Drug users, you can live a sober life through faith in Jesus Christ!
This journal entry is geared primarily towards furries who may have one or more drug habits. I do believe that this advice might be helpful to anyone who is or has been dealing with drug habits however, furry or not!
Good day again my friends! Your friendly kangaroo servant in Christ Jesus here with another lesson in finding your inner strength to tame nearby demons, and conquer those drug addictions!
First, my experience on this subject:
Opiate addiction, approx 15 years (Vicodin, Oxy, etc - strong stuff!) - Conquered by faith in Jesus Christ!
Cannabis addiction, approx 10+ years (Medical marijuana) - Conquered by faith in Jesus Christ!
Although I have tried other drugs in the past - none of them really took hold of me the way those two did.
There are many drugs that you can end up becoming addicted to. Some drugs that are "legal" can be the most destructive simply because having the understanding that they are legal means you might believe they will not cause massive harm and destruction in your life. A few examples here include alcohol, tobacco(cigarettes, chewing, etc), and medical marijuana.
Lets begin with alcohol and marijuana. Both are called "the devil's sauce/weed". Two big clues right there that neither of these substances are as harmless as they are made out to be. Just because there is a shop around every corner - whether a liquor store or cannabis dispensary - does not mean these substances are harmless! Far from it! Alcohol has devastating long term consequences on not just the person who becomes addicted to it, but this substance often ends up causing massive destruction in the lives of families who were unfortunately at the wrong place at the wrong time just because someone else decided to drink and drive. May I suggest that if you have not fallen into a relationship with alcohol that you never ever consider it? You're really not missing anything! I had a couple of instances in my early twenties where I gave in to the temptation to drink alcohol - at least once or twice at a furry convention, and really you are much better off staying sober and just enjoying time with friends without the need for this stuff. Alcohol leaves you vulnerable - you will be much more likely to make high risk choices you never would have made otherwise, not to mention the TERRIBLE hangover that awaits you afterwards! My goodness, there is not many experiences in life that can come close to having to experience a hangover after drinking. I would like to say it is the experience of hangovers itself that made me end up pushing alcohol out of my life altogether after the few times I gave into the temptation. I don't miss the hangovers. I don't miss the danger I put myself and others in, and I don't miss the potential for terrible addiction that some people can develop from giving into those temptations! I have seen a few instances where, I believe - alcohol was so ingrained in a friends' life that it became something that they just couldn't say no to on a regular basis. Please, friends...don't drink! There's really no need to introduce something that wreaks havoc on your body over time and potentially in each individual instance - life can be enjoyed without it!
It has been suggested to me from some confidential sources (Hey, a kangaroo seraph has to have some secrets!) that liquor store robberies occur because of the karma that they accrue due to the fact that they are in the specific/main business of selling a drug to people that is incredibly destructive and has no positive gain short or longterm. The only positive one can claim is that it makes you feel good - and there are plenty of things you can do for happiness that do not involve destructive drugs. Don't take a job selling liquor folks! It is bad karma!
I remember when I used to attend furry conventions - after hours room parties were a pretty big thing then, and alcohol often flowed freely at many of them. It should be no surprise, given that an entire floor (the party floor) is usually devoted for this sort of thing. These days I doubt I'd even bother! If I was ever attending a convention again, I'd probably just goof off in my fursuit or hang around the lobby on the couches.
There has been a big push lately to make cannabis seem like a good thing. It is touted as being non-addictive, good for various medical ailments or generalized soreness. I am not going to lie - when I was using cannabis on a daily basis I could argue I may have felt less pain. But I also was experiencing less of life as well. I would just sit around my computer and tv and binge watch shows. The desire to be productive, to work, and to be creative - to take life by the horns and contribute to society, these sorts of impulses in my humble opinion become curtailed to a great degree when someone chooses to use cannabis. Some people claim it helps for pain, or social anxiety, or depression. Friends, with faith in Jesus Christ and your *determined* desire to be His good and awesome servant - you can overcome all of these things, without the need or desire for a drug. Yes, you can do it all on your own! I would like to also add that this drug habit, like many drugs, is not cheap! The amount I was spending each month for this stuff was not minor, and now instead I can save the funds that I would use towards this past addiction and use it either towards giving to charity, my family, or to buy myself a little something nice from time to time, clothes or a nice book, for example.
The big thing that you will have to accustom yourself to is this. Do not fear the pain and suffering that will follow. Yes, that's right - if you are addicted to a drug or drugs then you will have to "run the gauntlet" to get off of them. This is the price we all must pay when we incorporate a drug into our lives. Speaking from experience, although cannabis is said by many to be not addictive, I honestly feel that a user will experience some level of withdrawal side effects. You become so used to the feeling that the drug gives you that when you are suddenly faced with living your life, day by day, without it...various activities can become challenging and you have less patience and happiness - the desire to take the edge off comes over you when you have to deal with things...and it is that desire that you must suffer through and fight against!
Some people never step up to the plate. They never accept the challenge and conquer this spiritual stronghold in their lives. They become conquered by the drug(s) rather than conquering their habits. It happens to all sorts of people. People who end up homeless on the street due to drug habits, movie or rock-stars that burn out and end up OD'ing because they didn't have that desire to stop, or simply felt they couldn't.
Like all things with being a servant of Jesus Christ, you have to learn to steer into the storm. Don't be afraid of it! The only way to get through this part of your life is to steer *TOWARDS* and *INTO* it! It's that fear...the fear of whether or not you are strong enough to make it to the other side that keeps so many people from ever being willing to try to drop drug habits. It's the fear of the pain, the fear of the suffering, the fear of the humiliation of family or friends finding out they have an addiction. My dear ones - would you believe me if I told you that submitting with love and humility to the pain, the suffering, the humiliation - is actually what makes you strong? So many people are afraid to experience these situations because they feel that they are not strong enough to endure it.
Paul Atreides in the process of being tested for fear by a Bene Gesserit. His hand is inside the pain box, which simulates
intense pain in his hand. If he moves or yanks his hand back, the poison needle held at his neck by the Bene Gesserit will
kill him. The pain is there, he can feel it - but in a sense, it is also all in his mind.
Well, guess what? I am here, speaking to you - a messenger of the LORD, sent directly to you to tell you that you ARE strong enough! Not joking! You can do this! I was able to knock a double-drug habit out of my life through faith in Jesus Christ! Trust me when you learn about the LORD and what His Son our savior Jesus Christ did for us - and truly believe(faith), you will have a strong desire to do this not just for yourself, not just for friends and family, but for the Lord Jesus Christ as well!
Brother or sister, do not fear the pain! It is the fear itself that you need to overcome! You already know what it feels like to feel pain and suffering, do you not? I am not going to assume that you have never experienced either of these things in your life. We are all too familiar with these sensations. One day we will experience them no more - but until that day, you have the opportunity to become STRONG! Warrior servants for Christ! You can show the world and all the angels and saints in the LORD's divine kingdom how strong you are! You can give glory to God by showing you are strong enough to conquer any addiction that has had a hold on you by faith in Jesus Christ.
I have done my best to bolster and build you up with messages of encouragement. But let us not forget how it is healthy to have a respectful fear of the LORD, yes? The LORD clearly states in the gospel that drug users will not have a place in the kingdom of heaven. Do you understand? Do not feel that you can be respectful of the LORD and fearful of the LORD And still be a drug user. Lets look at the following verses where drug use is warned against:
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. - 1 Peter 5:8
Envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. - Galatians 5:21 (Drunkenness, in biblical terms should be read as anything that gets you high - not just alcohol.)
Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. - Romans 13:13-14
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. - Galatians 5:19-21
On that last verse - besides the fact it mentions drunkenness - sorcery is also mentioned. Sorcery in Greek is "pharmakeia". Sound familiar? It should! “Pharmakeia” is a form of the Greek root word from which we get our English words: Pharmacy, Pharmacist, and Pharmaceutical.
Redirected from Strong’s Concordance 5331:
“PHARMAKEIA”: THE USE OF MEDICINE, DRUGS, OR SPELLS
DEFINITION: MAGIC, SORCERY, ENCHANTMENT
For more information on sorcery and pharmakeia, please visit https://safeguardyoursoul.com/pharmakeia-and-sorcery/ or perhaps just do a little googling of pharmakeia and sorcery on your own, if you like.
There are many more bible verses that warn against drug use - but I think just looking at the verses mentioned above that drug addicts/users will be in trouble if they do not conquer their demons! With regards to over the counter stuff that you can get without a prescription - as far as I understand, these products are safe, though some hardcore Christians avoid this stuff as well. Stuff like Aspirin, advil, tylenol, etc - but do keep in mind that there is some data out there that may suggest aborted fetal cells may have been used in the creation and development of some over the counter medicines.
I believe the LORD wants us to primarily stay clear of the drugs that have intoxicating effects on our consciousness. Opiates, anti-depressants, anti-anxiety meds - any of this prescription stuff that changes how we feel and how we think. We have the power to live a good and sober life without this stuff, but pharmaceutical companies don't necessarily want you to realize this. The pharmaceutical industry is BIG business and they know if you rely on and pray to God and Jesus Christ to give you strength that it means you will likely start taking a lot less prescription drugs and chemicals in order to try and stay pure and to obey the LORD.
And remember - it will take time for you to start enjoying life and feel general contentment again when quitting drugs. Your body and your mind is used to getting by in life with the feeling the drugs gave you, so at first things might seem a little depressing or uncomfortable. You WILL feel better in time. It may take weeks. Chances are it will take at least three to six months before things will start to feel a little bit normal for you again. Also, whatever you do, do NOT put yourself into situations afterwards where you can and will be tempted with the drugs you managed to quit! Don't hang out with friends who drink if your addiction was alcohol. Trust me - it's much easier to stay off drugs if you can discern an upcoming situation where you will be tempted and just avoid it altogether! Why sabotage yourself, right?
A lot of people who find their inner strength to quit drugs will find themselves able to put their energy into something new that those drugs held them back from doing. I consider this "finding your true purpose" provided that new direction is a positive one. For some it might be exercise or doing better at work or a hobby they enjoy. For myself, I have been able to focus on physical exercise, reading books, and the strong desire to mentor and train other aspiring Christian servants with these journals.
Thank you friends for spending time with me on this subject. I hope and pray that the Lord Jesus Christ blesses you, your family, and all your friends!
Good day again my friends! Your friendly kangaroo servant in Christ Jesus here with another lesson in finding your inner strength to tame nearby demons, and conquer those drug addictions!
First, my experience on this subject:
Opiate addiction, approx 15 years (Vicodin, Oxy, etc - strong stuff!) - Conquered by faith in Jesus Christ!
Cannabis addiction, approx 10+ years (Medical marijuana) - Conquered by faith in Jesus Christ!
Although I have tried other drugs in the past - none of them really took hold of me the way those two did.
There are many drugs that you can end up becoming addicted to. Some drugs that are "legal" can be the most destructive simply because having the understanding that they are legal means you might believe they will not cause massive harm and destruction in your life. A few examples here include alcohol, tobacco(cigarettes, chewing, etc), and medical marijuana.
Lets begin with alcohol and marijuana. Both are called "the devil's sauce/weed". Two big clues right there that neither of these substances are as harmless as they are made out to be. Just because there is a shop around every corner - whether a liquor store or cannabis dispensary - does not mean these substances are harmless! Far from it! Alcohol has devastating long term consequences on not just the person who becomes addicted to it, but this substance often ends up causing massive destruction in the lives of families who were unfortunately at the wrong place at the wrong time just because someone else decided to drink and drive. May I suggest that if you have not fallen into a relationship with alcohol that you never ever consider it? You're really not missing anything! I had a couple of instances in my early twenties where I gave in to the temptation to drink alcohol - at least once or twice at a furry convention, and really you are much better off staying sober and just enjoying time with friends without the need for this stuff. Alcohol leaves you vulnerable - you will be much more likely to make high risk choices you never would have made otherwise, not to mention the TERRIBLE hangover that awaits you afterwards! My goodness, there is not many experiences in life that can come close to having to experience a hangover after drinking. I would like to say it is the experience of hangovers itself that made me end up pushing alcohol out of my life altogether after the few times I gave into the temptation. I don't miss the hangovers. I don't miss the danger I put myself and others in, and I don't miss the potential for terrible addiction that some people can develop from giving into those temptations! I have seen a few instances where, I believe - alcohol was so ingrained in a friends' life that it became something that they just couldn't say no to on a regular basis. Please, friends...don't drink! There's really no need to introduce something that wreaks havoc on your body over time and potentially in each individual instance - life can be enjoyed without it!
It has been suggested to me from some confidential sources (Hey, a kangaroo seraph has to have some secrets!) that liquor store robberies occur because of the karma that they accrue due to the fact that they are in the specific/main business of selling a drug to people that is incredibly destructive and has no positive gain short or longterm. The only positive one can claim is that it makes you feel good - and there are plenty of things you can do for happiness that do not involve destructive drugs. Don't take a job selling liquor folks! It is bad karma!
I remember when I used to attend furry conventions - after hours room parties were a pretty big thing then, and alcohol often flowed freely at many of them. It should be no surprise, given that an entire floor (the party floor) is usually devoted for this sort of thing. These days I doubt I'd even bother! If I was ever attending a convention again, I'd probably just goof off in my fursuit or hang around the lobby on the couches.
There has been a big push lately to make cannabis seem like a good thing. It is touted as being non-addictive, good for various medical ailments or generalized soreness. I am not going to lie - when I was using cannabis on a daily basis I could argue I may have felt less pain. But I also was experiencing less of life as well. I would just sit around my computer and tv and binge watch shows. The desire to be productive, to work, and to be creative - to take life by the horns and contribute to society, these sorts of impulses in my humble opinion become curtailed to a great degree when someone chooses to use cannabis. Some people claim it helps for pain, or social anxiety, or depression. Friends, with faith in Jesus Christ and your *determined* desire to be His good and awesome servant - you can overcome all of these things, without the need or desire for a drug. Yes, you can do it all on your own! I would like to also add that this drug habit, like many drugs, is not cheap! The amount I was spending each month for this stuff was not minor, and now instead I can save the funds that I would use towards this past addiction and use it either towards giving to charity, my family, or to buy myself a little something nice from time to time, clothes or a nice book, for example.
The big thing that you will have to accustom yourself to is this. Do not fear the pain and suffering that will follow. Yes, that's right - if you are addicted to a drug or drugs then you will have to "run the gauntlet" to get off of them. This is the price we all must pay when we incorporate a drug into our lives. Speaking from experience, although cannabis is said by many to be not addictive, I honestly feel that a user will experience some level of withdrawal side effects. You become so used to the feeling that the drug gives you that when you are suddenly faced with living your life, day by day, without it...various activities can become challenging and you have less patience and happiness - the desire to take the edge off comes over you when you have to deal with things...and it is that desire that you must suffer through and fight against!
Some people never step up to the plate. They never accept the challenge and conquer this spiritual stronghold in their lives. They become conquered by the drug(s) rather than conquering their habits. It happens to all sorts of people. People who end up homeless on the street due to drug habits, movie or rock-stars that burn out and end up OD'ing because they didn't have that desire to stop, or simply felt they couldn't.
Like all things with being a servant of Jesus Christ, you have to learn to steer into the storm. Don't be afraid of it! The only way to get through this part of your life is to steer *TOWARDS* and *INTO* it! It's that fear...the fear of whether or not you are strong enough to make it to the other side that keeps so many people from ever being willing to try to drop drug habits. It's the fear of the pain, the fear of the suffering, the fear of the humiliation of family or friends finding out they have an addiction. My dear ones - would you believe me if I told you that submitting with love and humility to the pain, the suffering, the humiliation - is actually what makes you strong? So many people are afraid to experience these situations because they feel that they are not strong enough to endure it.
Paul Atreides in the process of being tested for fear by a Bene Gesserit. His hand is inside the pain box, which simulates
intense pain in his hand. If he moves or yanks his hand back, the poison needle held at his neck by the Bene Gesserit will
kill him. The pain is there, he can feel it - but in a sense, it is also all in his mind.
Well, guess what? I am here, speaking to you - a messenger of the LORD, sent directly to you to tell you that you ARE strong enough! Not joking! You can do this! I was able to knock a double-drug habit out of my life through faith in Jesus Christ! Trust me when you learn about the LORD and what His Son our savior Jesus Christ did for us - and truly believe(faith), you will have a strong desire to do this not just for yourself, not just for friends and family, but for the Lord Jesus Christ as well!
Brother or sister, do not fear the pain! It is the fear itself that you need to overcome! You already know what it feels like to feel pain and suffering, do you not? I am not going to assume that you have never experienced either of these things in your life. We are all too familiar with these sensations. One day we will experience them no more - but until that day, you have the opportunity to become STRONG! Warrior servants for Christ! You can show the world and all the angels and saints in the LORD's divine kingdom how strong you are! You can give glory to God by showing you are strong enough to conquer any addiction that has had a hold on you by faith in Jesus Christ.
I have done my best to bolster and build you up with messages of encouragement. But let us not forget how it is healthy to have a respectful fear of the LORD, yes? The LORD clearly states in the gospel that drug users will not have a place in the kingdom of heaven. Do you understand? Do not feel that you can be respectful of the LORD and fearful of the LORD And still be a drug user. Lets look at the following verses where drug use is warned against:
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. - 1 Peter 5:8
Envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. - Galatians 5:21 (Drunkenness, in biblical terms should be read as anything that gets you high - not just alcohol.)
Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. - Romans 13:13-14
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. - Galatians 5:19-21
On that last verse - besides the fact it mentions drunkenness - sorcery is also mentioned. Sorcery in Greek is "pharmakeia". Sound familiar? It should! “Pharmakeia” is a form of the Greek root word from which we get our English words: Pharmacy, Pharmacist, and Pharmaceutical.
Redirected from Strong’s Concordance 5331:
“PHARMAKEIA”: THE USE OF MEDICINE, DRUGS, OR SPELLS
DEFINITION: MAGIC, SORCERY, ENCHANTMENT
For more information on sorcery and pharmakeia, please visit https://safeguardyoursoul.com/pharmakeia-and-sorcery/ or perhaps just do a little googling of pharmakeia and sorcery on your own, if you like.
There are many more bible verses that warn against drug use - but I think just looking at the verses mentioned above that drug addicts/users will be in trouble if they do not conquer their demons! With regards to over the counter stuff that you can get without a prescription - as far as I understand, these products are safe, though some hardcore Christians avoid this stuff as well. Stuff like Aspirin, advil, tylenol, etc - but do keep in mind that there is some data out there that may suggest aborted fetal cells may have been used in the creation and development of some over the counter medicines.
I believe the LORD wants us to primarily stay clear of the drugs that have intoxicating effects on our consciousness. Opiates, anti-depressants, anti-anxiety meds - any of this prescription stuff that changes how we feel and how we think. We have the power to live a good and sober life without this stuff, but pharmaceutical companies don't necessarily want you to realize this. The pharmaceutical industry is BIG business and they know if you rely on and pray to God and Jesus Christ to give you strength that it means you will likely start taking a lot less prescription drugs and chemicals in order to try and stay pure and to obey the LORD.
And remember - it will take time for you to start enjoying life and feel general contentment again when quitting drugs. Your body and your mind is used to getting by in life with the feeling the drugs gave you, so at first things might seem a little depressing or uncomfortable. You WILL feel better in time. It may take weeks. Chances are it will take at least three to six months before things will start to feel a little bit normal for you again. Also, whatever you do, do NOT put yourself into situations afterwards where you can and will be tempted with the drugs you managed to quit! Don't hang out with friends who drink if your addiction was alcohol. Trust me - it's much easier to stay off drugs if you can discern an upcoming situation where you will be tempted and just avoid it altogether! Why sabotage yourself, right?
A lot of people who find their inner strength to quit drugs will find themselves able to put their energy into something new that those drugs held them back from doing. I consider this "finding your true purpose" provided that new direction is a positive one. For some it might be exercise or doing better at work or a hobby they enjoy. For myself, I have been able to focus on physical exercise, reading books, and the strong desire to mentor and train other aspiring Christian servants with these journals.
Thank you friends for spending time with me on this subject. I hope and pray that the Lord Jesus Christ blesses you, your family, and all your friends!