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Dollars for abortion: The House considers a bill allowing local funding of abortions in D.C. 
A time to speak
I took a tour of America’s Keswick, a Bible-based addictions recovery ministry in Whiting, New Jersey, near the shore. Dina, the staff writer, told me about Bill P., who showed up at Keswick with the double problem of drug addiction and homosexuality — except he didn’t see the homosexuality as a problem.
Counselor Jim F. wasn’t sure how to handle it. Should he tell Bill in no uncertain terms that he was not welcome to the four-month program unless he was seeking to be free of both? He could have gone that route and been within his rights. But Jim decided to welcome Bill and handed him a Bible and suggested the newcomer read for himself what the Bible says God requires.
Bill read, and came to repudiate the gay lifestyle on his own. He later said that the highhanded approach would have made him pack up and leave the first night.
Today Bill is free of addiction to drugs and homosexuality and is part of the family of instructors at America’ s Keswick. There are several different ways you can handle any given counseling situation, but just as I’m learning on my Jetta that only experience teaches smooth gear shifting, only experience walking with the Holy Spirit gives discernment as to which tactic is best (Hebrews 5:14).
back to top10 Comments to “A time to speak”
And that is the difference between preaching at and coming alongside to disciple.
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Religion does seem to be useful in helping people break addictions. At least in some cases. Many people who depend on Jesus relapse just like others. But many people feel that AA has become a religion in itself, pretty much a religious cult. From what I’ve seen of it, it’s pretty hard to argue with that view. But lately there are more and more approaches to breaking the heavy drinking habit that reject the Jesus or Higher Power approach out of hand. Rational Recovery is one. I don’t know much about it. There are books about it, which don’t cost much, but I think the seminar costs like $5000. Sounds like anti-religion can be a pretty lucrative racket itself. But lots of people who couldn’t stomach the religious approach have been able to quit drinking with Rational Recovery.
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Galations 5 says, “. . .The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. . .”
The question should always be, “How do I best love this person?”
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Christ is always the best path to from oneself from addictions.
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Christ is always the best path to free oneself from addictions.
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Rational Recovery is for people who don’t like the God-talk of AA or NA. But even the “god” of AA or NA is a god – or higher power – however you conceive him or it? Not the God of the Bible. As a result, other organizations have popped up using the AA /NA model but with explicit references to Jesus as God. I seriously think some addictions involve a demonic component. They tend to bring out the worst in people and always lead downward. I’ve heard the word from which we get pharmacy actually derives from the word for socery (perhaps in the original Greek?). Not that drugs are inherently bad but if they are used for the wrong reason – for the express purpose of escaping reality to get high – perhaps they open a door to more than just the potential for addiction?
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Andree had a column once talking about “lame evangelism” (that there is no such thing really, but though some of our techniques seem rather wimpy, God is the powerful one, changing hearts that will be changed). This wonderful story above illustrates the power of Almighty God to work a miracle of heart and will when some is led to the trough of the Word of God. The counselor showed him the Word and God did the rest. Wonderful!
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#5 Outkast,
Chantix worked well for my smoking habit when prayers went unanswered but, after the bad press it has received by folks wanting to sue the manufacturer claiming they tried to commit suicide as a Chantix side effect, maybe I should get on the gravy train with the rest of cons and be paid millions for stopping this habit
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Llama – I believe that sometimes God answers our prayers by directing us to the right medication, or other such help. So your prayers were answered, just not the way you expected.
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Makes me wonder if the “fire and brimstone” way ever really works on people. I think such a “highhanded” approach often repels people from discovering any more about the Bible than just “those” passages.
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