007-09-28T14:52:00.000-04:00

Well, I guess this is the beginning of my blogging days. I started this thing so we could keep you up to date on our happenings, and ramblings.

We are currently looking for people who want to be set free from alcohol and/or drugs. We currently have openings for 4 men in our Alva, Florida ARC. If you are a northern addict and want to do your recovery in Southwest Florida (where you never have to shovel "partly cloudy" from your sidewalks, e-mail us, or go to http://www.adventrecovery.org/arcalva.htm and fill out an online application. Or, go to the downloads page and download the "Induction Manual" and check out our rules and expectations to see if you want to come here.

Feel free to keep in touch! Remember, there's safety in the ARC!

Randy Wood