Step # 12 - Having had a spiritual awakening, we try to carry the message of Christ's grace and restoration power to others who are chemically dependent and to practice these principals in every aspect of our lives.

I Thessalonians 2:12 - So that you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own Kingdom and glory.

Thought: God continues to transform my life as I walk in His principals.

Step # 12 is the "give away" step.
By sharing our message and being there for others who are trapped in addiction, we are unknowingly helping our own recovery and sobriety. It is the Spirit of God inside that we are learning to listen to and follow in our every day decision making. Not relying on our own wisdom or understanding. We now have a clearly defined set of live giving boundaries in which to live and work and play. The 12 steps are these boundaries that we find a spacious, good life in.

Practicing the 12 steps means incorporating the principals into our thoughts and behaviors every day. It means admitting our powerlessness in difficult situations. It means believing and trusting God to take care of the things that we cannot. It means turning our situations and ourselves over to Him, and it means continuing to take our inventories, make our amends and deepen our relationship with God.

Today....
Just today....
I will trust you, God.
I will trust you with my life, both here and in eternity.
I will trust you with my family.
I will trust you that you will in fact guide me and give me insight and wisdom through your direction to make not just good choices today, but godly choices.
I thank you for this 24-hour period you have given to me today as a present.
I pray that I spend the 24 hours wisely and not squander them away on my own selfishness.
I look to you to reveal the "real" me in every situation.
That I may put aside any wrong or sin that you show me, through repentance and confession.
You are God...
I am not...
Help to remember my place in this relationship.
I bless you and thank you for another day of sobriety and for allowing me to participate in Your Kingdom rule here on earth, in my town and in my home.
I thank you for the physical, tangible Word that you have given to us and that you have given me a hunger to not just read it, but to study it.
Help me, Lord, to give away through the telling of my story to others.
In Jesus name...
Amen...

God on you.....
mb

What A Beautiful Name

Revelation 2:13
"I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith......"

Yesterday I found myself @ Eastaboga Baptist church with my son and his family. The church family was having a special service in their newly built family center. The guest artist were the Kempter Family.
As you can tell from the video I posted, they are extremely talented.

As sat there, listening, taking it all in, I was taken by the song "What A Beautiful Name". You could just sense the presence of God as the voices filled that room, which caused me to consider the name of Jesus.

We know through scripture that His is the name by which we are saved. There is no other way. His is the name that, when sounded at the end, will cause every knee to bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. I want to be in the group that falls to their knees our of love and reverence for that name, not the other one who is driven to their knees because of the Power of that name.

All this thinking about the name of Christ caused me to see that if you don't have a relationship with Jesus...If you've never been saved, then His name means nothing to you. It carries no weight against the darkness that has enveloped your mind. A darkness so thick and powerful that you can't see truth...you can't understand the spiritual state you are living in. Kind of like when you live in active addiction where your entire existence does not make sense. When life doesn't make sense, we rationalize that others are wrong, not us. We live a lie and what's worse, we live in a lie. 

But that name....
That beautiful name...
That wonderful name....
The name of Jesus has the power to liberate, heal, and restore.
Jesus claimed that He had come to "SAVE THAT WHICH WAS LOST!"
When He says "Lost" he is laying claim to everyone and everything that has been taken by the devil and his lying minions to be held captive under the sway and power of sin.

Think on the name of Christ today...
Let it take root deep in your heart...
Say it out loud so you can hear it with your own ears.
He is there with you.
What a beautiful name!!

God on you...
mbb

The Need To Understand How To Pray Effectively

Prayer....

Most misunderstood portion of having

relationship with God and the

dynamics that take place between

us and God.

We pray small prayers....
We pray wrong prayers.....

We pray "wordy" prayers...

We pray bold prayers....
We pray doubtful prayers...

I don't know that I have all the answers

to prayer.

I think prayer is something that God

teaches you how to do.
After all, Jesus' disciples asked him,

"Teach us how to pray."

It is an ongoing communication that takes place

as I grow in Him and learn what fills His heart.

I want to breathe back to God what

He has breathed out on me that has stirred my

heart to communicate with Him.

I think this is prayer.

David (the King...remember him...shepherd boy...giant killer?)

wrote in Psalm 4:3 that

"Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for

himself. The Lord will hear when I call to him."

God has set apart or sanctified those who have

accepted him (born again/ saved), and

in this setting apart, God proclaims that He

will hear when we call to Him.

He will hear, but He will answer according

to His will and plan.

God always answers our prayers.

He does so in 3 ways....

1.) yes

2.) No

3.) Not yet

and in these three possible answers to our prayers

we find the will of God. His desire is that we obey.

I love to pray.
I keep a running prayer all day long as I move about.

Throwing up sentence prayers for situations and

for people around me.

In the middle of talking, I am also taking time

to listen for God's answer.

I love to pray.

It's all part of the package when you come to Christ.

It's a comforting part when you ask and then see
God move on your request.

It builds your faith.

It causes you to trust God more.

It is the open heaven, communication link

that keeps me sane here on this insane planet.
Gotta love it!

mb

Danny

Got the news yesterday morning.....
Danny Moon had shed the confines of this world, and had gone home.
No more pain....
No more doctors....
No more hospitals...
He was free...
I wanted to be sad....
I did cry...
But that was the selfish part of me that doesn't want to let go of friends and loved ones as we've all grown older. Seems to happen with alarming frequency these days.
But in my heart, I could never move beyond...."Danny is free!!!"

Images and memories of Danny flooded my mind, and to be truthful, I don't think there was a bad one in the whole bunch.
Going through the door at Gadsden Music, Danny would be helping someone, or he'd be behind the counter working on somebody's guitar. He'd be standing there with that big ol' goofy grin on his face, cutting lose with a big, "Hey man! How are you? What can I do for you?" Like most every other musician in this county, I probably bought more than my fair share from Danny.

Danny bailed me out more than once when I was doing our Saturday service "THE HOUSE OF BLUE" back in the days of recovery. Someone would not be able  play on our worship team...I would call Danny up asking if he could fill in...
"Sure. What time do I need to be there." There is something about musicians that brings up their ego (especially if they are talented), but I never heard or saw Danny play that ego card. He was incredibly humble. Danny just loved to play. Danny loved to surround himself with other musicians, and seem to feed off of what they brought to a song.

I went into my office and sat down at my computer.
Words seem to float into my mind, so I wrote them down.
I grabbed my guitar and begin to put some chords down.
Thank you Lord for letting me know Danny.
I know I'll see him again some day when it's my turn to leave this ol' world.
Isn't that what real life is all about....
The Hope that God plants in us that no matter how much sadness this world tries to drown us in, God is bigger.
Until we meet again Danny...thank you for being a friend.

DANNY

One by one I've seen them fall

In this journey we call life

Pushing ahead, they never gave up

Dealing pain, the grief and the strife

The world was richer and I was a

better man

to be surrounded by all of these friends.

We made some music

Sang a song or two

Now the songs seem empty 

because we are few

One more soul has gone home...
One more soul has gone home.

Psalm 116:15

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

God on you...

mbb

REAL HOPE

Life is a funny thing....
Not in the sense that it is humorous....at times it is.
Not in the sense that it is tragic.....we all have experienced this part.
But in the sense that as hard as we may try, we can never seem to grasp it by
the throat and make it do what we wish it to.
To navigate the in's and out's to fit our own needs, wants and desires.
Life seems to have us by the coat tails dragging us, sometimes kicking and screaming, into the future.
Reading Chuck Swindoll this morning, I came across this bit of wisdom

Hope is  wonderful gift from God.

A source of strength and courage we need

in order to face life.

When we are trapped in a tunnel of misery, hope points to the

light at the end.

When we are exhausted and overworked, hope gives us fresh energy

When we are discouraged, hope lifts our spirits.

When we lose our way and confusion blurs the destination,

hope dulls the edge of panic.

When we struggle with a crippling disease or a lingering illness,

hope helps us persevere beyond the pain.

When we fear the worst, hope brings reminders that God is still

in control.

When we must endure the consequences of bad decisions

hope fuels our recovery.

When we find ourselves unemployed, hope tells us that we

still have a future.

When we are forced to sit back and wait, hope gives us

patience to trust.

When we feel rejected and abandoned, hope reminds us

we're not alone......we'll make it.

When we say our final farewell to someone we love,

hope in the life beyond gets us through our grief.

To put it in simple terms, when life hurts and dreams fade, nothing heals us like hope Not hope as the world defines it, but hope which has a name.
That name would be Jesus.

I Peter 1:3

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a "living hope" through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Hope?
Don't leave home without Him!!!

God on you...

mbb

Thanky....Thanky....Thanky!!!

Psalm 100:4
Enter His gates with thanksgiving. Go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and bless His name.

The devil (yes, Virginia there is a devil) is a mean motor-scooter and wants to mess with our heads a.k.a minds.
He wants us to stay focused on what we don't have in this life....
To measure our existence based on how terrible things are for us and around us.....
What a bunch of loser's he tries to make us out to be.
In other words, he doesn't want us to think on the things of God.
The Psalm passage says we are to enter into the rule of God, the presence of God with thanksgiving.
So what do I have to be thankful for today....
1.) A great family.....the Bynum's aren't perfect, but dog gone it, we are a fun bunch. My wife, Vicki...if ever there was physical, tangible evidence of a godly woman, it is Vicki. Everything you read in Proverbs 31 is true. My sons, Chad and Josh....godly men with a heart for the Kingdom. Daughters-in-law, Heather and Robin......the same as Vicki, women of integrity and love of God. Two grand children, Tyler and Ashley....the love of my life.

2.) My health. I have been blessed beyond measure with good health (so to speak). Oh there are days when I crawl out of bed and my bones and joints sound like a bowl of Rice Krispies ,but that is all part of growing older. There is only one alternative if you don't want to grow old.........that is die young.

3.) Friends. I have been blessed to have some really great people in my life. They make me a better man. Their lives are an encouragement to not give up or go back to old ways.

4.) My relationship with God. Saved in 1961. Up and down over the next few years. Really on fire 1968 through 1972. Walked in darkness from 1972 till 1979. 1980-1991 began a journey of chasing God. 1991-1993 preparation for what is happening today in my life. 1993-2006 training/ ordination/ full time ministry. 2006-2013 Staff pastor at Rapha Treatment Center. God bringing everything full circle as I returned to the Vineyard in 2013.  Through it all....through my foul ups and my "getting it right" God has been the one constant. I am thankful and grateful for His presence and His grace in my life.

I could go on and on listing things I am grateful for.
Coffee.....
Color TV....
Dogs......
Morning rain......
Good sounding guitars and people who know how to play....
Nori, Barbie Kelley.
Danny Daniels.....
The Barnett's ....John and Marie
My car....The Notorious Gray Goose.....
Early morning rain....
Breakfast with Jim Bentley @ Jacks on Monday
Breakfast with Wayne and Barry @ Hardee's on Wednesday (Yep! I am part of the codger club)
The sound of Owls at night.
And most of all....
At the top of the list....
No...
Beyond the top of the list....
Jesus Christ.....
Today I am grateful....

God on you....
mb

Knowing The Truth

Reprint From 2009 Greene Street Letters

Sometimes in the process of putting together a message for our service, I will find myself parked in certain portions of Scripture that seem really odd at first glance. Such was the case yesterday as I was reading in Luke. It being the Christmas season, I though it might be good to begin to look into the portions of scripture that deal with the birth of Jesus.
Reading in Luke chapter 1, I found myself locked onto a particular verse........verse 4.

"So that you may know the certainty of the things that you have been taught."

Luke writing to a man named Theophilus wanting to provide for him an orderly account of the events surrounding Jesus' life and death (and resurrection). Luke driven by the thought of wanting his friend to know, understand, come to grips with and be settled once and for all time in his mind and life the value and truth of all that he had been taught.

Do you know without a shadow of doubt of the certainty of the things you have been taught? Or do you find yourself swayed and buffeted by popular opinion? Everyone has an opinion, especially during this time and day. Each person holds high their opinion as being a banner of truth. Truth has become an understanding that has no part in the everyday practice and ability to live life.
Truth may be that it is alright for you to be unfaithful to your spouse.
Or that cheating on your taxes is not a bad thing as long as you don't get caught.
When we do not know the certainty of the things we have been taught, then we are open to compromise and we will trade the eternal things of God for the shiny, flashy, temporary things of this world.

If we are not being taught the basic Biblical principals of God, how can we expect to live a life that is truly within the calling of salvation? We somehow have a constructed a religion that has found its place in the mainstream of Christianity that allows for the sin to be forgiven and justified without asking anything of the sinner. That is why it is important for you to know the certainty of the things you have been taught. If you are not being taught or you consider such things a foolishness ask yourself this question, "Why am I upset by reading this post?" Is it that the Holy Spirit has uncovered things in your life that you thought were o.k. but, in truth, were an offense to God?

Repent and turn to God.
Become a student of the Word of God.
Ask God to show you how to live.
Do it!

God on you...........
mb

The REAL Addiction

Amos 6:6 (The Message Bible)
Woe to those addicted to feeling good-----life without pain

This was part of the message that Amos spoke to the people of Israel and warn them of the evil that has crept into their lives. Silent, subtle evil that move hearts and minds from worshiping God and turn inward to worship "self".

The funny part (not ha-ha funny) is that a person who was living in this manner could still go through the ritual and practice of worship. They could attend each time the door was opened. They could bring their sacrifices and offer them. Give to the poor....help the needy, and yet at the same time be as lost as the ones they are trying to serve.

Now I will be the first to admit that I do not like pain. The bottom line is that pain is a part of life. I'm not going to go looking for it, but, at the same time, I'm not going to live my life in such a manner that all my efforts are not poured into "feeling good".

I love television commercials.
Did you ever notice the beer ads? It's usually a group of young people all hanging out, having fun, talking and laughing. (and oh yeah....everyone looks like they just stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine). No pain in this ad. Life is party hearty...
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not one who thinks you're suppose to measure your religion by the droop of your frown...Or that we are all to be a continuous bunch of suffering servants. But our comfort and pleasure should not the driving force in our hearts.

We pray "Your Kingdom come, You're kingdom-will be done, here on earth as it is being carried out in heaven." How can I focus on my own comfort when I have just prayed to make myself  available for God's will to be done? Praying, "Lord! Here I am. Use me."  As with any addiction, the intent and focus is "self". Meeting the needs, wants and desires of "Self" at the expense of everyone and everything else. Maybe there is a greater danger living this way than we realize. After all, didn't Jesus tell us in Luke 9:23 that if we truly want to follow after Him...to have a relationship with Him that we have to deny ourselves? That His call to follow outweighs my need for comfort? I think maybe He did. Not a very popular message, but one that is necessary for me to hear, and live.

Think on this...
God on you..
mbb

"Really? You're Going Back?"

Psalm 119:9
How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.

Rainy, rainy day....
Turned off H'way 77 and started down that stretch of road I've driven countless times. I was going home.
Not home as where I live, but home where my heart is.
Rapha....
It's been a back and forth relationship with the men who come into treatment there. There have been seasons where God leads me back to teach and serve, and then after a time, He will tell me to pull back and wait. But even in the "pulling back" seasons, I still go out to Rapha to stay connected.

Back in 1998 when I started going out to Rapha, It was about the program. My allegiance was to the program...to share what it meant to those first coming in to receive treatment. In 2004, i was asked to join the staff as the pastor over the facility.  But in 2013, after God led us back to Gadsden Vineyard to start Vineyard ReCovery, things changed. The focus was now on the men. Funny part in all of this, at that time, God put me in a position to be there for the staff also. To make myself available to pray for, counsel with, and encourage those who worked for Rapha.

Yesterday, Barry Hooks and I met at Rapha to begin teaching afternoon classes three days a week. 

Using the material from the series "SEARCH FOR SIGNIFICANCE"....we have taken 7 weeks of material and boiled it down to 7 sessions. This had to be done in order to make sure everyone got at least a start to learning what really is their addiction "problem." 

We met in the chapel and it was a good start. Barry taught the first session, and I think the one point that set the table and standard for this teaching is the simple fact that Barry shared....
He said, "This is where I got sober, referring to Rapha. And this is where I found God."

It let the men know that Barry knew exactly what they were going through. That Barry had fought his battles over in Dorm # 2 /  Room #2. 

Today, I will teach the sessions, and I'm looking forward to it. I guess today's posting is my way of keeping you up to date on what's going on, as well as asking you to please pray for Barry and I as we establish ourselves once again at Rapha. 

How long will be do this? Only as long as God tells us to and gives us grace to carry it out. Oh yeah, by the way.....just to let you know. Six men were saved in our first session. That God!!!! He's something else isn't He?

God on you...
mbb

LOSER

Matthew 10:39
"He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."

Got to speak at Catalyst Recovery last night (one of my favorite places to go, and the focus for the month of November is on the word "LOSER".

There are actually two ways, according to Jesus, of looking at this label of "loser". The world uses the word to describe someone who will not, or cannot succeed. People in addiction are labeled as losers by family and friends. While others may not call a person this to their face....the label is real. When that label sticks to an individual hard and fast, that person will typically give up. "What's the use in trying? I've failed at everything, any attempt at recovery will only end in the same way." I would refer to such belief as a "false belief". The idea behind these thoughts goes something like this...."I am what I am...I cannot change...I am hopeless."

But what does Jesus says?
quiet the opposite.
He tells us that if we turn loose of our old life....
If we "lose" it and turn to Him, then we will find new life.
We are shedding ourselves of this old mentality of being hopeless...
In order to embrace a new way of looking at, and facing every day life.
So as a "LOSER" for Christ, what do we loose?
Well, for one thing, the police won't have anything to do with you anymore.
Judges will not want to see you in their courtroom.
CRO and Community corrections will take your file and store it away, not expecting you in their office.
Old so called "friends" will not be a part of your life.
There will be old places you won't want to go to.
In other words, you lose a lot of spiritual darkness that only added to, and fueled your desire to chase the high.

I'm may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but that sounds like a good deal to me. So why not proclaim at the top of your lungs...
"Hey world! I'm a loser for Jesus!"

Make it a good Monday.
God on you...
mbb

Wimber @ Work

Jesus told the disciples to "Go ye therefore into all the world".....
But He gave them instructions to carry out what they had learned from Him.
This involved letting the Holy Spirit demonstrate power among those the disciples came in contact with.

Somehow we have the idea that if we can just teach the right words then we can convince people to come to Jesus. If I can just masterfully put together the right message with the right verses someone will get saved.

What I have seen over the years I've been in ministry is that you have a balance between the Word and the Spirit. You teach the word, but you leave room and an opportunity for the Spirit to operate. You "listen" and ask the question..."What do you want to do Lord?" It might be healing someone. It may be a word of knowledge for someone that opens the door to them believing. It may be conviction of sin that draws them to Jesus. But we have to shed ourselves of this notion that words and a method are all we need. 

In recovery, we talk about a "Higher Power". Well, that Power is found in a person, and that person is Jesus. It's not enough to simply talk about the steps. Unless one has an encounter with Christ, then the steps simply become another set of rules that I can't carry out. I feel that it is  high time we invite the Holy Spirit to come and disrupt our meeting with His presence. To come and undo us all, reset our thinking and reveal His truth to us. Truth about ourselves in the light of truth about who this Jesus really is.

We've got to quit cowering in the corner afraid of our addition. If indeed there is a Higher Power, and if indeed this Higher Power wants to receive our will and life so He can live through our, then we should stand up and scream at the top of lungs...."Here I am Lord...Take me....Take all of me".

My time is short and I wish not to play some sort of religious game that makes us all feel good about ourselves. I desire "truth in the inner parts"....a truth that changes me. I care not what the world thinks of me, but of what my Lord thinks of me. I want to expend myself for Him. Simple as that. Why? Because He is the only thing worth living and dying for.

God on you...
mbb

He IS There!

John 11:36-37
The people who were standing nearby said, "see how much he loved him!" But some said, "This man healed a blind man. Couldn't he have kept Lazarus from dying?"

Jesus was standing at the tomb of Lazarus, a man who Jesus loved deeply. Jesus had eaten supper with Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. Now death, the great invader, had come to take Lazarus. But this death was to be a example and point to the glory of God.

Scripture said there were people standing "nearby". 
They were in close proximity to Jesus but were not next to Him.
Yet these two groups had made judgment based on what they say, concerning who Jesus truly was.
One was moved by His heart........"See how much Jesus loves Lazarus".
The other group moved by the fact that Jesus didn't go beyond and do more than what they were seeing.
Two groups who each had defined who Jesus was. Yet each of these groups stood off a distance and made their decisions based on what they saw. 

People still tend to act this way even today. People have opinions about who Jesus is and what he is doing.
One claims........oh Jesus is a God of love. His love supersedes everything else. Jesus wouldn't send you to hell. There is some truth to these statements. Jesus is love. Jesus gave his life for humanity. But there is a judgment side that must be handed out also. Read Revelation 19 and you won't see much of the loving Jesus in that chapter. You see a military Jesus, getting ready to come back in judgment. 

There is another group who is always criticizing the plans and works of God. Where was God in that tsunami that killed all those people? Where was God on 9/11? Where was God when that football player from Mississippi State died of Cancer? Where was God....Where was God...Where was God? These words come from hearts that truly do not know God. I make no claims to some kind of elite Christian. But what I know above all else is that no matter what happens in my life, good or bad, God is still God and He is still worthy to be worshiped. Sometimes in midst of pain and grief........when sorrow and darkness grip your very soul and you think, "I can't go on." It is there you find the sufficiency of Christ. That one bit of illumination that the Holy Spirit uses to break through and show you what real truth is.

So don't be one of those who stand at a distance and make assumptions about Jesus.
Enter into relationship with Him....
Be Saved....
Be Born Again.....
Be Redeemed......
Be all of the above and then live everyday up close and personal with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit in you.
I'm telling you this morning that even in the middle of all the mess of my own life........God is in control and He is worthy to be praised.

God on you.....
mb

The Art Of Prayer

Psalm 5:2-3
Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King and my God.
For to You I will pray. My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord.
In the morning I will direct it to You,  and I will look up (wait).

Prayer...
Praying....
Everyone does it to one degree or another.
There are some who pray continually.
Others are often referred to as "prayer warriors".
Some only pray when hard times come. When the pressure of life closes in to crush them under the weight of hopelessness. 
We may be serious about our praying.
We may do it out of habit.
We may do it because the options for life have run out and we don't know what else to do.
But we pray.
There are even some who pray even though they claim to not believe in God (Ain't that weird?).

Let me pose this question to you.
What if a group of people began to take prayer seriously?
What if they dedicated themselves to learn how to pray effectively.
What if this group knew all too well the power and danger of living in the darkness of addiction?
What if they were marshaled into an army whose soul purpose was to be intercessors between others who were in bondage to their addiction, and this God we claim has the power to deliver.

I believe that such an army could stand in proxy before God for others still out there.
I believe that such a group could be used by God to be a weapon against the kingdom of darkness. 
Psalm 107:20 tells us that He sent His word and healed them and delivered them from their destruction. What if we learned, through our prayers, how to breath back through prayer His word? That we learned how to speak it on behalf of those who are slowly dying because of addiction.

You see, it doesn't take a college degree to learn how to pray.
It takes a heart of faith that God indeed hears our cry and is moved to act upon our request.
We line our hearts up with His will, praying back to Him what the Spirit has placed on us.
What does that mean?
Think of it like this.
You have a concern for someone you know who is suffering.
The concern grows. What we may not realize is that it is the Spirit of God stirring us to pray for this person, as prayer is the currency of heaven that moves God.
So what do we do?
We begin to pray.
Not what we think we should pray...which usually comes out in the form of cliches and contrite words...but rather with words that convey what we are feeling in our hearts.

As we pray, we ask God, "What is my part in this?"
Am I suppose to go and speak truth in love?
Am I suppose to simply go and love on them?
Am I suppose to go and confront them?
The main thing is we keep praying, listening, and only acting when God instructs us to.
I know this may sound weird, but I have found value in moving in this manner.

Time is to short to stand by and watch others go over the abyss into hell. Not when we know a God who can save them and restore them.
Even as I am writing this, I'm sure that some who read it are having the thought, "I can't do that? I can't be a person who prays those kind of prayers? Well, the answer is "YES YOU CAN!" IN fact, the simple statement that you think you can't puts you at the top of God's list. Have you read the Bible? It's chocked full of those who think they "Can't".
Chew on this today and see what God tells you.

God on you..
mbb

Where Are You Getting Your Advice And Instruction?

Psalm 1:1
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly.....

This first chapter in the book of Psalm has always intrigued me, especially the first verse. First off there is the idea of receiving a blessing from God. You may be asking, "What is so strange about that?" Well, in the opening words, it states that we are blessed when we don't do something.  In this case, when we don't listen to advice from those who are living life outside of God's will. In other words, it's like going to a bar to ask the bartender "how do I quit drinking?" 

The very fact that you might seek counsel or advice from someone who stands outside of God's will shows the "bad" thinking you possess for yourself. I've seen this kind of mentality over and over when I was teaching out at Rapha (Faith-based treatment center). Clients who were there to be free from their addiction would listen to someone else who was in the program rather than the staff who was there to help them. Really? I'm going to receive counsel from someone else who is struggling with their own addiction? 

So what is the answer?
Easy.
Look to those who have more clean time than you do. They must know something that you don't. More importantly, look to those who recovery has been found in Christ. Those who are working the steps of discipline, and have a proven track record of sobriety. That is why I love to talk with Anthony Mintz, Barry Hooks, Seth Barber, Steve Brewster, Nick Johnson, Mark Branch, Mark Cotney...Ann Wynne..Jessica Hanney...and the list goes on of those who continue to fight the good fight, finding relief and real life in Christ.

The idea behind "Walking in bad advice" speaks of an ever increasing, deeper involvement with evil and wickedness. As I follow bad advice, the actions and choices I take become more and more evil and darker themselves. This leads to an ever increasing number of destructive behaviors. My life becomes more unstable as I travel daily in the wrong direction. 

Kind of weird when you really think about it, but Jesus plainly stated that in John 14:6 I AM THE WAY!" Everything good...everything proper...everything right is found when I listen to Jesus. "Well alright, Einstein! How do I do that?"
First off put yourself in a place where you can hear Him. Work the first three steps of the twelve steps. These steps are about confession of the wrong I've done.....Asking for forgiveness from the only One who can give it....and turning my will and life over to His care. In other words, get out of the drivers seat and let Him take control. Then I began to read the Scripture. Start in the book of John (the second book of the New testament). Try to find you a version of the Bible that you can easily read and understand. Find a meeting and start attending. One of the things that I dearly love is that there are a lot of good meetings out there, run by men and women who have found the value of a life found in Christ.

God on you...
mbb