Author: lastwordrecovery

A Date With Destiny

The Promise of a New Day in Christ

lastwordrecovery 
  Genesis 1:13  
  Evening passed, and morning came.

The Lord cares deeply about you. He surrounds you with compassion when you are going through times of discouragement and exhaustion.

Although these experiences may feel like endless nights of the soul, you rest assured that morning will come. You know that  when the light breaks through the darkness, and you have had some rest, you will see things clearly once again.

God sees that some of the things you go through are difficult.  He is there to help you endure the darkness. He keeps you safe when the shadows fall and brings you through the lonely nights. As the darkness passes, your soul is refreshed by the dawn of a new day.

Knowing that God has designed nature with the assurance of a sunrise, you rest assured that after the darkness  passes, the light of a new day will drive it away.

Assured that the Creator of the universe is interested in your emotional well-being and is willing to listen as your pour out your heart, you are able to move through the stages of melancholy with calm acceptance. You know that God keeps you protected in the darkness and it will always pass.

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Tetelestai Recovery

Understanding God’s Promises: Hope Beyond the Curse

lastwordrecovery

One might wonder, “If God’s word is true, why are there people living without hope? Why wouldn’t His promise apply to everyone across the board?’

The answer is deeply complex. The reason God’s promises are not fulfilled is because His words rely on someone laying claim to them. These fantastic promises of God are often hard to believe for ourselves. Sure, we believe God is good, but we also know that we aren’t. We believe He does great things for good people, but it seems a bit presumptuous to expect the same blessings as someone who was busy doing great things for God while we were selfishly making a mess of our lives. We know the Bible talks about penalties for bad behavior, so it seems that if we believe in the blessings, we must also fear the curses.

That may have been a valid statement before the cross. But we live under Grace, not Law. Jesus broke the power of the curse, so we can all live in the blessing if we choose to believe it. We need not fear the curse or the consequences of our own mistakes. Those issues have been resolved. We are in a continual state of cleansing, like standing beneath a waterfall. Even a sin committed one second ago, is already washed away in the living water. We live exclusively in the blessings and enjoy firm standing on the promises. Curses do not cling to us. Blessings chase us down.

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Tetelestai Recovery

The Pain of Waiting: Why We Crave Progress

lastwordrecovery

Many of us remember cruising down the highway singing along with the distinctive voice of Tom Petty as he wailed, “The way-ay-ay-ting is the hardest part.” Ironically, we drove at least 10 miles per hour over the speed limit because we were too impatient to slow down. We wanted to get where we were going and not waste time in the process.

In our human condition, we seem to find ourselves here, trying to get there. Then, when we finally get there, it becomes here, and a new there looms on the horizon.

We are not made to be static or immobile. We are made to move. We are designed to set goals and achieve them. We are passionate about progress and driven by ambition. However, we are often annoyed by the process.

Waiting is exhausting. Waiting is painful. Waiting is a violation of our sense of urgency. Waiting disrespects the value of our time.

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Tetelestai Recovery

Leveling Up: Embracing Purpose and Power

lastwordrecovery

Leveling up means we are advancing in position, power, purpose, and experience. We are being promoted.

God is powerful and purposeful. All authority has been given to Jesus who is exalted over all things. He has bequeathed this status to us. However, He does not empower us just to make us powerful. He empowers us so we can be effective in taking care of each other and accomplishing His goals in this world.

The Christian faith assures us of eternity in Heaven at the end of our human experience. Most believe that our religious traditions and practices cause us to become better people. We believe we can find comfort, peace, and purpose through spiritual enlightenment. We trust in the comfort of our Creator as we encounter the difficulties of life. These beliefs serve as the pillars of our faith.

However, as we level up, we find ourselves not only looking inward at what God is doing in our own lives, but we are also looking outward to see what He is up to in the world around us. We notice a distinct sensitivity toward spiritual vibrations and are intrigued about what role God might want us to play in the grand scheme of His design. We stop focusing on our own performance and begin asking God, “What are you up to right now, and how can I help?”

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A Date With Destiny

Find Your Fearless Spirit

lastwordrecovery 
 Joshua 1:9  
Remember that I commanded you to be strong and brave. So don’t be afraid. The Lord your God will be with you everywhere you go.

When faced with questions and uncertainty, you sometimes doubt your own ability to fend off the forces of fear.

However, the Spirit of God resides with you and around you. His protective bubble creates a force field which keeps you safe and unharmed while angel armies fight for you. 

As you encounter the icy chill of a society which applauds greed, violence, and distrust, you are warmed from within by the Holy Spirit’s flame.

Like a crackling fire on a cold winter night, the presence of God permeates the atmosphere and brings comfort to your soul.

God’s sovereignty is undisputed. His angels stand ready to rise on your behalf. You are therefore able to claim victory over any doubt, conflict, or difficulty which threatens to distract you from your true purpose.

Your soul is at rest, and your mind is at peace because you know the power of your position in Christ.  Since God is for you, and has promised to defend you, there is no need to defend yourself. 

Since God fights for you, the fear of inadequacy or personal failure has no place in your future.

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A Date With Destiny

Joshua 1:6: Courage in the Face of Adversity

lastwordrecovery 
 Joshua 1:6  
 So be strong and courageous, for you will lead these people.

While it is true that there is strength in numbers, there is another type of strength which is required when you must stand alone.

Your path is not always the one of least resistance. You are often led across barren deserts and through dense forests. These are times that try your soul and require strength beyond any human support system.

These are the times when you must strengthen yourself in order to accomplish the assignments God has ordained for you.

Personal and spiritual strength come from daily diligence. You have dedicated yourself to a spiritual workout each day, in order to be strengthened for the journey ahead.

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Tetelestai Recovery

Navigating Feelings: The Search for Normalcy

lastwordrecovery

As far back as we could remember, we felt different, damaged, and just plain wrong. We did not know exactly what was wrong with us. We only knew that we felt more intensely than others and we processed our problems with great difficulty.

We obsessively examined ourselves, looking for clues to solve the mystery and to find a key which would unlock some invisible door into normalcy. We noticed people we admired and made feeble attempts to imitate their personas. We sought out damaged friends who would validate us in our dysfunction. We pursued money to prove our worth. We questioned and we blamed. We fought with ourselves and resented God. We learned how to act right, but we didn’t know how to feel right. Eventually it was our feelings which became our undoing.

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Tetelestai Recovery

HAPPY NEW YOU!

lastwordrecovery

A New Year –

A New Start –

A New Normal –

https://a.co/d/6QtnnH8

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Tetelestai Recovery

Understanding Addiction: The Desperate Search for Relief

lastwordrecovery

As far back as we could remember, we felt different, damaged, and just plain wrong. We did not know exactly what was wrong with us. We only knew that we felt things more intensely than others and we processed our problems with great difficulty.

We obsessively examined ourselves, looking for clues to solve the mystery and find a key to unlock some invisible door which kept us perched precariously on the outside edge of normalcy. We noticed people we admired and made feeble attempts to imitate their persona. We sought out damaged friends who would validate us in our dysfunction. We pursued money to prove our worth. We questioned and blamed. We fought with ourselves and resented God. We learned how to act right, but we didn’t know how to feel right. Eventually it was our feelings which became our undoing.

The presence of unwanted feelings such as insecurity, inadequacy, fear, anger, and other social phobias, coupled with our inability to manage or control them, unleashed within us a desperation for relief at any cost.

We soon learned of a temporary reprieve which occurred when our brain chemistry became altered. We didn’t care that the relief would be short lived or cause irreparable damage to our relationships, our finances, and our minds. The momentary relief of rightness, contrasted against the life-long agony of wrongness, offered such an enchanting embrace, we surrendered without a fight….

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Tetelestai Recovery, Chapter 2

Tetelestai Recovery

Breaking Free from Addiction: A Journey to Redemption

lastwordrecovery

Addiction is stealing the lives and destinies of so many of God’s children who can’t find their way out.  Many good people suffer in silence from the effects of this deadly disease.

We were addicted to drugs and alcohol for many years. The disease tried to kill us, and we thought there was no hope.

We finally hit rock bottom (incarceration) and found a word that would change our lives forever: Tetelestai.

Tetelestai is the Greek word that means, “It is finished!” It was the final declaration of Jesus from the cross.

We watched the power of Tetelestai play out in a courtroom verdict that no one saw coming. The shock and disbelief gave way to hopeful anticipation as we enthusiastically came into agreement with Jesus and declared our addictions FINISHED.

Living clean and sober in the power of Jesus’ words ushered us into a life that is better than we ever thought possible.

This program was developed by addicts, for addicts. God redeemed our past, gathered the broken pieces, and made us into something useful for His Kingdom.

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