Knowing our identity

Knowing our identity in Jesus Christ is crucially important - a major key - to walking in ever-increasing spiritual victory.  You will struggle to one degree or another your entire Christian life if you don't learn and believe WHO God the Father says you are IN Jesus Christ.

Any time a believer is in disagreement with what God says about them from the scriptures below, (there are more promises than what we've listed, by the way) they must quit believing the devil's lies, and start believing what God's Word says about them, which is Truth (Godly FACT!).  In so doing, one is waging wise, effective spiritual warfare against the devouring attacks of the devil against them.

1 Peter 5:8-9 alerts Christian believers: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings (attacks to devour your joy, peace and faith, in one form or another - explanation ours) are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

Our ongoing, daily confession of what God's WORD says about us is one of the most vital means of "resisting the devil" God has given Christian believers.  If we don't confess the promises of God, once we know what they are, it usually means we don't believe them either...which only gives the devil greater influence in our lives.

Remember ... Satan has little influence over the Christian believer when we refuse to believe his lies.  But if we do believe his lies, that gives him increased influence over us...giving him an opening to harass (oppress - devour) us in even greater measure. 

Another important note regarding the promises listed below.  These promises are ONLY given to us because of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross.  We must never think of ourselves as so "wonderful" or so "deserving" that God gave us His promises because we are worthy to receive them.  God makes it very clear in scripture that no human is worthy to receive the unfathomable riches He has given us in Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ alone is the only One worthy to receive God the Father's eternal blessings, and once we come to agreement with that fact, it makes the eternal salvation Jesus Christ has secured and given us even more priceless! 

God forbid that any one of us thinks we deserve this priceless gift of eternal salvation and all the blessings that come with it through eternity.  We must always remember that what we really deserve is eternal punishment in hell because we are sinners.  Yet in God's love and mercy, He provided a way...He provided an escape from eternal damnation.  The miracle of the exchanged life is our escape.  Jesus became our sin ... so we could inherit His righteousness - His holiness.  Jesus took our punishment at the cross for our sins...so we could be freed from punishment. 

Arrogance and boasting about our exchanged life in Jesus Christ has no place for God's people.  As believers in Jesus Christ, you and I are nothing but sinners saved by God's grace.  That's the first truth God wants us realizing.  But God says we are also something ELSE!  He says that in Jesus Christ, we are also Godly saints who occasionally sin now...but one day in eternity will never sin again! 

God has given us His promises of our position in Jesus Christ for at least two reasons that I'm aware of:

1)  To wage more effective spiritual warfare against demonic powers -- actively applying the Ephesians 6:16 "shield of faith."
2)  To help us stay motivated to daily keep striving to live up to what God desires for us to become. 

What does God the Father desire that we become?  More Christ-like, in every way.  God wills it to happen, but it's not going to happen by our just talking about it, or wishing it to happen.  It will only happen as we make Christ-like decisions.  That requires action on our part, doesn't it?

Therefore, let the promises from God below be the "ammunition" to fire back at demonic powers firing their poisonous bullets (fiery darts) at you ... using them wisely and appropriately for that reason, and secondly, use them as catalysts in striving to be more Christ-like:

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IN and THROUGH Jesus Christ, this is what God the Father says about me ...

• In Jesus Christ, God's child for I am born again of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever.  I Peter 1:23
  

• Through Jesus Christ, able to endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 2:3
  

• In Jesus Christ, forgiven of all my sins and washed in His shed Blood. Eph 1:7; Heb 9:14; Col 1:14; I John 2:12, I John 1:9
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have eternal life.  John 3:36
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have passed from death into life.  John 5:24
  

• Through Jesus Christ, out of my innermost being will flow rivers of living water.  John 7:38
  

• Through Jesus Christ, the truth shall set me free.  John 8:31-32
  

• Through Jesus Christ, if I ask what God has promised, in Jesus name, He will do it.  (As long as it is the Father's will for me, of course.  What we can miss in reading John Chapters 14 & 15 is that God desires above all things that we make it our number one purpose as Christians to strive to allow the Holy Spirit to grow Christ-like fruit in our lives. [See: Galatians 5:22-24 to know what these "fruits" are]. Because God above all else is looking for Christ-like character growth in our lives, we sometimes struggle wondering WHY God doesn't grant us whatever we ask of Him. Though many will disagree with me, which is their right, I have yet to find one ironclad guarantee in the Bible that will motivate God to answer every prayer I pray the way I want Him to answer it.  God desires that we have confidence when we pray to Him, but He also desires that we honor Him by our acknowledging that we accept however He responds to our prayers, simply because He's the only one who knows all things, understands all things, and knows what is BEST for each of us at any given time, and for others we pray for).  John 14:14; John 15:7-8
  

• I am in Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is in me.  John 14:20
  

• In Jesus Christ and through Jesus Christ, peace is mine.  John 14:27
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I am loved by the Father.  John 16:27
  

• In Jesus Christ, I belong to God.  I am His.  John 17:9
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am protected from the evil one. John 17:15  (As I implement Ephesians 6:10-18.  This is not to assume I am exempt from demonic attacks.  The Apostle Paul wasn't, and he is the one the Holy Spirit used to write the book of Ephesians, among other Books where Paul speaks of the persecution of Satan he faced through the religious people who opposed Jesus.  The Apostle Peter also experienced spiritual warfare, which fully qualified him to write by unction of God the Holy Spirit:  "Be sober, be alert, because your adversary, the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."  [See: 1 Peter 5:8].  Peter is not writing this to the unsaved.  He is writing it to the Body of Christ, the Church - born again believers.  As the balanced counsel goes forth from mature believers: Christians are never to fear what Satan can do them, but neither are they ever to become complacent, nor ignorant of his devices and strategies to rob them of their peace and joy and life (love for God) in Christ Jesus).
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am being sanctified by the truth of God's Word (as I believe it and obey it).  John 17:17
  

• I am in Jesus Christ and loved by the Father.  John 17:23
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have forgiveness of sins through Christ.  Acts 13:38; 1 John 1:9
  

• In Christ, I am among the called of Jesus Christ.  Romans 1:6
  

• In Christ, I am beloved of God, called to be a saint.  Romans 1:7
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I have been justified by faith, and I have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Romans 5:1
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am saved solely by God's grace and the faith God gives me to trust Him for my salvation.  Beyond trusting, there is absolutely nothing I could possibly do to earn that salvation, nor must I ever think that I somehow deserve this salvation. Salvation is the gift of God, from God.  Ephesians 2:8
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I have perseverance, character and hope, when I purpose to glory in my tribulations, (rather than constantly complain about them, or become angry and bitter at God for allowing them to happen to me, which is what demonic spirits serving Satan delights seeing happen to you and I!)  Romans 5:3-4 

• Through Jesus Christ, the love of God has been poured out in my heart through Jesus' death.  Romans 5:5
  

• In Jesus Christ, I will eventually reign in life through the obedience of Christ Jesus to the Father.  Romans 5:17
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have been made righteous through the obedience of Christ.  Romans 5:19; 2 Corinthians 5:21
  

• Through Jesus Christ, because I have been given the righteousness Christ had and has, I now am commanded of God to diligently strive daily to live up to this righteousness that Christ secured for me.  (Not giving into temptations to sin, in other words, walking in obedience to the Word of Truth).  1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22

• In Jesus Christ, I died with Christ when He died.  Romans 6:2
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, because Christ rose from the dead, I have been raised from the spiritually dead to walk in newness of spiritual life through Christ.  Romans 6:4
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I no longer need to be a slave to sin, because God has given me His power in Christ to became a vessel to holiness and obedience.   Romans 6:6
  

• In Jesus Christ and through the strength and power of Christ, I AM an overcomer.  Philippians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
  

• In my own strength and own power, I can accomplish nothing that pleases God. John 15:5

• Through Jesus Christ, what I purpose to do daily is seek the help of the Holy Spirit to help me understand when I am sinning; help me understand why God doesn't want me committing that sin; and then help me overcome that sin(s) in my life.  Romans 8:13 
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am not under law, but under grace.  Before Christ died for sinners on the cross, I was under the law.  To be saved, I was to try to obey the 10 commandments (which the Bible says no one can do, though Christ did).  After Christ died for sinners on the cross, I was under grace.  Under grace, I no longer had to try to obey the 10 commandments to become saved, but rather, trust that Christ paid full penalty for all my sins, taking my full punishment for them.  And because I'm now under grace, I realize there is nothing to lose and everything to gain by my keeping the Ten Commandments, but without the resurrection power that is imparted to us in Christ and by the help of the Holy Spirit, we won't be able to faithfully obey the Ten Commandments anyway for very long. Yet I must always remember lest the devil try to deceive me as the book of Galatians addresses, trying to keep the 10 commandments will not, and will never, save me from my sins, nor will it save anyone else.  Neither will restoring any daily sacrifice as was practiced in Old Testament times by the Jews save me or anyone else from my or their sins.  Romans 6:14; Galatians 5:18 
  

• I once was a slave to sin before I was saved, but now that I am secure in my salvation in Christ, I desire to be a slave of righteousness (addicted to righteousness; right-relationship with God, in other words).  Romans 6:18
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have now no condemnation because of who I am in Christ,   Romans 8:1
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have been set free from the law of sin and of death.  Romans 8:2
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have spiritual life in my mortal body through His Spirit who indwells me.  Romans 8:11
  

• In Christ Jesus, I am a child of God.  (When I wasn't in Christ Jesus, I was a child of Satan).  Romans 8:16
  

• Through Christ, I am an heir of God and fellow heir with Christ.  Romans 8:17
  

• In Jesus Christ, all things are working ultimately together for my good, as I walk in God's purposes and His will, in love. Romans 8:28; 1 John 5:3
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I have been justified and glorified in the mind of God, and I now strive to walk in obedience to the Word of Truth to glorify the One (Jesus Christ) who secured my justification and glorification.  Romans 8:30
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have a measure of faith.  Romans 12:3
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have been given gifts, though I also know that I'm to desire supernatural gifts at all times imparted by the Holy Spirit, to glorify God.  Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 14:1
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I am to desire spiritual gifts, but diligently PURSUE love, because it was love that motivated and keeps motivating God to pursue me and you.  1 Corinthians 14:1
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, whether I live or die, I am the Lord's.  Romans 14:8
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am a sanctified saint, (but living it out daily is a different matter, though it is God's will that I eagerly strive to do so, with the help of the Holy Spirit and God's Word!)  I Cor. 1:2
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I have been given the grace of God.  I Cor. 1:4
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have been enriched in every way.  I Cor. 1:5
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am called into fellowship with God.  I Cor. 1:9
  

• In Jesus Christ, I qualify to be given wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. I Cor. 1:30
  

• Because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and my choice to identify with Him, I have been given God's Spirit so I can understand what God has freely given.  I Cor. 2:12
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am God's fellow worker, I am God's field, God's building.  I Cor. 3:9
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am a temple of God in which the Spirit of God indwells, though I also realize that I can grieve the Spirit of God by giving place to ongoing sin...disobedience...teaching false doctrine...twisting scriptures out of context and/or proper scripture application.  I Cor. 3:16; Ephesians 4:30
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am a holy temple of God I Cor. 3:17
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am one spirit with God's Spirit, (though my flesh begs to differ far too often!)  I Cor. 6:17
  

• In Jesus Christ, my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in me, and because God says it is His temple, I strive to make it a holy temple daily through the help of Christ's strength in me to walk in the Spirit rather than the flesh.  However, as a word of caution, no matter how much a person conquers areas of sin in their life, this is not, nor will it ever, be what saves them from their sins.  BELIEVING what Christ accomplished for us on the cross is what saves us.  Nothing less.  Nothing more.         I Cor. 6:19
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have been bought with a price, and I desire to honor God with my body, (which encompasses my spirit, my soul, and my physical body). I Cor. 6:20
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am Christ's slave (though I'm not so arrogant nor naive to believe that my selfish and fleshly carnal nature has been stripped fully of its power to keep me from being a slave to it's sinful desires, which is why I need to daily purpose to walk in the Spirit, so I don't fulfill the lusts of my flesh).  I Cor. 7:22; Galatians 5:16-17
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I will be raised from the dead imperishable.  I Cor. 15:52
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I will put on immortality.  I Cor. 15:53
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am comforted by God, so I can comfort others.  2 Cor. 1:4
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am delivered from the peril of spiritual death, providing I'm willing to give my ALL to God in obedience to maintain my deliverance.  2 Cor. 1:10
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, He anointed me, and put His seal of ownership on me.  2 Cor. 1:22
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am a fragrance of Christ to God among both the saved and the lost, as I behave like Christ would behave.  2 Cor. 2:15
  

• In Christ, I am a letter of Christ being written.  2 Cor. 3:3
  

• Through Christ, I am a minister of the new covenant of the Spirit of life.  2 Cor. 3:6
  

• Through Christ, I am being transformed into the likeness of the Lord Jesus ever increasingly with glory from God the Father by the help of the Holy Spirit as I walk in obedience to His Word of Truth.  2 Cor. 3:18
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have received mercy, and do not lose heart through Christ who strengthens me and by the help of the Holy Spirit.  2 Cor. 4:1
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have the Holy Spirit in my body.  2 Cor. 4:7
  

• Through Jesus Christ, the life of Jesus is manifested in my body, as I diligently work in cooperation with the Holy Spirit to help me.    2 Cor. 4:10 See: Romans 8:13
  

• Through Jesus Christ, my inner man is being renewed day by day.  2 Cor. 4:16
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  2 Cor. 5:1
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I live by faith, not by sight.  (That is, I live by faith in God's wisely applied promises in His Word, and any rhema word(s) God has imparted to me.  Otherwise I may be living by presumption and/or assumption without even knowing, which can give demons an open door to trip me up). 2 Cor. 5:7
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am a new spiritual creation; old things have passed away, and all things have become new.  2 Cor. 5:17
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am reconciled to God, and I have been given the ministry of reconciliation.  2 Cor. 5:18
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am an ambassador for Christ, imploring people to be reconciled to God.  2 Cor. 5:20
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am the righteousness of God.  2 Cor. 5:21
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have grace from God so I can abound in every good work.  2 Cor. 9:8
  

• In the love of God, I am Christ's.  2 Cor. 10:7
  

• Through God's love and mercy and grace, Jesus Christ is in me.  2 Cor. 13:5
  

• I am crucified with Jesus Christ, as the Apostle Paul was qualified to state, so I too in Christ want to be able to confidently proclaim this.  I no longer live but Christ lives in me, and the life that I live now, I live by faith in Christ."  Gal. 2:20 
  

• I am a son of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  Gal. 3:26
  

• I am one in Christ Jesus with all believers.  Gal. 3:28
  

• I belong to Jesus Christ.  I am an heir through Christ according to the promise.  Gal. 3:29
  

• In Jesus Christ and through Jesus Christ, I am a son of God.  Gal. 4:6
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.  Gal. 4:7
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have grace and peace.  Eph. 1:2
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.  No matter how difficult life may have been for me up to this point, or how difficult it might get in the future ... nothing changes the fact that I am blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.  Once I'm in "heavenly places," my faith will become sight - halleluiah!  Eph. 1:3
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am chosen in Him.  Eph. 1:4
  

• In and through Christ Jesus, I am holy and blameless in God's sight.  Eph. 1:4
  

• I am a son through Jesus Christ.  Eph. 1:5
  

• In the beloved (Christ) I am accepted by God the Father unconditionally, which also means that I am loved unconditionally by God the Father in the beloved (Christ).  Eph. 1:6
  

• Through Jesus Christ I have redemption and forgiveness. Eph. 1:7
  

• Through Jesus Christ I have obtained an inheritance. Eph. 1:11
  

• I have been sealed in Jesus Christ with the promised Holy Spirit.  Eph. 1:13
  

• I am seated positionally with Jesus Christ in the heavenlies because of all that Christ accomplished for me by His going to the cross; fully realizing how secure I am in my relationship with God, but again, in and through Christ.  Eph. 1:20
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am loved by God, and because I am loved by God, I demonstrate my love for Him and others by earnestly striving to keep His New Testament (New Covenant) commandments.  Yet keeping God's commandments does not motivate God to love me more.  In Christ, I have all of God the Father's unconditional love.  Obeying God's New Testament commandments will bring God's increased favor one way or the other, not His love.  Eph. 2:4; 1 John 5:3
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have been made alive together with Christ.  Eph. 2:5
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have every right to feel confidently secure that I have been raised with Him and seated with Him in the heavenly places.  Eph. 2:6
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have been saved from my sins by grace through faith -- this salvation of His forgiveness for my sins is a gift of God.  Eph. 2:8
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I am God's workmanship created for good works.  Eph. 2:10
  

• I have been brought near to God by the (shed) blood of Christ.  Eph. 2:13
  

• Jesus Christ is my peace because He is at peace with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and He IS peace personified.  Eph. 2:14
  

• Through Jesus Christ I have access in one Spirit to the Father.  Eph. 2:18
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am no longer a stranger and alien, but I am a fellow citizen with the saints.  Eph. 2:19
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am a fellow heir and fellow member of the body of Christ.  Eph. 3:6
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I am a fellow partaker of the promises of God.  Eph. 3:6
  

• In Jesus Christ and through faith in Him, we have boldness and confident access to God the Father.  Eph. 3:12
  

• Through Christ Jesus, I am strengthened with power through His Spirit in my inner man.  Eph. 3:16
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have a power source within me which is able to do abundantly beyond all that I ask or think.  Eph. 3:20
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I have been given grace.  Eph. 4:7
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have been forgiven, so I forgive others through the strength (ability) Christ provides when I need it.  Eph. 4:32; Phil. 4:13
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am confident that He who began a good work in me will perfect it until the day (return) of Christ Jesus.  Phil. 1:6
  

• Through Jesus Christ, God is at work within me both to will and to work for His good pleasure.  Phil. 2:13
  

• Through Christ Jesus my Savior and Lord, I am a spiritual light in the world.  Phil. 2:15
  

• In Jesus Christ, the peace of God guards my heart and mind as I pray with thanksgiving in everything.  Phil. 4:6,7
  

• In Jesus Christ, I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me. (In accordance with the Father's will, of course) Phil. 4:13
  

• In Jesus Christ, God shall supply all my needs (not necessarily all my wants) according to His riches in glory.  Phil. 4:19
  

• In Jesus Christ, the Father has qualified me to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.  Col. 1:12
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I have been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of His beloved Son.  Col. 1:13
  

• In and through Christ Jesus, I have redemption and the forgiveness of sins.  Col. 1:14
  

• Jesus Christ is in me, the hope of glory.  Col. 1:27
  

• In Jesus Christ I have already been made complete, yet until I reach heaven, I'm to live UP to that completeness! Col. 2:10 
  

• In Jesus Christ I have been buried with Him in baptism.  In and through Christ I have been raised up with Him through faith.  Col. 2:12
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have been made spiritually alive together with Him.  Col. 2:13
  

• Through Jesus Christ, all my sin debt was paid in full at the cross.  Col. 2:14
  

• I have been raised with Jesus Christ, and I set my heart on things above (things that are most important to God).  I have died (to my carnal, fleshly sinful nature), and my life (whatever pleases the Father) is hidden with Christ in God. Col. 3:1-3
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of the Creator.  Col. 3:10
  

• I am rescued by Jesus Christ from the coming wrath of God that will be poured out upon Earth.  I Thess. 1:10
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am taught by God to love others (treat others the way I want to be treated, in other words).  I Thess. 4:9
  

• I will meet the Lord Jesus in the air and be with Him forever.  I Thess. 4:17
  

• I am loved by the Lord.  God has chosen me in Christ from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.  2 Thess. 2:13
  

• The faithful Lord will strengthen and protect me from the evil one because of who I am in Jesus Christ (but I must also use my Ephesians 6:10-18 weapons of warfare that God has given me to use...not to let them sit in some dark corner of a closet to collect dust.)  2 Thess. 3:3
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I have been called to eternal life.  I Tim. 6:12
  

• Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind -- which happens to be nothing less than the very mind of Christ.  2 Tim. 1:7; 1 Cor. 2:16
  

• The Lord has saved me and called me to a holy life, not according to my works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted me in Christ Jesus for all eternity.  2 Tim. 1:9
  

• I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day (He returns to earth) because of what God secured for me in and through Christ Jesus the Word.  2 Tim. 1:12
  

• Because of what Jesus Christ accomplished for me at the cross, The Holy Spirit dwells in me.  2 Tim. 1:14
  

• In His love for me, He has purposed to redeem me from every lawless deed and purified me for His own possession as I purpose to walk in obedience to His commandments, yet knowing full well I may fall short of doing that from time to time.  Titus 2:14
  

• The Holy Spirit has been poured out upon me richly through Jesus Christ my Savior.  Titus 3:6
  

• I have been justified by His grace in Christ and made an heir through Christ in having the hope of eternal life.  Titus 3:7
  

• Through the help of the Holy Spirit, I fix my thoughts on Jesus (what is important to Him), the apostle and high priest who I confess.  Heb. 3:1
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I am a house of Jesus Christ.  Heb. 3:6
  

• I have become a partaker of Christ through the divine will of the Father.  Heb. 3:14
  

• As God has rested from His work, I have rested from my works (not trying to somehow be "good enough" to earn salvation (forgiveness for my sins), in other words, or be "worthy enough" to receive salvation), knowing that in Christ, I can feel secure that all the work necessary was accomplished by Christ on the cross to qualify me to stand in the presence of my Holy God this very moment without fear of eternal condemnation.  Heb. 4:10
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens.  Heb. 4:14
  

• Through Jesus Christ, I have a high priest who can sympathize with my weaknesses.  Heb. 4:15
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I can approach the throne of grace with confidence, so I may receive mercy and find grace to help me in my time of need.  Heb. 4:16
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have been made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Although I realize that as long as I'm on this planet prior to Christ's physical return, the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit will be ongoing in my life). Heb. 10:10
  

• Through Jesus Christ, my heart has been sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and my body washed with pure water.  Heb. 10:22
  

• Because of Jesus Christ, I have a great cloud of witnesses surrounding me who are also in Christ.  Heb. 12:1

• Because I belong to Christ Jesus, God disciplines me for my good that I may share His holiness (this is referred to as the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit).  Positionally, in Christ, I have already been made holy and righteous.  Because of that truth, I am now to pursue holiness and righteousness, seeking to imitate the character of Jesus Christ in every way - daily.  Heb. 12:10; 2 Cor. 5:21
  

• In Jesus Christ, I have received a kingdom which cannot be shaken, and I am thankful and worship God.  Heb. 12:28
  

• Because of the security I have in and through Jesus Christ, God will never desert me nor forsake me.  Heb. 13:5   (Although I realize I'm not exempt from God's testing, and the test of feeling forsaken is perhaps the most difficult test to go through, though God strongly desires that we pass it.)  Heb 13:5
  

• Through the sacrifice Jesus Christ gave for my sins on the cross, I am made holy through Jesus' own blood shed on the cross.  (Although I have not obtained a state of sinlessness either; until I receive my glorified body, I'm still fully capable of sinning). Heb. 13:12
  

• Jesus has equipped me in every good thing to do His will, working in me that which is pleasing in His sight because I have chosen to identify with Him.  Heb. 13:21
  

• In Jesus Christ, God generously and without reproach gives to me wisdom if I ask Him, but I must be patient to get it sometimes, and I must be willing to seek Godly counsel from others at times or it may not be given to me.  James 1:5
  

• In Jesus Christ, God has promised to me the crown of life when I persevere under trial.  James 1:12
  

• In His great mercy, I have been born again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  I Peter 1:3
  

• In and through Jesus Christ, I have obtained an inheritance which can never perish, spoil, or fade away, reserved in heaven for me.  I Peter 1:4
  

• I am protected by the power of God through faith until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time because of who I am in Christ. I Peter 1:5
  

• Because He is holy, I am holy. (Positionally speaking, I am holy in Jesus Christ, which was given me as part of the eternal gift of salvation, accomplished on the cross for me by Christ.  Experientially, I  daily yield with the Holy Spirit to not give in to sinful temptation and believe lies about myself in Christ). 1 Peter 1:16
  

• I was not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  I Peter 1:18-19
  

• I have been born again in and through Jesus Christ, not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding Word of God.  I Peter 1:23
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a person for God's own possession, that I may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called me out of (spiritual) darkness into His marvelous light.  I Peter 2:9

• In Jesus Christ, I am part of the family of God, and I have received mercy.  I Peter 2:10
  

• Through Christ Jesus, and by His wounds I am healed (the day He went to the cross for you and I and received the punishment for our sins), and have every right to trust Him for healing. This promise first addresses my Spiritual relationship with God, because our spirit man is what God is more concerned about than anything else - where we will spend eternity. 

• In Jesus Christ, I have been made alive in the Spirit.  I Peter 3:18
  

• The Spirit of glory and of God rests upon me because of who I am in Christ.  I Peter 4:14
  

• Through Jesus Christ, His divine power has granted to me everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.  2 Peter 1:3
  

• Through Jesus Christ, He has granted to me His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them I might become a partaker of the divine nature, purposing to escape the corruption that is in the world by lust.  2 Peter 1:4
  

• In and through Christ Jesus, I have been purified from my former sins.  (Any future sins I commit, I appropriate 1 John 1:9 and strive diligently to obey Romans 8:13 as I am temped to sin after that, yet fully realize that no one living on this planet obtains a state of perfect sinlessness - for any length of time that is - prior to receiving their glorified bodies at the resurrection of the just). 2 Peter 1:9
  

• If I confess my sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive me and purify me from all unrighteousness, but I realize that I'm also to repent of my sin(s), which means to diligently strive to stop committing that same sin(s) in the future.   I John 1:9
  

• In Jesus Christ, I am now a child of God.  I John 3:2
  

• Because I keep His commandments through the power of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, for the glory of God, and do the things that are pleasing in His sight, whatever I ask, I receive from Him. 
  As Christians, you and I have the privilege of claiming this promise. God wants us to be confident when we pray to Him 1 John 3:22

---

Who are you?

I am God's child (John 1:12)
I am Christ's friend (John 15:15 )
I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17 )
I am bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:19-20)
I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)
I am a personal witness of Christ.  (Acts 1:8)
I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt.5:13-14)
I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)
I am free forever from condemnation (Rom. 8: 1-2)
I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil.3:20)
I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31 -34)
I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor.5:17-21)
I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)
I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom.8:35-39)
I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor.1:21-22)
I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8: 28)
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )
I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12 )
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)
I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)
I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16 ).  I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)
I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
I am God's coworker (1 Cor.. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1). I am God's workmanship(Eph. 2:10 )
I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected.  (Phil 1: 5)
I have been redeemed and forgiven(Col.1:14).I have been adopted as God's child(Eph 1:5)
I belong to God
Do you know
who you are?

WANTED: AMERICAN MISSIONARIES

WANTED: AMERICAN MISSIONARIES

Wanted: Church Plant Team Members

Wanted: Church Planting Interns

compasschapel@gmail.com

http://compasschapel.blogspot.com/

Why Tampa Bay?

God has really been deeply touching us with a vision to gather missionaries in the Tampa bay area from all over the United States. We together as a missionary community will be able plant numerous churches together as a family than on our own as just Church planters.  Together we can make an impact, working all alongside one another, instead of apart building our very own kingdom. Let’s work together to plant a healthy church that loves people and really cares about one another. Then we can help one another to plant other churches from a base of operations and develop a network of churches planting churches. This takes sacrifice and a life that does not belong to you anymore. It honestly takes a poured our life. If you want to join the team please give me a call or email me your resume. We are not looking for the religious. We are looking for a few Good men and women who are really ordinary people who do not think much of themselves, however think much about our extraordinary God who builds churches through the ordinary. This is the march of the unqualified.

Over the past year God has given us a burden for lost people in the Southeast and a passion to reach them with the message of Jesus Christ by planting a network of healthy churches. Our goal is to be used by God to impact the Southeast for His kingdom by changing the spiritual landscape of this entire area from one that worships and idolizes nature, leisure, and individualism to a community of fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ that worship the one true God.

Our efforts will begin in Tampa Bay Why?

• Spiritually open people who are ready to respond to God when His gospel is presented through an authentic and culturally relevant community of faith.

• Growing population of over 4 million people with 9% growth in population expected annually. This county has the Youngest demographic in Florida (18-40 years old) nearly 42% of Tampa Bay’s population is in the highly desirable target 18-40 age group.

We believe that we have been called by God to church planting because is the single most effective form of evangelism today, and the best method for achieving the common objective of reaching all of North America with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. New churches grow faster than established churches because new churches are formed around impacting entire communities and reaching the un-churched versus an emphasis of taking care of existing members in established churches. People are also more open to change in new churches and thus excited about trying new and innovative ideas which, in turn, attract other people. New churches also encourage the raising up of new leaders that may otherwise not readily get or seek leadership opportunities in existing churches. This is an important consideration given that a church’s ability to identify, empower, and equip kingdom-minded leaders largely determines the level of its success.
To accomplish our vision we have joined with Converge Southeast. The focus of Converge Southeast is staring new and healthy churches throughout the region. For more information about Converge south east please visit their website at:

http://convergesoutheast.net/

The focus of Converge Southeast is staring new and healthy churches throughout the region.

Are You Living A Life Of Significance?

Most of us, at some point in our lives will ask ourselves? What is my Purpose in Life? How can I make an Impact? We want to invite you on an exciting journey. One that will not only transform your life as you encounter the life-changing message of the Gospel of Grace, but also one that will transform a city. As you walk this journey know that you are not alone! There are others that have similar passion. Individuals share the vision of Compass Chapel. This strategy will encourage you to ask the following questions? How Can I Be Equipped And Resourced To Live A Life Of Significance? By taking the Culturally Relevant Training we can be equipped and resourced to live a life of significance. To help fill your journey with excitement, challenge, and meaning, Compass Chapel will offer you individual mentorship or Church planting team opportunities and internship. This will provide a realistic experience that provides face-to-face opportunities to communicate and interact with others. It will take you to exceptional places full of intrigue and growth as you consider God’s purposes for your life. Through a series of Launch team learning activities and individual mentorship, your ability to add value to your own life and make a significant impact in the lives of others will be enhanced. With each step you take, you will encounter opportunities to attend, get involved, and to mentor others in their new found faith.

How Can I Become Involved In Transforming My City?

First hand experiences at making a positive difference by connecting you with real opportunities to make an impact. Your journey never ends! To live a life of significance, the journey is continuous. A process whereby the more you become involved, the more you discover who you are, and the more you personally will grow. We will develop several key initiatives that will demonstrate the person and values of Jesus Christ while meeting the unique needs of our city together. This vision will only become possible if you and others come together and get involved. Under each initiative there are various ideas and opportunities that fall into three simple levels of involvement. These levels will help you apply what you have learned through the training, use your God given gifts and abilities to enhance the overall city strategy, and provide moments for you to start spiritual conversations with someone.

American Missionaries Wanted

At the time of this writing there are approximately 300 million people in North America. It is estimated that at least 200 million of them are lost without Christ as their personal Savior. The easiest solution to this lostness problem is to train and require the 100 million saved people to lead two people to Christ this year. Then all of North America will be saved. Sounds too good to be true, but the math works. God desires the church to be salt and light among the nations. We all pretty much agree that healthy church plants are the most effective method of evangelism and discipleship.
So how do we start enough churches to reach 200 million people?
Using the most common method available today, it will not be done. Training people for three years in seminary and sending them out will not be sufficient because of people, resources, and time. This method only allows us to begin a certain number of churches each year determined by the amount of resources to fund a pastor and the number of pastors available, which is limited to graduates from seminary.

Recruiting Bi-vocational Church Planters and Missionaries

Tampa Bay

What is a Bivocational Church Planter?

By most definitions, a bivocational church planter is someone who starts a church, and gains part of his personal income from an outside source and part from the church. This outside income could be from work, investments, retirement, or any other sources. The income from the church could be as little or as great as plausible. It could include housing allowance, travel allowance, annuity, or any other form of income.

Usually, these agreements can be seen in one of the following arrangements:

1. The church plant cannot pay a livable wage at first and the pastor works anywhere from 20 to 40 hours in a secular job to support his family.

2. The church planter has a very adequate profession and wants to only accept a token of his worth to the church, such as travel or annuity.

3. The church plant cannot pay a livable wage, so the church planter accepts another ministry position, such as a part-time staff member in another church or a consultant for an association or state convention.

4. The church can pay a livable salary, but the pastor needs to help in other areas of ministry; therefore, they release him a day or two per week to hold another ministry job.

5. The church planter desires to have some time in the workforce to meet people. This is an intentional part of his church planting strategy.

6. Sometimes a church planter just does not want to be in financial bondage to a church body such as the apostle Paul-and desires to stay bi-vocational for this reason.
7. Finally, this could be a retired person who sees the need for a new church plant and steps up to the plate. Using his retirement as his primary source of income, he takes a small stipend from the church (such as a housing allowance, which can be a tax advantage.)

8. As you can see, there can be any mix of possibilities as God would lead.

We are looking for various types of people from all races and cultural backgrounds to form a team that have first given themselves to the Lord and them to one another.  This is an opportunity to get involved with a church planting team with other church planters and missionaries who are going to be testing various methodologies, ideas, and using this fallen world as a laboratory.  Do you want to come to a place where the sky is the limit? Every idea is cared about. We are looking to put together the most amazing team of missionaries and church planters from all over the United States. We together by working to collaborate through the numerous levels and stages of church planting can make a greater impact by planting not just one church, but many. Individually available help each other fulfill each others God given hopes, dreams, vision, and destines through the Body of Christ. We can Start a Movement together and change the landscape of our culture and the very culture of church planting by making it collaborative, instead of focusing all the pressure upon just the individual church planter family.

Qualifications:

Love un-churched and never churched people
Passion for this postmodern generation
A passion for Christ
General agreement with vision, mission, core values, and statement of faith.
Ability to work as a team
Administrative and communication skills
Willing to raise personal support
Teachable and Coachable
Consider Planting a church or partnering with someone else to plant a new church after the first church
Is Planted.

We are not a Funding Agency we are a Collaborative Network of Missionaries who are working for one another. We do not fund or give grants to church plants or church planters looking for funding.

We do give our Friendship, Love, Care and Prayers through partnership.

Grace

Of Grace

 

"The believer is now, by faith in the Lord Jesus,
shrouded under so perfect and blessed a righteousness, that this thundering law of Mount Sinai cannot find the least fault or diminution therein. This is called the righteousness of God without the law." ...As sound old Bunyan said

Romans 3:21-25

21But now the righteousness of God (1)apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22even the righteousness of God, (2)through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on (3)all who believe. For there is no difference; 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 (4)being justified (5)freely by His Grace (6) through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God set forth(7) [as] a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).
The most obvious and striking division of the Word of Truth is that between Law
and Grace.... It is vital to observe that Scripture never mingles these two principles.

Law is God prohibiting and requiring;
Grace is God beseeching and bestowing.

Law is a ministry of condemnation;
Grace is of forgiveness.

Law curses;
Grace redeems from that curse.

Law kills;
Grace makes alive.

Law shuts every mouth before God;
Grace opens every mouth to praise Him.

Law puts a great and guilty distance between man and God;
Grace makes guilty man nigh to God.

Law says "do and live";
Grace, "believe and live."

Law never had a missionary;
Grace is to be preached to every creature.

Law utterly condemns the best man;
Grace freely justifies the worst.

Law is a system of probation;
Grace, of favour.

Law stones an adulteress;
Grace says, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."

Under law the sheep dies at the hand of the shepherd;

Under grace the Shepherd dies for the sheep.

Everywhere the Scriptures present law and grace in sharply contrasted spheres. The mingling of them in much of the current teaching of the day spoils both, for law is robbed of its terror, and grace of its freeness.

THE BELIEVER IS NOT UNDER THE LAW

Romans 6, after declaring the doctrine of the believer's identification with Christ in
His death, of which baptism is the symbol (verses 1-10), begins, with verse 11, the declarations of the principles which should govern the walk of the believer-his rule of life. This is the subject of the remaining twelve verses. Verse 14 gives the great principle of his deliverance, not from the guilt of sin that is met by Christ's blood, but from the dominion of sin-his bondage* under it. "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."

Lest this should lead to the monstrous Antinomianism of saying that therefore a godly life was not important, the Spirit immediately adds: "What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid" (Rom. 6:15). Surely every renewed heart answers "Amen" to this.

Then Romans 7 introduces another principle of deliverance from law. "Wherefore,
my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye
should he married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we
should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter" (Rom. 7:4-6). (This does not refer to the ceremonial law; see verse 7.)

A beautiful illustration of this principle is seen in a mother's love for her child. The
law requires parents to care for their offspring and pronounces penalties for the willful neglect of them; but the land is full of happy mothers who tenderly care for their children in perfect ignorance of the existence of such a statute. The law is in their hearts.
It is instructive, in this connection, to remember that God's appointed place for the tables of the law was within the ark of the testimony. With them were "the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded" (Types: the one of Christ our wilderness bread, the other of resurrection, and both speaking of grace), while they were covered from sight by the golden mercy seat upon which was sprinkled the blood of atonement. The eye of God could see His broken law only through the blood that completely vindicated His justice and propitiated His wrath (Heb. 9:4-5).

It was reserved to modernists to wrench these holy and just but deathful tables from underneath the mercy seat and the atoning blood and erect them in Christian churches as the rule of Christian life.

Should this meet the eye of an unbeliever, he is affectionately exhorted to accept the true sentence of that holy and just law which he has violated: "For there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:22-23).
In Christ such will find a perfect and eternal salvation, as it is written: "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that
God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Rom. 10:9); for Christ is "the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth" (Rom. 10:4).

CHOOSING A BIBLICAL COUNSELOR:

These suggestions can help you make wise decisions in choosing a biblical counselor:

A counselor should be someone who:

1. loves people, perseveres through tough times, and is confident that Jesus works in his needy people

2. believes that God's Word is designed and provided by God to provide sufficient counsel for all of life's issues (2 Pet. 1:2-4; Heb. 4:12; 2 Tim. 3:16-17)

3. gives clear evidence of a vital personal relationship with Jesus Christ

4. your pastor (or trusted Christian friend) believes would provide wise, biblical, loving, and faithful counsel

Steps you should take

1. Pray. Ask God for wisdom as you seek a Christian counselor. God promises to give you wisdom if you ask for it in faith (James 1:5-8). As you step out in faith, he will direct your steps to the right counselor. (See also Psalm 23, Proverbs 16:3 and Philippians 4:6-9.)

2. Seek counsel from your church. If you belong to a church, seek the counsel of your pastor (Heb. 13:17) and other church leaders, as well as wise, trustworthy Christian friends. Will they help you? Can they recommend someone who can? The Bible says there is wisdom in a multitude of counselors (Prov. 11:14; 15:22; and 24:6). If you do not belong to a church, seek the counsel of godly, Bible-believing Christians. They may be able to recommend wise and godly pastors who can help shepherd you.

3. Seek outside counsel, if necessary. In some cases, wise, biblical counsel might not be found in the leadership of a church. Or you may not belong to a church, so you are trying to find biblical counsel outside the church context. In these cases, the "Questions to Ask" in the next section can help you make a wise decision.

Questions to Ask
The questions below will help you get a clearer picture of what a counselor believes and how he or she conducts the counseling sessions. If possible, ask the prospective counselor these questions on the phone before any appointment. Otherwise, discuss them during your first meeting. The kind of counselor you will want is one who is humble and committed to the Scripture. He or she should have no problem helping you in this way.

Write down the counselor's answers and explain that you would like to consider them before continuing with counseling. Then talk to your pastor, elder, or wise Christian friend about the counselor's answers in light of God's Word.

Ask your prospective counselor

1. How would you describe your approach to counseling? How do you understand people's problems? How do you help them grow and change through counseling? Please describe the process.

2. What books or other resources do you recommend on a regular basis? What books have most influenced your approach to counseling?

3. Are you a Christian? How does your faith affect your view and practice of counseling?

4. Do you bring Christian truth into your counseling practice? How? What role does Scripture play?

5. Do you pray with those you counsel?

6. Do you attend church? If so, where? How long have you been a member?

7. What is your educational and professional background? What role does it play?

8. Are you married? Do you have children? Have you ever been divorced? How does your marriage and family situation affect how you counsel people?

Remember...
Counseling is an interactive process. It is established and maintained on the basis of trust. Open and honest dialogue between a counselor and a counselee is the most important component of building trust. If you cannot establish this foundation early on, so that you are confident that the counselor will be wise, biblical, loving, and faithful in your interaction, you may need to look elsewhere. If you find a wise counselor who uses God's Word to help you grow in your Christian walk, your marriage and your family, Scripture says you will be blessed!

This page draws from material developed by CCEF's David Powlison and Family Life Today of Little Rock, AR.

Relapse Prevention

 

Four emotions that cue relapse:

1. Resentments
   Repeatedly, we are reminded that holding onto resentments will lead us back into addiction. Resentments keep us focused on the negative and let others live in our heads rent-free. When we hold onto resentments, we eventually feel like others are controlling us. Our immediate response is that we then need to control others. Holding onto resentments is a loss of freedom, a loss of justice, a loss of self-will, and an act of self-destruction. Therefore it becomes bitterness which is a frozen resentment in or subconscious and unconscious mind in a form of a scar (unhealed wound).
2. Anger
   There is a difference between anger and rage. Anger is one of the four basic emotions that emerge from within us from infancy. The other three basic emotions are sadness, happiness and fear. Each of these basic emotions will be covered individually below.
   Anger is the feeling that comes from not having our basic needs met, being cornered or attacked, being violated, or unjustly having something taken from us.
   One of the big problems with anger is that many of us have never learned how to express healthy anger. Many of us were raised in alcoholic or abusive homes, where rage was a weapon of control. It was an emotion meant to impose control and engender fear in others. It was an emotion that was meant to inflict hurt, to create chaos, to start arguments that became the rationalization to continue to drink, gamble, or use drugs. Anger was used as a cover whenever more vulnerable feelings surfaced. The inappropriate use of anger is a classic example of the damage inflicted on children who grow up in an alcoholic home. Many of us experience tightened stomachs, get sweaty hands and underarms, start developing headaches, or feel a sense of insecurity whenever we hear voices raised, or hear individuals loudly disagreeing with each other. The immediate thought and reaction in such situations is that something bad is going to happen and someone is going to get hurt, quite possibly us.
   We feel insecure, we get headaches, we have an anxious feeling that runs throughout our bodies and we start thinking again about how unsafe we are. This vulnerability is similar to the vulnerability we felt as children, when we witnessed violence, or bore the brunt of violence (either verbal or physical). The all-or-nothing reaction kicks in automatically and we find ourselves filled with the same rage that, growing up, we hated in others.
   Today, we can change our experience with anger. Sharing with others in recovery allows us to experience the freedom of expression, followed by the capacity to leave things there or be propelled into positive and appropriate action. Compulsive people (alcoholics, gamblers, and drug addicts) tend to be thin-skinned, touchy, rebellious and suspicious. Think of how you respond yourself when someone comes on too strong. We all prefer the extended hand rather than the upraised fist.

1. Fear
   Fear is the second of the four primary feelings. It is a healthy feeling because it serves as a warning device when something is wrong or we are in some danger. But what happens when this warning device fails?
   Unfortunately, many of us were either physically and/or verbally abused in childhood. This experience of abuse results in either a hyper-vigilant screening of the world around us, or in a shutting down of healthy fear. This all-or-nothing approach to self-protection either leaves us totally isolated and guarded, or involved in risky situations and behaviors. We can see that this type of black and white approach to fear is not healthy and is one of the dynamics that lead to relapse.

We are tempted to back off from going to Fellowship, to stop sharing, to isolate from our friends. We start to believe we are safe only when we are alone. This aloneness is a trigger for relapse because, by definition, it leaves us with only our own isolated thoughts. It eliminates the “we” part of the program. On the other hand, we may suddenly find ourselves hanging around “old friends” with whom we used to drink or get high. We might find ourselves going to bars again, thinking, “I haven’t drunk in quite some time and, now that football season is here, I need a distraction from all this stuff”. We might find ourselves in relationships that are abusive or unhealthy for some other reason. Again, the flip side of the hyper-vigilance coin is to fail to protect ourselves at all.

We are taught to maintain “constant vigilance” in areas related to our recovery. This means going back to the basics with such things as avoiding HALT (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired) because we are likely to lose sleep over the tragedy, isolate, carry anger, and go without eating because we are preoccupied with worry. We need to accept being more vulnerable at this time. Each of us has times of the year when we are more vulnerable than others--anniversary of a death, a pending divorce, loss of a job. This disaster is also a time of vulnerability, and we may need to double up on meetings to take care of ourselves.
In recovery, we have the choice of how we deal with FEAR.

To F--- Everything And Run or Face Everything And Recover.

1. Sadness
   We will undoubtedly feel deep sadness from the pain of loss and suffering from tragedy. What do we do with the tears? Will the sadness ever go away? What do I do if the sadness brings up other losses I have experienced in my life? These are all questions that surface when allowing sadness to emerge. Let’s look at them.
   What do we do with the tears? First it is important to remind ourselves that tears are healthy. Tears are healing. Tears are an expression of sadness that allows both us and others to know the depth of pain we are in at this moment. Some people are comfortable sharing tears in the company of others. Others are more private about their crying. There is no right or wrong--what ever you are comfortable with is fine.
   Will the sadness ever go away? When we are in the middle of crying it seems that the tears will never stop. However, they do not go on forever. We do not stay sad forever. The wisdom of the program comes into play here, in the teaching, “and this too shall pass”. All feelings are like waves that come onto a beach. They come in waves and then subside. The program teaches us not to run from our feelings. Many of us are not used to the intensity of a feeling, particularly when we’re early on in recovery. Remember, recovery is about change. If nothing changes, “nothing changes.”

What do I do if the sadness brings up other losses I have experienced in my life? It is common for many of us to have unresolved losses. We may have been using when a parent died and have never gone through the grieving process. We may have not grieved the loss of marriage? We may be cut off from our children due to our irresponsible behavior while in active addiction. It can re-stimulate a sense of confusion and despair about going on in life. It is important to remember that Jesus Christ does not give us anything we are not ready to handle. We don’t always get what we want, but we do get what we need. This sadness and re-stimulation of unresolved grief can be a gift and a stimulus to go to that next level in recovery. Perhaps you have noticed that you have “plateaued” or are “treading water,” and have been avoiding certain topics with your mentor. Taking this next step of addressing unresolved losses could open up many new avenues for a healthy recovery.

If you have significant sadness and/or re-stimulated unresolved grief there are some basic actions that will help. Here are a few:

• Put words to what you are experiencing, both on the inside and physically
• Take first things first, so that you counter feeling overwhelmed by doing the next clean and sober thing
• Restore hope and faith in whatever ways work for you
• Work to achieve balance in your responses, don’t catastrophize or minimize
• Pray and meditate on God’s Word
• Exercise, eat well and get extra rest

Look into all four domains of relapse prevention: spiritual, mental, social, biological.

 

Am I meeting my spiritual needs through prayer, meditation, worship, and reading?

 

Am I meeting my mental needs through reading, writing, learning, and exploring meaningful ideas?

 

Am I meeting my social needs by having family and friends who support, encourage, and exhort me on a regular basis?

 

Am I meeting my biological needs by eating live foods, sleeping soundly, exercising regularly, etc.?

 

Mental Relapse

Different behaviors that cause

Irrational Thought and Mental Relapse:

1) CLOSED-MINDED:

Also called selective editing, selective attention, selective perception, selective abstracting, specific abstracting, mental filtering, mental editing, preferential selection, a cognitive bias, impaired abstract reasoning, ignoring, tunnel vision, being in a closed system, being closed to investigation or examination, "taking things out of context," "having blinders on," "seeing through rose colored glasses," "tailoring the facts to fit," "hearing only what you want to hear," and "seeing only what you want to see." This is the choosing of only some of your cognition's for conscious processing, and, usually, just the good or just the bad. It can be basing the whole on only one or a few details while ignoring more important or other existing facts. For example, you may have a negative bias. Thus, you find the negative, the fault, the error to focus on, so that you can maintain your negative evaluations. Twenty good things may have happened, but you consciously notice only the one or two negative things. Or you may be Pollyannaish and notice only the few good things while ignoring the many bad.

2) DISCREDITING:

Also known as discounting, disqualifying, disconfirming, minimizing, undergeneralizing, the "binocular trick," being myopic or shortsighted, "missing the big picture," and "missing the forest for the trees." This is the error of reducing a lot of evidence to a little. For example, we can do this when we deny our compliments, achievements, and good qualities. Or, when we deny our faults, failings, and frailties. It is the error of under regarding the relative significance of events. Its opposite is dramatizing. Instead, consider other views.

3) DRAMATIZING:

Also known as magnifying, exaggerating, awfulizing, catastrophizing, sensationalizing, "making the news newsworthy," "taking things too seriously," "making a federal case out of it," "blowing things out of proportion," and "making mountains out of mole hills." It is "missing the trees for the forest," "seeing only the big picture," or being presbyopic or hypermetropic. Catastrophizing occurs when you make too much of an event, and imagine doom and gloom as the result of it. For example, you may believe that some insignificant error of yours will cause you to be fired. We can also sensationalize events to be good omens, harbingers of good fortune when they are no more than ordinary events. For example, you may believe that some small thing you did well will get you promoted. It is the error of over regarding the relative importance or meaning of evidence or events. Its opposite is discrediting. Instead, reality test the predictions. Keep track of their accuracy.

4) JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS:

Also known as mind reading, fortune telling, assuming, just guessing, making arbitrary conclusions, making an invalid extrapolation, and making an arbitrary inference. It is the making of an inference about something that has little or no evidence to support it. We may assume that something is going to occur only to find out later that it had little or no chance to. It is making conclusions without much data to support them, and even in the face of greater contrary evidence. Instead, try other perspectives.

 

5) ONE-WAY-OR-THE-OTHER:

Also called absolutistic, extremist, dichotomous, polarized, dualistic, judgmental, linear, one-dimensional, pigeonhole, either-or, all-or-nothing, and black-or-white thinking. It is thinking in categorical extremes, placing all of experience into one of two categories. Extremist thinking can be characterized as the intolerance of ambiguity. It leads to the narrowing and constricting of thought pathways, and is the insistence of categorizing everything into extremes, into opposites, into one end of some continuum. The middle ground and-or the majority of instances are not recognized. Instead of percentages it believes only in absolutes. Absolutes do occur, but not nearly as often as combinations of them or variations on them. Instead use both-and thinking. Often both ends of a continuum can be applied to the same event, and also additional information. Things can be good, neutral, bad, or mixes of each. Rarely is something a total loss, a total failure. Stop pigeonholing and instead note or use the following: gradations in between, moderate, intermediate, middle ground, intermediate range, some of the time, most of the time, but not all of the time, often, a few times, sometimes, a few times, partially, continuous dimensions, shades of gray, not discrete categories, on a continuum, relative rather than absolute standards, complexity, variability, diversity, bell curve, normal curve.

6) OVERGENERALIZING:

Also called global, broad, nonspecific, diffused, vague, and all-inclusive thinking. This is the error of taking a little evidence to be the proof of a lot of things: all-izing. It is the making of a general rule based only on isolated incidents, only on limited personal experience. For example, you may judge your or another's behavior as always being inadequate if it was only a few times or even just once in the past. The classic examples are racism and sexism, for example, "All men are unfeeling brutes." Overgeneralizations are general conclusions about all situations based on a limited and unrepresentative sampling or polling. Instead, recognize the individuality and uniqueness of people, places, and things. Your experience alone is too little and too narrow to use to make rules, laws, standards, and definitions for most things. Walk a mile is someone else's shoes.

7) PERSONALIZING:

Also known as being overly subjective, self-centered, the egocentric error, "taking things too personally," "can't see past your nose," and having false ideas of reference. This is the self-centered activity of taking events to have personal meaning when they do not. It is the self-referencing of events, the connecting of events to yourself when there are no real connections. For example, you may overhear a conversation and assume it is about you. Or you may think the weather is plotting against you. Instead, learn to take ego out of the picture. People are reacting to a lot more in life than just you! Get out of yourself and into action.