Conquering Addiction: Who's in charge?

Seeing someone you love struggle with a drug addiction or other addiction will wear you down mentally. It will depress those who seem to be of the strongest character. Those who feel as though they can do something to free their addict of the prison of drugs are the ones who will be in for the biggest fall and let downs of life. This is because there is nothing you can DO to stop your addict from using. You, their loved ones are totally powerless in this matter. The addict has lost control of his or her life and you as their loved one can never gain back that control of what they have lost. It is not in our power to do such things.

We all sit idly by and must watch the devastation and chaos that is their life unfold as they veer further off the right course in life.

What spouse of an addict has not experienced these feelings of helplessness? Which parent of the addict has not known the depths of this decline? We know all too well. Conquering drug addiction is the job of the addict coupled with the love and support of those around him.

The addict is the one who has allowed the addictive substance into his life. It was his open arms that welcomed it. If addiction is to be conquered, it must be the addict who severs the relationship once and for all.

Many addicts wish to pull their loved ones into the fray by begging and pleading for help from them. Now we as their loved ones wish to help in whatever way we can for as long as possible, but it is ultimately up to the addict to get clean and to stay clean. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Why do many addicts seem to go on for many years without getting clean and changing the course of their lives?

I believe that many of them continue on in their addictions far longer than they would have to because they are being enabled by those who love them.

Well meaning loved ones will often give money and other means to score drugs to their addicted loved ones and this will enable the addict to carry on his dangerous lifestyle. I have enabled addicts before, but I don't anymore.

When the loved ones of addicts fully grasp the truth that their addict cares more for the drugs than they do them, this is when the enabling behavior stops.

The addict truly does care more for their drug of choice more than they do their loved one's feelings or needs. This is sad but true. The structure that surrounds the drug addicts life is totally geared toward scoring and doing more drugs. This is what it's all about for them. The addict may care about what his actions are doing to you, it's just that when the rubber meets the road, they care more about their drugs.

Many years ago I decided I would stop enabling the addicts in my own life and would turn all of my cares and worries about them over to the lord in prayer. This is when my life took a turn for the better. Giving into an addicts whims is draining. It will depress you and take your life away if you let it. All of you who are in a similar circumstance must let go and let God get into the center of your addicts destructive mess which is his life.

A Second Warning for America

For some years I have written on the topic of the downfall of the United States. The reasons for America’s approaching downfall and recent decline are many. It is my opinion that for years America has shown God its back and not its face. Many in America do not feel that they need God anymore. The lady of freedom snubs her nose and turns away her face from the very creator who gave her the freedom she has enjoyed for many years. My first warning was back in 2004.

In a nutshell, here is what we face:

Due to our lack of repentance, we will suffer. This is by our own choice and God has nothing to do with it. When we as a people do not repent of our sins and of our failure to recognize the God who made us, we will be chastised and suffer in numerous ways. I cannot get away with turning my back on God and you cannot get away with it either. The mercy of God is greater than any other, but it is not eternal in the face of stubborn and proud man. He is long-suffering, not wanting any to perish in their sins, but we have our part to do as well. Our part is to recognize that we have turned our back on God and to repent.

I gave a warning previously. I am now prepared to say more.
1. There will be a great earthquake in California and will involve the ever active San Andreas fault.
2. The inadequate guarding of our southern and northern border of the United States will prove to be one of the biggest causes of our demise. Terrorist cells will grow and escalate in America due to our open borders.
3. There will be terrorist attacks in random cities in the United States.
4. These attacks will escalate and will ultimately lead to WW3.
5. There will (possibly) be a military draft and because of this, there will be martial law in our country and great chaos. Americans will not go along with a draft willingly. But due to escalating attacks in our nation, the call will go out for one.
6. Chaos and destruction coupled with an escalation and progression of terrorist acts, there will be great bloodshed and fear.
7. Financial ruin for the United States is a certainty and I have written about this for years .

Doubt and Disbelief

Many will choose to disregard these warnings as they have heard some or all of them before. Regardless of how the Lord has prepared us for these incidents, we will all be shocked and find ourselves in a state of utter disbelief at what will be occurring in our own nation. We in America could never imagine chaos and deep lamentations would be at our very doorsteps. We had better wake up; we had better be ready to meet our maker.

What did we bring into this life?

Just as we are reminded of in the scriptures, we brought nothing into this life and it is a certainty that we can take nothing with us when we depart it.

1 Timothy 6:7

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

Think of it this way, if you were to die today, what would happen to you? If you are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, you have no need to worry. If you have shrugged off salvation and the truth that we are offered by him, you have every reason to fear.

Knowing that these things will happen what should we think and do? We should get the truth in us if we are lacking it. The truth I speak of is the word of God, The bible. This truth illuminates and empowers us with strength, love and faith. It then enables us to live this life without fear and with much love and compassion for others.

God protecting his children and the fiery furnace
Do I believe that God will protect his own during the dark days that are soon coming upon our nation?

Yes, I do. However, lately I have been gaining more insight into how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego felt when they were faced with the fiery furnace. Below is the commandment of the king put to them:

The king said:
15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

Here is the response from the children of God:
Daniel 3:
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

I believe that we must get this down in our spirits. We must understand and accept that no matter what we may face, we will not allow ourselves to succumb to the powers of evil and what they may do to us. Jesus talked about this and how we are to respond to it:
Matthew 10:28
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

This is my nation. I do not want chaos and destruction to come to it. But I know that due to our lack of repentance, these things will most likely come to pass in our lifetime. Because of our culture of self , we will pay a high price.

Many years ago I had a dream. I will not go into the full explanation of the dream, but I will just say that it was frightening to me. At the end of it, right before I woke, I saw a bible with threads of light flowing out from it and through its pages. The vision of this bible was to be my answer and helper to the fear the dream had brought upon me. I was being nudged by God to get those words of truth and light down into my spirit and heart. This was the remedy for all the fears and grief that I would face and that others would face in the future. We must work now, while we are able, to get the truth of God’s word down into our hearts. While we are able, we should pray and draw closer to God than ever before. This is the most vital part of our preparation for the dark days ahead.

Forgiving others is easier if we remember these things

Forgiving others is saying "I was once like you", and because of this, I can relate and have compassion upon you. I can forgive you because I have been forgiven. In forgiving you, I will give what I have received. We don't always have to know the reasons why people do the things they do but we always know the one who teaches us forgiveness - The Lord Jesus Christ.

The facts are: We have all done things that we are ashamed of and regret. We have all at one time or another gotten off the right path in life and have been led astray. If we say we have not, we are deceived. To say that we have not done this, we lie, because if this were true, if our lives have always been spotless, this would make us equal with Jesus, the spotless and sinless lamb who was slain for our sins.

Too much of the time, we Christians have selective memory. We forget those times in our life before we came to Christ. I know we do this, because we are much too hypocritical towards those that are out of the way - the unsaved.

The Apostle Paul was a very humble person. He talked of his life and what it was like before coming to Christ.

Galatians 1: 13For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

Some more on Paul's conversion:

Acts 9:

1And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

2And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them (christians) bound unto Jerusalem.

3And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

4And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Paul persecuted the church of God and caused trouble and pain to Christians in many ways, yet God brought him out of this.

This enabled Paul to extend compassion and forgiveness to others in his life. This is the way it should be with us as well. I don't want to forget what Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit has brought me out of. If I forget, I will lose my compassion and mercy that I should be showing others I meet in this life.

What is wrong with hypocritical and judgmental Christians today? They suffer from forgetting what Christ pulled them out of. How can you truly be thankful for your life, salvation and truth that God gives if you don't remember where you came from?

I know Christians who say we are to forget all of our past, forget about everything that went on with us before we came to Christ, but I tend to disagree.

I believe that God allows us to remember our past for these very important reasons:

1. So we won't go back to what he brought us out of.

2. To keep us humble.

3. To teach us about forgiveness

4. To give HIM the glory for what we've come out of.

During your life walk, don't neglect to remember what God has brought you out of. His mercy and forgiveness is rich toward us, so let's extend that mercy and forgiveness toward others. Let's all give what we have received from him.

Tracking Humans: Technology Gone Awry

In the days we live in, tracking humans is now a reality. From the paroled convict released with an ankle tracking device, to the microchip inserted under the skin of our pets in case they are lost.

We will only see an increase in the capability of man to track and spy on his fellow man as we get closer to the Lord’s return. Let me be clear, I believe that the tracking of human beings will be used for evil purposes sometime in the future. At this present time tracking technology has it's good side such as the ability to locate children and pets which are lost or keeping track of an ex-con. If we could only be assured that there would always be limits imposed which would protect us against this technology going haywire and turning on us. We are told in the bible that in the last days, a man of sin will appear who will exude great power over the entire earth.

I believe the technology that made it possible to track human beings will be utilized by this man of sin we read about in the bible, the Antichrist.

2 Thessalonians 2:

3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

In the United States, we have seen many laws passed that make it more “legal” to spy on American citizens. Warrant less wiretapping is only the latest of these laws that our president has sought to gain approval for.

First let me say that the ones who are yelling the loudest in favor of these tactics are control freaks who feel they are above those they spy on and track. They believe themselves to be superior to others. Those who are for this technology which is used to track people and spy on them see us as cattle that are to be herded in the direction of their choosing. There is not one thing Godly about that folks. It is downright scary.

Are you just a number?

In order to control people, you must know where they are and what they are doing. What would you do if in the future you could not gain access to the internet unless you were willing to scan your hand or eye before connecting? There is a real possibility that the services we all enjoy and have at our disposal today may not always be readily available to us unless we submit to the powers who seek to control us in this earth.

For the sake of fighting terrorism

We have seen many laws change and affect our freedoms since 9-11. These changes were all passed for the sake of the “war on terror”. Funny how our freedoms are slowly but surely diminishing, yet Osama Ben Laden has not been brought to justice or found since the attacks occurred. Have you ever wondered about that? I know I have.

Military Commissions Act of 2006 and overturning the Posse Comitatus Act

Many are not paying attention to the laws that are being overturned and changed. Some of these have been changed very recently. According to an excerpt in an article by Mike Whitney: “After passing the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (which allows the president the arrest whomever he chooses without charges) and overturning the Posse Comitatus Act (the president is now free to deploy the military within America against US citizens), the Bush administration is as ready as they can be. Apparently, they feel like they can manage the public shock and outrage with detention camps and water cannons”.1

These actions we are seeing come to pass have a purpose for those who will be in control in the last days. In the book of Revelation, we read that the Antichrist will cause all to receive a mark in their right hand or forehead and the person that refuses it will be unable to buy or sale anything in the last days:

16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

The technology that has made the mark of the beast possible started many years ago.

Taking a stand for God

What it all will come down to will be us taking a stand for God. It will be a test unlike any other that has faced mankind since time began and will be very similar to the test that Daniel was given when he was told to bow down to the statue Nebuchadnezzar had made. Because Daniel wouldn’t bow, he was thrown into the fiery furnace but God delivered him!

Health care and the tracking chip:

Health care is a large and looming problem for us all. It could be that in the future, we may be asked to take a chip under the skin for insurance or health purposes.

If you are a diabetic and must have insulin and other diabetes supplies, what would you do? Sure, we all think that if such a thing happened, we would make such a fuss that the Government would have to listen to us, but folks, they don’t have to listen to us. They don’t have to do anything. Our days of holding influence over what the Government decides to do are slowly ending. We should understand and see this from the current actions those in the Administration have taken the past four years.

Computers, Scanners, and Microchips and Radio Frequency Identification

We are told knowledge will increase in the last days, those days right before Jesus’ return. The book of Daniel points this out:

Daniel 12:4

4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

Satan has always been behind the control of man. Many have the idea that God is controlling. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is true that some misguided Christians have attempted over the years to control their fellow man, but never God. God gives us free choice and does nothing to manipulate and control us. On the other hand, Satan, who is influencing many to do his bidding on this earth, is primarily all about the manipulation and control of God’s creation: Mankind.

A very informative interview with Liz McIntyre, author of "Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track your Every Move with RFID" can be found here.

Cell Phones and Technology Ridden Vehicles

Every cell phone carries within it a Geo positional Satellite. With this technology it is now possible to find people if they carry a cell phone. This is great if you are lost, but what if you do not want to be found? New vehicles come with this function as well. If you lock your keys in your car, you can call up a particular company and have them unlock it for you! Why in our present day, is it so important for our lives to be fraught with these satellite tracking devises? I know it is because we are living in the days that the Lord spoke of.

Human Microchip Implants

In 2004, Verichip got approval to market it’s device in the United States. Folks, time is slowly drawing to a close. The freedoms and peace we have enjoyed will not last forever. We need to be informed.

There are movements to fight the spreading use of human microchip implants. Once such website is “No verichip Inside Movement: We the people will not be chipped ”check them out.

1. http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_1411.shtml