Tag Archives: addiction

How Do People Become Addicted???

4 Mar

Addiction has always been a mystery to me.  For as long as I can remember, I have always wondered what makes a person become addicted…whether it be to drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, or anything.

ADDICTION:  

The state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

The fact of the matter is that anyone can become to anything at any given moment in their lives.

What I have been trying to figure out is why they become addicted.

It became necessary for me to look into and study this.  Pray about it.  And through a combination of not only study and prayer, but divine connections with those who have insight into these types of matters, I believe God has finally begun to help me to begin to unravel the mystery behind addiction (the mystery behind addiction within the ‘church’ as well).

People choose to become addicted to substances and behaviors because they are looking for a form of escapism from their reality (I touched on this on another post about the altered state of consciousness).

Everybody is looking for an escape.  An escape from busyness.  An escape from the rat race.  An escape from stress.  An escape from drama, problems, trials and tribulations.  An escape from the reality of our lives.

I called it in the last article on this ‘the Mass Trend Towards Denial.’

The fact is this tendency is massive among the population.  We as a society are more stressful now than ever before.  We are living in the last days, when things are prophesied in the Word of God to be extremely perilous (1 Timothy 3:1).

And as we draw closer and closer towards the end of times, more stress is inevitable.  At least for those who don’t know Jesus Christ of Nazareth!

And since religion has done a masterful job at getting the masses UNfamiliar with the REAL Jesus Christ and MORE familiar with the ‘another’ Jesus, it is no wonder that more and more people are seeking ways of deliverance, peace and relief from the stress and pressures of the last days.

When people keep denying truth-a love for the truth-God promises to give them over to a lie, to strong delusion.

Masses and masses of people deny truth.  Some willfully, intentionally…others unknowingly, ignorantly.  NO matter the intent, when the enemy sees the denial of truth, then he has access to the souls of man, to impart untruth, false doctrine, false teaching and lies.

So people who are looking for relief from stress and relief from (demonic) torment in their lives seek relief through alcohol, sex, gambling, …and even RELIGION.

YES…RELIGION and CHURCHANITY indeed can be addictions!

The subtleness of the enemy is to lull churchgoers into a false sense of security-to rationalize and justify their behavior by concluding that avid churchgoing is ‘the right thing to do,’  Most have been raised in church all of their lives.  They know nothing BUT church.  I mean, if you listen to the average sermon preached on a Sunday morning, you can hear the preacher talk about ‘leaving your problems at the door’ and ‘entering the sanctuary’ with praise and thanksgiving.

In other words, the preacher (who is nothing more than an enabler) is encouraging people to get in denial about what they really are dealing with and going through-even if only for a few hours-and ‘get your praise on!’

The praise and worship leaders, the altar workers, the prophets…they are all enablers, enabling churchgoers to become ‘addicted’ to attending church, churchanity and religion-with all its varied forms & products of placation, pacification and flattery.

Mega preachers are counting on the masses being ‘stressed out,’ so they pump out books, CDs, DVDs, conferences and the such supposedly centered around and promising ‘deliverance.’  Psalmists with recording contracts have replaced YOUR voice, so now in order to get into the presence of God, you GOT to go and purchase your favorite gospel artist so they can ‘usher you into the presence of God.’

And all they are doing is ushering in ‘another spirit,’ a spirit that is NOT God,  It is a fake anointing.  A fake glory.  A fake shekinah.

The Word tells us to sing TO OURSELVES in psalms and spiritual songs.  We ALL have access to the presence of God now.  No ushers are needed.  No third persons, no mediators needed…JESUS CHRIST of NAZARETH is IT!

But these ‘preachers’ profit off you needing them.  They profit off your dysfunction.  They profit off your ‘needing a word.’  They profit off your need to escape from your reality.  They are counting on it.  As a matter of fact, these leaders start getting nervous when you start growing in the things of GOD, and start hearing from God FOR YOURSELF.  They get nervous when their conference attendance and sales dwindles.  So they got to tap into another form of escapism.

They GOT to get YOU addicted to their ministry!

They are nothing more than spiritual pushers, enablers, feeding your need to escape from reality.  Feeding your need to not see what YOU NEED TO SEE.  THE TRUTH!  

I came across a really good site that talks about the enabling personality.  I encourage you to read ‘Enabling Personality’ by J. Lawson and see the shocking similarities of the enabler as presented on this site and the actions and practices of leadership in mainstream Christianity.

You will be utterly amazed…

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Delivered from Addictions and Finally Free: Part 1 By Minister Micael

25 Oct

Minister Micael

Dear reader, this is the story of my deliverance experience. I was constantly depressed before the year 2000. It got worst in junior high. And even more of a problem when I started drinking during the second half of high school. Then I fell into zombie mode, by way of drinking vodka most days, for the period of a year. I had the demon of death on me. I was in so much torment that I wanted to embrace death.
Some school days I’d stagger home, then pass out for the rest of the day. I would be worn out. Not able to address life, or be sober enough to see what was in front of me. After I came down from the effects of regular usage, I could hardly make it through the sober days. I could hardly cope, because of overwhelming anxiety and depression.
While I was liquored- up, I’d read a meditation book which the authors claimed to be inspired by angels. In addition, I would alternate my reading with a new-age occult book called the Ennegram. I was attempting to learn and understand myself into salvation. The reading material promoted the belief of mine that if I could only ” not be ignorant ” and ” know enough ” about my personality I could save myself from self-destruction; a belief in Gnosticism.
One day, after many years, having lessened my alcohol use, I witnessed a family member pass away as I stared at them. It was slightly traumatic…
A month later I admited I could not continue going on the same way and I knew I needed God’s help. I merely kept this stance in mind in December of 2009. While I was wandering around Youtube in mid 2010, I came across a well known Christian channel, and began to watch it regularly. Months went by, and I started seeking Jesus. A seed had been planted and started to grow…
My story of deliverance and true salvation will continue in my next article. Until then know this: if the Son has truly made you free you shall be free indeed! (John 8:36)
If you need deliverance, and are experiencing affliction of any kind, please call Sheppard’s Counseling Center now! Pam Sheppard, a true woman of God counseled me into true salvation. God is not a respecter of persons, he will do for you what he did for me. Call 518-477-5759
To be continued…

Pam Sheppard, 30 years a minister for the Lord Jesus. If your under the bondage of addictions ,call her office now! (518)477-5759

Finally Free!

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What is the Christian Women's Answer to Domestic Violence? Part 1

14 Oct
By Minister Marlene
 
Domestic violence is an age old problem. Christian women who are being abused, often find that churches, as a whole, are ineffective in dealing with these issues. A large majority of pastors, and Christian leaders are ashamed to admit that domestic violence is a problem in their church. I was a victim of domestic violence, and I know what can happen when a woman tries to get help from her church. This article will help you understand, how to handle domestic violence issues when your pastor is in denial.
 
 In addition, if you or anyone you know is a victim of this type of torment and bondage go here http://www.pamsheppard.com/online_ministers_available
 
Pam Sheppard has over 25 years of pastorial experience, and her expertise in deliverance counseling is second to none. Pam supervises a team of online ministers who know, and understand exactly what your going through. At Sheppard’s Counseling Center, we’re here to help you, no matter your situation.
 
 This article is for informational purposes only. Call our office for professional help, and guidance. The Christian women’s answer to domestic violence is not difficult to understand. All one has to do is use the common sense God gave you. Some pastors refuse to give rational assistance and supporting scriptures to abused women. Instead, they will say ” God wants you to obey your husband “. To add insult to injury, pastors may also say ” you need to pray and change YOUR behavior.

Call (518) 477-5759 For Immediate Help

 
 
 What pastors need to tell you, is that violence abuse is criminal behavior, and God would not want you to harbor a criminal. What Christian leaders need to do, is stop blaming the victim. Such leaders are in need of prayer and forgiveness. What you must do, before trying to help the pastor understand is—GET TO SAFETY! You should pray about your situation, but an angel of the Lord, will not come down from heaven to block the blows. Your first anchor of help, must be thrown by you. You must protect your self and your children. Contact an online minister immediately. Sign-up for deliverance counseling here:
 
http://www.pamsheppard.com/ministers_available_online
 
 To be continued:Part 2:
 
  Call (518) 477-5759 For Immediate Help

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What is the Christian Women's Answer to Domestic Violence? Part 1

14 Oct
By Minister Marlene
 
Domestic violence is an age old problem. Christian women who are being abused, often find that churches, as a whole, are ineffective in dealing with these issues. A large majority of pastors, and Christian leaders are ashamed to admit that domestic violence is a problem in their church. I was a victim of domestic violence, and I know what can happen when a woman tries to get help from her church. This article will help you understand, how to handle domestic violence issues when your pastor is in denial.
 
 In addition, if you or anyone you know is a victim of this type of torment and bondage go here http://www.pamsheppard.com/online_ministers_available
 
Pam Sheppard has over 25 years of pastorial experience, and her expertise in deliverance counseling is second to none. Pam supervises a team of online ministers who know, and understand exactly what your going through. At Sheppard’s Counseling Center, we’re here to help you, no matter your situation.
 
 This article is for informational purposes only. Call our office for professional help, and guidance. The Christian women’s answer to domestic violence is not difficult to understand. All one has to do is use the common sense God gave you. Some pastors refuse to give rational assistance and supporting scriptures to abused women. Instead, they will say ” God wants you to obey your husband “. To add insult to injury, pastors may also say ” you need to pray and change YOUR behavior.

Call (518) 477-5759 For Immediate Help

 
 
 What pastors need to tell you, is that violence abuse is criminal behavior, and God would not want you to harbor a criminal. What Christian leaders need to do, is stop blaming the victim. Such leaders are in need of prayer and forgiveness. What you must do, before trying to help the pastor understand is—GET TO SAFETY! You should pray about your situation, but an angel of the Lord, will not come down from heaven to block the blows. Your first anchor of help, must be thrown by you. You must protect your self and your children. Contact an online minister immediately. Sign-up for deliverance counseling here:
 
http://www.pamsheppard.com/ministers_available_online
 
 To be continued:Part 2:
 
  Call (518) 477-5759 For Immediate Help

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7 POINT PROFILE OF A RECOVERED PERSON

14 Oct

A person is recovered when he or she has taken back control of his own soul. Although Satan will do everything in his power to regain his control, a recovered person is sober not only as a drug or alcohol-free person, but he or she is vigilant, watchful and wise,— prepared for the demon’s counterattack.

Sheppard’s Counseling Center has developed a Christed centered recovery model called RECOVERY IN CHRIST OR THE RIC PROGRAM

Recovery in Christ is a manual of recovery from addiction and other bondages by Pam Sheppard

Although a recovered person is no longer an addict but a child of God, he or she is aware that there is a weakl based upon 7 keysness in his or her flesh that has a predisposition to relapse. Therefore, a recovered person has a relapse prevention plan that includesbut is not limited to:

1.living by God’s word—the person begins to live the reality of the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ—that before he or she believed on Christ, he was an addict, but as a born again believer, he or she is washed, or in other words “clean”by faith in His word. (I
Corinthians 6;9-11)

2.delighting in the Lord—the person has pursued the fruit of joy and peace, by an active commitmentto lifestyle of prayer, praise and thanksgiving. His offering of praise to the Lord operates as a cover of\clothing that protects him or her from the return of  the “addiction spirit.” (Isaiah 6:3)

3.submitting to the cross-–the person has found out the root cause of his or her addiction by allowinghis flesh to be crucified. Whether or not addiction was linked to the sin of rebellion, selfi shness, selfcenteredness or pleasure seeking, he is committed to obey God’s word. The most important area of
discipline is that a recovered person has learned to control his tongue. The control of the tongue is the key to spiritual empowerment and recovery, because “if anyone does not stumble in word, he or she is a perfect man, able to bridle or control his own body, including his predisposition to addiction.” (James
3:2)

4.seeking right fellowship—the person has learned that to love the world is to be an enemy towards God. Therefore, he or she chooses his relationships not by the desires of his fl esh, but by the spirit. He or she will not seek counsel from the ungodly, nor stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful. He or she has learned how to live among unbelievers without becoming “one” with them. He has learned how to overcome the pain of separating oneself from people of unhealthy influences and to do it with the wisdom, mercy and grace of God.

5.embracing the vision
— He views himself as an important member of the the Body of Jesus Christ, with a mission and a vision for service.  Armed with the courage of his own convictions, he is not easily discouraged, walking by faith and not by sight. Faithful and committed to the few things, he is committed to share his strengths and his struggles.

6.walking in the witness of the Spirit-–the person is blessed with a thirst for the Lord and His righteousness that has replaced his or her thirst for craving for the thing or substance that formerly had him or her bound and captive. As the scripture says: Be not drunk with wine but be fi lled with the
Spirit of God. As demonstrated by the words of the mouth and the selection of priorities, he or she has grown from having addiction or being clean and sober as the center of his life. As a result, He has overcome Satan by the word of his testimony. His testimony is a personal witness to the healing power of the Holy Spirit. His witness is capable of drawing others to the cross.

7.connecting with believers—He does not neglect meeting  with his brothers and sisters in Christ. Committed to his spiritual mentor and to other Christians, he comes together with the brethren to intensively explore his own character defects and to share his victories. Coming together online as oppsed to gathering face to face is acceptable.

Our ministers are trained  to help you stay strong, better than an AA sponsor. www.pamsheppard.com/online_ministers_available

 

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Drug Addiction and the Religious Connection

13 Oct

I have never used drugs. What I know about addiction came from my experience as a therapist. But most of all, I have been  a wife of not one addict, but two of my 3 husbands were substance abusers.

In 1996, I started a storefront church  called “Healing Waters” and its original members were primarily ex-offenders and addicts in recovery. So as a minister and a wife of a religious heroin addict, I got to see up front and personal how 2 wprks of the flesh are connected, namely idolators and drunkards from Paul’s list in Galatians 5.

Substance abuse ministry was planted into my spirit in 1985 by a supernatural sign—a dream where a 7 foot,baldheaded, muscular being loudly and boldly declared, “I am an angel sent from God to show you your future ministry.”This “angel” showed me a huge residential Christian rehabilitation center for ex-offenders and recovering addicts. In the center of it was a huge chapel. The rehab center was so large that I couldn’t figure out if it was one peice of land with several cottages and buildings on its grounds, or if the blueprint consisted of several individual sites around the country.Since my secular background includes writing proposals and obtaining large government grants in human services, I asked, ” Do I write a grant?” The “angel” bellowed loudly,”NOOOO!!!! This is God’s project and He shall fund it. I also received several prophetic “confirming signs” from others. More than one Christian woman with a prophecy or a vision uplifted prison ministry and substance abuse as paramount to my calling. One word of faith woman uttered a prophecy that I assumed was from God–a prophecy that I called “the 7 walls” where alcohol and drug addiction were at the top of a list of 7.

So I was fully set up in the 80’s  by the supernatural signs of  the fallen angel  assigned to me to start  a church in 1996 with a sheepfold of addicts and ex-offenders. The irony was that the men who were the least religious were the ones who  prospered in the world. They used me to get established, but they stayed clean through the rooms of AA and NA while the religious ones continued to relapse. The ones who were devoted to the rooms would say on a Sunday morning, “we want to go to church but we have to go to a meeting.”  Looking back, they were right.  The organized  church is  ill equipped to deal with recovery from substance abuse or any other demonic bondage.

Interestingly enough, the two who continued to relapse the most were my third husband Rich and one member who had been my right hand in ministry for 18 years, a man I’ll refer to as “George.”  In 2003, the Holy Spirit transmitted words that I didn’t want to hear. I was warned with a sign that went like this. “Both George and Rich were sent to you by the devil to destroy you.”

Since I received this revelation in the spirit, I continued to hope that “this was not a sign from the Lord.” Some have the notion that anything that sounds “negative” must be the devil and everything that sounds positive MUST be God. Well, it ain’t necessarily so. So I continued to “pray, watch and wait.”

 The first to be revealed as sent from the devil was George.

George was rather visible and well known in the community. He could often be found drunk or zooted on crack, “preachin about Jesus and drunkenly telling everybody that he was a member of Healing Waters and Pastor Pam was his pastor.” Among the street people, George was known as “Preacher Man.” Like my husband, George was also in and out of rehabs and could barely stay clean and sober for more than a month at a time, yet he spoke in tongues fluently, sang beautifully, with tears rolling down

I reasoned to myself, “not only George but Rich also has to be revealed if this sign came from the Lord.” In love and with great faith for my marriage, I held on to a false hope as long as I could. Nevertheless,in 2005, it was clear. I knew. It was done. It was proven to me that without a doubt, my ex Rich was sent by the devil also. Then I reasoned again. Is it possible for a religious demon to send me two confirmed signs? Yes, it is very possible. So I can hear your question. “Pam, well, how did you find out the truth?”

Jesus made it simple. You shall know them by their fruit. With a form of godliness that denied the power of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,  both George and Rich had no fruit. Motivated by the religious demon, both men stuck close by me for the sole purpose of being “thorns in my flesh.”. Rich was worst than George but since he was my husband, I blinded myself to him for quite awhile. Both men could be super spiritual, having moments of apparently deep conviction and devotion to Christ. At one time, I thought Rich was more spiritual than I was because he talked about the Lord constantly and he was actually getting on my nerves!!! So watch those who are so spiritual, their heads in the clouds ALL the time yet they are of no earthly good!!!

The natural drunkard and the religious drunkard serve THE SAME IDOL!

 I realize now that both of Rich and George were worshipping the Fake Jesus. Rich even robbed both Healing Waters  and our home on several occasions. The vile, out of wack acts that Rich committed could fill a book all by themselves. You see, there was one important catch to the religious demon’s motivation.—a method to this apparent madness. In order to sell me on a drug addict as my “Mr. Right”, the religious demon seduced me to believe that “the great man” I had been waiting for was an ex-offender with substance abuse in his background—- a man of great intelligence and “potential” who would “co-pastor” with me in a substance abuse,ex-offender huge rehabilitation center, A person who would be able to lead and oversee ex-offenders and recovering addicts in the sheepfold–one who had “been there and done that” when I myself had no such background.

Besides these 2 men, there were several other “Christian addicts” that passed through Healing Waters.  They all spoke in tongues.  They all fell slain in the spirit.  They all did street ministry and evangelized other addicts into the church.  They all spoke against AA and NA.  Yet, they ALL  could not stay clean for more than 3 months at a time. 

 Why is this?

  Well, here is the first  connection.  Falling slain in the spirit, speaking in tongues, holy dancing, holy laughter and all of the rest of it is “spiritual drunkenness,” as all of the charasmatics admit and attest to.  People with the kundalini spirit believe that what they experience is being “drunk in the Holy Ghost,” when what really occurs is that demons enter into them because of their worship in the flesh, and not in the Spirit.  They that worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth, and not in flesh and in lies. Drug addicts are used to lies and drug addicts under the influence of a substance enter into an altered state of consciousness and have euphoric experiences, similar to charismatics and holy rollers.

The second connection is that like drug and alcohol addiction, religion is habit forming and it causes the flesh “to feel good!”

The third connection is that the anti-Christ, whether he be Maitreya, the World Teacher, or whatever he calls himself when he is fully manifest to the world,— he shall speak to the spirits of all who are trained and skilled at entering into an altered state of consciousness. They will all believe that he is god almighty returned in the flesh. 

 The ASC is the enemy’s underlying reason for keeping the substance abuse industry AND charismatic witchcraft and communal intoxication alive and well!

 

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