Accountable To No One?

Economic Recovery, Step 2: 'We came to believe...'

Third in a series.

Sure we live in a great country! But is the U.S. itself our divine power? Can we believe so much in the good ol' US of A that by simply relying on our country for our happiness we can rest with contentment?

What about our patriotism? Our resolve? Our American "spirit"? All those things which some people point to in the time of our economic distress...not only point to, but name as our "solution." Can we rest in those things?

Well, here's a news flash: relying on ourselves can only get us so far. A bailout can only get us so far. A stimulus package can only get us so far. An inspirational "state of the economy" speech can only get us so far.

What can stop this season of insanity?

Let's continue our journey in the Life Recovery Bible.

Step Two:


We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

Using the Life Recovery Bible notes and the devotion titled, "Grandiose Thinking," let me substitute some of the words with economic terminology to stay on topic.

When we are caught up in our materialism, our greed, and wrong financial decisions, it's common for us to deny the truth about our economic situation with grandiose thinking.

We may believe that we, and the U.S., are above it all, a god unto ourselves, accountable to no one.

The devotion continues:

In his day, Nebuchadnezzar, king of ancient Babylon, was the most powerful ruler on earth. He believed he was a god and demanded to be worshiped. Through Daniel, God said to him, "This is...what the Most High has declared will happen to you. You will be driven from human society, and you will live in the fields with the wild animals...until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses" (Daniel 4:24-25)

This happened just as Daniel had predicted. At the end of the king's time in exile, he said, "I...looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever....When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom...with even greater honor than before.

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble those who are proud" (Daniel 4:34, 36-37).

Let me take some more literary license with the devotion's conclusion:

America is not God; we are accountable to God -- a higher power. This higher power can remedy our economic madness and restore our life to be even better than it was before our season of "insanity." God will do so if we entrust our lives to him...and that includes entrusting everything, including our finances.

I don't know God's plan in all of this. I don't know how long this season of economic insanity will last. However, I do know that He is in control and His will, not our will be done.

I believe it's time to believe in Him!

--Alexander
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1) Economic Recovery, Step 1: ‘We admitted…’

2) Economic Recovery: Change Our Destiny

3) Accountable To No One? Economic Recovery, Step 2: 'We came to believe...'
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Economic Recovery: Change Our Destiny

In recovery terms it's known as "hitting bottom." That moment in life where you awaken to the fact that you've hit such a low point, such despair, that be it personal tragedy through addiction of any sorts, an emotional low like you've never felt before, or mistakes or errors in judgment that led you to bankruptcy, incarceration, or sickness, that you are ready to make a change.

Economic Recovery: Second in a series.

Hitting bottom just may mean it's time to climb out of that hole.

Looking back, I was helped out of that hole by none other than God. However, there were steps, and one of those included attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Then, four years later, accepting Jesus Christ as my savior.

Recently, I began to think about our economic crisis and recovery. Can we apply the principals of a Biblical recovery program to our financial hardships -- individually and as a nation?

I wrote about Step One here and I want to focus on the step a bit more.

We admitted that we were powerless over our dependencies–that our life had become unmanageable.

The Life Recovery Bible states in one of its Step One devotionals:

There are important moments in life that can change our destiny. These are often times when we are confronted with how powerless we are over the events of our life. These moments can either destroy us or forever set the course of our life in a much better direction.

The devotional continues:

Saul of Tarsus (later called Paul) had such a moment. After Jesus' ascension, Saul took it upon himself to rid the world of Christians. As he headed to Damascus on this mission, "a brilliant light from heaven suddenly beamed down upon him! He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?...I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do.'...As Saul picked himself up off the ground, he found that he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained blind for three days. And all that time he went without food and water" (Acts 9:3-6, 8-9).

Saul was suddenly confronted with the fact that his life wasn't perfect as he had thought. Self-righteousness had been his trademark. By letting go of his illusions of power, however, he became one of the most powerful men ever--the apostle Paul.

When we are confronted with the knowledge that our life isn't under our control, we have a choice. We can continue in denial and self-righteousness, or we can face the fact that we have been blind to some important issues. If we become willing to be led into recovery and into a whole new way of life, we will find true power.

Economically speaking -- aren't we confronted with the fact that the U.S. isn't perfect? Can the U.S. continue in denial and self-righteousness? Or should we face the fact that we have been blind to some important issues?

Yes, there are some important moments in life that can change our destiny -- individually and as a country. Some of us might believe we have not hit bottom. Others don't want to find out if we have or not. They want to change now.

Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God... --Psalm 146:5

Economic recovery? My hope is in the Lord!
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Economic Recovery, Step 1: ‘We admitted…’

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Twelve-step devotions run along side many of the pages of the Life Recovery Bible, New Living Translation. When I was first reading this version of the Bible with its side notes, I had a total awakening. I view this Bible as the power of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous mulitplied by 1,000 times! You can get a copy here!

Living For Personal Gain

"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be." - Matthew 6:19-21

You can be stopped at an intersection anywhere in the OC (Orange County, Calif.), waiting for a green light, and see three Mercedes Benz, two BMWs, and a Hummer stopped at that same red light. In the OC, where I live, it's hard not to covet!

Yet, there are often times I think, I would not trade in a million years what I have in the way of my relationship with Christ for that Hummer or any other expensive car. I'll go on driving my 1999 Chrysler Concord, asking for God's will in everything I do.

"Your eye is a lamp for your body. A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul. But an evil eye shuts out the light and plunges you into darkness. If the light you think you have is really darkness, how deep that darkness will be!

"No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." Matthew 6:22-24

Lately, I'm finding it more and more important to check my motives. Am I making a decision based on what God wants for me, or am I deciding while keeping only my own desires in mind?

This isn't a one-time struggle. Daily, we must surrender and do God's will not our own. Dangling ourselves out into this world on our own power may seem to work, but it's short-lived at best.

"So I tell you, don't worry about everyday life – whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn't life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don't need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not.

"And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you? You have so little faith!

"So don't worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.

"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." - Matthew 6:25-34

Here's the Reflections part of the Life Recovery Bible in regards to these verses:

In Matthew 6:19-34 Jesus made it clear that living for personal gain will only lead to great anxiety. Materialism and anxiety are two enemies of recovery. They often work together to lead us away from a balanced life. We need to realize that the essence of life is not found in the possession of things and that worry about the future availability of material things is never helpful. We are powerless to change the future and must trust God to take care of us and empower us in recovery. As we entrust our life to him, we will no longer need to worry about what is around the corner.

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Read notes on bible verses as they pertain to recovery from our hurts, hangups, and addictions in the Life Recovery Bible, New Living Translation. Also, read 12-Step and Serenity Prayer devotionals with scripture references. Get a copy now!

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Alexander is a writer in the online spiritual battlefield. You can also find him at The Scrooge Report.

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Nobody's Exempt

I call him the everyman's preacher. Evangelical leader Greg Laurie, founder of what's come to be known as Harvest Ministries, talks simple, talks direct, and knows today's world pulse as good as anyone.

Listening to a message or sermon from Laurie often helps answer a lot of questions about life and death. He has put forth major effort in comforting those who ask, "Why does God allow tragedy?" and "Why does God allow evil?"

Yesterday, Laurie faced tragedy of the most horrific kind.

This from Harvest Online:

Christopher Laurie, son of Pastor Greg Laurie and Cathe Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, died this morning in a car accident in Riverside. A resident of Huntington Beach, Laurie, 33, served as the art director at Harvest Christian Fellowship for the past three years.

In addition to his parents, Christopher is survived by his wife, Brittany, and daughter, Stella, as well as his brother Jonathan. Christopher and his wife are expecting another daughter in November.

Memorial plans for Christopher are pending. More information will be posted to the Harvest website as details become available.

A man who has comforted millions with the words of hope in Jesus, now faces asking the same questions again for himself. As I read from Matthew last night, knowing the tragedy that happened earlier in the day I realized again that nobody's exempt, nobody's immune from these things called life and death.

However, no one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.

When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. - Matthew 24:36-39

Once again, I was reading from my Life Recovery Bible. The note from these verses was this:

Jesus did not tell us when the final redemption of this evil world will come. In the same way, we may not know when our personal recovery is to be complete. All of us are still recovering, one day at a time. None of us have arrived. Not until Christ's second coming will we be relieved of daily working, watching, and recovering.

None of us have arrived. We will never have "arrived" so much as to be immune to tragedy. Not even the greatest of men, like Greg Laurie.

Let's pray for all those in Christopher Laurie's family. As for Christopher, his work here is done...and he must be relieved!

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Harvest.org

Hurting Lives Restored

This morning I woke up with a burning desire to share about the Life Recovery Bible. I was early in my walk with the Lord and a couple years fresh into sobriety when I picked up a copy of this New Living Translation bible with a recovery focus.

Life recovery? What does that mean? I asked myself a few of those kind of questions before cracking open the book. What I found was astounding.

God didn't leave them to figure out a plan for recovery all alone; nor did he leave a long list of principles or rules to follow that would repair their damaged relationships. Instead, God always worked with people on a very personal level in the recovery process. - Recovery Themes, Genesis

I was awakened to some remarkable things. Mainly, that I was on the right path. My decision to turn my life and my will over to Christ was confirmed, blessed, and exciting! I had just discovered the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous powered-up times 1,000 I reasoned.

That discovery was about eight years ago. These days, I read from a couple different bibles, but a few weeks ago I began reading from my well-worn Life Recovery Bible again...and again, I am eternally blessed.

Here's parts of the preface:

The bible is the greatest book on recovery ever written. In its pages we see God set out a plan for the recovery of his broken people and creation. We meet numerous individuals whose hurting lives are restored through the wisdom and power of God. We meet the God who is waiting with arms outstretched for all of us to turn back to him, seek after his will, and recover the wonderful life he has for each of us.

Many of us are just waking up to the fact that recovery is an essential part of life for everyone. It is the simple but challenging process of daily seeking God's will for our life instead of demanding to go our own way. Recovery is letting God do for us what we cannot do for ourself while also taking the steps necessary to draw closer to our Creator and Redeemer. It is allowing God to heal our wounded soul so we can help others in the process of healing. All of us need to take part in this process; it is an inherent part of being human...

...Without God there is no recovery, only disappointing substitutions and repeated failure.

I pray that all of us get to better understand who God is and how he wants to heal our brokenness and set us on the path toward wholeness.

Amen?

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Read notes on bible verses as they pertain to recovery from our hurts, hangups, and addictions in the Life Recovery Bible, New Living Translation. Also, read 12-Step and Serenity Prayer devotionals with scripture references. Get a copy now!

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Alexander is a writer in the online spiritual battlefield. You can also find him at The Scrooge Report.

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The Greatest Freedom

The disciples were astounded. "Then who in the world can be saved?" they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible." - Matthew 19:25,26

I love America. I love the freedom we are offered here. However, where does my greatest freedom come from?

It comes from my relationship with the Lord.

Because of His grace, I'm not in bondage to so many problems...big and small. And if I find myself caught in sin, I can give it up to Him. I surrender not to the sin, but to the One who died for our sins.

Is it always easy? No. We live in a fallen world with plenty of temptations. Our fleshly desires can be, at times, a seemingly constant battle. But there is one who can save you now!

The Life Recovery Bible's note on the above verses is this:

These verses are true not only for salvation but also recovery. Left on our own, we would fall deeper into the pit of our addiction, never gaining control over it. But with God's help, the inconceivable is possible. He can turn our life around, bringing hope and health where once despair and pain had reigned. Giving God control of our life is the only way to regain independence from our addiction and other compulsive behaviors.

Have a happy Independence Day!
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Parts of this devotion were taken from the Life Recovery Bible, New Living Translation. When I was first reading this version of the Bible with notes it was a total awakening. I view this Bible as the power of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous mulitplied by 1,000! Get a copy now!

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Alexander is a writer in the online spiritual battlefield. You can also find him at The Scrooge Report.

Delayed Gratification

Some of us may be addicted to pleasure. We want the easy way out...the less painful...the less work...the most fun. Let's face it, some of us are pleasure junkies. We may have even kicked our serious addictions, such as alcohol or drugs, but we still seek pleasure at an unhealthy rate. It could be food, sex, TV, gambling...even laying on the couch too much...but we are still seeking escape.

So, what do we do to lead a life of fulfillment, even when we seem to never be satisfied? How do we accept a life that can't always be about pleasure?

The apostle Paul said, "So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time" - Galatians 6:9. Weeds (of pleasure) spring up quickly. Good crops (from hard work) grow more slowly and must be tended steadily, even before we can see anything sprout. It's only in time that we will enjoy the fruit.

Jesus suggested that we expand our perspective even further, with a view toward eternity. "Jesus said to the disciples, 'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process?'" - Matthew 16:24-26.

It is God's will for us to have a rewarding and fulfilled life. It may be easier to live a productive life if we remember that denying ourself immediate pleasures will bring a harvest of rich rewards in this life and in the life to come!

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Parts of this devotion were taken from the Life Recovery Bible, New Living Translation. When I was first reading this version of the Bible with notes it was a total awakening. I view this Bible as the power of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous mulitplied by 1,000! Get a copy now!

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Alexander is a writer in the online spiritual battlefield. You can also find him at The Scrooge Report.