Step 1 - Honesty

The key principle is: Admit that you, of yourself are powerless to overcome your addictions and that your life has become unmanageable.

I would like to talk with you about a story found in Mark 5 in the New Testament where we read that Jesus Christ is really busy going about helping & healing people. This chapter starts with Jesus casting out a legion of devils, then goes to healing a woman who touches his hem, and then on to raising the daughter of Jarius from the dead. Starting with Verse 22, I would like to summarize just what happened.
Jarius was a ruler of a synagogue, who had a daughter who was almost ready to die. He saw Jesus and fell at His feet “And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy ahands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.” Jesus went with him, thronged by the multitudes of people.

There among them was a woman who believed that just touching the hem of Jesus’ robe would heal her. The woman’s faith led her to Jesus, to reach out to the last person who she believed could help her. All of her physical resources were gone, the physicians had done what they could for her and yet she was not healed.

For twelve years she was an outcast. She knew how it felt to be cast out of the community. She knew the loneliness of being ignored and shunned by people, even, the women who had once been her friends. For twelve years she was not allowed to touch her husband or anyone else. She was not allowed to walk in the streets where there were people. She was not allowed to sit on anything in public places. No one dared to come and visit her. She was all alone in the world. In fact, the law decreed that if she was caught in public, they a right to kill her.







In her approach to Jesus she took an overwhelming risk. She dared to come to him in the midst of the crowd and then she dared to touch Him, even if it was just the hem of his garment. What she did was punishable by law, yet for her a death sentence had been passed on her for twelve years and she had nothing to lose.

She had no dignity left so she got down on her hands and knees and crawled her way through the crowd in order to touch Jesus’ garment. Her faith gave her the determination to reach out. She knew that her hope was to get to Jesus, the One who could bring her healing and wholeness. And she said in verse 28: If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that avirtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy afaith hath made thee whole; go in bpeace, and be whole of thy plague

Today, we may not physically be able to reach out and touch Him in order to be healed of our various afflictions, but we know that healing and change will take place in us, when Jesus touches us. That means we need to invite him into our lives, and let his Atoning sacrifice strengthen and heal. . I wish bare my testimony that there is a sure cure for heartache, disappointment, torment, anguish, and despair and even addiction. The Psalmist stated, “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” Christ is the Great Physician. Learn of Him, know Him, and lean on Him.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.