The Life Recovery Bible

[Pernell Johnson]

Step One

The Paradox of Powerlessness
Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:7-10
We admitted that were were powerless over our dependencies--that our life had become unmanageable.

We may be afraid to admit that we are powerless and that our life is unmanageable. If we admit that we are powerless, won't we be tempted to give up completely in the struggle against addiction? It doesn't seem to make sense that we can admit powerlessness and still find the power to go on. This paradox will be dealt with we go on to Step Two and Three.
Life is full of paradoxes. The apostle Paul tells us, "This precious treasure--this light and power that now shine within us--is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken"
(2 Corinthians 4:7-8)
The picture here contrasts a precious treasure and the simple container in which the treasured is stored. The living power poured into our life from above is the treasure. Our human body, with all its flaws and weaknesses, is the perishable container. As human beings, we are imperfect.
Once we recognize the paradox of powerlessness, we can be quite relieved. We don't have to always be strong or pretend to be perfect. We can live a real life, with its daily struggles, in a human body beset with weakness and still find the power from above to keep going without being crushed and broken.


Just for Today-----------I accept myself as I am:shades:

[Ann]

Thanks Pernell

I find strength in connecting the teaching of the Bible and the teachings of this program. They are so very interconnected and comforting to me.

Thank you Pernell.

That fits so well with my thoughts this week. I was thinking of the glory of God and my imperfections and how those fit together.I've also been thinking of the way I am waiting for great things from God and thinking that I need to be in today more than waiting for something in tomorrow.

When I look in today though it doesn't "feel" that great. I feel like I'm missing God. I'm thinking now though that maybe I've been ignoring God by looking for Him in the future when He is here today.

It can be frightening to stay in today and wonder if this is all there is.

A lot to think about.

Hugs,
MG

[Pernell Johnson]

Today, is a gift from God. Yesterday is the past--Tomorrow is the future and keeps hope alive. Yes MG, today is all there is and you should take comfort in it and accept. When a wiseman was asked what is life, his reply was, "It Is."

Think;

If God has numbered the very hairs of my head, how can I think highly of myself? II am completely dependent on Him for my next breath. This knowledge should make me fear all pride and self-satisfaction. I can never be impressed deeply enough by the fact of my nothingness. Of myself and without God's gifts, I am nothing. This fact is the basis of all true humility. Can I ever consider myself better than any human on earth? How do I feel when others look down on me? So too, do others feel when I show a sense of superiority. Even if I do not show it, God sees my pride and hates it, because pride is based on a false self-esteem.



Just for Today------------------------I am Sober:shades:

Pernell,

I can see by reading all of your posts that you've found balance with all of this. I haven't. I have the head knowledge, but haven't grasped it in experience yet.

I have the opposite problem which is still pride. I feel inferior and still feel that if I could just be better God would accept me. I know in my head that's not true, but in my emotions I have to keep fighting against my desire to improve in order to please God. I'm very conscience of sin. This guilt always keeps my focus on myself. I know that I could never never be good enough to gain God's favor, but I can't seem to find His grace.

Coming to the end of myself with no place to go is a very painful place to be.

I have a hard time with communication. I hope you understand what I'm saying.

Hugs,
MG

Maybe I should rephrase that to say I'm stuck with myself and no place to go.

[zoomer]

MG,you are so good it's not even funny! GG lady,if you were a nun,then you'd be a Saint! Never have I met a lady that is closer to God than you! Ha,I'm the one who is wayward and lost,your right on the path and I look up to you! GEE WIZ,send some goodness my way!
Zoomer

Hi Zoomer,

It's not really about being bad or good. It's about me being me and God being God and somehow fitting that together. God was in Christ the man. God and man were fit together in Him. The difference is that He had no sin and I do. What to do about this sin nature?

I've always said that the answer is in the white space between Romans 7 and Romans 8. Somehow it jumped from where I am to where the free lived. I guess I just haven't found the secret yet.

We are all equal Zoomer.

Hugs,
MG

[zoomer]

Hey, to be honest I know nothing about the bible except what I read on the boards. Thank you
Zoomer

[Pernell Johnson]

My Heavenly Father, thank you for waking me and my associates this morning and giving us anotherc day. My Heavenly Father make me and my sister MG brave enough to face our faults, honest enough to acknowledge them, and strong enough to fight them. I think of many things each day, but so many of my interests are unimportant and useless. Give me the strength and the generosity to make definite resolutions against definite faults. May I never be so selfish as to stop trying to please "YOU" more each day. Though my faults seem to continue, still my efforts must remain firm and I must go on trying to become daily a better man and my sister a better woman. If I will go on trying, I cannot hel becoming better each day. A continued effort will slowly destroy my selfishness, and my faults will gradually weaken and die. Lord, on "YOU" I depend for the light and strength for this daily battle.
AMEN

Pernell,

I think I see where you find your balance. About 12 years ago God showed me the scripture that I'll post below. He showed me through this scripture that He will write His law of life on my heart. I was so excited when I heard it that I could hardly breathe. I think I was expecting a glorious pentecostal experience. And I've been disappointed that it never came. I've down played all the amazing work in me that has taken place by comparing it to "pentecost". I wanted to be changed and filled by God immediately. I can see by reading the rest of the scripture now that maybe it is a process. I must decrease and He must increase.

2CO 3:3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
2CO 3:4 Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. 5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

2CO 3:7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11 And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

2CO 3:12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

2CO 4:1 Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

2CO 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

2CO 4:13 It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

2CO 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

[Pernell Johnson]

Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.



It is my hope that you have reconciled that unacceptable spirit and we can move on to Step Two. Tell me how you feel. You have written well and it appears you are better. The Spirit comes to all of us differently. We cannot dictate how it will come. But accpet it's presence.

Ok Pernell,

I'm going to keep the faith in what God has promised and I will continue to hope for what I can't see yet and I will stop dictating when and how He will do it and focus on Him in today.

So lets continue.

Hugs,
MG

[2bblessed]

We admitted we were powerless...This is the point at which we come to the end of ourselves, and see that all we have to offer is less than a handful of dry leaves.

[Pernell Johnson]

Coming to Believe
Bible Reading: Romans 1:18-20
We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Saying that we "came to believe" suggests a process. Belief is the result of consideration, doubt, reasoning, and concluding. The ability to form beliefs is part of what it means to be made in God' image. It involves emotion and logic. It leads to action. What, then, is the process that leads us to solid belief and changes our life?
We start with our own experiences, and we see what doesn't work. Looking at the condition of our life, we realize that we don't have enough power to overcome our dependency. We try with all our might, but to no avail. When we are quiet enough to listen, we hear that still, small voice inside us saying, "There is a God, and he is extremely powerful." The apostle Paul said it this way: "For the truth about God is known to (all people) instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts"
(Romans 1:19)
Recognizing our internal weaknesses is the first step toward recovery. When we look beyond ourself, we see that there are others who have struggled with an addiction and recovered. We know that they, too, were unable to heal themselves, yet they now live free of addictive behaviors. We conclude that there must be a greater Power that helped them. Since we can see the similarities between their struggles and our own, we come to believe that our powerful God can restore us to sanity. This is where many people are when they get to Step Two, and it's a good place to be on the way to recovery.

I've experienced this power of God when he healed me of my emotional damage. I still have more to go, but what he has done is nothing short of a miracle. I should be dead and have come close to it a few times from overdoses when I felt I couldn't cope any longer. I am not the same person I was then. It was God's power that changed me. Just he and I working it through together. I tried absolutely everything and it wasn't until I knew I was powerless and it was hopeless that the changes began. I had no where else to turn, but to God. There was no place else to go. I put my little bit of faith in resting in Him and He didn't fail me.

Now I do stuggle terribly with smoking. I have not hit powerlessness yet in that area. I try to quit and I try to stay powerless, but still find that I'm struggling on my own. For some reason I can't get there. I've done it in many areas, but can't yet with this addiction. I am as addicted to nicotine as anyone could be to any other drug. The last time I quit for 5 weeks and it got worse instead of better. That's the longest I've ever gone. I couldn't make it. I don't even know how to start trying again. Everytime I fail it just makes it seem that much more useless to try again.

Hugs,
MG

[Pernell Johnson]

Discovering God
Bible Reading: Acts 17:23-28
We made a decision to turn our will and our life over to the care of God.
Before we can turn our life over to God, we need to have an accurate understanding of who he is. It is crucial that we entrust ourself to the God who loves us and not to the "god" of this world, who seeks only to deceive and destroy us. The apostle Paul described the deceiver this way: "Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Ggood News that is shining upon them. They don't understand the message we preach about the glory of Cchrist, who is the exact likeness of God."
(2 Corinthians 4:4). Has Satan deceived us? How can we be sure that we have a true understanding of God?
When Paul addressed the men of Athens, he said, "I saw your many altars. And one of them had this inscription on it---'To an Unknown God.' You have been worshipping him without knowing who he is, and now I wish to tell you about him......His purpose in all of this was that the nations should seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him----though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and exist" (Acts 17:23, 27-28).

Even though God may be unknown to us, he is near and willing to reveal himself. God has promised that "if you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me" (Jeremiah 29:13). Turning over our will involves accepting God as he is instead of insisting on creating him in our own image. When we seek God with an open heart and mind, we will find him.

Thank you Pernell

[2bblessed]

Oh God, what wonderful joy that I do not have to go through life alone, relying on my own power to figure out things that are too great for me. Thank you for your patience with my doubts and failings. Like Peter, I have had to ask you to call me to come out of the boat. Like Peter, many times I have forgotten you and started to sink, but like Peter, your hand reached down and pulled me up out of the water. I believe. Please help my unbelief! Love,

[Pernell Johnson]

God's Mercy
Bible Reading: Revelation 20:11-15
We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

We may wish we could avoid taking moral inventory; it's normal to want to hide from personal examination. But in our heart we probably sense that a day will come when we will have to face the truth about ourself and our life.
The Bible tells us there is a day coming when an inventory will be made of every life. No one will be able to hide. In John's vision he saw "a great white throne, and I saw the one who was sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the things written in the books, according to what they had done....And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:11-12, 15).
It is best to do our own earthly moral inventory now so we can be ready for the one to come. Anyone whose name is in the Book of Life will be saved, including all whose sins have been atoned for by the death of Jesus. Those who refuse God's offer of mercy are left to be judged on the basis of their own deeds recorded in "the books." No one will pass that test! Perhaps now is a good time to make sure that our name is in the right book. Knowing that our sins are covered with Ggod's forgiveness can help us examine our life fearlessly and honestly.

[journeygal]

Pernell, what a powerful thread. Thank you for this spiritual guide through the 12 steps.

[Pernell Johnson]

Freedom Through Confession
Bible Reading:Romans 2:12-15
We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

All of us struggle with our conscience, trying to make peace within our own heart, We may deny what we have done, find excuses, or try to squirm out from beneath the full weight of our conduct. We may work hard to be "good," trying to counteract our wrongs. We do everything we can to even out the score. In order to put the past to rest, however, we must stop rationalizing our sins and admit the truth.
We are all born with a built-in alarm that alerts us when we do wrong. God holds everyone accountable: "In their hearts they know right from wrong. They demonstrate that God's law is written within them, for their own consciences either accuse them or tell them they are doing what is right"
(Romans 2:14-15).

In Step Five we set out to stop this internal struggle and admit that wrong is wrong. It is time to be honest with God and ourself about our cover-ups and the exact nature of our wrongs. We need to admit the sins we have committed and the pain we have caused others. We may have spent years constructing alibis, coming up with excuses, and trying to plea-bargain. It is time to come clean. It is time to admit what we know deep down inside to be true: "Yes, I'm guilty as charged."
There is no real freedom without confession. What a relief it is to finally give up the weight of our lies and excuses. When we confess our sins, we will find the internal peace we lost so long ago. We will also be one step closer to recovery.

Pernell,

I've noticed that a lot of people here continue to feel guilty after they have told the truth. Have you run into that and do you have suggestions of how to handle it?

Thanks,
MG

[Pernell Johnson]

Morning Glory, I have stated time nad time again when the step is don and especially the confession, it is supposed to be with a sponsor. The sponsor would give the sponsee guidance and relieve the guilt, shame and low-self-esteem that would overtake the sponsee who is confessing. The people you refer to are not taking direction, are trying to truly find their way down the path of recovery. "Fakin" is a word that comes to mind. Sincerity, honesty and a willingness to forgive and be forgiven is the way of the recovery principles involved. The guilt dissapates of his it own and leaves nothing behind but a grateful recovering addict. My experience indicates that many are called but only a few are chosen.


Just for Today--------------------------I am Sober

[Pernell Johnson]

Removed, Not Improved

Bible Reading: Romans 6:5-11
We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character

Most of us have made numerous attempts at self-improvement. Perhaps we have consciously tried to improve our attitudes, our education, our appearance, or our habits. We may have had success in self-improvement on some level. However, when it comes to our struggles with defects of character, chances are we have experienced only deep frustration.
There is a reason for our frustration. These character defects can only be removed, never improved! The illustration given us in the Bible is that our sins and defects of character must be put to death, as Jesus was, with the hope of new life to follow. The apostle Paul wrote: "Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin" (Romans 6:6). "THose who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there" (Galatians 5:24).

There is no Band-Aid cure for our sins and defects of character. They have been fatally wounded and must die on the cross. This process is never easy. Who goes to a crucifixion without some measure of anxiety? But when we accept this and allow God to remove our defects, we will be pleasantly surprised by the new life that awaits us.