How I stay sober

remixedcat said:

I "window shop" for things that cost me the same amount of money I would have spent on booze.

I add to cart and let it sit there.

The next time I feel down and "need a drink" I go to that shopping site and look at the item in the cart.

I do this till I start to want the item instead of booze, and I reward myself with the non booze item.

This has helped a lot.

Do this for milestone times and you start to see a lot of results!

I was able to buy a few laptops, a few major purchases for the house, and some new clothes.

Click to expand...

If you are thirsty, you should just come to Jesus and drink.

If you go shopping for booze or non booze, you have to pay.

If you desire this water of life, you can have without a price; just come to the Shepherd, He will lead to a springs of living water.

If you drink this water that Jesus give you, you will not be thirsty again.

SANTOSO said:

If you are thirsty, you should just come to Jesus and drink.

If you go shopping for booze or non booze, you have to pay.

If you desire this water of life, you can have without a price; just come to the Shepherd, He will lead to a springs of living water.

If you drink this water that Jesus give you, you will not be thirsty again.

Click to expand...

Exactly... If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

We all have a thorn. I think its a great what @remixedcat is doing. I dedicate the majority of my time everyday to Jesus and i still struggle with a desire to smoke weed and fall into lustful desires

Yah what works for her amazing. Read your bible too when tempted.

Lord Give Me A Sign said:

We all have a thorn. I think its a great what @remixedcat is doing. I dedicate the majority of my time everyday to Jesus and i still struggle with a desire to smoke weed and fall into lustful desires

Click to expand...

This is the command that we have heard:

But this command I gave them: 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.' -Jeremiah 7:23

This is the voice that we need to obey :

For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: "Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. -Jeremiah 4:3

Doesn’t that reaffirms what our Lord Jesus tells and explains in the parable of the sower ? It does !

our hearts need to be prepared before being sown with the seed or the word of the kingdom.

The land of our hearts need to be plowed or break up. Why ? Our hearts could be hardened, that we need to consider !

For we have been admonished:

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. -Hebrews 3:12

But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. -Hebrews 3:13

Heart that is unplowed or break up is heart hardened by the deceitfulness of sin !

When the Lord calls us to break our fallow ground !

The Lord is asking us to clear the ground of our hearts from thorns or evil.

Have we been able to forgive others their trespasses ? ( Matthew 6:15)

Have we been able to lift up holy hands without anger or quarreling ? ( 1 Timothy 2:8)

Have we been able to reconcile first with others before we come before God and offer our gift at the altar ? ( Matthew 5:23-24)

Have we been able to be control ourselves and sober-minded not gratifying our old nature? ( 1 PETER 4:7; James 4:3),

Have we stayed away from doing any abomination to the Lord ?
( Deuteronomy 18:10-12)

Have we worship God, obey His will and listen to Him ? (John 9:31)

Have we been able to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another ? ( James 5:16)

Have we been able to give ourselves to God ? ( Luke 6:38)

Let us break up the fallow ground by releasing forgiveness to those who accuse us, hurt us, disappoint us, upset us, mistreat us, resent us, reject us, and abandon us!

Let us break up the fallow ground by putting to death all forms of idolatry, that is, sexual immortality, impurities, lust, evil desires, and greed.

Let us break up the fallow ground by putting away anger, annoyance, meanness, slander and obscene talk.

Let us break up the fallow ground by not following the passions of our old nature, by not obeying the wishes of our old nature and our own thoughts.

Let us not hear among thorns by putting away the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches and other desires of other things.

The most important question we need to ask ourselves:

Do we have the strength to break up the fallow ground ? Do we have the strength to clear our hearts from evil ?

How are we going to have God’s strength if we don’t wait for Him ?

How are we going to know that God comes if we don’t seek Him wholeheartedly?

How are we going to seek God wholeheartedly if we don’t repent in true contrition?

How are we going to repent in true contrition if we don’t humble ourselves before God daily? How are we going to humble ourselves if we don’t seek His steadfast love and mercy or compassion that are new every morning ?

Let us seek God’s strength continuously that we may have the strength to release forgiveness to those who wrong us every day. Not insisting in our self righteousness ! Let us be found in His righteousness that comes through Christ’s faithfulness, that is, the righteousness from God.

For this is what we have heard:

By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil. -Proverbs 16:6

Let us fear the Lord and trembles at His presence !

For the Lord placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it.

Let us seek understanding the fear of the Lord, that through the strength of the Lord, we turn away from evil !

And let us be found in His steadfast love and faithfulness, that we may rejoice in His forgiveness!

Let us obey God’s voice and not harden our hearts !

Let us walk in all the way that our Lord Jesus Christ command us, that it may be well with us.

SANTOSO said:

This is the command that we have heard:

But this command I gave them: 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.' -Jeremiah 7:23

This is the voice that we need to obey :

For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: "Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. -Jeremiah 4:3

Doesn’t that reaffirms what our Lord Jesus tells and explains in the parable of the sower ? It does !

our hearts need to be prepared before being sown with the seed or the word of the kingdom.

The land of our hearts need to be plowed or break up. Why ? Our hearts could be hardened, that we need to consider !

For we have been admonished:

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. -Hebrews 3:12

But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. -Hebrews 3:13

Heart that is unplowed or break up is heart hardened by the deceitfulness of sin !

When the Lord calls us to break our fallow ground !

The Lord is asking us to clear the ground of our hearts from thorns or evil.

Have we been able to forgive others their trespasses ? ( Matthew 6:15)

Have we been able to lift up holy hands without anger or quarreling ? ( 1 Timothy 2:8)

Have we been able to reconcile first with others before we come before God and offer our gift at the altar ? ( Matthew 5:23-24)

Have we been able to be control ourselves and sober-minded not gratifying our old nature? ( 1 PETER 4:7; James 4:3),

Have we stayed away from doing any abomination to the Lord ?
( Deuteronomy 18:10-12)

Have we worship God, obey His will and listen to Him ? (John 9:31)

Have we been able to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another ? ( James 5:16)

Have we been able to give ourselves to God ? ( Luke 6:38)

Let us break up the fallow ground by releasing forgiveness to those who accuse us, hurt us, disappoint us, upset us, mistreat us, resent us, reject us, and abandon us!

Let us break up the fallow ground by putting to death all forms of idolatry, that is, sexual immortality, impurities, lust, evil desires, and greed.

Let us break up the fallow ground by putting away anger, annoyance, meanness, slander and obscene talk.

Let us break up the fallow ground by not following the passions of our old nature, by not obeying the wishes of our old nature and our own thoughts.

Let us not hear among thorns by putting away the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches and other desires of other things.

The most important question we need to ask ourselves:

Do we have the strength to break up the fallow ground ? Do we have the strength to clear our hearts from evil ?

How are we going to have God’s strength if we don’t wait for Him ?

How are we going to know that God comes if we don’t seek Him wholeheartedly?

How are we going to seek God wholeheartedly if we don’t repent in true contrition?

How are we going to repent in true contrition if we don’t humble ourselves before God daily? How are we going to humble ourselves if we don’t seek His steadfast love and mercy or compassion that are new every morning ?

Let us seek God’s strength continuously that we may have the strength to release forgiveness to those who wrong us every day. Not insisting in our self righteousness ! Let us be found in His righteousness that comes through Christ’s faithfulness, that is, the righteousness from God.

For this is what we have heard:

By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil. -Proverbs 16:6

Let us fear the Lord and trembles at His presence !

For the Lord placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it.

Let us seek understanding the fear of the Lord, that through the strength of the Lord, we turn away from evil !

And let us be found in His steadfast love and faithfulness, that we may rejoice in His forgiveness!

Let us obey God’s voice and not harden our hearts !

Let us walk in all the way that our Lord Jesus Christ command us, that it may be well with us.

Click to expand...

All that writing with no real solution. Like it's a lot easier said than done. The flesh is weak when the temptation is so strong. The mind up against withdrawals is a losing battle so much of the time. The cold sweats, the physical difficulty, the mental disturbances. Tell me how to get delivered and you will be helping me.

• Jaxxi said:

  All that writing with no real solution. Like it's a lot easier said than done. The flesh is weak when the temptation is so strong. The mind up against withdrawals is a losing battle so much of the time. The cold sweats, the physical difficulty, the mental disturbances. Tell me how to get delivered and you will be helping me.

  Click to expand...

Dear one,
When we were weak; it was because of the flesh. For we heard :

For God has done
what the law, WEAKENED by the flesh,
could not do.

By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, -Romans 8:3 ESV

Though weakened by flesh, our God the Father gives us grace, that is, He send His Son in the likeliness of sinful flesh and for sin offering, and that He condemned sin that was in the flesh.

So dear one, believe in the grace that He has sent to us.

Dear one,
Let us remember what our Lord Himself said to us:

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. -John 14:15
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, -John 14:16

Dear one,
Have we not loved the Lord ? Yes, we have. Let us keep His commandments. Don’t be troubled about keeping His commandments; just ask the Lord to give us the strength to keep His commandments and abide in His love. Let us be thankful that our Lord Jesus asked the Father to give us another Helper, to be with us forever.

Apostle Paul has reaffirmed to us:

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our WEAKNESS. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. -Romans 8:26

Dear one,
Aren’t we glad that God didn’t leave us alone but send us another Helper, that is, the Holy Spirit? Yes, let us be glad and trust in His help.

Dear one, are you considering that temptation is that is so strong ?

Wouldn’t you be surprised what apostle James have said ?

2 Regard it all as joy, my brothers, when you face various kinds of TEMPTATIONS; 3 for you know that the testing of your trust produces perseverance. 4 But let perseverance do its complete work; so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing. - James 1:2-4 CJB

In other translation of NKJV,
this is written:
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various TRIALS, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.-James 1:2-4 NKJV

I was surprised, too. So TEMPTATIONS or TRIALS, they were various that we have faced.

How did apostle James be strong in faith in the midst of TEMPTATIONS OR TRIALS, that you consider them as strong ? Yes, apostle James indicated to us that TEMPTATIONS for the testing of our faith. How can our faith be ready to be tested with TEMPTATIONS and produce PATIENCE? Will our Lord receive us when we are WEAK IN FAITH ?

This is what we have heard:
Receive one who is WEAK IN THE FAITH, but not to disputes over
DOUBTFUL THINGS.-Romans 14:1 NKJV

Dear one, even apostle Paul told us to receive one who is weak in faith. So when we are weak in the faith! Won’t anyone receive us? Even if no one receive us, apostle Paul said to us: he will receive us. Aren’t we glad that we are not set aside but rather we are loved with the love of Christ.

About TEMPTATIONS OR TRIALS! Did they tempt or test us over DOUBTFUL THINGS?

This is what we have heard:
1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst4 they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" 6 This they said to TEST him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. - John 8:1-6 ESV

Dear one,
Didn’t we hear that the scribes and Pharisees TEST OR TEMPT our Lord?

Didn’t our Lord normally go to Mount of Olives ? Didn’t He early morning come again to the temple ? Then suddenly, they brought someone that they may use to TEST the Lord.

Have it not occurred to us as we went about our business? Then, out of nowhere, others dispute with us over DOUBTFUL THINGS ?
Did they not hate us for no reason like the way they hated Jesus ? Would we take offense ? Won’t we be frustrated? Were they kept asking Jesus again until Jesus eventually spoke to them? Were there people who press, pursue in order to punish us what we have done no wrong ?

Should we not wonder why Jesus kept writing on the ground when He was TESTED ? Why has our Lord kept His silence until they have to resort to keep asking Him the questions again and again ? Hasn’t our Lord kept His peace ? Yes, our Lord did keep silence and hold His peace until the Father gave Him words to answer His prosecutors rightly.

This is what we have heard:

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. -Isaiah 53:7

So when our Lord opened not His mouth, we knew that He bore the sins of that woman caught in the adultery. Not only her but also those who came to prosecute Him, and those who were there that heard what have happened. Likewise, also，to us who heard what have happened through the gospel what our Lord have done for us. Our Lord is the Lamb of God who bore our sins at the cross.
Even in His silence, He bore our iniquities and sins ; that is how great is His love.

Now, would we be willing to bear the failings of others who were weakened by the flesh?
Would we hold our peace ? Would we stay silent when we were oppressed? Would we trust in the Lord ? This is what we have heard:

for the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.' -Deuteronomy 20:4

Let us trust in the Lord, that He fights our battle against our enemies and gives us victory. Let us bless those who prosecute us. Let stay in the love of Christ. Let us not hate others, but trust in the Lord’s deliverance and love. Our Lord can give us to the strength to be merciful to others with cheerfulness.

For when we held our peace, we suffered with our Lord— for we suffered for righteousness’s sake, in order to be glorified in His steadfast love.

For we heard:

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.- 1 Corinthians 13:8 NKJV

Let us trust the love of Christ never fails. Let us be united in His love. In His love, our Lord Jesus Christ will strengthen us to bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. Let us be praise and worship Him that His love for us never fail.

Let us remember what we have heard apostle Paul have said:
You then, my child, BE STRENGTHEN by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, -2 Timothy 2:1
To God be the glory.Amen

Jaxxi said:

All that writing with no real solution. Like it's a lot easier said than done. The flesh is weak when the temptation is so strong. The mind up against withdrawals is a losing battle so much of the time. The cold sweats, the physical difficulty, the mental disturbances. Tell me how to get delivered and you will be helping me.

Click to expand...

Dear one,
Are you asking me how I can help you? For you said,”The mind up against withdrawals is a losing battle so much of the time. The cold sweats, the physical difficulty, the mental disturbances. Tell me how to get delivered and you will be helping me.”

Dear one,
Consider with me what I have heard:

Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! -Psalms 143:1
Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you. -Psalms 143:2
For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead. -Psalms 143:3
Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled. -Psalms 143:4

I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. -Psalms 143:5
I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah -Psalms 143:6 ESV

Selah is a pause for reflection. Let us pause and reflect the prayer we have heard. Would we not like to pray like David ? That we may find Christ’s steadfast love in our lives.

Dear one, consider what enemy could have pursued souls, as it is written in Psalms 143:3 ; what enemy could make others sit in darkness like those who long dead. The enemy is the Devil or the Adversary.

Dear,
Isn’t the soul is the mind/emotion/will ? Yes, it is.

Dear one,
When you said,”The mind up against withdrawals is a losing battle so much of the time.”
Were you not figting against the enemy ?
Was it not the enemy, that bring you withdrawals ? Weren’t you battling against the enemy much of the time ?
Are you asking me for help?

This is what we have heard:
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. -Psalms 143:5

Aren’t we asked to pause and reflect the days of old ? Aren’t we asked to meditate on all God have done ? Aren’t we called to ponder the work of His hands? So what the days of old, that we can meditate and ponder ?

This is what I meditated on 2 Chronicles 20:1-30.

Let me quote on some verses:

1 After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. 2 Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar" (that is, Engedi). 3 Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 And Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD. -2 Chronicles 20:1-4 ESV

Dear one,
Wasn’t Jehoshaphat concerned about his enemies? He was. Wouldn’t this story relevant for us to meditate what God have done ?

This is what Jehoshaphat said:
O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you." -2 Chronicles 20:12 ESV

Dear one,
Were we not powerless against this great horde with the Devil that was coming against us? Didn’t we know what to do ?; but let our eyes are on our Lord Jesus Christ.

Why our eyes need to be on the Lord ? This is what we have heard:
My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for He will pluck my feet out of the net. -Psalms 25:15
Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. -Psalms 25:16
The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. -Psalms 25:17
Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins. -Psalms 25:18
Consider how many are my foes, and with what violent hatred they hate me. -Psalms 25:19
Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. -Psalms 25:20
May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you. -Psalms 25:21
Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles. -Psalms 25:22

This is what I prayed when my enemy prosecuted my souls, that my Lord would guard my soul. I prayed that the Lord would turn to me and be gracious to me. I put trust in His righteousness, that bring me out of
distresses.

Let us consider again what we can meditate from what God have done in the days of old.

This is what Jehoshaphat heard:
And the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. -2 Chronicles 20:14
And he said, "Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's. -2 Chronicles 20:15

dear one, let us consider what the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ have said. So let us tell ourselves not to be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde from the Devil, for the battle is not ours but God's.

So after we have prayed to the Lord in accord to Psalms 25:15-22 or and 2 Chronicles 20:6-12.

Let us believe that the Lord guard our souls. Let continue to speak and believe:

I am not going to be afraid. And I do not be dismayed at this great horde from the Devil, for the battle is not mine but God's.

This is how we get delivered. This is how we get help.

Just as the Lord rescued and blessed Jehoshaphat, the Lord can rescue and bless us .

To God be the glory. Amen

Wow!

Unqualified said:

Wow!

Click to expand...

To God be glory. Let thanksgiving overflow to God.

Right, thanks!

Jaxxi said:

Tell me how to get delivered and you will be helping me.

Click to expand...

I found the program of Narcotics Anonymous to be extremely effective. Alcoholics Anonymous is likewise very effective. Both are perfectly compatible with the Christian faith.

chilehed said:

I found the program of Narcotics Anonymous to be extremely effective. Alcoholics Anonymous is likewise very effective. Both are perfectly compatible with the Christian faith.

Click to expand...

Alcoholics Anonymous has its roots in Christianity - whether the individual members of the fellowship do or not.

I have found after 25 years that "getting delivered" isn't easy but my part has consisted almost entirely of: Seeking Him, Seeking and acknowledging the sin in my own life, and most importantly continuing to accept His grace.

The last of these is the one that gives me the most trouble. I have found no formula, no ritual, no mantra, no set prayers, no chant, no list of bible verses, etc. that makes that happen. It happens in the heart and it seems to happen in God's time. [From P-41]: "True freedom lies in the realization and calm acceptance of the fact that there may very well be no perfect answer. It remains then for each man to discover and to share whatever works for him."