ENABLING AND DENIAL IN THE CHURCH!

ENABLING AND DENIAL IN THE CHURCH!

Enabling is often the root of addictions to drugs and alcohol. Having worked with alcoholics and addicts for years, I’ve seen how easy it is for kind, caring, and loving family members, friends, neighbors, employers, and even pastors can fall into the trap of enabling someone they care about, when that person needs someone who can show tough love and say no in situations where it’s needed. It’s especially difficult in the Christian community where we’ve been raised “to love one another.” It doesn’t feel like we’re showing much love when we need to close the door in someone’s face who’s begging us for “one more chance,” or one more loan or handout, or a place to stay, or to get their job back, etc., etc. And yet we must learn to do exactly that if we’re to show real genuine love rather than enabling our friend or loved one to continue in their addictions and even increase the seriousness of them. This has always been, and will continue to be a major area of concern and study and education in addiction recovery programs. There are no answers other than educating and informing those around the alcoholics and addicts of their responsibilities to their friends and loved ones.

Denial is another major root cause of addictions, and recovery will never begin until denial is recognized and overcome. People usually begin their addictions never thinking or realizing that it can quickly become a life threatening, even paralyzing nightmare that will not only ruin their lives, but all too often, actually take their lives! Until a person recognizes and admits to themselves that they know the seriousness of their predicament and the importance of making whatever changes are necessary to turn from their addictions and to permanently stay away from them, they will continue to suffer through one relapse after another.

Enabling and denial are both a major component in the world of addictions and addiction recovery. Just as they are a major part of the everyday lives of millions of alcoholics and addicts, they also play an equally major role in leading millions of people astray in our “new age” Churches today. Churches that are led by false teachers leading their flock down “the wide road to destruction.” Churches that in a variety of ways through false doctrine are teaching and “enabling” millions of lost souls to believe that they can “accept Christ,” and be saved, without forsaking the world! A “feel good, tickle my ears” message that has convinced millions of followers who are in complete “denial,” of The Truth, and believe that they can be saved without repenting and turning from their sin! The message of repentance has disappeared from today’s pulpit along with most of The Gospel Truth! There are millions of believers in Churches today who are “enabling” others by not denouncing false doctrine when and if they’re aware of it. Most however are in “denial” of the Truth, thus incapable of warning others. Whether “in denial” because a false teacher has mislead them, or because of their own ignorance and slothfulness and refusal to examine God’s Word and instructions for life, as commanded to do in Acts 17:11, there is no valid excuse to miss out on Salvation. Yet millions are going to according to Jesus’ own words in Matthew 7:13-15, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:, 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” If you’re still on the wide road to destruction, whether by your own means, or having been led there by listening to and believing a false teacher, there is still time to repent, (Acts 26:20), and turn to The One Savior, Jesus Christ, who God Sacrificed on The Cross for us, and who has Risen and is Alive and with those of us who Live for Him! God did not Sacrifice His Son, that we might continue to live our lives in sin as many false teachers would lead you to believe!                   

FALSE TEACHINGS IN OUR CHURCHES

FALSE TEACHINGS IN OUR CHURCHES,

LEADS TO FALSE TEACHINGS IN OUR

CHRISTIAN ADDICTION RECOVERY PROGRAMS!

ARE YOU LISTENING TO GOD, OR ONE OF

MANY OF THE DEVILS FALSE TEACHERS?

 John 8:47

He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Matthew 11:29,

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

The only way to understand God’s Word and His will for YOUR life, is to read it for YOURSelf! Pray and meditate over it daily and ask God for discernment until YOU understand it. Do NOT ask your neighbor, friend, relative, brother or sister in the pew next to you, not even your pastor or counselor who usually get paid the big bucks to confuse you all the way to hell! “IF” YOU’RE concerned about YOUR salvation, YOU need to make sure that it’s GOD that you’re listening to, and is teaching you, and not someone else who’s been the victim of false teaching, and living a lie of false doctrine! That’s why we read in Acts 17:11, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Just one of the many things He wants to teach you is patience, and you can rest assured that no matter how long you live, or how much you read and study His Word, when He calls you Home, you will not yet have learned it all. But if WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED, you’ve listened to, and learned it from GOD, not man, while you resided here, you can also rest assured that Home will be Heaven and you’ll have ETERNITY with Him to sort out the unknown. We are not OF God, or IN God, or Saved, if we’re not following and obeying God through His Word! The Word IS God! John 1:1, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

If you’re a relatively new Christian and have recently started attending a church, it is absolutely detrimental that you follow the instructions in Acts 17:11! The odds of finding false teachers in today’s Churches are greater than any time in history and the consequences of putting your trust in the words of any mere man can be deadly! We all want to trust our friends, family, neighbors, and yes, even our pastors, and while it’s fine to trust others with a weather forecast, you better think twice about it with your Salvation! We only get one chance. While that one chance may be spread out over our lifetime, no one knows how long our lifetime will be.  

I think the biggest failure of mankind and Christianity began centuries ago when man began following other men instead of God! Even today in our country which was founded on the precept of “In God we Trust,” we’ve completely abandoned God beginning with the requests of a handful of the devils personal warriors, the atheists. And our Churches have let it happen, rather than defend the principal of “One nation under God,” and “tip over the tables of the atheists,” they chose to turn our country over to the devil by “love thy neighbor,” or “judge not,” rather than fight, 2 Corinthians 10:4, The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. Consequently, both our country and our church is now in the hands and control of Satan!   

Today, with modern media now at our fingertips 24 hours a day, we have become far more vulnerable to the deception of the devil through the false teachings of thousands of false teachers! Many are in brick and mortar buildings that they call churches, and many more on the internet. As long as man insists on listening to, believing, and following the physco-babble of some false teacher’s rantings spiced with a few mis-quoted scriptures, used out of context, to clarify or defend his or her false doctrine with words like, “this is what “I” think Jesus or Paul or Peter meant in verse such and such,” we will never find the Truth! We don’t need to know what someone else thinks about God’s Word, we need to KNOW exactly what GOD wants us to KNOW! And the only way to do that is to LISTEN to GOD by READING His WORD and PRAYING for discernment. NOT watching TV, listening to a radio program, following someone on the internet, or spending one hour a week in a mega-church building made out of glass and gold, where the only message is give, give, give, work, work, work, me, me, me. Or many other false doctrines linked with a verse or two of Truth out of context to make it pleasing to tickle the ear.   

The biggest danger in listening to, and following a man, in our endeavor to understand God’s Truth, rather than relying on, and listening to God Himself, is the probability of hearing and believing lies and false doctrines. Most of these mega-church leaders become false-idols to the church members. There are so many false teachers teaching false doctrines that have overtaken the Church today, affecting millions of followers, that the chance of hearing the Truth is slim. Hence these important words of Jesus in,… Matthew 7:13-14, Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Which in plain and simple English vernacular, means that only a few “Christians” are on the right path to Eternal life in Heaven, and most are on the wide road to hell! There is a need for more of this “BAD NEWS,” which in this case is The Truth, to be shared around the world! Millions have had the “GOOD NEWS” so distorted by false teachers and doctrines that we live on a planet where our consciences are seared beyond recognition of good and evil!

As Christians with addictions, recovery can be next to impossible unless they’re being taught God’s Truth. False teachings and doctrines will not only keep them struggling with their addictions, but may very well keep them from Salvation. While there are many false doctrines throughout the Church, one that does the most harm to Christians in addiction recovery is the false grace doctrine or movement.

The false grace movement or doctrine would have us believe we can be Saved without changing our ways or lifestyles! A.W. Tozer quoted years ago, “A whole new generation of Christians has come up believing that it is possible to “accept” Christ, without forsaking the world!” The new age false grace teaching church has the entire homosexual community convinced that repentance is a thing of the past! And the millions of “Drunkards” and drug addicts in the church have no reason to believe any different. Churches using AA type 12-step addiction recovery programs teach that their sin is an incurable disease and that they are powerless to do anything about it! Pure heresy in a Church, and when mixed with the false grace heresy, an alcoholic or addict is very unlikely to find recovery, or Salvation! They believe they’re Saved but don’t need to repent or obey God’s Word.  James 1:21,Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you 1 John 2:15-16, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 

We’re no longer getting solid Biblical Truth in Sunday’s message. Instead, we’re besieged with “new age, pop culture, feel good” messages that take precedence over the Truth. “Sin is being tolerated, when repentance is not being preached.” “Behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people.” (Isaiah 60:2) “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Prov. 29:18) There can be no vision in the dark! (Ps. 119:105) In “The Need of the Hour”, by Oswald J. Smith, he says “This is true today…people on every side are in almost total darkness, so far as Gods Salvation is concerned. Only here and there do we find a pulpit where the Gospel is preached, the new birth emphasized, Salvation made plain, and an invitation given.” I would add also, that the message of Repentance has been forgotten as well.

Many churches today teaching the false grace doctrine, suggest that since grace replaced the law and set us free, we no longer need to be burdened with repentance and the fear of condemnation. They seem to dismiss the fact that no matter how “born again” we are, we still reside here on earth with a sinful nature (Romans 7:18), engaged in spiritual warfare with the devil! (Ephesians 6:12,For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.) The false grace movement teaches that we no longer are responsible for “cleaning up our act,” and that “God demands nothing from us,” as someone recently told me. We can live our lives as we always have, and our “old” ways are perfectly acceptable, is what I was told! “If Christ lives IN us, we can sit back and wait for HIM to change our behavior.”

The lack of focus on the word “IF,” is a big problem in our Churches today. False teachers, pastors who lead many of our “new age mega-churches,” whose sole focus is filling seats and coffers, refuse to disclose the Truth that there are a number of “conditions” to our Salvation! The false grace doctrine was birthed on the lie that there are no conditions, that because of God’s Grace, one can accept Christ without forsaking their worldly behavior. They will use scripture like, Ephesians 2:8-10,  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.  They will avoid verse 10,  “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do,”   knowing no one wants to “work” for their Salvation. False teachers will use John 8:31-32 to tell you that you can be “set free,” without ever mentioning or pointing out the significance of the “IF” in that scripture, where Jesus says,  31,"IF” ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  “continue in my word,” meaning to be obedient, which false teachers know will interfere with their plans to fill seats. There is almost zero mention of the importance of “repentance” in the new age mega-church! The new false-grace movement will have nothing to do with Acts 26:20, “First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.”  Which in 4 simple words dispel the entire false grace doctrine, “repent and show it”! 

       

Over the past dozen years, teaching in various addiction recovery programs, I’ve witnessed hundreds of professing Christians suggesting that their sinful behavior was excusable because of two different scriptural contexts. One being Romans 7, leading to comments like; “If Paul struggled with sin, why shouldn’t I”? The other being, 1 John 1:8-10, leading to this much used excuse, “we’re all sinners, aren’t we”? I’ve had a number of professing Christian homosexuals defend their behavior using this scripture as an excuse, and linked to the false grace doctrine will ad, “God will forgive me.” Yes He will! When you repent and turn to Him! (Acts 26:20) Then you can be a born again, saved, and “set free” Christian, saved by Grace and not by works! Romans 11:6, And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.,  Ephesians 2:8, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—    

The false grace movement was started in the 60’s and 70’s by pastors who grew up on surfboards, and came out of the 60’s hippie culture. “Love, peace, freedom”! Add a little scripture, some pot and LSD and you have an instant “new age” church! False teachers are lead by satan the master deceiver. As they built their mega churches they realized that their messages and worship music needed to tickle their members ears if they were to fill their bank accounts! Hence, the birth of the new age false grace doctrine designed to convince people that they could “accept Christ” without forsaking the World! Jude1:3-4 Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. 4 I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Today, as a result, we have millions of mislead, professing Christians who see no reason to turn from their sin. Millions of mislead, professing Christians struggling with addictions to drugs and alcohol who can’t find a Church or a pastor or counselor who can lead them to the Truth, and then on to recovery, because the only recovery program that they’re familiar with is a secular 12-step program that teaches pure heresy!

Most of the brokenness we see in the world today, the millions of broken homes and families, the moral decline of our entire culture, the drug and alcohol epidemic, and the overall open sinfulness and evil darkness that’s over taken our society today, can all be attributed to the devils success in overtaking our Churches through the teachings of false doctrines! And just like in the addiction recovery programs around the world, the first obstacle to overcome is denial. For alcoholics and addicts, recovery can’t begin until denial is accepted and the truth of their condition is acknowledged. Christians who have been mislead by false teaching face the same dilemma, no one wants to admit that they've been duped by a pastor that they've come to adore, maybe even turned into a false idol, which happens all too often. Many will follow the lies all the way to hell! And no one will ever be able to convince them that they’re on the wrong road, and all they have to do to see for themselves is pick up their Bible and read it!

I’m not sure which is worse, addictions to drugs and alcohol, or to a church that teaches false doctrine! They will both lead to death without The Saving Grace and intervention of Jesus Christ to free those in bondage to either one or both. There can be nothing more devastating than alcoholics and addicts who have broken free from the bondage of denial, and are seeking recovery in a Church that’s teaching the false grace doctrine, and at the same time counseling its wounded members with a secular non-Biblical 12-step program that can only lead one further from The Truth! James 1:21-22, 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 5:19-20, 19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

   As hopeless as this scenario appears to be, there is always Hope. Anyone who reads this and agrees that it indeed describes the condition of the Church today, and is, or has been affected by it, Jesus is always waiting with arms wide open to accept any lost child who will repent and turn back to Him, confess their sins and ask for forgiveness, promise to be obedient, and have the Faith of a mustard seed, and confess that Jesus is Lord and Savior! If you do this in sincerity and good faith, welcome back! Or if this is the first time you’ve surrendered your life to Christ, welcome aboard. Be prepared for change, because being born again is all about change and becoming a brand new creature! 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  

 No matter what your addiction might be, God’s Word, The Truth, is the only place to find the answers to resolving and overcoming it. It is your responsibility, if you’ve finally overcome denial and are ready for recovery, to make sure that you’re on the right road to recovery. There are many in recovery who are on the wrong road, a road that just keeps people going in circles of relapse. Christ’s return is near and it is up to us to be ready. Should He return later today or tomorrow are you ready?  

THE NARROW ROAD

Are you on the lonely narrow road to Heaven,

 or the crowded wide road to destruction?

Proverbs 3:5-6
 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6, In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Romans 12:2
  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.

Christians in addiction recovery must repent and change the road they’re on to experience victory over their addictions! We must get off the wide road to destruction, and pick up our cross and follow Christ on the narrow road to Eternal Life and freedom from addictions! 

The narrow road is only lonely because there are only a few others on it! There are no crowds as one might expect. The crowds are all on the wide road “that leadeth to destruction,” and headed over a cliff into eternal damnation! If we’re genuine, God fearing, Spirit-filled and guided, obedient, and born-again Christians, according to Jesus own words in Matthew 7:13-15, we’re supposed to be on a very lonely, deserted, and narrow road. (Matthew 7:13-15 KJV, 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.)  If we’re being obedient to God’s Word along our journey, it can get very dark, discouraging, and lonely along this road we call life as we navigate around satan’s many roadblocks and obstacles that he sets in our path to distract and discourage us from continuing. We must learn early along our journey not to forget who set us on this narrow road and why. We must remember God’s words to us in  Deuteronomy 8:11, Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: and take heed not to follow those wolves in sheep’s clothing, that are around every corner of our journey, that would lead us astray, into a ditch, or off the narrow road, and onto the wide one. Exodus 34:12, Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: We really shouldn’t expect to see a lot of traffic on this road as Jesus explains to us above in Matthew 7:14, “and few there be that find it.”  If you’re feeling uncomfortable Sunday in your overcrowded mega-church, as you sit in a traffic-jam in the parking lot filled with Mercedes Benz type luxury cars trying to get home to watch the football game on TV, it might be The Holy Spirit telling you that you’re on the wrong road!  “IF” you’re a spirit filled Christian, that will be Him, (The Holy Spirit), tugging on your conscience when you drift off the narrow road and onto the “broad” one that satan dresses up as a “shortcut” to someplace where God had no intension for you to be in the first place! It’s crucial that we learn very early in our Christian walk to recognize God’s voice and trust His every Word. The minute we question any of it, we’re allowing satan to deceive us with a lie. Living in a world where the Church has become overcome with false teachers, we must learn to be as the Bereans in Acts 17:11, and search the scripture daily to stay abreast of all that we are being told and taught about God’s Truth.  John 4:23, But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. We are not to worship false idols! 1John 5:21,  Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

       There are millions of professing Christians today who have been mislead into believing that they can travel the wide road to destruction by disobeying God, living a fast and reckless, sinful life, and that God will forgive them simply because of one verse that declares that we’re “all sinners,” taken out of context. They have no idea that forgiveness and Salvation are conditional promises that require repentance, Faith, surrender, and obedience. This leads us to the circumstances we find today in a world overcome with unimpeded immorality and an epidemic of unrestrained drug and alcohol use and abuse even within the walls of The New World Christian Church where sin is overlooked and tolerated for the sake of growing the attendance numbers and the bank accounts.

       In the past 10 years of ministry in numerous Christian addiction recovery groups, after writing volumes of material including a book regarding the false teachings, heresy, and blasphemy that transpire in groups within thousands of churches around the country, I think I can sum up the entire contents of my book as well as the ministry with this; it’s less about being sober, and more about being the above described Christian, or not!  If we’re performing the role of Christian as we’re expected too according to the Word of God, if we’re walking the road above as directed and obeying the rules set before us, (this having nothing to do with being “legalistic” or not, but living according to His Word),  if  we’ve picked up our cross, and are denying ourselves, (Matthew 16:24, “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”), and are following Christ instead of satan and his worldly ways, we can be assured we will no longer be burdened with addictions! We will have no desire to spend another minute in such willful, sinful behavior. Why not, you ask? “Aren’t we all sinners”? Yes we are; each and every one of us will stumble from time to time, and will be forgiven when we admit that we’ve sinned, ask for forgiveness, and repent. That however is a far cry from being an alcoholic or an addict, or someone lost in their sins. As born again believers, we become ambassadors for Christ. It becomes our duty to represent Him and share His Good News with the rest of the World. We can’t serve God if we’re addicted to drugs and alcohol and other sin. Luke 16:13, “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” If we claim to be born again Christians and still struggle with addictions, we need to get on our knees, truly repent, and ask God to change our Hearts, and set us on the “narrow road that leads to eternal life with Him” Then we can be SAVED and SOBER!

       Many of us today in addiction recovery have succumbed to the misunderstanding of the passage in, 1 John 1:8-10, 8 “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”  means that the fact that “we’re all sinners” is an excuse to sin! Nothing could be further from the Truth! There is no excuse to sin! The above passage simply explains that none of us are perfect and will all fall short of God’s Glory because of Adam and Eve’s failure in the Garden, and that Christians who confess their sin and repent can be forgiven. We must never use scripture like this to condone our sinful behavior.         

       While many of us, (myself included), focus on Christ Crucified, and His Work on the Cross, I all too often forget that "HE IS RISEN"! And sometimes I forget to invite Him to "come join me" in whatever daily function I may be involved in. As born again believers He is not only risen, but He dwells within us in the form of the Holy Spirit! (1 Corinthians 3:16 KJV , Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?) Learning to accept His presence in us is part of the total and complete surrender process, part of the sanctification process that we are involved in if we are born again. We fall short of God’s Glory and often fail, when we fail to invite Him into the moment at hand! We fail, when we fail to recognize that HE empowers us to overcome sin. (Romans 12:21, Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.) We fail and fall into sin when we take our eyes off of HIM even for a minute! It's our choice whether we fail or succeed. 
      We need to focus not only on HIS work on The Cross, but also on the fact that HE IS RISEN! That if you have accepted His invitation, and asked him into your heart, repented and turned from your sinful ways by being obedient according to His Word, and in Faith accepted him as your Lord and Savior; He will take up residence in your body, and be no further away from you than a gentle whisper. When we learn to seek His presence in every minute of our lives, our journey along this narrow road will become “a walk in the park”! And we won’t be lonely because we’ll be walking hand in hand with Jesus! We will learn to embrace the challenges that we’ll undoubtedly be faced with, with great optimism, knowing that we need them to grow and mature our Faith and wisdom, and knowing that not only will He provide us with the means to overcome and have victory over those challenges, but also that,… 1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”       

A MESSAGE FOR ADDICTS AND ALCOHOLICS WITH CHILDREN!

A MESSAGE FOR ADDICTS 

AND ALCOHOLICS

 WITH CHILDREN!

Can you handle the Truth ?

Many can’t, and are paralyzed by it’s painful bite!

     They retreat into denial, often hiding so deep in some type of closet they’ve created to hide in, they’re never heard from again. The Truth can be so painful that millions of innocent victims will turn from it, hide from it, and run from it, mentally, spiritually, and physically, rather than face it. Many spend their entire lifetimes running, and hiding, building false identities and lives around ones that have been shattered by events or circumstances beyond their control. Some will run great distances to get away from God, family, or friends, or other circumstances, not realizing that they’ve brought their own baggage with them. Not realizing that the Truth isn’t going anywhere’s until it’s faced and dealt with.
     And still far too many others will turn to addictions to numb the pain, and hide from the reality of Truth. For many of these victims, this is how it all started. They’re children of adult addicts returning to a roost of their own to begin the cycle all over again. While this is a Truth, it’s not always the rule. There are many exceptions where the children grow up un-scathed, turning into model citizens and often far better off for the nightmares they were exposed to growing up in the homes of addicts. But this is rare, and most children growing up in the homes of addicts end up deeply scarred, spending the rest of their lives healing. If you’re an adult addict, you probably need to go no further than the nearest mirror for proof. Which takes us back to the title, “Can you handle the Truth”?
      If you’re an adult child of an addict, whether 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, generation, and a parent, whether finished, or still parenting, this information is for you, and was written to get your attention. It was written within a few days after the Black Friday of Dec. 14th , 2012, while the reality and pain of this tragedy against innocent children, by unspeakable evil and violence is still fresh in my mind, and before it vanishes into a distant memory, soon to be overshadowed by the next unspeakable tragic event.
     At this point there is no evidence that recreational drugs or alcohol played any meaningful or direct part in this tragic event, and the only reason I mention it, is that when I’m done writing this I will be sharing it on social media to reach as many of the millions of parents who struggle with addictions while the pain and sorrow is still wide spread around the country and fresh in many minds. So that it might open the eyes of a few who “Can handle the Truth,” and who might recognize the great tragedy of abuse to millions of innocent children everyday in this country, in the homes of addicted parents. A parent who “Can handle the Truth,” will recognize and admit that whenever they are drunk or high, their children are being abandoned, or neglected, intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. You can’t conduct an intelligent conversation with your child when you’re stoned! You can’t teach them how to tie their shoes, or the alphabet, or how to read or write when you’re so drunk you can’t stand up! You can’t help them with their homework if you’re hanging out at the bar with your pals, and they’re home alone or with a babysitter glued to a TV.
     This, and so much more abusive behavior that we’ve tagged over the years as “dysfunctional,” is merely sugar-coating the “truth”, which is, that this is child abuse! Plain and simple! Abandoning and neglecting a child, leaving them home alone to raise themselves, forcing them to fend for themselves is child abuse. Depriving them of a normal childhood for the sake of ones selfishness is child abuse. Destroying their sense of self-respect, security, and dignity is child abuse. Refusing to believe this as the truth is denial. The same denial that leads millions of alcoholics and addicts to years of addictions and relapses, which will eventually drive their abused children away, and far too often create so much insecurity in them, it causes them to follow in their parents footsteps.
      I’m sure that many who just read this, who thought they could handle the truth, are retreating or cowering into the shadows, saying, “am I really guilty of “child abuse”? “Could my drunkenness or drug addictions be so grossly affecting my children? I’ve spoken to hundreds of alcoholics and addicts in recovery over the years who've admitted that their habits were so bad that they denied their children basic necessities such as food, clothing, shelter, medical attention, or medicine, toothpaste, etc., for the sake of another fix or a bottle of vodka! Stone cold child abuse! Plain and simple, no sugar-coating, nothing but the bitterly painful bite of the Truth! You can face it, accept it, change it, or deny it and suffer the consequences, and live with the guilt of knowing you’ve destroyed the life of your own child!
      I hope I have your attention, and that you can face and “handle the truth.” My prayer is that you’ll get up from reading this and go pour your drugs and or alcohol down the toilet, and never use them again! Then go give your child or children a big hug and tell them that you Love them, that you’re sorry for hurting them, and promise them that you’ll never use drugs or alcohol again. I can guarantee you that they will hold you to it! There is nothing in this world more precious than the innocence of a child! Depriving them of that is child abuse!

“If you hold to my teaching,.....

“If You Hold to my Teaching,...

      A message for Christians who continue to struggle and suffer from relapse after relapse to addictions. Many of God's promises, are conditional, including John 8:31-36, where He speaks about setting us free, the condition here is, “If you hold to my teaching." If you're experiencing relapse, and He's promised to "set you free," and you know God doesn't break His promises, then clearly you're "not holding to His teachings." Somewhere's you're coming up short on your end of the agreement. If we consider ourselves saved, born again Christians, we must take God's Word seriously. We don't get to pick and choose certain scripture that comforts us. I would suggest that an evaluation is in order if you're tired of relapse. One area that is often overlooked because of the failure of our new world churches, is to teach repentance, something rarely mentioned in our churches today! Yet something absolutely relevant to not only our Salvation, but also our obedience to God, or, "our holding to His teaching," which is relevant to "being set free" which in turn means we'll no longer be under the bondage of addictions. The Bible, Gods Word, also known as The Truth, clearly states in many places, the need to repent, here are a just a few examples,...
Acts 2:38 NIV
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 3:19  NIV
19, Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
Acts 26:20  NIV
20, First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.
Acts 17:30 NIV
30, In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
Job 34:33 KJV
Should God then reward you on your terms, when you refuse to repent? You must decide, not I; so tell me what you know.
Proverbs 1:23 KJV
Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings.
Luke 13:3 KJV
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Acts 3:19 KJV
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
Luke 17:3
Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

God says to repent and be Saved, not "repeat after me" as so many pastors teach today to build their audience! Beware of the many wolves in sheep's clothing! (Matthew 7:15)
Matthew 7:15, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves."