Author: lastwordrecovery

Tetelestai Recovery

Water Walkers

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One of the men in the boat, named Peter, asked Jesus to let him come out and walk on the water alongside Him. Jesus said, “Sure! Come on out.” Peter lunged toward the side of the boat as it was rocking and lurching. Then, climbed cautiously over the edge, he slowly lowered his weight onto the swirling liquid. If Jesus was a fraud, the next few seconds would have been the moment of truth. In former miracles, the people who were healed and delivered could have been in cahoots with Him on some elaborate hoax. However, walking on top of water, and inviting another human being to join Him would have been impossible to pull off, if it had been a scam.

Peter got out of the boat and walked toward Jesus. Some may hold to the impression that Peter took a couple of wobbly steps before going under. We do not agree with that conclusion. We believe he strolled quite a distance. Since Jesus’ closest companions failed to recognize Him, we assume He was more than several yards from the boat. With one lunge over the side of the boat, Peter took the walk of a lifetime: a walk to remember.

There were 11 other men in the boat who didn’t even ask if they could come out onto the water. Only Peter was impulsive enough to come up with such a wild idea! Whether he was completely successful in his faith walk or not, he was the only one with the audacity to ask if he could get out of the boat. He was the one who believed in Jesus’ ability to empower him to do it. He knew that in the midst of the storm, the safest place to be was with Jesus.

…Continue reading: https://a.co/d/efO53It

A Date With Destiny

A Date With Destiny Birthday Series

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What is unique about the day you were born and the scriptures that correspond with it?

The day you were born was a date with destiny, for it was on that day, you began a journey that would alter the course of history. You may have already sensed a divine plan and purpose for your life.

Examine the sacred text that aligns with your birthday. Ponder the descriptions following each selection. You will be amazed at the accuracy in identifying your unique character qualities and personality traits. You will be excited about your future and inspired by the divine destiny that is yours.


You are here for a reason and it’s time to find out why.

Find your birthday in the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/A-Date-With-Destiny/dp/B087QHB4PG

Tetelestai Recovery

Activating a Miracle

lastwordrecovery

We searched the scriptures for more proof of the power of praise. We were astonished to discover that the act of giving thanks was typically the prelude to a miracle. Jesus himself made this point when feeding the 5000. The gospel accounts tell us that He held the 2 fish and 5 loaves, looked up, and gave thanks. Immediately following His expression of gratitude, the food multiplied and there was more than enough to go around.

We see another example in the story of Lazarus. The man had been dead four days when Jesus appeared and raised him from the dead. Amazingly enough, the words of Christ, right before calling Lazarus from the tomb, were words of gratitude to God.

Our search led us to some Old Testament writings of King David who was a pro when it came to praise. Time after time, David poured out his heart in the Psalms. Sometimes they were words of praise from start to finish. Other times, the writing began with an outpouring of distress, but turned to praise in the final stanzas. Whether threatened by enemy armies, wounded by family betrayal, or overwhelmed by too many decisions, each painful experience was handled with the same primary coping mechanism. We found it over and over in the final lines of each sad song, “Yet, I will praise God.”

We were delighted to find another example from the familiar Old Testament story of Jonah and the whale. After reading verse after verse of Jonah complaining to God in a pathetic prayer of self-obsession, we found a sudden change of heart. In verse 9 of Jonah chapter 2, the pitiful prophet abruptly states, “But I, with shouts of praise will sacrifice to you.”

Suddenly, in the next verse we read, “And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry ground.”

This principle of praise as a precursor to a miracle was not just for Old Testament Kings and Prophets, nor was it only for Jesus during His ministry. We discovered post-ascension proof that praise continues to be the key component to divine intervention. We read the story in Acts 16 of Paul and Silas chained to the wall in a jail cell. Their midnight praise session was so powerful, it created a shift in the earth’s plates and the prison foundations shook until the chains fell off and the cell doors opened.  

After gathering evidence from scriptural data and personal experience, we were amazed to find that the key to unlocking any miracle is this simple, yet powerful act of praise.

Tetelestai Recovery – Chapter 10, The Power of Praise

https://a.co/d/4yeNJJd

Tetelestai Recovery

The Root of Shame

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https://a.co/d/geHk3Md

We grew up so familiar with our shame, it seemed to be a part of our personality. We didn’t know how to relinquish it, so we put it on a pedestal and made it an object of worship. We justified our outrageous behaviors, bragged about our immorality, and shook off our fears with a ‘who cares?’ attitude. We couldn’t extinguish our shame, so we embraced it. We got together with other shame-filled people and competed for admission into the Hall of Shame.

When the power of Christ was revealed to us, we became new creatures. However, not all our shameful behaviors disappeared overnight. Shame was still very much a part of our lives. We no longer reveled in it. On the contrary, we wished it to be buried with our former selves whom we had grown to despise.

Ironically, the hatred we felt toward our shame was not an indication of our failure to believe. We believed in Christ, and we clung faithfully to his words, “It is finished!” However, that root of shame continued to produce bitter fruit and we needed relief.

We consciously pondered our thoughts of ourselves in relation to the thoughts God has toward us. We practiced praise continually. We claimed Tetelestai over our addictions, disease, poverty, and any other form of the curse from which the power of the cross had set us free. We watched our words and verbalized our agreement with God concerning His perception of us. We called ourselves Blessed, More than Conquerors, Children of God, and Chosen. We trusted that Jesus bequeathed to us his very own Shalom, which assured us the promise of wholeness, with nothing missing, nothing broken. We no longer trusted our feelings as the Truth, but rather, we relied on the Word of God and the guidance of His Spirit to be our compass. We recognized that facts are changeable and when we are out of options, it only means we are in the perfect position for a miracle. We believed that the supernatural could override the natural realm and we occupied territory never before conquered.

Sadly, our shame was still an integral part of our existence. Our guilt taught us that we made mistakes. Our shame told us we were a mistake. We had no remedy for our shame.

We tried to hide our feelings of shame with superficial coverings. We used money, prestige, aggression, relationships, and an air of superiority to quiet the inner voice which whispered, “If others only knew the real you…”

As we journeyed down this treacherous path, as new creatures in Christ, we searched for insights from our Sacred Text. In Mark 11, we found the story of Jesus encountering a fig tree which was covered in green leafy foliage but had no fruit. He simply said, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again.” And the disciples heard him say it. The next day, when passing by the same tree, it was reported to have been withered from the roots up.

At first, we felt that Jesus overreacted to the failure to find fruit. We suspected he had become too tired and hungry, which we all know is a prelude to becoming too angry. However, after closer inspection, we are reminded that this was a fig tree. These fig leaves were a reminder of that time back in the Garden of Eden when His newly created couple tried to cover their shame. The fig tree with leaves but no fruit was a symbol of humanity without purpose.

Tetelestai Recovery

Group Purpose

lastwordrecovery

https://a.co/d/dzw5Tle

Tetelestai is the Greek word which Jesus spoke from the cross in His final moments of mortality. The English translation, “It is finished!” (John 19:30), is the basis for this program.

We believe that Jesus’ words hold miraculous power. We speak these words into our own lives and into the lives of other survivors. We are confident that a spiritual principle is set in play when our statements come into alignment with the words of God.

So also, will be the word that I speak: it will not fail to do what I plan for it; it will do everything I send it to do. Isaiah 55:11

Since Jesus gave witness on the cross, “It is finished,” we align with Him in calling an end to our disease of addiction and dysfunctional behaviors. We testify in agreement with Jesus and thus, the matter is resolved.

Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 2 Corinthians 13:1

We believe that the disease of addiction and its accompanying dysfunctions can be over-powered by two distinct elements:

  • Christ’s blood as a divine transfusion which heals us from the inside out.
  • The words we speak testify to this truth.

And they have defeated the powers of darkness by the blood of the Lamb and by the words of their testimony. Revelation 12:11

Therefore, we join forces in the spirit realm through our spoken words as we gather together. We each testify to the power of Christ who heals and delivers us from what we fear most – ourselves.

Tetelestai Recovery

The Power of Praise

lastwordrecovery

As we progressed up the path in the Tetelestai Realm of Recovery, we discovered a powerful weapon against the onslaught of obsessions, compulsions, and other dysfunctional thought patterns. The weapon was praise and it turned out to be more powerful than we ever imagined.

We came to see that when we praised God, we experienced a higher level of satisfaction in our lives, and we became more deeply aware of His goodness surrounding us. We also noticed that when our praises declined, so did our sense of well-being.

From simply a human point of view, this made perfect sense to us. We were easily able to confirm the effect praise has on all creatures. Praise given to a pet or a child is the way to convey approval and appreciation. Praise offered to a co-worker is received with gratitude and goodwill. Praise given to a spouse, partner, or family member can bridge a strained relationship or energize an exhausted soul.  

We realized that when we praised God, we were verbalizing our trust in His divine plan. When praising God, we were simultaneously attracting angelic presence and repelling demonic entities. Knowing that neither angels nor demons can read minds, we put great emphasis on verbalizing our praises.

In our study of the praise process, we noticed in various groups of people, when praise was offered to an individual, idea, or accomplishment, others in agreement would gather round to voice their commendation. However, there were occasions when an opposing individual or group would disapprove of the admiration. Those particular individuals or groups would generally withdraw and exit the area.

We found this research to be incredibly enlightening. When paralleled with the spirit realm, we began to understand the impact our praises might have on the atmosphere surrounding us. If angels love to praise God, we could expect them to gather round those who are doing the same. In like manner, the demonic spirits, who refuse to offer their praises to God, would be repulsed by such joyful admiration of our Father.

With this scenario in mind, we began praising for every element of beauty, comfort, or protection we encountered. After only a brief time of this practice, we found that the demon of depression lifted, the spirit of selfishness released its grip, and the antagonist of addiction grew weaker. Based on our hypothesis, we continued our conscious effort to offer praise to God regularly throughout our daily duties. The results led us to a most rewarding conclusion.

Tetelestai Recovery – Chapter 10, The Power of Praise

https://a.co/d/epPzyhW

A Date With Destiny

Giver

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Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

2 Corinthians 8:12

If you are eager to give, God will accept your gift on the basis of what you have, not on what you don’t have.

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You are known for your thoughtfulness when it comes to giving. You remain alert to the needs of others and are excited to fulfill them.

You are a generous person. You willingly offer your time, energy, and expertise to those who are in need of assistance.

You enjoy giving your time, energy, and resources to others. You find that this brings you an enormous sense of purpose. You are motivated to act when you see a need and have the ability to help meet it.

God is pleased by your generosity and accepts it is as an expression of your faith. No matter how small the gift, it is significant.

When you encounter a need which appears too great, and you wish you could do more, you give what you can and trust God to give the increase.

As you give of your time, energy, and resources, you experience replenishment rather than depletion.

This is the manifestation of Christ’s Kingdom at work on the earth.

As you willingly become the answer to someone else’s prayer, your generous spirit pleases the King.

A Date With Destiny Birthday Series – August 12

https://a.co/d/bWnE7FC

A Date With Destiny

The Value of Wisdom

lastwordrecovery

Proverbs 8:11

Wisdom is more precious than rubies. Nothing you want is equal to it.

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You have invested your time and energy into the pursuit of something more valuable than mere monetary gain. You understand that the most valuable asset a person can hold is the divine gift of wisdom. Your contributions of commitment and loyalty are invested freely into the Kingdom of God and His returns never disappoint.

Supernatural wisdom comes to you like a divine download, and you are often amazed by the sudden level of understanding that seems to hit you out of nowhere.

You actively seek wisdom from God, and as a reward for your humble request, the Holy Spirit infuses you with the creativity to discover solutions which are beyond your natural range of comprehension.

You prove yourself to be a trustworthy protector of what is sacred. You give honor to God and respect to His creation.

As you invest in God’s Kingdom, the dividends of wisdom are compounded daily, sustaining and guiding you to your destiny. 

A Date With Destiny Birthday Series – August 11

https://a.co/d/6fLDnW6

Tetelestai Recovery

Word Seeds

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We believe in the scriptural principle of sowing and reaping. We see the effects of this principle in the natural realm as well as the spiritual. We are certain that an oak tree will not grow from a thistle seed. Therefore, we do not expect to receive hope and healing by speaking of our addiction as a lumbering giant which threatens to steal our sobriety.

We dare not speak of relapse, as this seed grows into a massive, poisonous vine which produces an itchy sensation known as irritable, restless, and discontent syndrome. We dare not speak of our past indiscretions as a boastful or laughable matter, for this seed will grow into a field of dandelion memories with brightly colored egotistical blooms. How quickly they turn to hollow puffs of fly-away seeds, searching for another ego to embed! We dare not speak of our resentments, for this is the thicket which depletes our energy and slows our progress.

The words which produce a harvest we don’t want ought never to be sown by our voice. The negative words which have been spoken to us, or about us, or by us, must be pulled up by the roots before the harvest ever comes.

We begin our day with a simple statement from our own lips, “I cancel out any negative words which have been spoken or written to me, about me, or by me, in the name of Jesus. I ask the Holy Spirit to destroy any growth which may have occurred from these cursed seeds, and to remove them by the roots.”

Those things which we believed of ourselves, based on the things we were told by other sick people from our past, had emerged as a thicket of tangled thoughts and continuing behaviors. As we walked through the steps of our recovery, we found undergrowth which kept tripping us up. When we released our recovery into the hands of Jesus, the Holy Spirit began to guide us regarding the removal and elimination of these parts of us we didn’t know how to manage. Some of us needed counseling, some needed medication, some needed a change in diet or activity, but all of us needed supernatural healing in many layers.

Tetelestai Recovery – Chapter 9, Saying is Sowing

https://a.co/d/2YrZd9u

Tetelestai Recovery

Self Destructive Tendencies

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We found the facts of the first story in Mark chapter five, concerning a demon possessed man who cut himself and lived in tombs, to be tragic and disturbing. We also identified with him in a way that few others can. This man was out of his mind, and everyone knew it. The historical facts had proven that human power was no match for a demon. Evil was an entity to be feared and avoided.

When we were lost in our addiction, we were self-destructive, violent, fearful, crazy, and more conspicuous than we cared to admit. The demoniac man is one we relate to with deep heartbreaking empathy. We walked his path. Like him, our path led to Jesus. And in like manner, Jesus called out our demons and returned us to our right minds.

  • Fact: this man was violent and dangerous.
  • Fact: anyone who got close got hurt.
  • Fact: the man had been this way for many years.
  • Fact: there was no treatment or remedy available for him.
  • Fact: no mortal man could throw down with a legion of hell hounds and live to tell about it.
  • Fact: the demoniac man ran toward Jesus.
  • Truth: Of all these facts, only one held any significance: He ran toward Jesus.
  • Truth: When he ran to the Prince of Peace, with his frightening facts, they were overpowered by the Truth.
  • Truth: The man’s sanity was restored, and his life changed forever.

Oddly, the story states at this point that the people were afraid. Sadly, when we were delivered from our addiction, some of our friends and family were afraid too. They were afraid it wouldn’t last; afraid it was too good to be true; afraid it was a manipulation technique; or just afraid of being hurt again.

Tetelestai Recovery – Chapter 8, Facts are Changeable

https://a.co/d/1wqIxA6