Currently Raised: $7,757.97
Amount needed by 12/31/2010: $2,242.03
Total needed by 4/30/2011: $6,542.03
Last night during the Teen Challenge service we talked about addictions. Addictions are Satan’s way of holding us back from the life that Christ has for us. He will and does use anything that he can to draw us into a life of desolate darkness, depression, pain, anger, worthlessness, and hopelessness. Satan makes this life so seductive that it is hard to say no and easy to believe the lies that it will be full of life, light, fun, happiness, popularity and love.
Once you’re in the addiction circle at one point or another you want to get out. After all the seduction wears off…hatred, low self esteem and depression set in (at least in my case). Life becomes a lie and there appears to be no way out. It becomes a vicious cycle. You end up hurting the people you love most because the only thing controlling you is your addiction. Addictions are self fish and many times you don’t see that unless you are able to overcome it.
I believe that God can use addictions for the advancement of His Kingdom. In my life personally, I have learned (and I am still learning) that the best way to deal with difficult obstacle is NOT to deal with it on your own (Satan tries to get us to think we can)-you will not get anywhere doing it this way, at least not anywhere you want to be. I believe the men at Teen Challenge are slowly figuring this out. I think that God is doing HUGE healing in their lives, because ultimately it is only God who can deliver us from our addictions. God has taken these men out of a life of SLAVERY and delivered them into a life of FREEDOM.
Jesus shed His blood for us so that we would not have to carry the burden of our sin…of our past life.
Isaiah 53:10-12 says,
“Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the lord will prosper in his hands. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured his life unto death and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
It was God’s will to send His only Son to die for me…and for you. Jesus makes us white as snow. Jesus paid it all so that no one would have to be a slave to their sin. All I know is…I want to be more like Jesus.
