Addicted Christians Recap and Challenge

Scriptures and Key points this week

Monday ( Prayer for understanding)

Eph. 3

¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— ¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

 

Tuesday (Addicted Christians)

 

Romans 7

¹⁴ For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. ¹⁵ For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. ¹⁶ If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. ¹⁷ But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. ¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. ¹⁹ For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. ²⁰ Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

 

                Most Christians will not  admit to being  addicted.  Addicted is defined:

 

adjective: addicted

1.    physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects.

o    enthusiastically devoted to a particular thing or activity.

Wednesday (True Identity)

 

You are Not Your Sin!  Sin will rename you and give you a new name and identity.  Sin will destroy you! Sin will use you and drop you like a $2.00 whore.  Sin is not your friend .   Anything that God reveals to you as an addiction, sin or whatever, "Let it go!"  Let go and let God give you freely his righteousness!
 

 2 Corinthians 5:21
²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

 

Thursday (Connections)

^{Matthew 17} Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” ¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”

²⁰ So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief;^[d] for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. ²¹ However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”^[e]

 

                The scripture text gives us the key and breaks down connections.  Jesus answered and said, “  O faithless  and perverse generation”  Faithless tell us of our unbelief. (Not being connected to God enough)  Perverse generation tells us that we are (Too connected to the world).  If we are honest, we all can think of things in the world we might be too connected to which creates strongholds which become addictions. 

 

Friday (Challenge)

            I hope and pray that this week you were pierced. You were able to look at yourself and look into your own heart.   I know the Holy Spirit spoke to me and spoke through me.  The question is,” what will you do next?”

 

Who are what is your addiction? Addictions can be things or people.

 Will you continue to accept (the enemies ) identity of yourself? Sin has a name and identity with your name on it.

 Who  or what  are you connected to that hinders your freedom?  Anything/anyone can hinder your relationship with  God.

Will you only make more resolutions to change behavior or will you allow God to change your heart?  There is a difference.  Knowing that difference,  will set YOU free….

 

Have a blessed week!

 

Brother Clarence

www.godlykings.blogspot.com

Addicted Christians "Connections"

Romans 7

¹⁴ For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. ¹⁵ For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. ¹⁶ If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. ¹⁷ But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. ¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. ¹⁹ For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. ²⁰ Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

                How do you overcome addictions?  I believe the first step  is to be honest enough and admit what you are truly dealing with but also to not make the mistake of defining yourself as the sin or the sin activity.  Secondly, we must look at  who and what we are connected to and who we are not connected to.  I believe that many Christians are connected to people and activities that feed their carnal nature therefore resulting in strongholds that lead to addiction and keep you bound.  How do you break free?

^{Matthew 17} Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” ¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”

²⁰ So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief;^[d] for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. ²¹ However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”^[e]

 

                The scripture text gives us the key and breaks down connections.  Jesus answered and said, “  O faithless  and perverse generation”  Faithless tell us of our unbelief. (Not being connected to God enough)  Perverse generation tells us that we are (Too connected to the world).  If we are honest, we all can think of things in the world we might be too connected to which creates strongholds that become addictions. 

                Thank God for good news!  We do not have to stay addicted.  We can be free!   Jesus tells us how to break any addiction- by prayer and fasting!  Prayer connects us to God and fasting helps us disconnect from the world ( the sin activity or addiction).  Let the Holy Spirit Guide you to the right connections in your life.  If you have to disconnect from people, places or things, your freedom is worth it.  It is your choice- to stay bound and addicted or free and living.   Be Blessed!

 

Brother Clarence

www.godlykings.blogspot.com

 

Addicted Christians "True Identity"

Romans 7

¹⁴ For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. ¹⁵ For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. ¹⁶ If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. ¹⁷ But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. ¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. ¹⁹ For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. ²⁰ Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

     I can remember a time when I let my sin define who I was.  The world teaches that if I do it and I like it , it must be me.  Yes it was me.  I engaged in the activity.  I was addicted but the sin activity was not who I am. 
 Sometimes, we can battle so long with something  or someone that we forget that our sin or sin activity  should never define who we are.  The Apostle Paul says it best, "If I do what I don't want to do it is no longer me that does it but sin that dwells in me.  He realized that he was not his sin and his sin did not define who he was; even though he engaged in sin activity.
     Today, know that whatever your truth is ; whatever your addiction may be, you are not the sin.  Your sin does not define who you are. It  only exposes what the sin is and what you need to work on within yourself to overcome.  Your "True Identity" should always be In Christ.  

     Hello, my Name is Clarence Threatt III,  I am more than a Conqueror!   My sin activity was pornography and lust.  Yes, I still deal with it.  Yes, I sometimes still have the desire to engage but I am now free.  I no longer live by the constant pull everyday to sin.  I have the victory.  I have been made righteous the day I accepted Jesus Christ as My Lord and Savior.  I exchanged with Him (Christ) my sin and HE gave me his righteousness freely.  A free gift.  I accept it and I choose to keep it . 
     How about you?  Will you accept the righteousness that Christ freely gives?  Will you continue to see yourself as a fornicator, adulterer, weed head, alcoholic, abuser, crack head, bitter  and angry, lustful, gay and bisexual, mean and unforgiving, emotionally dependent, lost, helpless, worrier, messy and troublesome or whatever the enemy named you?  You are Not Your Sin!  Sin will rename you and give you a new name and identity.  Sin will destroy you! Sin will use you and drop you like a $2.00 whore.  Sin is not your friend .   Anything that God reveals to you as an addiction, sin or whatever, "Let it go!"  Let go and let God give you freely his righteousness!
 

 2 Corinthians 5:21
²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Brother Clarence
www.godlykings.blogspot.com

Addicted Christians

Romans 7

¹⁴ For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. ¹⁵ For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. ¹⁶ If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. ¹⁷ But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. ¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. ¹⁹ For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. ²⁰ Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

 

                Most Christians will not  admit to being  addicted.  When you first hear the word you automatically think of drug addicts, alcoholics or sex addicts. I submit to you today that addictions can be anything that we devote attention to that when we try to stop , we continue to do. Addicted is defined:

 

adjective: addicted

1.    physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects.

o    enthusiastically devoted to a particular thing or activity.

"he's addicted to computers"

synonyms:

devoted to, obsessed with, fixated on, dedicated to, fanatical about, passionate about, enamored of, a slave to; More

 

                One thing I  like about being a Christian is we have the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit teaches us all things.  The question of thought is, ”What are you enthusiastically devoted to that you want to stop or need to stop but can’t?" The answer to that question is your addiction.  I submit we all have them..  Your Pastors, first lady, the deacons, trustees, the choir members, the ushers and the Sunday School teacher.  We all do. 

                The good news is news is there is hope and the answer has been given to us through God’s Word.  More to come…..

 

Brother Clarence