Saturday, September 7, 2013
"Helping Others Overcome Addictions"-Book Review
"Addiction is Satan's substitute. It is a substitute for intimacy. " Says Steve McVery and Mike Quarles in "Helping Others Overcome Addictions". "Lies keep people in bondage". We believe lies that are implanted in us in times of innocence. What does a child say to themselves when Daddy misses one too many ball games? (Perhaps, Daddy doesn't care) Then later, a teacher or Pastor disappoints, a girlfriend breaks up with him and all these events get added to that "seedling" and now become "no one cares"...an innocent life event becomes the seed for hopelessness. People fill their voids with substitute intimacies...even church addictions and performance orientations explains priests and Pastors who become alcoholic, because performance doesn't fill that empty spot, only relationship can. Not doctrine.
It is so important for caring, wise adults to help children process life experiences through a healthy lens or the child may let a hurtful seed root in their lives that becomes a stronghold in their lives.
Why has the church relinquished "addiction" counseling to the unbelieving world/secular world? Because the church has become powerless, rich in theology, traditions and programs but lacking "the power" that can only be given by healthy, intimate relationships with the ONE who can lead, guide and direct.
Too many "Christians" have misunderstand the role of Messiah, the Church and Christianity in their lives and thus swallowed a "lie" that harms them. So, this book is a call BACK to THE ONE, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE...no man comes to the Father but by Him and no one climbs out of addictions but by Him.
Secular re-hab groups succeed when they follow and implement biblical truths, but their success are few and far between, as well, because it is a 10 Step program, or a 6 month in house re-hab, it is replacing lies with the truth through THE ONE. It is dying to self and giving ones life to The ONE who died for each of us and had victory over sin, so that, we too, might have victory.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Book Review: "The Great Exchange-Replacing Lies with Experiential Truth"
"The Great Exchange -Replacing Lies with Experiential Truth" by Lillian M. Easterly-Smith is a consolodated study for individuals seeking inner healing. All her premise is taken from Ed Smith, founder of Theophostic Prayer Ministry.
My husband and I have been doing prayer ministry for over ten years. We have seen God give amazing freedom to lives that were ready to accept His truth. Some are not yet ready. Some have been disuaded by online fear mongers and legalists saying it is not biblical. As is often the case, some even use scripture to "justify" thier stance. Too often, I have seen Christians that misunderstand a biblical principal use it to defend their sin, explain their behavior and justify the lie that they are believing.
HOW do we renew our mind? Romans 8-12 is the very foundation of prayer ministry and inner healing. Past experiences CAN serve as blocks and stongholds to you and I getting free from destructive patterns that affect our lives, our jobs, our relationships, our patterns of thinking that produce bad fruit.
At least give "The Great Exchange" an honest look. Use it for devotions, or in a small group. Ask God to open up the areas of your life you may have closed off from even Him.
Church history reveals old fashioned revivals, an old term, called praying through, altar calls, but we have grown too sophosticated for God to work in those ways. Prayer Ministry, Inner Healing, Theophsotic prayer are tools God is using in this day and age to set people free.
My husband and I have been doing prayer ministry for over ten years. We have seen God give amazing freedom to lives that were ready to accept His truth. Some are not yet ready. Some have been disuaded by online fear mongers and legalists saying it is not biblical. As is often the case, some even use scripture to "justify" thier stance. Too often, I have seen Christians that misunderstand a biblical principal use it to defend their sin, explain their behavior and justify the lie that they are believing.
HOW do we renew our mind? Romans 8-12 is the very foundation of prayer ministry and inner healing. Past experiences CAN serve as blocks and stongholds to you and I getting free from destructive patterns that affect our lives, our jobs, our relationships, our patterns of thinking that produce bad fruit.
At least give "The Great Exchange" an honest look. Use it for devotions, or in a small group. Ask God to open up the areas of your life you may have closed off from even Him.
Church history reveals old fashioned revivals, an old term, called praying through, altar calls, but we have grown too sophosticated for God to work in those ways. Prayer Ministry, Inner Healing, Theophsotic prayer are tools God is using in this day and age to set people free.
"A place where we come just as we are without feeling the need to get all gussied up beforehand." could be the theme of Lysa Terkeurst's book for women, "Unglued". In an almost uncomfortable honesty, Lysa reaveals the "real" in herself in the most vulnerable vignette's of her own personal life. Which by the way, is strangely similar to many hard working, honest, PTO-church-pbj Moms in this era.
Applying scripture she reminds us of what can be and what could be choices toward victorious living, but NOT in the 50's style Christian Woman's Speaker of the "shall's and should's and good mothering uunbelieveablity. Lysa's honesty will catch you off guard and able to hear the real message that God is not asking for perfect clones, but unique transformed women of grace, living in grace and offering that same grace to others.
In this book, you will discover how to balance the stuffing and the exploding of your life in all circumstances. All it's a biblical word, and it can also be real. Enjoy! It's worth the read.
And yes, Lysa, I am just a tad bit jealous. You are probably twenty years my Jr. but in my "must-be'the-perfect-mother-wife-Pastor's wife mode, I had to wait 40 years before I pursued any dream of writing...a blog. And I needed help to do that.
Applying scripture she reminds us of what can be and what could be choices toward victorious living, but NOT in the 50's style Christian Woman's Speaker of the "shall's and should's and good mothering uunbelieveablity. Lysa's honesty will catch you off guard and able to hear the real message that God is not asking for perfect clones, but unique transformed women of grace, living in grace and offering that same grace to others.
In this book, you will discover how to balance the stuffing and the exploding of your life in all circumstances. All it's a biblical word, and it can also be real. Enjoy! It's worth the read.
And yes, Lysa, I am just a tad bit jealous. You are probably twenty years my Jr. but in my "must-be'the-perfect-mother-wife-Pastor's wife mode, I had to wait 40 years before I pursued any dream of writing...a blog. And I needed help to do that.
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