Finding The Value In The Outcast

"In that day," says the Lord,

"I will assemble the lame.

I Will gather the outcast, and those whom

I have afflicted.

I will make the lame a remnant,

And the outcast as strong nation."

so the Lord will reign over them in
Mount Zion from now on, even forever.

Recovery.....real recovery....is not possible with the empowering presence of Christ in a person's life. Oh, it is possible to stop using. It is possible to quit drinking. I know plenty who have simply "white knuckled" it and have willed themselves to not drink or use. But such are usually hard and their lives reflect the hardness. Quick to inject their view of their accomplishment of sobriety, they look down on others who cannot achieve what they have done. The "white-knuckler's" are usually very vocal against any mention of Jesus or God during a meeting. Such would take away from their feat of sobriety. Am I picking on these individuals? No. I celebrate their sobriety. But I mourn for the life they will never have. I mourn for the anger and bitterness they carry around. I mourn for the relationship they don't have, with the one who created them.

It is my true belief that since 1998, God has been at the forefront of raising up a community of men and women who have been delivered from the dark life of addiction. Those who have been part of receiving this new life have formed a strong nation, and it is my privilege and honor to be able to count them as friends. More than friends, they are my brothers and sisters in Christ. God is delivering a people, just as He did with the Hebrews when they were in slavery in Egypt. He is calling them out of the chains and slavery of addiction. Never was the Egyptian as hard a task master as addiction is. It demands a surrender of everything you hold dear. It takes your family, all your relationships,your property, your money, your freedom, your health.....and eventually your life. Death doesn't free the user, death only cements their destiny based on their choices, or lack of choice, made during their life. In other words, if the individual does not turn will and life over to the care of God (Salvation), then death becomes the exclamation point to a life that was stolen by the devil. Death proclaims, "One more for the kingdom of darkness."

That is why I'm so passionate about reaching out to people who are in addiction. To show them the Father and His love. To introduce them to Jesus, the One who can free them...and to teach them about the Holy Spirit...the comforter...the guide and teacher who will guide them daily. So that they can have more than recovery.........that they can have more than sobriety.....that they can have, and experience real life. Not merely exist in a drug induced haze of lies and half truths.

But coming to such truth can be a bit overwhelming to the one experiencing it. That is why Vineyard Recovery Church exists. We are a birthing room, if you will, where a person can learn about this new life. A place where their questions can be answered, if possible, and they become more aware of how to live in a new way. As they grow and mature, then we want to direct them to a fellowship that can meet their needs, that will become a home for them. Of course, we are not opposed to them wishing to make VRC their church home, but we leave that part up to God.

If you have a free Saturday night, come out and join us....
Our meeting is open and you do not have to be in addiction to attend.
We are about recovery....

Last time I checked, we are all recovering from the fall in the garden.

God on you...

mb