Liberation

In the book of 2nd Peter chapter 1, Peter wrote:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

God's promises are true and absolutely reliable to address the challenges we encounter in our daily lives.  We know more about Him through a careful consumption of the Scriptures and we discover that we truly have powerful resources that can be directly applied to our decisions.  We can develop a willingness to use these principles in order to confront those things which hold us in bondage, that restrict us from living a meaningful, abundant, and triumphant life that He desires for us.

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God's Word contains power and instruction in order to see lives transformed by the presence of
Christ. 2nd Timothy 3 says:
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

We are hearing reports about what is being termed the "opioid crisis" - it is affecting America, and according to a recent Religion News Service story, it is adversely impacting Canada, as well, and the story highlights a potential solution, and it deals with applying Biblical principles.

The report states that:

In 2016 more than 900 people in British Columbia died of drug overdoses, a record and an 80 percent increase from 2015. The culprit: fentanyl, an opioid painkiller 100 times more powerful than morphine. The smallest error in dosage can be fatal.

Overprescription of opioid painkillers created demand for the powerful drugs. In the early 2000s Canadians were being prescribed opioids such as oxycodone even for chronic pain. Illicit manufacturers soon began producing fentanyl pills using cheap, easily imported chemicals from China. First responders started seeing staggering numbers of overdoses.

In Vancouver, Christian-based recovery ministries are attempting to address the problem.  The story highlighted a man named Freddy, who suffered from addiction and tried out four different rehab programs. He then came to Luke 15 House, described as "a faith-based recovery center." Freddy, who is 33 years old, stated, "I always felt like there was something missing.” He said that "Other programs don’t talk about God or faith." The article relates that he also was able on occasion to "pay off house managers to let him stay out all night or get high.

The RNS piece says that:

While publicly funded agencies focus on harm reduction measures – such as distributing naloxone kits to counteract overdoses – the 19 Christian-run recovery homes and other Christian outreach services in the area seek to address the spiritual emptiness that pastoral workers here believe is one of the key factors in drug addiction.

Jeremy Ruud, a recovering heroin addict who serves as the program director at Luke 15, said, "Having an encounter with Jesus breaks every chain in our lives..."

But, the need is great and the beds available are limited, according to a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation report from last year.   Other ministries are spotlighted in the RNS article, highlighting the challenges of helping former addicts stay clean and getting plugged in to a healthy lifestyle.

I sense that we may be hearing more about this opioid crisis in America.  It even became an issue in the Presidential race last year, as it became a topic of discussion in the period leading up to the New Hampshire primary.  And, in the area of drug and alcohol addiction, Bible-based recovery programs have a great opportunity to lead the way in addressing the substance issues and providing healing and deliverance for those in bondage.

I found this information relative to a Christian recovery program, Teen Challenge.  This was on the Teen Challenge Wisconsin website:

After Teen Challenge was started the National Institute of Drug Abuse asked Rev. David Wilkerson how successful he thought his program was. Rev. Wilkerson thought that 70% of the Teen Challenge graduates were living drug free lives. Soon after this the federal government funded a one year study on the Teen Challenge program.

Graduates were contacted all over the United States and asked to participate in the study. At that time heroin was the major drug of choice. After completing their work a study was published presenting a 87.5% cure rate for Teen Challenge graduates.

We can rejoice that the Bible does provide the answers to the challenges we face in this life.  The addict, the person who is beset by habits that can totally wreck his or her life, can find hope and power through the Word of God.  We can always be reminded that careful study and application of the Scriptures can produce God's intended result - for His glory.

On a grander scale, our culture needs to experience these reliable principles.  Unfortunately, the delusion of separating faith from public assistance has the potential to leave many in their bondage. The faith community has some workable solutions, and it's always encouraging when that is recognized and integrated.

A recent report on the Yellowhammer News website related that:

Hale and Bibb County District Attorney Michael Jackson is urging local churches to participate in his “adopt a gang member” program, which he hopes will encourage gang members to lean on faith instead of violence.

“We can’t bury our heads in the sand. I want this to be effective,” Jackson told WSFA in an interview last week.

“What we’re trying to do is develop a conscience for some of these young folks. We don’t want them killing people, robbing people and they don’t even blink an eye,” he later added.

Jackson’s initiative suggests that churches seek opportunities to mentor those involved in gangs, or even provide them with accountable leadership positions. He believes it will provide a way out for those caught up in criminal activity.

Jackson met recently in Selma, which is also included in his overall district, with around 50 local pastors to encourage them to be involved.