Through the Valley: "Will You Let The Doctor Work...?"
Have You Read The Other Parts of: Through The Valley?If Not, Click Below: Part 1 (Soul): Here Part 2 (Heart): Here
Addiction- (ad·dic·tion)
A.) The state of being enslaved to anything that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, and its cessation causes severe trauma.
B.) COMPLETE DEVOTION
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"Too often...
...people think of me as:
-a Judge -a Lawgiver
and although I am both, I am NOT a killjoy! In fact...? ...I created your laughter...
But still, so many lead you into thinking that I'm a sort of "bully" who only beats up... who destroys "pleasure", In reality? I am the FARTHEST from that! This which you may believe is true...? Is nothing more than a lie! For this lie does a HUGE disservice to my purpose and intentions!
The lie ignores: ...the Compassion ...the Love ...and TRUE Concern that I have for you!
You were NEVER built for abuse! You were NEVER built for self-torture! You were NEVER built for manipulation! You were NEVER built for perversion! You were NEVER built for pain! You were NEVER built for traveling this life alone!
But just like the first humans that every existed...? They ran from the truth also. They ran... and they always end up in chains...
...Addictions...
If only they knew the truth! If only YOU knew the truth! What is the truth?
...That you were built around me...
So just like your first ancestors...? ...instead of listening to the truth? you run from me like a plague... And honestly...? I understand... I know how hard it is for you! I've been in your shoes, ...Literally The mind is a crazy and complex thing sometimes!
I should know... ...I created it
But I'm here to say... That if you give me a chance...? I will COMPLETE YOU!
MY SON!!! MY DAUGHTER!!! Why do you reject your other half and still live AS IF you are complete and happy!?
You deny me to chase happiness! But the happiness that you are chasing is a mirage, a counterfeit, and you don't KNOW it until it's too late until you are a slave to it...
DO YOU NOT SEE THAT I WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY TOO!? I love you too much to see you settle for LESS then the BEST!
Please believe this! Like ANY father, I am disappointing that you run from me.. I hurt when you deny me... But I AM sorry that you are in this valley! And I love you enough to help you out!!
This is why I give you rules... This is why I give you laws... This is why I give you boundaries!
BECAUSE? I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE LED INTO A VALLEY! I DON'T WANT YOU TO MISS THE TRUE HAPPINESS AND PLEASURE THAT I CREATED FOR YOU!
I know you feel trapped... But I'm here to tell you, You have ALREADY been set free! I am the light and way out!
These demons and chains that you think are holding you tight...? ARE NOT AS POWERFUL AS I AM!
I sacrificed and surrendered my LIFE so that they will leave you alone! But you must trust that I care for you, you must trust that I love you, you must trust that I KNOW what I am doing...
I created you, I created your hopes, I created your dreams, And I know your anxieties...
I am the perfect doctor... And I know what you need. That feeling you have right now? That feeling of guilt and hopelessness...? What if I would tell you that I can fix that!?
What would you say, if I told you that I know a doctor who is considered the BEST of the best. A doctor that knows you better than you know YOURSELF! And not just ANY doctor, But a doctor that truly knows you from the inside out, and knows how to fix you.
What if I told you... I am that doctor... ...Will You Let The Doctor Work On You?"
-Jesus
"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives ALL your sins and heals ALL your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion...
...who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s." -Psalm 103:2-5
"He has removed our sins as far...as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him...
...For he knows how weak we are..." -Psalm 103:12-14
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Although we are weak... We should NEVER use this as justification for sin!
His mercy takes EVERYTHING into account
Chains... Addiction... Enslavement...
These words, I strongly believe, EVERYONE can relate to...
Rather it be; The Innocent "Habit" or The More Serious "Fiend"
EVERYONE struggles with temptations, habits, and addictions!
There is no other "Valley" that so many of us struggle with then the valley of addiction.
So why do so many of us righteously condemn the "addict"?
So many of us, The Children of God, Simply forget the GRACE that the Lord has poured out on us.
May the Lord have mercy on us... For rejecting our sisters and brothers because they struggle... Just like WE did! JUST LIKE WE DO!
We as Christians have a "habit" to focus on those who do NOT come to the church... BUT WE IGNORE THE TIMES THAT THEY CAME TO US FOR HELP, AND WE REJECTED THEM BECAUSE OF THEIR PROBLEMS, THEIR CHAINS, THEIR ADDICTIONS, AND WE FAIL TO SEE THE FILTH IN OUR OWN MINDS!
Do we not see how fragile we are...? The bible states that our Lord "removes our sins as far as the east is from the west..." This is the perfect DEFINITION of forgiveness, So why are we so uneasy to practice this type of absolute forgiveness on others?
It is time for us... the children of God... To ABOLISH the enslavement of righteousness that have engulfed us!
For how can we reach a sick world, if we are scared to reach out to their sick hands?
...We can't!
Jesus puts it best in this story... "...Two men went up into the temple to pray,
one a Pharisee [highly considered a holy Jewish leader] and the other a tax collector [highly considered an extreme selfish thief].
The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed this:
‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’
But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying:
‘GOD, BE MERCIFUL TO ME, A SINNER!’
I tell you, THIS man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” -Luke 18:9-14
The source of my thoughts, your thoughts, our thoughts, MUST to be discerned! Are they real or imagined? Good or bad? Right or wrong? Compassionate or hateful? For Me or For Jesus?
The most dangerous thoughts, are those that lead to righteousness!
...Purification of the mind twinkles down to heart and soul
When I was preparing for this part of the series, the Lord took me in a different direction. The Lord had me look at the verse that became the skeleton and inspiration for the whole series. I originally planned on doing a three-part series, Focusing on the soul, heart, and mind... But the Lord reminded me of something that I overlooked... ...Strength
OUR STRENGTH DOES NOT COME FROM US, OUR STRENGTH COMES FROM THE LORD! So how can we give strength to others to overcome the valley, if we are NOT getting our strength from the true and ONLY source?
WE MUST "...Love your neighbor as yourself."
Look at what Jesus said in the Bible... "On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.
“Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus answered,
'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength, and with all your mind’; ‘Love your neighbor as yourself." -Luke 10:25-28
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." -Proverbs 3:5-6
Submit- (sub·mit)
A.)Yield: to sacrifice and accept something of someone else's authority or will
WE MUST "NOT LEAN ON OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING"!
Pride-
A.) Excessively arrogant high opinion of oneself B.) To indulge oneself in a feeling of pleasure or satisfaction of self
We speak so much about OTHER people's addictions, OTHER people's problems, But we ignore our OWN addiction to arrogant pride...
How can we reach a world for Jesus if we ignore the number ONE commandment that Jesus preached...?
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind...
‘Love your neighbor as yourself." -Jesus
Lord have mercy on us! For we focus on other people's "valleys", But fail to see our own valley! The valley of righteousness!
For we can NOT spread the truth of Jesus until we are humble! For HIS grace is the ONLY THING that saved us!
"...What would you say, if I told you that I know a doctor who is considered the BEST of the best. A doctor that knows you better than you know YOURSELF! And not just ANY doctor, But a doctor that truly knows you from the INSIDE out, and knows how to fix you.
What if I told you... I am that doctor... ...Will You Let The Doctor Work On You?"
-Jesus
May WE be the ones to answer that question the same way that we wish others to answer...
"...Without You Jesus, I am NOTHING!"
For HE KNOWS us, From the INSIDE Out...
We MUST NOT ignore ...the Compassion ...the Love ...and TRUE Concern that he has have for you!
"...MY SON!!! MY DAUGHTER!!! Why do you reject your other half and still live AS IF you are complete and happy!?"
So what are we devoted to? Ourselves...? Or the Lord...? We must remember the definition of addiction... ...Devotion ...Are we addicted to ourselves?
We must give up the act... ...We are fooling no-one! We are limited... But OUR LORD IS INFINITE! And our strength ONLY comes from the Lord!
We must STOP trying to be a "Drugstore jesus", We must begin to give the praise to the one who DESERVES it... ...NOT ourselves, But instead... The CREATOR, The REAL deal, The REAL Lord, The REAL Jesus! We must be able to get our minds off of ourselves... We must be able to sit back... ...And let the TRUE doctor work!
And we will begin to see,
that with Him... Our Creator, Jesus Christ our Lord, And ONLY HIM,
We can make it... ...Through the Valley
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14ZbyXfjrkQ]
----- "The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving to Him..." -Psalm 28:7
"...For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” -Luke 18:14