John 10 - CEVUS06 & NBA93

Addictions come in many shapes and forms, whether it’s lust, alcohol, substances, gambling, gaming, or even excessive use of your mobile phone and social media. There is professional help to get as well as counselling from your priest or pastor.

Also, read the Bible and lay your addiction before God in prayer. Here are some passages from the Word of God to reflect upon.

James 1:14-15 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

We all have weaknesses within us that can make us fall and lead to an addiction. Acknowledging this, and admitting that you struggle with addiction is an important step to be free from it.

1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

Addictions don’t come from God, but from the world and our desires, lusts and pride. We can rely on God wanting us to be free from any addiction.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

You may feel that you can’t break your addiction. But the Bible tells us that God can. God will provide the way of escape. Turn to God, turn from your addiction. Let God fill you with his presence.

1 Corinthians 6:12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.

Addiction is many times when something takes control over you. Those things that are not helpful in your life and dominate your thoughts and desires you may need to cut out of your life.

1 Peter 2:11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

Addictions come from this world and not from God. In the end, addictions replace God as the number one in our lives. It’s not just about addictions, but also about our souls.

Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Lay your struggles before God. Ask for God’s protection and deliverance.

John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

This is the promise of Jesus Christ, that when he sets us free, it is real freedom.

This article is not intended as a replacement for medical or therapeutic help or treatment for addiction, but a complement and inspiration to those who battle addiction.

A Story about Sheep

1 Jesus said:

I tell you for certain only thieves and robbers climb over the fence instead of going in through the gate to the sheep pen. 2-3 But the gatekeeper opens the gate for the shepherd, and he goes in through it. The sheep know their shepherd's voice. He calls each of them by name and leads them out.

4 When he has led out all of his sheep, he walks in front of them, and they follow, because they know his voice. 5 The sheep will not follow strangers. They don't recognize a stranger's voice, and they run away.

6 Jesus told the people this story. But they did not understand what he was talking about.

Jesus Is the Good Shepherd

7 Jesus said:

I tell you for certain that I am the gate for the sheep. 8 Everyone who came before me was a thief or a robber, and the sheep did not listen to any of them. 9 I am the gate. All who come in through me will be saved. Through me they will come and go and find pasture.

10 A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so everyone would have life, and have it fully. 11 I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep. 12 Hired workers are not like the shepherd. They don't own the sheep, and when they see a wolf coming, they run off and leave the sheep. Then the wolf attacks and scatters the flock. 13 Hired workers run away because they don't care about the sheep.

14 I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and they know me. 15 Just as the Father knows me, I know the Father, and I give up my life for my sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not in this sheep pen. I must also bring them together, when they hear my voice. Then there will be one flock of sheep and one shepherd.

17 The Father loves me, because I give up my life, so I may receive it back again. 18 No one takes my life from me. I give it up willingly! I have the power to give it up and the power to receive it back again, just as my Father commanded me to do.

19 The people took sides because of what Jesus had told them. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon in him! He is crazy! Why listen to him?”

21 But others said, “How could anyone with a demon in him say these things? No one like this could give sight to a blind person!”

Jesus Is Rejected

22 That winter, Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Temple Festival. 23 One day he was walking in the part of the temple known as Solomon's Porch, 24 and the people gathered all around him. They said, “How long are you going to keep us guessing? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly!”

25 Jesus answered:

I have told you, and you refused to believe me. The things I do by my Father's authority show who I am. 26 But since you are not my sheep, you don't believe me. 27 My sheep know my voice, and I know them. They follow me, 28 and I give them eternal life, so that they will never be lost. No one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father gave them to me, and he is greater than all others. No one can snatch them from his hands, 30 and I am one with the Father.

31 Once again the people picked up stones in order to kill Jesus. 32 But he said, “I have shown you many good things my Father sent me to do. Which one are you going to stone me for?”

33 They answered, “We are not stoning you because of any good thing you did. We are stoning you because you did a terrible thing. You are just a man, and here you are claiming to be God!”

34 Jesus replied:

In your Scriptures doesn't God say, “You are gods”? 35 You can't argue with the Scriptures, and God spoke to those people and called them gods. 36 So why do you accuse me of a terrible sin for saying that I am the Son of God? After all, it is the Father who prepared me for this work. He is also the one who sent me into the world. 37 If I don't do as my Father does, you should not believe me. 38 But if I do what my Father does, you should believe because of that, even if you don't have faith in me. Then you will know for certain that the Father is one with me, and I am one with the Father.

39 Again they wanted to arrest Jesus. But he escaped 40 and crossed the Jordan to the place where John had earlier been baptizing. While Jesus was there, 41 many people came to him. They were saying, “John didn't work any miracles, but everything he said about Jesus is true.” 42 A lot of those people also put their faith in Jesus.

Mǝthǝl kwǝthi taaɽa.

1 “Nyii kwǝcǝ-ŋǝsi-mǝ ŋwɔ rerrem, mɔŋweere ǝnḏi kweere ki-thigaara-nǝ ǝgwur-yi mac, laakin mɔŋw ǝnḏi taay-thi ṯir ter, kwundǝr-ṯǝ kwɔrɔ kwɔɔɽam nǝ kwir kwurṯǝthǝ tok. 2 Laakin ŋgwa kwǝṯi ǝnḏi ǝgwur-yi, kwundǝr-ṯǝ kwɔrɔ taaɽa tǝthi yaaŋal. 3 Ǝṯi kwaŋɽa kwǝthi ǝgwur kiṯṯici ŋunduŋw; nǝ ǝṯi aaŋal niŋnaci ṯogɽo ṯuuŋwun nǝ ǝṯɔŋwsi ǝrnɔṯi yuuŋwun yiriny-yi yeeŋen. Mindaŋ ǝṯɔŋwsi ruwǝsǝlɔ par. 4 Mɔŋwsi ruwǝ kiya yir yuuŋwun tatap, ǝṯɔŋwsi iŋnaci keereny, e-ta ǝṯi yaaŋal kwaathitha, kaka nilŋithir-gwɔ ṯogɽo ṯuuŋwun. 5 Ǝṯiŋeere rɔɔmalɔ ŋgwa kwithimthina mac, laakin ǝṯir arṯithalɔ, kaka niti nǝṯir-gwɔ elŋe ṯogɽo ṯǝthi kila lithimthina mac.” 6 Nǝsi Yǝcu andaci mǝthǝlǝ-ŋgwɔ, laakin nǝreere elŋe ma@na kwuuŋwun mac.

Yǝcu kwir taaɽa tisaaw.

7 E-ta nǝsi Yǝcu ǝccǝŋw kwokwony, “Nyii kwǝccǝ-ŋǝsi-mǝ ŋwɔ rerrem, nyii kwɔrɔ ǝgwur wǝthi yaaŋal. 8 Kila tatap limǝ iila kerreny duŋgwiny-lǝ lir lɔɔɽam nǝ lurṯǝthǝ tok; laakin nǝsi yaaŋal ere kettice yǝni mac. 9 Nyii kwɔrɔ ǝgwur. Mǝ kweere ǝnḏi nyii-ŋgi, ŋwɔ kilaaw, mindaŋ ŋwaami lanḏathilaŋw, mindaŋ ŋwɔ kaṯṯasi ethneya. 10 Kwɔɔɽam kwǝṯi iila ethi nyiimi, nǝ ethi ɽeenye tok, nǝ ethi kiirasalɔ dak. Nyii kwinḏi mindaŋ mǝr kaṯṯasi ŋimiitha ŋɔbɔɔnalɔ bonoṯ. 11 Nyii kwɔrɔ taaɽa tisaaw. Ǝṯi taaɽa tisaaw ṯiŋacci yaaŋali rogɽo-lɔ ruuŋwun ethisi ǝyici. 12 Ŋgwa kwɔrɔ ǝjiir kwiti kwɔrɔ taaɽa mac nǝ kwiti kwǝthi yaaŋali mac, mɔŋweese kiiraawa kinḏi, ǝṯɔŋw arṯitha yaaŋali-lɔ, ǝṯɔŋw avri; mindaŋ ǝṯisi kiiraw ɔmɔmmi ǝṯɔŋwsi fǝthǝlɔ faṯ. 13 Ǝṯɔŋw avri kaka nɔrɔŋgwɔ ǝjiir domony, ǝṯɔŋweere aŋraci yaaŋali mac. 14 Nyii kwɔrɔ taaɽa tisaaw; ǝṯi-nyji elŋe yiinyi, nǝ kiya yǝni yiinyi ǝṯir-nyii elŋe tok, 15 kaka nilŋithiny-gwɔ Papa kwiinyi, na nǝnyii elŋe Papa-ŋw tok, ŋwɔṯaŋw nyii ṯiŋacci Yaaŋali rogɽo-lɔ riinyi ethisi ǝyici. 16 Ninyǝthi yaaŋali yir ter yiti yirɔ yǝthi ṯigaara kɔthɔ mac, laazim nyji mɔltha tok, ǝri kettice ṯogɽo tiinyi yǝni, mindaŋ ǝroro dɔŋwa lɔtɔpɔt nǝ taaɽa tɔtɔpɔt tok. 17 Nǝ sǝbǝb-gi ṯǝ ŋgwɔ nǝnyii Papa kwiinyi amɽi, kaka nithiŋathiny-gwɔ ŋimiitha-lɔ ŋiinyi ethi ai, mindaŋ ethisi ǝɽinni kwokwony. 18 Kwizi kwiti kweere mac kwǝnyii dimmǝthǝ ŋimiitha ŋiinyi, laakin nǝnyji ṯiŋaṯhalɔ rogɽo-ri riinyi wɔɽeny. Nyii kwǝthi ŋɔma ethisi ṯiŋathalɔ, nǝ ninyǝthi ŋɔma ethisi ǝɽinni kwokwony. Ŋindǝrṯǝ ŋɔ ŋǝllicǝny-ŋi Papa kwiinyi waamira ethisi ǝrri.”

19 Nǝ sǝbǝb-gi kwǝthi ŋiɽaŋal ŋɔ, nǝ Yahuuḏ uɽǝnninǝ kwokwony. 20 Nǝraari littǝzir-ŋwɔ, “Kwǝthi shiiṯaana-na, kwɔmǝ orlle ṯɔgwɔri kwotho kwakkica-ŋa kizǝn?” 21 Nǝraari lithaathɔŋw, “Ŋiɽaŋal ŋɔ ŋiti ŋir ŋǝthi kwizi kwɔṯǝthi shiiṯaana-na mac. Shiiṯaan kwǝthi ŋɔma ethi ǝllici lunduŋwɔ yǝy-nǝ?”

Yǝcu mǝr-gwɔ dirnathalɔ.

22 Nǝ @iiḏ naani wette Urshaliim wǝthi ṯigthaayina. 23 Nǝ ki-lɔɔmɔr-la ṯǝ kila tǝ nǝ koo oro, nǝ Yǝcu irǝrǝlɔ ki-baranḏa-na kwǝthi Sulemaan kwǝthi Heikal. 24 Mindaŋ nǝ Yahuuḏ rikkathalɔ nǝrǝccǝŋw, “A kwǝr-thi naani ŋurgumi ṯacca-ṯaccaŋ. Moro Kwɔrɔstɔ nyjandica-lɔ por-por.” 25 Nǝsi Yǝcu ǝŋnici nɔŋwsǝccǝŋw, “Nyii kwandica-ŋǝsi-pa, laakin neere ǝmmini mac. Ŋothɽor ŋa ŋǝṯi-nyji ǝrri yiriny-yi yǝthi Papa kwiinyi, ǝṯiroro ŋǝṯi ruwǝzi shahaaḏa-lɔ kwǝni nyii; 26 laakin neere ǝmmini mac, kaka niti nɔrŋa-gwɔ lǝthi yaaŋal yiinyi mac. 27 Yaaŋal yiinyi yǝṯi neŋne ṯogɽo ṯiinyi, nǝ ǝṯi-nyji elŋe, mindaŋ ǝṯir-nyii kwaathitha. 28 Ǝṯi-nyji inḏǝthǝ ŋimiitha ŋǝṯi nannitha dok-dok, mindaŋ ǝreere kiirathalɔ mac, nǝ kwizi ere kweere mac kwǝnyji urṯǝthǝ ki-thii-na ṯiinyi. 29 Nǝ Papa kwiinyi kwinḏǝthǝ-nyji, nɔŋworo kwuthǝmthisi-la tatap, nǝ nɔŋweere kweere mac kwǝthi ŋɔma ethisi urṯǝthǝ Papa-ŋwɔ ki-thii-na ṯuuŋwun. 30 Nyiiŋǝ lirna lɔtɔpɔt Papa-gi.”

31 Nǝ Yahuuḏ ɔṯi yaali kwokwony ethi acci ŋunduŋw. 32 Nǝsi Yǝcu ǝccǝŋw, “Nyii kwǝrricǝ-ŋǝsi kwomne kwittǝzir kiyǝnǝ yaalɔ ŋgwa kwinḏǝthǝ-nyii Papa kwiinyi ethi ǝrri; kwundǝr kwǝndu kwǝthi ŋgwɔ kwinḏir-nyii-gi ethi accatha?” 33 Nǝ Yahuuḏ ǝŋnici nǝrǝccǝŋw, “Nyiiŋǝ liti linaŋna-ŋa ethi accatha ki-ŋothɽor ŋeere ŋisaaw mac, laakin nǝroro ŋǝthi ṯǝllina ki-rorɽo rɔɔŋwa; kaka nɔrŋa-gwɔ kwizigwunǝŋ, laakin nǝ ruusi rɔgɽɔ rɔɔŋwa Allah!” 34 Nǝsi Yǝcu ǝŋnici nɔŋwsǝccǝw, “Ŋɔlɔɔthɔna-pa ki Sherii@a-na kwaalɔ ŋaari-ŋi Allah-ŋw, ‘Ŋaaŋa lir riiɽu’. 35 Mɔŋwsi ǝnyjici yiriny yǝni riiɽu, kila lǝvicǝsi Allah ŋiɽaŋali; nǝ ŋa ŋɔlɔɔthɔna Kiṯaab-na Kirllinǝlɔ ter ŋiti ŋǝthi ŋɔma ethisi mǝmlithici mac. 36 Ŋandisa-ŋasi ŋǝthi ŋgwa kwirllǝ Papa-lɔ ter mindaŋ nɔŋw ɔɔsa ki-ṯurmun-na mindaŋ nǝccǝŋw, ‘A kwǝllinǝ ki-rogɽo rɔɔŋwa’, kaka naariny gwɔŋw, ‘Nyii kwir Tɔr tǝthi Allah’? 37 Minyeere akkɔ ŋothɽor ŋǝthi Papa kwiinyi mac, ǝṯir-nyimǝ ǝmminicǝ mac; 38 laakin mǝnyji akkɔ tǝ, nǝ mǝrnyii ere ǝmminici kinnǝ mac, ǝṯǝ ǝmmini ŋothɽor ŋundu, mindaŋ mǝsi elŋe ethaarɔŋw Papa kwɔnaaniny-gwɔna, na nǝnyii naani ethi Papa-na tok.” 39 Nǝr ṯǝcci ethi mithǝ kwokwony, laakin nɔŋwsi kilatha ki-rii-na reeŋen.

40 Nǝ Yǝcu aaɽi kwokwony nɔŋw uɽǝthǝ bahara-na kwathi Urḏɔn-ŋwɔ, kǝzir wǝṯi-gwɔ Yuhanna aari @ammiḏa, nɔŋgwɔ naani kinanaŋw. 41 Nǝr iila littǝzir naanɔ-ŋgwɔ, nǝraarɔŋw, “Yuhanna kwende kwǝrrǝ ŋilima ŋeere, laakin ŋa tatap ŋandisasi Yuhanna ŋǝni kwɔr-ŋgwɔ ŋimoro rerrem.” 42 Nǝr ǝmminici littǝzir kinanaŋw.