"Overcoming remaining bad habits"

[BQ41]

 Peace and blessings to you, I am an ex addict and was heavy into drugs needles booze and everything that would quiet the Holy spirit. Since overcoming my demons with drugs I've noticed all the poison around us that can very easily lead us astray. I still use tobacco and I feel very conflicted. I asked myself would you smoke or chew while doing a reading or watching a sermon "No" then why do it at all lol. Might sound a bit much, but I think it has a holds merit, because the spirit of rebellion lingers waiting at any chance to resurface. Going through confessing my sins and leaving no ammo for the wicked is of the most importance I think. I know were only human and God loves us regardless, However if were convicted were then conflicted and by that it's a sign to STOP. This message is mostly to myself so plz dont take it personal. I pray you all have a blessed week and enjoy the weekend with your loved one's. May the Whole Armor of God be with you!!! 

[Orion]

2 hours ago, BQ41 said:

 Peace and blessings to you, I am an ex addict and was heavy into drugs needles booze and everything that would quiet the Holy spirit. Since overcoming my demons with drugs I've noticed all the poison around us that can very easily lead us astray. I still use tobacco and I feel very conflicted. I asked myself would you smoke or chew while doing a reading or watching a sermon "No" then why do it at all lol. Might sound a bit much, but I think it has a holds merit, because the spirit of rebellion lingers waiting at any chance to resurface. Going through confessing my sins and leaving no ammo for the wicked is of the most importance I think. I know were only human and God loves us regardless, However if were convicted were then conflicted and by that it's a sign to STOP. This message is mostly to myself so plz dont take it personal. I pray you all have a blessed week and enjoy the weekend with your loved one's. May the Whole Armor of God be with you!!! 

I know your struggles.

I heard a pastor once say:  "If you're in Christ, then Christ is in you. And since Christ is in you, imagine Christ sitting beside you as youre watching pornography, or getting drunk, or getting high, or doing or about to do anything immoral, and ask yourself, "What would Jesus say to me if I do this in His presence?"  I think we all know the answer. 

"Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may he able to stand against the wiles of the devil."  Eph. 6:10-11. 

[NConly]

2 hours ago, BQ41 said:

I asked myself would you smoke or chew while doing a reading or watching a sermon "No" then why do it at all lol.

we could say the same for a cup of coffee, a glass of milk, eating a healthy sandwich.?? why do it at all?

[farouk]

1 minute ago, NConly said:

we could say the same for a cup of coffee, a glass of milk, eating a healthy sandwich.?? why do it at all?

@NConly A lot of this kind of thing is probably covered by Romans 14 and Christian liberty; learning not to take offence and learning not to give offence needlessly.

[enoob57]

2 hours ago, BQ41 said:

Since overcoming my demons with drugs I've noticed all the poison around us that can very easily lead us astray.

I take this you needed drugs to aid you in quitting?  If so That is very common in the physical area of stopping...

2 hours ago, BQ41 said:

I still use tobacco and I feel very conflicted. I asked myself would you smoke or chew while doing a reading or watching a sermon "No" then why do it at all lol. Might sound a bit much, but I think it has a holds merit, because the spirit of rebellion lingers waiting at any chance to resurface.

Let He Who now dwells in you lead you and aid you in the growing process... I will pray for this for you!

2 hours ago, BQ41 said:

Going through confessing my sins and leaving no ammo for the wicked is of the most importance I think. I know were only human and God loves us regardless, However if were convicted were then conflicted and by that it's a sign to STOP. This message is mostly to myself so plz dont take it personal.

The flesh ... what we started in we will always be at war with ... it is not redeemed and we have to reckon it dead in our continuing in s/Spirit of newness of life 

2 hours ago, BQ41 said:

I pray you all have a blessed week and enjoy the weekend with your loved one's. May the Whole Armor of God be with you!!! 

thank you! Desiring the same for you brother of mine!

[warrior12]

3 hours ago, BQ41 said:

 Peace and blessings to you, I am an ex addict and was heavy into drugs needles booze and everything that would quiet the Holy spirit. Since overcoming my demons with drugs I've noticed all the poison around us that can very easily lead us astray. I still use tobacco and I feel very conflicted. I asked myself would you smoke or chew while doing a reading or watching a sermon "No" then why do it at all lol. Might sound a bit much, but I think it has a holds merit, because the spirit of rebellion lingers waiting at any chance to resurface. Going through confessing my sins and leaving no ammo for the wicked is of the most importance I think. I know were only human and God loves us regardless, However if were convicted were then conflicted and by that it's a sign to STOP. This message is mostly to myself so plz dont take it personal. I pray you all have a blessed week and enjoy the weekend with your loved one's. May the Whole Armor of God be with you!!! 

Yes, you have the scars, but you also have a powerful testimony and witness to those you encounter along the way.  Many of us has been down this path too, maybe not to the extremes, but nevertheless, obstacles that still lingers.   With time and the process of santification, you will learn to stand firm against  those thorns.

Strongholds would be broken, just stay on the straight and narrow road.  Be bless for your testimony and multiply them as you trod on the journey.

Edited April 16 by warrior12

[BQ41]

Amen 

[Sower]

2 hours ago, BQ41 said:

I still use tobacco and I feel very conflicted. I asked myself would you smoke or chew while doing a reading or watching a sermon "No" then why do it at all lol.

My old bible has coffee stains in it, beer stains, cigarette burns and tear stains. I use it. I pray about anything at any time. Adding God's word  into our hearts has no special time/conditions imposed upon it. Receiving light removes darkness, every time.
I smokes 51yrs. I could not quit. Ever. Today I have been smoke free for 11yrs. I was delivered.
A brother in Christ laid his hands on my shoulders and cried out to God for healing mercy for me. God heard. God healed.

                 "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much,"  James 5:16

I remember when still addicted to nicotine talking to a friend whose father was a pastor asking him if he ever had a problem with smoking. He told me yes he had chewed and dipped. He was distressed he couldn't quit and ask a deacon at church what he could do. His friend told him to NOT let his chewing stop him from doing all the Lord had for him, but press on serving God.
He told me the friend said that God would deliver him at his timing. It was a lesson. And when delivered, God received the Glory.

God's ways are not man's. You being here BQ asking questions to clean up your act shows God's hand at work in you.
I learned an interesting fact at a church drug addiction class by Dr. Palmer of the 'PDAP' Palmer Drug Abuse Program.
Nicotine is the most addictive hardest to quit of all drugs, yes all. It causes the brain to generate extra nicotine receptors.

My wife quit 40+ yrs ago the day she found out she was pregnant. Why? (I know, women are tougher than men..) I got real serious and tried everything, gum patch injections etc etc except hypnotism. Nothing worked.
I believe God allowed me to stay hooked those years for his purpose, to humble me, and show me the others that were hooked.
I saw those who couldn't stop cursing, saw overweight gluttons, back biting hypocrites, gossipers etc etc. Sinners just like me.
But then I realized that their particular sin was just like mine in that they couldn't quit either just like me. I empathized with them, not judged them for their addiction like mine.

A good story you may appreciate. One day while driving I was listening to pastor J,Vernon McGee on the christian radio station and he was talking about christian smokers. He said he knew a lot of them and many came to him for prayer while trying to quit. And then he talked about the 'Silver Hair Brigade', those ole gossiping ladies club waiting to ambush a new young lady convert who hadn't yet learned to dress appropriately and instead of helping her to understand a Godly way to dress they had  wood to fuel their fire of gossip. New believers take time to grow in understanding and will stumble just like a new born child. (Even old believers:)

The gist of the story was the smokers he knew had quit smoking, (as did McGee did many yrs earlier), or were trying to quit. But the gossipers weren't trying to quit nor had any conviction to quit. I had tears in my eyes hearing and was shouting in the car that he understood how difficult it was to let go of nicotine. (When praying for smokers, pray for the gossips too:)

Don't let the great accuser to discourage you, BQ, but take his thought captive, submit to God, resist the devil and he WILL flee.
Learn from your experiences. Praise God in all things. He will lift you up. Call upon him. He will hear. Your time to be delivered God knows. His timing does not change by our impatience. It took me years and in those years I grew, learning, everybody else is  fighting battles I knew nothing about, so I need to stop judging them and start praying for them. Stay in the word and look for someone to share the good news with or just do something neat for someone. Then one day, at God's timing, .........

Thanks BQ..

 

 

 

[D. Adrien]

1 hour ago, Sower said:

My old bible has coffee stains in it, beer stains, cigarette burns and tear stains. I use it. I pray about anything at any time. Adding God's word  into our hearts has no special time/conditions imposed upon it. Receiving light removes darkness, every time.
I smokes 51yrs. I could not quit. Ever. Today I have been smoke free for 11yrs. I was delivered.
A brother in Christ laid his hands on my shoulders and cried out to God for healing mercy for me. God heard. God healed.

                 "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much,"  James 5:16

I remember when still addicted to nicotine talking to a friend whose father was a pastor asking him if he ever had a problem with smoking. He told me yes he had chewed and dipped. He was distressed he couldn't quit and ask a deacon at church what he could do. His friend told him to NOT let his chewing stop him from doing all the Lord had for him, but press on serving God.
He told me the friend said that God would deliver him at his timing. It was a lesson. And when delivered, God received the Glory.

God's ways are not man's. You being here BQ asking questions to clean up your act shows God's hand at work in you.
I learned an interesting fact at a church drug addiction class by Dr. Palmer of the 'PDAP' Palmer Drug Abuse Program.
Nicotine is the most addictive hardest to quit of all drugs, yes all. It causes the brain to generate extra nicotine receptors.

My wife quit 40+ yrs ago the day she found out she was pregnant. Why? (I know, women are tougher than men..) I got real serious and tried everything, gum patch injections etc etc except hypnotism. Nothing worked.
I believe God allowed me to stay hooked those years for his purpose, to humble me, and show me the others that were hooked.
I saw those who couldn't stop cursing, saw overweight gluttons, back biting hypocrites, gossipers etc etc. Sinners just like me.
But then I realized that their particular sin was just like mine in that they couldn't quit either just like me. I empathized with them, not judged them for their addiction like mine.

A good story you may appreciate. One day while driving I was listening to pastor J,Vernon McGee on the christian radio station and he was talking about christian smokers. He said he knew a lot of them and many came to him for prayer while trying to quit. And then he talked about the 'Silver Hair Brigade', those ole gossiping ladies club waiting to ambush a new young lady convert who hadn't yet learned to dress appropriately and instead of helping her to understand a Godly way to dress they had  wood to fuel their fire of gossip. New believers take time to grow in understanding and will stumble just like a new born child. (Even old believers:)

The gist of the story was the smokers he knew had quit smoking, (as did McGee did many yrs earlier), or were trying to quit. But the gossipers weren't trying to quit nor had any conviction to quit. I had tears in my eyes hearing and was shouting in the car that he understood how difficult it was to let go of nicotine. (When praying for smokers, pray for the gossips too:)

Don't let the great accuser to discourage you, BQ, but take his thought captive, submit to God, resist the devil and he WILL flee.
Learn from your experiences. Praise God in all things. He will lift you up. Call upon him. He will hear. Your time to be delivered God knows. His timing does not change by our impatience. It took me years and in those years I grew, learning, everybody else is  fighting battles I knew nothing about, so I need to stop judging them and start praying for them. Stay in the word and look for someone to share the good news with or just do something neat for someone. Then one day, at God's timing, .........

Thanks BQ..

 

 

 

Yes, I've known many that believe a juicy bit of gossip is soothing to the ears.

[BibleStudent100]

10 hours ago, Sower said:

My old bible has coffee stains in it, beer stains, cigarette burns and tear stains. I use it. I pray about anything at any time.

Thank you for your honesty Sower; I appreciate the raw candor.

 

God bless!