Tag: Testimony
You can’t exist on your story forever!
Whether we acknowledge it or not, we all care what other people think about us and say about us. A couple of weeks ago a comment on one of my posts made me think. The comment was “your story is good but you can’t exist on it forever.”
In Exodus 23:1-2 the Bible says “Don’t pass on malicious gossip. “Don’t link up with a wicked person and give corrupt testimony. Don’t go along with the crowd in doing evil and don’t fudge your testimony in a case just to please the crowd.” And, I must confess this comment made me think “Am I?” Am I trying to please the crowd? With the best intentions we can get it wrong. In answer to the question I sat alone with God, my Bible and I prayed. Without a lie I opened my Life Recovery Bible to pg 936 and. The first footnote said 4:1-2 “God has always planned that his people would be living proofof his power and goodness. He wanted others to believe in him because of the blessing Israel received through a healthy relationship with God.” The verse that stood out to me was Jeremiah 4:2 which says “when you swear by My name, saying, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ you could do so with truth, justice, and righteousness. Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world, and all people would come and praise My name.”
Because of what Christ has done in my life and through my life I have been given opportunities beyond anything I could ever expect in my life. My story and my relationship with Jesus is all I have as credibility of the fact that ‘Recovery works.’ and I am tempted to say as many others have before “if you work it” But I won’t because for me it was less about working it and more about putting my faith in Him, following where He leads me and leaving the reults up to Him.
On the statement “you can’t exist on it forever.” I don’t agree with this because as long as I continue to put my faith in Him and follow where He leads me my story will be ever growing and full of life-lessons
God called you to do good- even when it’s hard.
Read 1 Peter 2:1-15
WE CAN LIVE GODLY LIVES BECAUSE WE HAVE TASTED GOD’S KINDNESS
1 Peter 2:2-3 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.
OUR TRUE IDENTITY IS NO LONGER SINNER BUT HOLY SAINT
1 Peter 2:9-10 You are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light. “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”
OUR TESTIMONY OF CHANGED LIFE IS THE BEST WITNESS OF GRACE
1 Peter 2:15 It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you.
1 Peter 2:21-25 God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in His steps. He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when He was insulted, nor threaten revenge when He suffered. He left His case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By His wounds, you are healed. Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.
Recovery Devotion 154, 2017
NO STATIC RECOVERY
Romans 6:1 What should we say then? Should we keep on sinning so that God’s grace can increase?
Recovery is a growth process. You are either moving forward or you are going backward. There is no such thing a static recovery.
Growth doesn’t stop because we get discouraged. God continues to help us to grow. He will continue to help us until his work in us is complete. Even when we feel like nothing is happening He is there working away. We need to remember in those times God promises to equip us with everything we are going through and He will provide what we need to overcome any hurdles.
The times I have felt disheartened in recovery are too many to mention. My testimony today is even though I couldn’t see it He was there and led me through it.
– When was a time in your life you felt God had given up?
Prayer: Lord even when I can’t see You or feel You look after me.
Daily Reflection August 27, 2016
Psalms 1:2 Love the Lord’s teachings and think about them day and night.
When we first started drinking, taking drugs most of us found a ‘friend’ to help us face life’s problems. But it didn’t take long before that ‘friend’ became our biggest problem. To begin with our drug of choice made our life happy, full and satisfying. Then one day, we found all it left us with was headaches and heartaches.
In recovery we learn that life’s problems can be faced without alcohol and other drugs. We discover by the ‘Love of the Lord’s teaching.’ we have a freedom which alcohol and other drugs will only rob us of. The ‘Lord’s teachings’ are the highway to freedom proved successful by the lives and testimonies of many who have walked the road of recovery before us. Am I enjoying the ‘Love of the Lord’s teachings?’ and am I enjoying the freedom that it brings?
MEDITATION
I will not allow my life to be controlled by alcohol, drugs or other compulsions. I want to enjoy the freedom that is onlly found in knowing and living the ‘Lord’s teachings.’ Through recovery I will seek to see God’s image in others I live with and engage with through my life. Recognising we are all God’s children and He loves us.
PRAYER
I pray that I may discover God’s plan for my life and that I may find the freedom that comes from knowing and living the ‘Lord’s teachings.’
Spiritual Nourishment
“I’ve been married for 22 years today. In that time my wife has cooked around 24,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this… They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!”
Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible!
Thank God for our physical and our spiritual nourishment and for introducing me to Karen.!
Last Night I had the Strangest Dream
Great song by the ‘Corries’ but that’s not what my post is about.
I normally don’t remember what I dream about. But last night’s dream I believe was a Holy Spirit filled revelation.
I was in a room talking to Pastor Rick Warren (I’ve never met the man, but love his work) Talking about ministry. At the end of the meeting he got up, thanked me and left. Only to return and ask me. “Why do you believe what you believe?” to which I replied “I believe that God can and will change the lives of the addicted and afflicted if they would only ask Him too.”
Analyzing the dream when I woke up I contemplated all sorts of scenario’s about why it occurred. I’m not sure any of them were right. But what I am sure of from the dream is this:
God wants each of us to ask Him to do the impossible in and through us. So that He can prove to us and to this lost world we live in He is all loving, all powerful and all caring and He wants us to love Him and others with some of the unending love He has installed in us all through the process we call RECOVERY.
Ecclesiastes 5:3 A dream comes when there are many cares.
Thought for Today – Archie Boyle
I thank God regularly for all He has done, is doing and will do on my ‘Road to Recovery’ from sin.
1 Corinthians 1:3-4 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.
Thought for Today – Archie Boyle
The A.A. Big Book in Chapter 6 says:“Having made our personal inventory, what shall we do about it? We have been trying to get a new attitude, a new relationship with our Creator, and to discover the obstacles in our path.”
All of us, whether in recovery or not are trying to live a better life. Trying to develop better attitudes and actions.
At Celebrate Recovery tomorrow night we are looking at the topic of ‘Vision’ as a lead in to our ‘Testimony Meeting.’
If you are someone in recovery, or not, who is looking for a safe place to belong, share and be supported. Come along to 69 Bourke Street, Melbourne and be part of C.R.
We’d love to see you and meet you!
Thought for Today – Archie Boyle
Preparing for Thursday night’s ‘Celebrate Recovery’ in Melbourne I was looking for a folder to put my notes in. I found one in which was a copy of a lesson I delivered on 3.2.2011 on the subject of POWERLESSNESS.
It was headed:
Powerlessness is not uselessness and the ‘Good News’ is the opposite of powerlessness is strength.
It is by the Spirit of God the I drive out demons, the Kingdom has come upon you. Matthew 12:28
The questions I asked the group on that night were:
Do you understand that following your own agenda will not lead to lasting, purposeful recovery?
Do you believe that God can and will help you recover?
Are you willing to go to any length to let Him?
My thought for today is I have so many pieces of paper around my home with recovery teaching on them. It might be time to go through them.
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Living Life Recovery is a safe place where people can come, share and investigate the realities of God’s promises for themselves.
We believe that as we investigate God’s promises for our lives and practice the ‘Spiritual Principles of Recovery’ as outlined in ‘God’s Word’ we will find the strength and freedom we need to live productive and peaceful lives.
We welcome anyone who has a sincere desire to change their lives. To rise above the pain and turmoil caused by dependencies and compulsive behaviors their own lives or the lives of a loved one or friend.
On completion of my list of sinful habits, I will confess them to God and to someone that I trust. Join me this week for week three of Step Five
