I Thank God

I Thank God

“Wandering into the night
Wanting a place to hide
This weary soul, this bag of bones
And I tried with all my mind
And I just can’t win the fight
I’m slowly drifting, oh vagabond
And just when I ran out of road
I met a man I didn’t know
And he told me
That I was not alone”

I Thank God, Maverick City Worship

““I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.”

Luke 12:8, NIV

Jesus came to show us The Way. He came to show us the model life, to give us an example according to which we can pattern our lives.

In Luke 12, in a passage where Jesus shares warnings and encouragements with those who would hear, He makes it clear that it is required of us to share the good news of His Gospel with others.

Jesus placed great emphasis on sharing the Gospel. Even in Luke 12 He admonished us not to fear those who can kill the body and after that do no more, but to rather fear God – for He has the authority over life, death and everything in between and beyond.

Jesus tells us to acknowledge Him publicly.

The Greek word here is ‘homologeó’ which most properly means to ‘speak the same, to agree.’

Jesus tells us to be like Him.

The confession here then is not one made merely by the lips – our public acknowledgement is not done through mere and mortal words – but is a practical manifestation of the belief in our hearts.

We share the good news of His Gospel primarily through presence.

I overcame drug addiction – not through preaching, teaching or even prayer – but through the presence of dear friends who had gone through the same.

We often overlook the power of being present in the life of another. We always want to talk, but very few of us want to walk with the downcast and downtrodden.

We all want to share our insights, but very few of us know how to just sit with the sad and defeated.

Many people sit in our churches week after week – they listen to the sermons, they participate in the worship, they read the word, the attend the prayer meetings – they do their disciplines at home – yet they see no change in their lives. This does not make them ungodly or lacking in spiritual wisdom – but it does show us where we are lacking in discernment when we look past them and neglect to reach out. How many invisible brothers and sisters are in our church?

By the same token I have seen, many times, the real world difference it makes when we as people connect – when we go and sit next to that person and community starts to form.

When, instead of competing for status or esteem we start complimenting and completing one another.

Man was not meant to be alone. Christianity wasn’t meant to be a club, it was supposed to be a community.

One of the main reasons Jesus healed so many people in His ministry here on Earth was to restore community. Disease, illness and infirmity were seen as a sign of present or inherited sin and affected your standing in the community. If you were sick, cripple or disabled you were an outcast – ostracised and pushed aside.

Jesus’ main objective in healing these people wasn’t simply to restore them to health, but to restore them to community.

So that they would no longer walk alone.

But it is not enough for us to only reach out to the loner sitting in the back of the church.

The main point of Jesus’ ministry was that the sinner is just as much our brother as the pharisee. The fact that they are far away does not diminish the love the Father has for His errant and lost children. God is married to the backslider. He loves all His children – but a lot of the time we don’t.

Are we the love of Christ to the loner, the loser, the lost and the blind? Do we care for the unseen, the unheard and even the unknown as Christ cared for them?

Or do we push them aside because of their sin sickness? Ostracize and cast out those who are unchurched and unwashed?

The song ‘I Thank God’ by Maverick City starts with a testimony – the story of a lost and lonely vagabond who encounters a man of flesh and bone, one who says: “You’re not alone!”

Maybe if we start thinking more like Jesus, living the testimony of His love by showing His love to the world we will see more testimonies being written in our midst. We will see our churches growing instead of shrinking. We will see people healed of their sin and shame as they realize that they don’t have to live that way anymore.

But how will they know if we don’t live out the truth of God’s Word among them?

What will we show them today?

How will we acknowledge Christ – not just through preaching – but through our presence in the world today?

Prayer: Lord, help me be a beacon of light in a dark and dying world. Help me show and not just tell them of Your love, mercy and grace. Help me Lord to see past the sin and shame of others and to love them like You loved me. Give me a heart that longs to journey with the backslider, patience that surpasses understanding – a heart and mind like Yours, oh Lord. Help me be present in the lives of others, and may my presence be Your presence in the midst of an unbelieving generation – so that we may see a great awakening in our community, our country and even the world. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Tabernacle Typology 3: Precious Metals

Tabernacle Typology 3: Precious Metals

Ex. 25:1-9: (KJV)

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.”

As we have explored in previous reflections, every aspect of the Tabernacle points to Jesus in some way or form.

As St. Augustine said: “In the Old Testament the New is concealed, in the New the Old is revealed.”

All the nuances and finer points in God’s divine scheme are displayed in the Tabernacle, from the materials used to the staves, hooks and rods, and even the large, durable coverings – everything has a purpose.

In the four versions of the Gospel the hidden importance of such seemingly mundane things are exposed, and we can see Christ portrayed in the Tabernacle as the Son of Man, the Last Adam, The Son of God, the Spotless Lamb slain for our iniquities and transgressions!

The first of these finer points we will look at concerns the precious metals – gold, silver and bronze – used in the construction of the Tabernacle.

Metals like gold and silver have long been considered valuable by people groups across time and space – history and geography – and have often been used as a store of value, a sign of wealth and even power.

Another consideration is the fact that these metals were all taken from the ground, from within the Earth – and so, just as we need to mine the Earth to procure the wealth in it we will need to mine the text of the Bible to gain the wealth of knowledge, wisdom and revelation attached to these precious metals – the true spiritual value of these materials hidden in the incarnation of Jesus, just like its physical counterparts are hidden in the Earth.

Gold was used in the construction of the ark, the Cherubim, the table of showbread, the candlestick and the altar of incense.

It is generally used in the Tabernacle as an emblem of divinity, the revelation of God in the Lord Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. It also speaks of our faith in the Word of God, which is Holy and Perfect.

Silver was the only material not obtained by a voluntary contribution, but by a levy of a half-shekel on each adult Israelite. (Ex. 38:25-26). The silver was used for the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil, also for overlaying, filleting and the making of hooks and sockets.

Silver was the only material not obtained by a voluntary contribution, but by a levy of a half-shekel on each adult Israelite. (Ex. 38:25-26). This tax was ordained, collected as a ransom for the soul, the price of atonement. (2 Sam 24:15, Ex. 30:11-16). The Silver also reminds us of Christ, and His suffering on the cross – the price of our atonement. The sacrifice He made for us, laying down His life. Silver was also exchanged for our salvation, our atonement. (Matt 27:1-10).

Finally Brass was used for the Altar of Burnt-Offerings and the Laver, amongst other things. The Hebrew word means ‘copper’ or ‘bronze’ as is evident from Deut. 8:9: where the metal is said to be hewn from the mountains. It is also what their weapons were made of.

Polished brass was often used as mirrors – and it is in the mirror of Christ’s righteousness and strength that we do introspection. It is typical of judgment and suffering (Leviticus 26:18-20, Judges 16:18-22, Jeremiah 52:8-11), but also stability and enduring strength, just as iron is the emblem of overcoming strength (Deut 33:25).5 Thus it reminds us of God’s judgment over sin, the suffering of Christ for our atonement and the Holy Spirit, enduring and forever. (Zech 4:6, Eph 3:16)

As we continue our study of the Tabernacle and its typology this basic understanding of the precious metals will help convey a deeper and more compelling portrait of Jesus and His Great Work here in our midst.

Reflect:

1. Thinking about the precious metals in this meditation, what other qualities can possibly point to Christ and His Kingdom Come? Can you think of any other uses of these metals in scriptures – whether symbolic or literal – and how it speaks about Christ, His Kingdom or the New Life of the Believer?

2. Write a short Gospel presentation based on one of these precious metals using it to convey a message about the life and sacrifice of Jesus, the working of the Holy Spirit or the life of the believer.The presentation should not be longer than 3 to 5 minutes and should be easy to share.

Prayer: Lord, let my faith be refined through the Fire of Your Spirit into something more precious than silver and gold – burn away the impurities of my own understanding and show me what it is I need to learn so that I might be more like You. As I study and as I go deeper into Your Word – let it be like a mirror of polished brass through which I can do the necessary introspection and discern ever more Your plan and purpose for my life. Refine me like gold and silver so that those in my life might see Your beauty in my life. Strengthen my faith, like copper and brass, that I might stand strong against the opinions of the world and see You in all things. From You are all things and to You are all things. You deserve the glory. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Tabernacle Typology 2: Let Them Bring An Offering

Tabernacle Typology 2: Let Them Bring An Offering

Ex. 25:1-9: (KJV)

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.”

God is the creator of all things, the creative genius, weaving together the seams of reality, painting the skies, and letting His song flow through all of creation.

In the Old Testament type of the Tabernacle we find a skillfully composed portrait of Jesus and His coming Kingdom. Each material used in its construction had a specific divine purpose in the design, God’s design for the salvation that was to come (Heb 8:1-5, and see Ex. 25:8-9).

The Tabernacle is seen by many commentators as a sign, an emblem; a symbol of God’s habitation among men – the coming incarnation of Jesus and the subsequent indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

It is interesting to note that according to Maimonides, the main purpose of the Sanctuary was to wean the Israelites from idolatrous worship and turn them towards God. If we examine, for example, the account of the Golden Calf (Ex. 32), we see that the Israelites, like most people, are easily discouraged and seek physical evidence to support their faith, usually in the wrong places. To them, at that time, God had been revealed through Moses, and now that he was gone they needed a new deity, a new revelation of the divine. The sanctuary was there to remind them of God’s presence in their midst, to reassure His chosen people. Just as His Holy Spirit brings revelations of God to us today, so they also needed a revelation, reassurance and affirmation.

The Tabernacle, in many ways, re-enforced the laws which Moses had been commanded to set before the children of Israel. It also symbolised the fact that, when God wanted to abandon them, rather than destroy them, He forgave them, and He went on with them (Ex. 33).

God gave very specific instructions concerning the construction of the Tabernacle, as well as the materials that were to be used. In Exodus 25:2: the Lord says: “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.”

This offering was a freewill offering, not a mandatory one. He also says that the offerings that are to be received are gold, silver, brass, blue, purple and scarlet yarns, fine linen, Goat’s hair, ram’s skins dyed red, badger skins, acacia wood, oil for the lamps, spices for anointing oil and for sweet incense, Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and breastplate.

A lot of this was plunder brought out of Egypt (Ex. 3:21-22), goods given by God, being given back for the glory of God. The beauty of this is in the concept of self-sacrifice. A spontaneous movement in oneself to do something, out of one’s free-will, not forced participation, but a decision to act not just on behalf of your own good, but for the good of your community according to the Will of God. Thus the Tabernacle is also a symbol, the embodiment, of love, gratitude and surrender to God’s will – for no other reason than the love of neighbor and above all the love of God.

The Tabernacle, for us as modern believers, is an invitation to participate in His presence.

We give what God has given us – our breath, our time, our lives – so that He might dwell in our midst and be glorified. We give what God has given us – with all our love and all our strength – so that God might inhabit our lives and that His Kingdom might come in us and through us, reaching, restoring and transforming the world around us.

Reflect:

1. In thinking about the materials listed in Exodus 25, what are some of the things these components might represent in regards to the coming of Jesus and His Kingdom?

2. In Exodus 25 God commands Moses to take up an offering to build the Tabernacle. What resources do you have available and how can you better use them to expand God’s Kingdom and Habitation amongst His people?

Prayer:

Lord, receive the offering I bring today. As I lay it at your feet – my breath, my time, my life – give me more of You. As I pour out myself before you, come and pour Yourself into me. Come tabernacle in me. Come and live, come alive, in me so that I might be a beacon of Your presence in a hurting world – Your hands and feet. Come and have Your way in me. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Views and Definitions of Addiction

Views and Definitions of Addiction

Why the definitions matter:

With sobriety comes clarity. When leaving the fog of addiction we find that the haze that shrouded our judgement is gone and that there is hope. Where before everything seemed somewhat shrouded, or sometimes even completely blacked out by the hopelessness of addiction – the unceasing cycle of withdrawal, craving and the next high – we find that now we can look back on the time spent in active addiction and learn quite a bit about ourselves. At least that is my experience. So much so that under the lens of introspection, examining what was before, a lot of things suddenly make sense.

For example, in my own life, before I even tried any kind of mind altering substance there was a certain impulsiveness to my decisions.

Depression in my early teens, left untreated, would also become a ticking time bomb later in life when I found myself in the ‘real world.’

In my personal testimony of how I got clean and sober, I explain how up until this day I cannot remember what went through my mind when I took my first line. I cannot blame any person or situation for my decision to pick up, and even though throughout this reading I might make reference to certain behavioral patterns or traumatic experiences, etc., these are just facets of a greater whole.

Definitions of addiction, or more properly, substance use disorder, have changed over the years. The view has shifted from it being a purely moral and ethical decision, towards it being a chronic disease.

The original term, addiction, is derived from the Latin addicere – “to adore or surrender oneself to a master.”

And this has been misinterpreted especially by the church.

I remember trying to get clean a year prior to my first fellowship meeting.

I went to two pastoral counselors who in my opinion were not very cut out for the job of addiction counseling, even though they had helped one or two addicts before.

It was made clear to me that I was transgressing against God, that I had to repent of my sin and turn to Jesus – and in the long run their sessions with me only led to deep seated guilt and relapse. Their heart was in the right place, but they were not equipped for the process and did not achieve much.

A friend of mine attended a fellowship group during his first few months of sobriety which was completely faith based and without therapeutic value.

The addicts were assembled in a room, and the families gathered in another. Once seated they were told that they were sinners, that they had to repent and this was followed by a verbal beating from the family members who were instructed to practice ‘tough love’. Apparently it was quite brutal and the experience comes up quite often in conversation.

These kinds of counseling methods do more harm than good. No one berates a diabetic for being sick, and no one goes up to a cancer patient and tells them to repent.

Addiction, according to current definitions, is a very real, often life threatening chronic illness and needs to be treated as such.

I believe that God heals. His Word makes it clear that He has paid for our restoration and healing – but I also believe in divine healing through wisdom imparted to professionals – where men and women are the hands and feet of God.

I’ve seen miracles. I’ve seen and even experienced physical healing through prayer, but I’ve also come to understand that sometimes God is in the process.

My addiction wasn’t just spiritual.

It was not some demonic force that plagued me and had to be driven out. It was my own brokenness, a brokenness that had been hidden in my heart since a very young age, that was seeking reprieve. I wasn’t doing drugs or drinking because the devil told me to do it. I wasn’t an addict because of some generational curse. It was very much a mental infirmity – one which, through the proper course of treatment, has gone into remission.

My hope is that in sharing this with the church we can move away from outdated models of thinking, outdated and frankly stupid ways of helping and move towards a way of reaching out to our fellows – the captives Christ promised to set free – and bring them back into the fold.

I did not choose to be an addict, but I did choose to get better. I chose recovery over addiction and continue to do so day after day.

My hope is that the love of Christ will shape our understanding, and that I might be able to share some knowledge with you that will empower you to help someone struggling with drugs and/or alcohol. That you will become equipped to assist broken families in finding hope and healing. That you might be ready and willing, armed with the necessary know-how to perhaps actually save a life.

And it starts with understanding what addiction is.

Below are some of the models we use to understand addiction. It might seem like a lot of information, especially when we start researching and delving into each one. My purpose here is just to show you the broader picture. And God will do the rest.

Definitions of Addiction

The Moral Model: Dating back to the 19th century, this model explores addiction as a moral failure of character. The idea is that individuals have free will and therefore is absolutely responsible for their decisions and behavior.

The Spirituality Model has close parallels with this (in my humble opinion) outdated way of thinking about substance use disorder. The spirituality approach believes that addiction is a spiritual malady and therefore is caused by a lack of connection to a Higher Power. The early Oxford Groups which would later influence the Twelve Step programs that we have today, believed that it could fix the problem of addiction by developing in clients a morality aligned with God. The Twelve Steps having evolved from this line of thinking, in parallel with earlier versions of the Disease/Medical model, seek to address this malady by encouraging a relationship with a Higher Power/God. Although this way of thinking seems outdated, and although I do not agree with the idea that addiction is solely the consequence of moral failure, it has played a big role in my own personal recovery. It has allowed me to confront certain defects of character, address certain ways of thinking and learn the value of mercy, compassion and forgiveness as well as asking for forgiveness.

The Self Medication Model: In the 1960’s psychoanalysts started exploring the idea that people often start using mind altering substances as a way of coping with hardship, mental illness and other problems present in their lives. It should me made clear that this model should be used in conjunction rather than competition with other ways of approaching addiction. (See Khantzian, E. J. (1997). The self-medication hypothesis of substance use disorders: A reconsideration and recent applications. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 4, 231–244.)

Medical/Disease Model: The Disease/Medical model, first proposed in 1810 but only officially recognized in 1945 by the American Medical Association and thereafter accepted by the World Health Organization, proposes that addiction is a relapsing brain disorder and not a mental disorder or moral failure. It is defined as a severely harmful and potentially fatal illness which might go into remission with the proper treatment and care, but for which there is no known cure. A great documentary on this model is Pleasure Unwoven and it is my suggestion that anyone struggling with addiction, or who has a loved one struggling with addiction, find and watch it for some insight into what addiction is and what it is not.

Although the Impulse-Control Disorder model is a generally new way of approaching and trying to understand the problem of addiction, I would categorize it with the medical/disease model.

The basic premise of the Impulse-Control Disorder model is that there is a neurobiological or genetic defect that makes an individual unable to control and regulate impulsive behaviors. Under the wrong conditions such individuals will put themselves at risk, engaging in self-destructive behaviors such as pyromania or substance abuse.

Over the course of the last three decades there have been leaps and strides in medical science which have discover certain Genetic Predispositions in some individuals to alcohol, tobacco and other substances of abuse. Studies in the field of epidemiology have hypothesized that 40-60% for an individuals potential for addiction to opiates, alcohol or cocaine might be genetic.

More and more genetic researchers are starting to believe that different classes of substances might be connected with genetic preferences.

Along with this pre-existing preference the Bio-Medical model, proposed in the 90’s, supposes that the repeated use of mind altering substances over time physically changes brain structure and function and that these changes and the effects thereof might persist long after the individual has stopped using the substance. (Leshner, 2001).

Besides Medical and Spiritual models, we also look at possible social roots of addiction.

For example, Social Learning and Erroneous Thought Patterns.

Social learning theorist Albert Bandura (1977, 1986) indicates four stages of social learning: (1) Attention—The individual makes a conscious cognitive choice to observe the desired behavior; (2) Memory—The individual recalls what he has observed from the modeling; (3) Imitation—The individual repeats the actions that she has observed; and (4) Motivation—The individual client must have some internal motivation for wanting to carry out the modeled behavior.” (The Addiction Counselors Desk Reference).

We see that a cognitive choice is involved in the first, where as the second concerning thought patterns, could be the result of social learning, or might have its roots in something else entirely – for example a lack of education or even mental illness.

These two approaches, in my opinion, can be considered branches of Biopsychosocial model. This model is based on the idea that addiction vulnerability – your chances of becoming an addict – is affected by the complex interactions between your physical and psychological states as well as social dynamics, or the way we interact with the world and the world interacts with us.

In my experience all of these models give us insight into the problem of substance use disorder as well as other addictions, however, I do believe that they should all be studied and used together – parallel and not in competition with one another.

The disease of addiction is not always an easy situation to understand. It is complex, and definitely more so than just a simple decision that someone takes, and although the solution is often simple – the road of recovery starts with one single step – actually understanding your client or yourself is not as easy as it might appear.

Humans are beautifully complicated, and because of this the task of actually helping our brothers and sisters – especially in the field of pastoral counseling – is sometimes a daunting task – but there is hope.

I have seen God use our knowledge and turn it into wisdom. I pray that as we seek to understand, as we read and contemplate and pray, God will lead and guide us towards comprehension and compassion.

The solution to the problem and disease of addiction is simple – and it starts with what Jesus taught us. Love your neighbour as He has loved us.

Love like Jesus loved, and this love will be a lamp unto our feet, will lead us on.

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction – please reach out: 065 370 3806.

A Clinical View: Addiction and the DSM5

A Clinical View: Addiction and the DSM5

Drug addiction, also called Substance Use Disorder, can be defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disorder characterized by compulsive behaviour regardless of negative consequences.

I’ve heard it said and totally agree with the sentiment that no one wants to be a drug addict. No one chooses to be addicted – although we do choose to stay addicted.

A lot of the time it was an amalgamation of situations and circumstance that kept us bound to this self-destructive way of life. Therefore, in treating addiction we realize that the substance is only a symptom and that a more holistic approach is necessary in finding a new way forward.

Addiction or SUD is a disease that affects a persons brain and therefore their behaviour leading to an inability to control their use of legal as well as illegal drugs or medications.

A lot of the time addiction starts with experimentation, exposure in a social setting, and progresses from there. The drug use often increases and becomes more frequent from there.

For others, particularly with medications such as opiates or benzos, it starts with a prescription, or receiving the substance from a friend or relative who was prescribed the medication.

Substance Use Disorder often falls into four major categories: Impaired Control, Social Impairment, Risky Use and Pharmacological Criteria (tolerance and withdrawal).

The new version of the DSM categorizes substance use disorder into mild, moderate and severe and offers the following criteria. Those who meet two to three are considered to have a mild disorder, four or five is moderate and six or more indicates a severe disorder.

1. The substance is often taken in larger amounts and.or over a longer period than was intended by the individual.
2. There is a persistent desire or unsuccessful effort to cut down or control the use of the substance.
3. A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain or use the substance or to recover from its effects.
4.
Craving, a strong desire or urge to use the substance, occurs.
5.
Recurrent use of the substance results in failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school or home.
6.
Use of the substance continues despite having persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems caused or exacerbated by the effects of its use.
7.
Important social, occupational or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of the substance.
8.
Use of the substance is recurrent in situations in which it is physically hazardous.
9.
Use of the substance is continued despite knowledge of having physical or psychological consequences likely caused or exacerbated by the substance itself.
10.
Tolerance as defined by either of the following: (a) A need for markedly increased amounts of the substance to achieve intoxication or desired effect (eg. Euphoria, relief etc) and/or (b) a markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of the substance in question.
11.
Withdrawal as either the characterisic withdrawal syndrome for that substance(as specified in the DSM-5) or the use of a substance or substitute to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms.

If you or a loved one meet this criteria, there is hope.

There are many organizations and fellowships who can help, and getting help is the first step towards moving forward. We often can’t do this alone.

I needed lots of help – a solid support system – and it saved my life.

From personal experience I can say that the hardest part for me was the compulsive and uncontrolled use despite the consequences – the negative and hazardous effect it was having on my mind, my body and those around me.

Narcotics Anonymous likes to say that active addiction only leads to jails, institutions or death. I’m pretty sure that is where my life was headed. And if it wasn’t for these fellowships and the love of my family, fellow recovery community and church I definitely would’ve ended up in one of those three places.

IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE ARE STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTION PLEASE REACH OUT: 065 370 3806 / ANDRE@ADLABUSCHAGNE.CO.ZA. #YOUARENOTALONE