Ep 67: Addictions Vs Strongholds Pt 3

Welcome back to. It’s all greek to me with me and my wife Vicki. Uh and we want to encourage you to get into God’s word when you think about a subject. So you understand what’s going on? We’re going into the discussion on a so tia dissipation with addictions and strongholds. Follow the discussion. Hi, there we are again, coming back to addictions versus strongholds and Vicki and I just really excited to have been able to host this and teach this material to you because it’s so relevant and you can use it right now today to go into your bibles and get these verses, I’m gonna give them to you. one is Galatians 5 20 which deals with Pharma Kia, idolatry. Sorcery. M mitty strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger disputes dissensions, the work of the flesh and this is sorcery to use drugs to enter into a dimension, a spiritual atmosphere Where you feel high. And another one was drugs here, drunkenness in verse 21 envying drunkenness is another one. And what you don’t know is that satan and demons use this. Now there are other places that deal with this word for Makayla. Let me give them to you. Vicki is going to read two of them Vicki read revelation 9 21 and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorcery nor of their immorality nor of their thefts. Okay, so here these things went together. What were the four categories there? I mean on the, on that verse of scripture murder sorcery res immorality and theft. I mean it’s look at the company, that drug addiction or drug usage. You may not be an addict, but you just, you know, a weekend usage. You know how you do it once in a while, but then you begin to dabble more and more. And then the next verse is revelation 18 23. What does it say there? Vicky and the lamp and the light of the lamp will not shine in you any longer and the voice of the bride groom and bride will not be heard in you any longer. For your merchants were the great men of the earth because of all the nations, they were deceived by your sorcery. Yeah, it’s interesting the way it said the light and the bridegroom, that reminds me of the end of revelation where it says, you know in the spirit and the Bride say come and let the one who hears say come and let the one who is thirsty coming. The one who wishes take the water of life without cost verse 17 but the spirit and the Bride uh you know, are in the same context here. And I think that it’s it may be talking about this that the light in you that is the drugs. You mean to say that if you are drunk, if you are using drugs, if you become an addict, that the spirit of God, that you may be a believer and have the spirit of God in you and will be dull to speak to you because of you opening yourself up to demonic forces, that’s what it’s indicating here, it’s amazing. And then there are two more verses revelation 21 8, I’d like to just read that to you, notice what it says, but for the cowardly and the unbelieving, the abominable and the murderers and the immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Now look, you don’t want to be involved in trying drugs and getting high and becoming an addict in trying, getting into alcohol, becoming an alcoholic, This is not the way of God. Another play first Corinthians nine. First Corinthians six verse nine says that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God, neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor drunkards nor revivalist. God says you’re not gonna inherit the Kingdom of God and such were some of you. But now you’re watched, you are justified, you are sanctified by the spirit of God and by the in the name of the Lord, jesus christ, when you become a believer, when you become a christian, those things, you put them aside like jesus told the woman at the well, I don’t condemn you go and sin no more, we can’t just continue living a life of drug addiction or drug usage or alcoholism. Once we’ve come to christ, we’re not going to be drunkards anymore. May I say something? The verse that you just read, I was thinking this is your company in this verse. Yeah. The cowardly unbelieving, abominable murders, immoral idolaters and sorcerers. So this is this is the life of the people who are going to be attracted to you and be in your circle of influence. So what a what a caution for us to be so careful that we surround ourselves with truth with people who can give us a great advice from the scriptures. You know, being a local congregation, be with people who love you, join a bible study, find out practical ways to live a full joyful. The joy of the Lord is our strength now. We used to hang out with people like that and and then we trusted christ. We repented of our sins. We repented even of the sins that we were committing to one another to our parents and people. And then we cut it out, We stopped using drugs, we stopped getting drunk and high. We began to study the bible. We began to live pure. We went to Bible school, we graduated, then we got married and we’ve been together now it’s been 54 years that I’ve known you in 50 years married and so and what she’s telling you what what my wife is saying right now is good advice for everyone who’s listening that God gives us a different life. There’s one more verse uh, that uses the word farm a Kia or pharmaceutical in english transliterated And that is revelation 22 and verse 15 outside meaning out of the fold of God, out of really the believer and the believing family of God. Outside are the dogs. Dogs are always a picture of the unconverted, unsaved outside of the dogs and the sorcerers. There’s immediately the first one on the list is Pharmacopeia. Those that are really using alcohol and drugs to gain a high to open up their spirit to demonic forces. Now, you may not know that you’re doing that. You may be like, I’m not doing that. I’m just feeling good. That doesn’t matter because God already has included in the bible. When you do that, you’re opening yourself up knowing it or not knowing. It doesn’t matter that satan now has been given an open door to come in and influence your mind, influence your emotions, influence your body, influence your soul and heart and you you now become a puppet of the devil of satan sorcery and then immorality, immoral persons and murderers and idolaters worshiping what you see and everyone who loves and practices, listen to this lying. I mean the whole drug scene is full of lying. The whole, you know world, the alcoholic world, the business world, you name it, you name a trade. And they said, oh yeah, you don’t know about this trade really messed up or you look at now, there’s good, you know, people that are not doing that. I know that in every circle, but there is lying going on, whether it’s the White house to the jailhouse, there’s lying going on in the senate, in the congress, in the House of Representatives, in the with the Supreme Court, with the mayor’s, with the governor’s, with the people with with with uh the school uh boards and just regular old families. Members of one family lying to another, member of the family. God says that this is the kind of people that are outside of salvation. And then jesus in verse 16 says, I jesus have sent mine angel to testify to you these things in the churches, I’m the root that’s before and the offspring that’s after David, the bright and morning star and the spirit. That’s the holy Spirit and the bride say come and let the one who is thirsty come and let the one who wishes take the water of life without any cost. Man. Even though God knows that people are addicts, they’re thieves, they’re murderers. They’ve broken into people’s houses, Vicki jesus still has open arms for the broken and the repentance. If they’ll just repent and turn and accept him with all their heart. What do you have to say just about this? Well, I was looking at the verse before once again because before they got outside the dogs and the sorcerers and all the other people. It said blessed are those who have washed their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter by the gates into the city versus that revelation 22 what 14. What a beautiful verse. Now let’s look at the addiction versus strongholds here and realize that drugs and drug addiction uh, has solutions. You know, let me give you an illustration. A knife is not a problem. A knife, it is used daily for cutting bread, meat eating and gives life, but it can be used for killing and taking life. You know, it’s a neutral object. Drugs like heroin come from morphine, which is used to kill pain and when being operated on a hip replacement etcetera. It can become addictive. I know guys in our drug rehab that you know broke a bone or got into a surgery men that, that were in the marines and all of a sudden or football players and they hurt themselves and they became addicted to OxyContin. And uh, let me give you a couple of illustrations of the demonic influence. Uh, a friend of mine robert uh, you know, and David Berkowitz told me who’s serving three life sentences in jail. I went to visit him that he began with marijuana and started using drugs at an early age and then began to hear voices and eventually the demon was speaking through the german shepherd. Remember that’s why they called him the son of Sam. My friend Billy Schneider who’s been on heroin for 19 years, trusted Christ. Just the whole life filled with all kinds of confusion and how Satan was trying to destroy him through many ways. But today he trusted Jesus Christ and gave his heart to Jesus Christ And became a believer 19 years shooting heroin totally free and living for the Lord walking in the will of God right now, Anthony Mandel, the last three years he’s been coming and visiting us, Anthony is totally free from drugs, married a wonderful girl is in fact is an inspector in new york city of the oldest um elevators, it was an inspector and after graduating continues to communicate with me and just bought a new house. It’s just amazing how some of these guys story but I can also tell you of horrible stories jimmy Evan marc dead because of alcohol and drugs. Young men having everything to live for dead because of drugs who had graduated from TLC are drug rehab but decided, hey, you know what, I’m gonna put my sword down, I’m gonna take my armor off that one night. That 11 place, jimmy Evan mark different guys that I love with all my heart so you can’t, you can’t just go around and and be flipping about these things. Drugs are not the problem addiction. That’s the problem. Vicky let’s read a little bit further Addiction has three dimensions of physical or biological dimension, which has to do with our brain cells. The receptors and the feeling of the drug dopamine that’s released dopamine is known as the feel good neurotransmitter, a chemical that ferries information between neurons, the brain releases it when we eat food that we crave or while we have sex contributing to the feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. Now I know ladies listening men listening kids listening those cookies that ice cream, I mean the stuff that we’re involved in, there’s a reason why we like to eat these things and and there are there are reasons why people like to use alcohol and drugs. It feels good. Okay, continue this important neurochemical boost, mood, motivation and attention and helps regulate movement, learning and emotional responses. Okay, how dopamine influences behavior? Go ahead, Vicki in lab experiments, dopamine prompts a rat to press a lever for food again and again. This is no different in humans. It’s the reason why we partake in more than one helping of cake. This press the lever action applies to addiction as well. People with low levels of dopamine may be more prone to addiction. A person seeking pleasure via drugs or alcohol or food needs higher and higher levels of dopamine. Love the way you read. When a person is addicted for a long time there are withdrawal symptoms, physical bodily symptoms and sickness because of the addiction. A psychological dimension in the way we were brought up with possible traumas. In our early childhood this is the second dimension a psychological dimension. Keep reading, you’re doing such a fabulous job, A cycle of a social dimension, number three, in the way we live together and the way we interact with people with others addictions go ahead. Okay, so addiction is a bio psychosocial phenomenon. You can be addicted to drugs, legal or illegal, it does not matter alcohol gambling, internet pornography, drugs addiction, things that make you feel good things that you need to be able to sustain yourself. Is there a cure for addiction? Absolutely. Does treatment work? Absolutely. However, there are no shortcuts, no magic potions or medicine. It takes a lot of work on the addicts part. You have to make some decisions. I mean, I think of john five where the guy had a physical problem, he was crippled and but you know, he, there was an angel that would come and stir the water and his excuse was every time he wanted to get in and get some help, somebody beat him to it. And when jesus was there, jesus said to him, will you be made? Well, I think that’s one of the top principles to help a person who is addicted to drugs or alcohol and alcoholic, will you, it’s a matter of the will, will you be totally changed? I mean, some people, you know, they say, well, I hit bottom, listen, you can be on top and change your mind about the way you’re living because even when you got everything, something still lacking. So this is very important in life, learn this principle how to fall in love with life again. I think that’s the most powerful thing Vicki of what what happened to you and me when we were wrapped up in so many things, sex drugs and rock and roll, we used to say, and we were addicted, we couldn’t stop. It was impossible to the point of, you know, driving us crazy. Yet when we heard about God who loved us and jesus, who died for us and was buried and rose again and we could repent and ask his forgiveness to come in our life and start all over again. What happened? We started falling in love with God and with one another and with life again, that’s really what the key was. We. You know, people fall in love with their work. They love other people building healthy relationships and that’s what we have in our drug rehab. We have what really, really close family unit in our drug rehab. We try to create an atmosphere of love, an atmosphere of family and atmosphere of community and people that come in that are strangers one day, find they have friends the next day and we help them love, learn to love life again. Learning to deal with emotional pain and without any crutches, the drugs, the alcohol, the gambling, the pornography, the internet. That’s the key now. Uh pick it up here. This is really important what we’re going to say about the therapy. We need help in homer’s iliad. The therapy bone was a close friend or servant who helped the warrior or his master put on the armor to go fight the battle and win. That’s the actual definition. In greek of a therapy upon a therapist. He was the one that would help the person put on his armor. The warrior put on his armor and prepare him for the battle. We use that word today for therapists who is helping us to deal with problems in our life to deal with life and to be able to be victorious. Uh, I could go further into where this comes from where uh, Patroclus was the the therapy one of chile’s. But time doesn’t permit for me to give you all of it. But the therapy, the therapy alone was the actual helper. Sometimes he was a servant, but most of the times he was just as unequal to his friend Today, a therapist is someone who will help equip you to face the problem of life and be victorious over them. And now we have today many people who can be referred to as a therapist. It’s a broad distinction. Pastors, coaches, counselors, workers, therapists and uh, these people help us to deal with situations in our life. Now their addiction therapists, why don’t you pick it up, babe? Art therapist, Child therapists, massage therapists, marriage and family therapist. Music therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists psychotherapists, yoga therapists and spiritual life coaches like pastors. So all of these people help you in a particular area and that’s what TLC is. T. T. L. C. Is a biblical centric christo centric gospel centric, a community, a therapeutic community so that the people that come there with an addictive problem there either on alcohol and drugs are drug rehab transformation life center. We have people there that can minister to them and they put the the armor, they need the spiritual armor and to get them off the physical drugs. But it’s way more than just the physical drugs um in scripture. Uh, there are, there are so many places that deal with this situation. I’m just trying to go quickly because our time is gone. I’ll close with this illustration. When I was speaking in uh Nigeria in Lagos Nigeria to the uh Success uh Academy. Actually I spoke at this place called the Success Academy for youths in Lagos Nigeria. There were 80,000 people there that day, 60,000 in the national stadium and 20,000 outside. And I was asking God because I didn’t have any preparation. My friend pastor William Kumar who invited me there. I spoke twice and Sunday two Sundays and then I spoke on Monday. But then throughout the day we had these young people who and he wanted me to speak about drugs. I shared my story. But but the main thing was to really speak and preach about how they shouldn’t get involved in drugs and and this is what this was basically my message. I sat there in five minutes. I wrote it down. I prayed. I said God what am I going to say? Because I didn’t have proper time to prepare. And so the Lord told me the problem. Uh you know it’s not gonna get solved because of education. Why you’ve got doctors that are shooting up that are smoking crack. You’ve got doctors and pilots and nurses and educators. It hasn’t. So you can know better and still choose to do wrong because the problem is the will your will you have to will to do what is right like jesus said will you be made well to the man in Bethesda fountain, you have to will to repent. So it’s more than emotions and intellect. It involves the will interdiction is not gonna solve it. Just catching people with the drugs, incarceration is not gonna solve the problem. Just put them away and jail them and that and throw away the key reformation. You can clean up but you can clean a pig but he’s gonna still be a pig. He’s going back to the mud and you can get off drugs. Go to a rehab. 30 day rehab 60 day area. If you don’t change the inside. If you’re not transferring from the inside. So reformation is gonna do it rehabilitation. Just start getting different habits. That’s not the answer. medication is not the answer because you’re only touching the surface and then transformation. Yeah, that is the answer romans 12 1 and two. And uh Corinthians 3 18, transformation. What does that mean? Metamorphosis, Vicki? That word means you are changed from inside Nazi schematics. So not just a schematic from the outside. Taking the appearance uh from the outside of what you’re really not like on the inside. God says don’t be conformed to this world romans 12 1 and two. But be transformed. That’s where we got our name, transformation life center by the renewing of your mind so that you could prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. This is how to truly be changed and get the real answer is that you must repent of your sin. You must acknowledge that there’s demonic influences that you’ve been involved in. You must cry out to God for mercy and help sit at the feet of jesus and let him change your life through his word through his spirit and through the power of his grace and the cross and the blood of christ God bless you. Until next time Peter talks about this asso tia and this whole idea of enough liya which was drunkenness. And let me read the passage to you first. Peter 41 through five for the time already passed is sufficient for you to have carried out the desires of the gentiles ethnos from ethel Ethan rather forming a custom and a culture, having pursued a course of sensuality and lust, drunkenness enough lee here, carousing and drinking parties and abominable idolatry and all of this. They are surprised that you do not run with them in the same excess of dissipation and they malign you, but they will give an account to him who is ready ready to judge the living and the dead. Listen, partying, drunkenness drugging and that life is nothing new. It’s been going on from the beginning of time and hear the word of God is telling us, we’re gonna have to give an account. The apostle peter here making it very clear this was the problem of uh of alexander the Great, the death of alexander the great was ascribed to debauchery and enough liya drunkenness. That’s all he did. This guy died at the age of 33. He just went all out everywhere with immorality. Uh you know, like today, it would be like sex drugs and rock and roll, immorality, drunkenness and all that comes with it. Uh dr zodiac Aries. My, my dear friend and mentor said concerning enough leah, it is an insatiable desire for wine, alcoholism and was commonly debauchery. No single word renders it better than debauchery since it is an extravagant indulgence in long drawn out drinking bouts which may induce permanent damage to the body. Now the apostle peter here tells us, hey cut it out, You’ve had a long time to do this. Talking to believers of that day. Cut it out, we’ve been there, we’ve done that, it’s destroyed us and we need to cry out to jesus christ because we’re going to have to give an account one day. Lots of young people and adults are dying all around us. They’re not ready for eternity. And how about you? Would you turn to God with your problems? Maybe you you have this problem of drunk, getting drunk all the time or going after the bottle or maybe it’s drugs, you know how simple it is for you from the depths of your soul to cry out to God and say God, if you’re there, please God, deliver me from all this junk in my life, what do you got to lose? You know, God loves you, he has allowed you to hear this program or see this video for you to be able to turn to God. And the bible says that salvation is right there in your mouth and in your heart that is the word of salvation, which were preaching romans chapter 10 and verse eight, it’s that simple that if you confess with your mouth that jesus is Lord, and you believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, physically bodily flesh and bones, if you believe that you shall be saved, you’ll be saved because with the mouth, you believes resulting in righteousness with with the heart, you believe resulting in salvation for whoever believes in him will not be disappointed. That’s the greek. That’s the turk, that’s the black, that’s the white, that’s the jew. That’s the arab, that’s the rich and the poor. That’s you. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord. Verse 10, chapter 10 verse 13 romans. Chapter 10 verse 13. For whosoever anyone would call upon the name of the Lord, that person shall be saved. Oh God, I pray today. Someone would call on you for salvation, deliver them from all the garbage and the change that bind them. The change that surround them. I pray in jesus name. Amen.