He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!!!!
Bible Study
Sermon on the Mount-Part 4
Matthew 5:21-26
- Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
(Christ begins this series of contrasts by quoting the statement of the law, Thou shalt not kill (Ex. 20:13). The reference to killing is clearly understood in its context in both the Old and New Testaments as referring to an act of murder. Jesus goes beyond this outward demand of the law by stating that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause is in just as great danger of judgment as a murderer, for anger is the emotion and inner intention that leads to murder. The term raca (meaning “vain fellow” or “empty head”) was a Hebrew or Aramaic expression of contempt (cf. 2 Sam. 6:20). The council is a reference to the Jewish religious council called the Sanhedrin. Thou fool (Gr. mōros) means “stupid.” The English word moron comes from this term. Those using such a malicious expression would be in danger of hell fire. The idea seems to be that if one makes light of his fellowman, he will be in danger of slander. But if one makes bitter, damning statements with reference to hell toward his fellowman, he shall actually be in danger of hell himself. The term hell is Gehenna. It refers to the valley of Hinnom at Jerusalem, where fires provided a powerful and graphic picture of the ultimate destruction of hell and the lake of fire (cf. 2 Kin. 23:10; 2 Chr. 28:3; Jer. 7:31).
- Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
(Having made a comparison between the command not to murder and the inner motive and heart intention of hatred, Jesus then illustrates the seriousness of this matter by referring to one who would attempt to buy off his conscience by giving something to God without clearing his conscience in regard to his offended brother. He reminded His listeners that if thou bring thy gift to the altar without reconciling with the offended party, God will not receive the intended gift. Bringing a gift to the altar refers to bringing it to the temple in order that it may be consecrated. To be reconciled means to be brought back into fellowship or favor with an offended party.)
- Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
(The Savior then went on to say that even if thine adversary (an opponent at law) disagrees with you, it is to your advantage to be reconciled to him. Jesus’ exhortation here is to urge us to go out of our way to avoid legal conflicts before human judges (cf. v. 40). The payment of debt and the prison referred to here simply mean the normal legal process that one would encounter in a civil suit.)
Read more Bible http://www.bookbindery.c
My Prayer for the Day
"Heavenly Father, I humbly ask that you help me balance out my emotions. That you relieve me of the bondage of anger and need to control-that you guide and direct me toward where I can change me and not obsess and focus on others. I am aware that this is a way of distracting myself from the real problem-ME! Father thank You for showing me that ALL my troubles steam from my maladjusted way of dealing with people and the world as a whole. Thank You Father for the Steps are a lifelong process...and that actually incorporating them into my daily life will help me to adjust and act as sane women. Please continue to show me, teach me, guide me, mold me into a women of grace, dignity, meek and still. Thank You for also revealing that the more I try to control outcomes is actuality trying to play you. That the less I stick my little hands in the pot, less chaos and drama comes....When I am still and I allow you and others to work stuff out on their own, the more peace and serenity I experience and they in turn have peace as well-In Jesus name-Amen"
Today’s action
Today I will but out of peoples affairs
Today I will not obsess on others, I will allow them to be themselves without my input or judgment
Today I will see where their behavior and choices mirror my own and focus solely on how I can change me
Today I will ask myself-"why does his/her behavior and choice irritate me? What instinct does is at threat??
- My self esteem?
- My Security?
- My Ambitions?
- My Personal relations?
- My Sex Relations?
Which of these are at risk here? What can I do???? What is my response to it?
- Am I being Selfish and Self Seeking? Want my way instead of God?
- Am I being Dishonest about my real motives? Am I trying to manipulate or generate a desire outcome instead of accepting Gods?
- Am I in fear running around letting my "head" talk to me about nonsense and then acting on a thought or a emotion or a feeling before taking all the Steps first? Am I behaving like a wild animal again that's home is being threaten? Furthermore-is that threat REAL, or is it a pattern that I created as a way to keep me from growing????????? Is this threat REAL-OR is this THREAT something I am use to!!!!
What course of action do I now need to take?
- First we recognize which carnal instinct is being threatened-as we were taught in the Big Book-4th STEP!
- Then we stop taking their inventory and look at ourselves
- Then we take necessary action to get out of obsession of the mind
"Oh, my security, ambitions, personal and sex relations are at threat because my husband is not doing what I want him to do regarding our future"
Where can I help here? Perhaps I stop emasculating him with constant judgment and criticism. Perhaps I let him actually make a decision for once and shut my freaking mouth. Perhaps I reach out to my sponsor about this? Perhaps I go help a drunk? Perhaps I pray? Perhaps I go for a walk? Perhaps I write? Perhaps I do everything BUT talking more!! LOL
We have a opportunity in all these situations that arise to grow. Practice the principles in ALL our affairs. When we mess up (because we will) we have Steps (4,5, 8, 9) to make it right...We have options now...or..We can throw childlike fits, emote, stew, sit, be lazy, blame and stuff...we can think of ourselves as all knowing and that the rules don't apply to us because we are "special", whine, bitch, obsess, complain to our "girlfriends" how he is stupid...or we can humbly seek guidance from God, use our sacred tools and seek counsel from a spiritual fit AAer....
My point is that WE have an amazing program!! And, it doesn't cost a dime. It doesn't take-it's gives. I am ALWAYS available to help anyone who is willing to receive help. I won't entertain childlike fits though. Speak clearly what's going on...if I have had experience with the same issue and I have resolved it, I will tell you. If I am still struggling with that, I will tell you what I am practicing. If I have NO IDEA what's really going on how the hell can I be of service? Exploding and expecting people to read our messed up minds is a childish pattern that each of us do. ME INCLUDED...even the "normal" people do this.
We are super extreme though, and our extreme reactions drinking or not, always result in more drama than the normies have. We have to be extra careful and cautious with our motives, words and actions for some reason. We just do. We effect people on a different scale. People see us as guides. When we are emotional basket cases they lose hope. When we are delusional, they pick up on that. We get well to lead other women OUT of darkness. When we revert back to our old patterns, again, we will, then we get out quickly!! We have tools to get back on track instead of sitting in it and becoming useless draining vampires.
Spiritual Sloth (not growing in God, His will, His word,because I am not getting want "I" want....not cool or magical enough, I know more than God because I read some shit online or in a book written by someone with a agenda to make money-Does God make money from the Bible??? Not praying because I'm tired. Not asking for forgiveness because I'm "me"...Not praying for someone else because they aren't praying for me, etc.... )
AA Sloth (not participating, not working with others, not doing Step work, not being reachable by listening to Joe and Charlie or Peter M. or the many, many, many people with knowledge because I am little miss AA know-it-all,...Not taking criticism from elders, not seeking guidance from elders (elders is not someone who is "older" in years or sobriety...elders or someone walks the walk and talks the talk) Not reaching out to newcomers because I have drama in my relationship with Brian, not taking calls because I am immersed in turmoil because Brian won't be what I want him to be...yuck!
ALL this crap I have done!! So this isn't finger pointing...this is me attempting to help my fellow nutbars to grow the f-up! We haven't the luxury for ANY kind of sloth anymore-Period.
When I first started taking the program seriously....
I would spend at least one hour a day feeding my brain a AA speaker
I would spend at least one half hour studying our literature
I would spend at least one half hour writing and praying (accumulated)
I would participate in at least one meeting per week or going to at least one meeting per week.
I had a year long service commitment (this gave me fellowship and away from obsessing on Brian-Get out of house for those women who are up their partners ass all day long!)
THIS built strong foundation. We have to start somewhere!!
This is NOT much work to do to grow. I expect ALL of you to grow. If you do not want to grow, why am I here? Why are you even reading this? You can find a sponsor that will wanna just chit chat and send you to meetings...that's not me. Sorry. Do the work or don't waste my time. Many women are willing. God needs you out laboring, not chit chatting with me about your problems with people that where in your 4th Step. NO one from my 4th Step is even on my radar. There is NOT one resentment I still re-feel from it. If you do, then lets do it again! I can't make you do the work, don't expect me to fix you...don't even expect God to fix you...You have to be willing to hear and then to do!
Rant completed.
3rd STEP
"God, I offer myself to Thee—to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!" (p. 63 BB) God, Take my will and my life. Guide me in my recovery. Show me how to live. AMEN
(the step on p. 59 BB)
4th STEP
WHEN IN DOUBT
"I was to sit quietly when in doubt, asking only for direction and strength to meet my problems as He would have me. Never was I to pray for myself, except as my requests bore on my usefulness to others. Then only might I expect to receive. But that would be in great measure."
(p.13)
WHEN I AM DISTURBED BY THE CONDUCT (SYMPTOMS) OF OTHERS
"This is a sick man. How can I be helpful to him? God save me from being angry. Thy will be done."
(p. 67 BB)
God help me to show this person the same tolerance, pity and patience that I would Cheerfully grant a sick friend. This is a sick person, how can I be helpful to him? God save me from being angry. Thy will be done.
(see above and p. 141 of 12&12)
WHEN I AM AFRAID
"We ask Him to remove our fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be."
(p. 68 BB)
God, relieve me of this fear and direct my attention to what you would have me be. AMEN
(see above)
WHEN I AM AWARE OF MY OWN DEFECTS AND SEEKING GOD'S HELP TO CHANGE
"We asked God to mold our ideals and help us to live up to them. . . we ask God what we should do about each specific matter."
(p. 69 BB)
God mold my ideals in this particular area of my life and help me to live up to them. What should I do in each specific matter? Guide me God and give me strength to do right. AMEN
(see above)
5th STEP
God I thank you from the bottom of my heart that I know you better. Help me become aware of anything I have omitted discussing with another person. Help me to do what is necessary to walk a free man at last. AMEN
(p. 75 BB)
6th STEP
God help me become willing to let go of all the things to which I still cling. Help me to be ready to let You remove all of these defects, that Your will and purpose may take their place. AMEN
(p. 76 BB)
7th STEP
"I humbly offered myself to God, as I then understood Him, to do with me as He would. I placed myself unreservedly under His care and direction. I admitted for the first time that of myself I was nothing; that without Him I was lost. I ruthlessly faced my sins and became willing to have my new-found Friend take them away, root and branch."
(p. 13)
"My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen."
(p. 76 BB)
8th STEP
"We attempt to sweep away the debris which has accumulated out of our effort to live on self-will and run the show ourselves. If we haven’t the will to do this, we ask until it comes."
(p. 76 BB)
God help me to become willing to sweep away the debris of self will and self reliant living. Thy will be done for this person as well as for me. AMEN
(see above)
9th STEP
God give me the strength and direction to do the right thing no matter what the consequences may be. Help me to consider others and not harm them in any way. Help me to consult with others before I take any actions that would cause me to be sorry. Help me to not repeat such behaviors. Show me the way of Patience, Tolerance, Kindliness, and Love and help me live the spiritual life. AMEN
(p. 78-80 BB)
More AA prayers http://silkworth.net/pages/aa/
Podcast of he Day
Layla N. of Toronto. C.A. Fellowship
Layla N. is a member of our sister fellowship Cocaine Anonymous which uses the Big Book as the basic text of their program.
Re Post: Because she's just too awesome...She pumps me up!
Listen to more AA Podcast:
Big Book
More About Alcoholism....Cont..
This is a point we wish to emphasize and re-emphasize, to smash home upon our alcoholic readers as it has been revealed to us out of bitter experience. Let us take another illustration.
Fred is partner in a well known accounting firm. His income is good, he has a fine home, is happily married and the father of promising children of college age. He has so attractive a personality that he makes friends with everyone. If ever there was a successful business man, it is Fred. To all appearance he is a stable, well balanced individual. Yet, he is alcoholic. We first saw Fred about a year ago in a hospital where he had gone to recover from a bad case of jitters. It was his first experience of this kind, and he was much ashamed of it. Far from admitting he was an alcoholic, he told himself he came to the hospital to rest his nerves. The doctor intimated strongly that he might be worse than he realized. For a few days he was depressed about his condition. He made up his mind to quit drinking altogether. It never occurred to him that perhaps he could not do so, in spite of his character and standing. Fred would not believe himself an alcoholic, much less accept a spiritual remedy for his problem. We told him what we knew about alcoholism. He was interested and conceded that he had some of the symptoms, but he was a long way from admitting that he could do nothing about it himself. He was positive that this humiliating experience, plus the knowledge he had acquired, would keep him sober the rest of his life. Self- knowledge would fix it.
Hil's Blah
Yeah right...Self knowledge and humiliating experiences, drunk or sober, we can't seem to bring into memory when we are about to act or react based on defect, especially self sabotaging!! This is seriously ingrained looping of patterns.....REWIRE our brains is what the Steps do through the soul. Humble, not humiliated..Thank you Father that I know the difference!
Read more Big Book http://www.portlandeyeopener.c
AA The AA Principles & Virtues
From the 12 Steps
Spiritual Principles (as found in the 12 &12)
Bill W. considered each step to be a spiritual principle in and of itself, however, particularly in the 12 & 12, he outlined the spiritual principles behind each step. The most important of these is Humility.
Core Spiritual Principles of the Program:
Willingness, Open-mindedness, Honesty
AA’s Code:
Love and Tolerance of Others
1. We admitted that we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable.
Acceptance, Admission of Defeat, Open-mindedness, Willingness, Humility
2.Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Open-mindedness, Humility, Acceptance
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him.
Willingness, Humility
4.Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Honesty-Fearlessness-Willingness-Humility
5.Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Humility, Willingness, Honesty, Humility, Forgiveness, Open-mindedness, Acceptance, Prudence, Serenity
6.Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Willingness, Honesty, Open-mindedness, Acceptance, Humility
7.Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
Humility, Willingness, Open-mindedness
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
Forgiveness, Calmness, Brotherhood, Honesty, Thoroughness, Responsibility, Humility Acceptance Tolerance Objective
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Good Judgment, Courage, Humility, Sincerity, Forthright, Generous, Willingness,
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
Discipline, Acceptance, Humility, Patience, Persistence, Self-restraint, Honesty, Willingness, Forgiveness, Fair-minded, Tolerance, Love, Kindness,
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry that out.
Humility, Love, Forgiveness, Harmony, Truth, Faith, Hope, Compassion, Understanding, Self-forgetting, Willingness, Strength, Wisdom, Serenity,
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Gratitude, Acceptance, Love, Honesty, Tolerance, Unselfishness, Strength, Serenity, Giving, Fortitude, Faith, Brotherhood, Service, Understanding, Courage, Wisdom, Humility,
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.Philippians 4:8