Roy Martin Ministries

Our Being Unsure is God’s Certainty

We may not be sure of what will happen to us when some of us leave those places which have housed us to help us on our road to recovery. For those of us who are not addicted to substances, we are finding ourselves unsure of how to receive those who are coming back to us, or, we have our own set of problems; unsure of our finances, our employment. It seems there is nothing certain regarding us and what will happen to us but we can rest in this one thought: although we cannot be sure about anything we can be certain God is. God is.

There is no frustrating God. He is quite well aware of whatever is happening to us and going on inside us. There is nothing which gets by Him and there is no surprising Him where He has to go into immediate action regarding us. He has seen our beginning and our ending, at least in this life, and has already made provision for you. This is not to say you will always enjoy what happens but through it all there will be a lesson learned which will enable you to know He cares for you despite the obstacles thrown your way. For some, it will seem this is the time the enemy will triumph but it will not last always. Testing has never been a pleasant experience but it is necessary to have it in order to grow. This may be your time of testing. This is your time to grow.

Although you are unsure of what will happen rest assured God has you exactly where He wants you—now, and is bringing you along to where you will be exactly where you desire to be in the end.

Grow strong in the Word and stay firm in your faith,

You will find your life has not been for waste.

–Vikki Blossom

Being Drawn Closer to Him

One of my favorite songs learned in church says, “…and the things of Earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” This is so true when battling addiction and other ills of our lives. There is no no movement when it comes to life. Either you are being drawn toward God or away from Him, which means you’re moving closer to the devil. Those things which before held your interest and enjoyed doing, as you grow closer to God they begin to dim in comparison to the newer life you’re experiencing and this is the way it must be.

When asked what the remedy was overcoming my own addiction, the only credit I can give is: God. When I made my mind to follow Him and accept what He could do in my life, then and only then did those things which had a hold, no, a grasp on me because less and less binding until they eventually dissipated altogether. There is no secret in this. There is no medium point where one can remain neutral in anything. Either you are getting closer to God or you are not. Either you are pulling away from Satan or you are not. Anything which is not of God is of Satan. There is no place independent of either one of them. If your methodology is not from God, then you need to check again because apparent success may not be success at all! The enemy is so subtle for having you think you are okay when in truth you are not.

God wants us. He loves us. There can be no two greater sentences than these already mentioned. He is doing all He can to bring us closer to Him without violating your right to remain separate from Him.

Want to overcome problems in your life?

Draw closer to God.

Why Compete with Me?

I have a niece and nephew, actually my godson and his sister, from a family closer to me than my own whose lives are going astray, mostly due to substance abuse. I had an opportunity of speaking to each one asking, “Why do you feel it necessary to compete with me? I have ruined my life because of addiction and you’ve seen my rise and fall and see how difficult for me to make a living today, living from the hand of others and by sharing my story in a book and public speaking, praying the offering will be substantial enough for me not to worry for another day, so why is it you know all of this and yet wish to compete with me? Why is it you wish to have a sorrier story than I? Can you not learn by Uncle’s experience and make the decision to learn by his mistakes?”

As a child sitting in the backseat of my grandmother’s car, I remember her talking with her friend about a mutual acquaintance that ruined his life, about the age of forty, and I’m thinking to myself, not truly understanding the conversation, but I remember thinking this was something not good and I didn’t want it to happen to me. Perhaps those words heard as a child became a fulfilling prophecy of my own! Why was it necessary for me to compete with someone I never knew but only heard of? I can imagine Jesus observes us and inquires similarly, “Why do you wish to compete with Me for the pain and suffering I did for you? Why not let Me carry the load and you go about having a happier life than the one you are currently living? I will make it so, if You let me.”

Certainly life would come with its difficulties but why is it we are so hesitant to let go of the pain? Why do we chase after sorrow? Why can’t we learn to find an easier way to live? Perhaps it is age or wisdom but I’m tired of competing and now wish to have my remaining years to be peaceful ones. Let’s make today the beginning of entering into a rest which is ours if only we believe.

Shame and guilt will keep you insane;

Give it to God and blessings you will gain.

–Vikki Blossom

Still Answering Prayer

When I challenged God in 1987 to prove to me who He was but not touch two things (my two gods), my health and my wallet, He permitted my falling into drug addiction and now restored me, qualifies dealing with my first god. My second god, my wallet, I’ve come to understand yesterday by incredible insight, He’s now answering this issue. Of late, you have heard me lament my despair with not having suitable work, or income, and my fear of being displaced, a fancy word for being homeless. Yet, in my personal devotion, I came across this phrase: “Christ could as easily have commanded a bag of money as a piece of money; but he would teach us not to covet superfluities, but, having enough for our present occasions, therewith to be content, and not to distrust God, though we live but from hand to mouth. Christ made the fish his cash-keeper; and why may not we make God’s providence our storehouse and treasury? If we have a competency for today, let to-morrow take thought for the things of itself.” I was so affected by these words I knew I would have to write this devotion.

For so long I’ve depended upon “work” in order to live. As long as IBM was open and sending out checks, I didn’t worry at all about anything. IBM, work, was my god. Just as God had to send my other chosen god, my health, into a downward spiral due to addiction, however saved me, now He’s working with me in answering the second condition of my statement, demonstrating He’s more than capable of providing for my needs! Although having not worked in thirteen months and not being incarcerated, I’ve not missed one meal, nor have slept outside. Isn’t this a tremendous affirmation of Him hearing and answer prayer; although it is not always the way we would consider or see readily but nonetheless He’s faithful.

I would encourage each of you who have read these words to take a moment to see if God is not answering prayer in your life already but you’re just not seeing how He’s doing it.

What work we do at Christ’s command

brings its own pay along with it.

But You Go On

If I could go back to that fateful day when my curiosity had gotten the better of me and could change the first time I used that drug, I would do it. Since then life has been not good. I cannot find suitable work because of a felonious record. I am not able to provide preferred housing and eat the way I’d like because of not having work. Each day since that fateful day has produced ripples which are still felt, destroyed relationships with family and friends, despondency and depression and life now is just making it through the day looking forward to that other day when this battle will be over for me. I’m not talking about heaven, but death. If anything, I’m grateful my addiction began in my later years because I could not imagine suffering in this way beginning in my teens or twenties. But, I go on.

This is the plight of someone who chose drugs and alcohol. The first time was a choice but soon afterward the ability to choose was taken away because this is what addiction is all about, not being able to choose. So, you go on as long as you’re physically able until your abused heart grants you peace and stops; or, divine intervention blesses you with an opportunity to reverse the fast moving train and slows it down enough for you to be able to get off and you began walking back from where you’ve traveled, but the walk is often filled with hardship because once you get to where you began it all, everything has changed from those you’ve known to who you are and expectations of everything does not occur. But, you go on.

We go on despite the hardship because we learn to grasp onto something which gives us motivation—Christ. That difficult walk up Golgotha’s hill, carrying that wooden cross, so heavy upon a back so torn was for me. So, now the one I carry, that is mine, is for Him and I listen carefully because when I feel like giving up I hear Him whisper in my ear: “No matter how bad it gets and want to stop, we go on. We go on.”

Don’t be afraid of tomorrow,

God is already there.

–Vikki Blossom & Roy

Explaining is not Applying

One of the most difficult of all experiences in this life is applying what you know is truth versus explaining it. It is very easy to sit and explain all we have understood and how it should be applied in other’s life but when it comes to application this is where we have trouble. This is where we fall short and often those who see us stumble will declare the message given must not have been accurate. My mother once said, “Hear the word of God even if it is coming from drunken lips.” If someone is not able to apply those truths in their life doesn’t diminish the veracity of the truth. Truth is truth, with or without us.

I had an opportunity to speak with a doctor who specializes in mental health and he concurred with me regarding those who begin in the rooms (AA/NA/CA) is good; however, if they’re still in the rooms, say, in five years then something is wrong. He opened my eyes regarding the 12-Steps but agreed they should lead to the 10 Commandments. Illumination helps to correct mis-statements and judgments. I’m reminded of the text describing when the Holy Spirit is given in our lives, He will guide us into all truth. I always add, “Which means taking us past all error”. We will come across error, for sure, but when we have found truth, which is absolute, then our next effort should be in applying while sharing with others. And despite our failure to apply it properly and consistently should not keep us from sharing, for this is helpful to someone else, to do otherwise is selfishness.

If you come across someone you respect for having told you something they’re not able to accomplish in their life, the message given you was given so you might accomplish the greater that you would not have known previously. Thank the individual for their bravery and honesty.

Because I’m not able to live up to the truth

Doesn’t make it less than truth.

Climbing up on Christ’s Cross

Speaking with a dear friend and sharing my frustrations of late, she mentioned Calvary’s experience. I said, “Not to diminish what Christ has done for me but sometimes I wish I could climb up on that cross.” Not I was equal to what Christ had done but so I could feel closer to Him while I go through what it is I’m going through, yet in truth, as He couldn’t see His Father’s presence with Him, I am having a difficult time seeing His presence with me. Doubt has begun to enter my mind wondering if I am truly called to this ministry of helping addicts because I’m beginning to be too focused on how I am going to make a living.

I was blessed by the ministry of others one saying “God uses people who struggle with their own issues and saves by involving them in ministry.” I then looked at events of my past and can see how each step was prepared bringing me to where I am now, yet, I struggle. I struggle because I cannot see my future, but who can? I believe, even now, I received a moment of inspiration and I’ll share it with you: God promised if I wrote and published my book, I would never be hungry or homeless. How can I know this to be true unless I’m facing the possibility of hunger and homelessness and can witness later how He brought me through? God doesn’t promise you gold if you already have gold.

You must keep this in mind and when I speak to you I’m speaking to myself, we have a God who loves us and won’t allow anything to happen to us which He has not prepared by weighing the quality of our character against the circumstance which will solidify the strength of our being because He knows how He made us. If you’re not up on a cross or carrying one it’s because you’re lost already!

When I was in the street my soul was gone,

I prayed to my Father, please make me strong.

–Vikki Blossom

Overcoming Means Struggling

My dear God-daughter, Vikki, who is assisting me in writing this book will be released from prison in two days. One of the words of counsel given to her, by me, was upon release she will be faced with difficulties dealing with substance abuse more than previously and she should be prepared for this. How do I know? It was the same for me and thousands of us who go into prison directly relating to substance abuse. Just because you found God and claim He healed you don’t mean there aren’t difficult days ahead. No, quite the contrary. There will be formidable days ahead but there is never an excuse for failure or even a slip-up that man call “relapse”.

We must remember there is an enemy lurking about who wants to destroy us. Even Christ’s disciples who were with Him witnessed the attack against the Master so what could they expect to follow, and now us? Does being attacked by urges and temptation to use mean you are not healed? No, it means the enemy is not pleased with your progress. He wants you to believe the lie you are still the same and there is no hope for you, when you know what God has done and promised, let not the enemy, or man, take away from you. Man being even family and friends who will not agree with your being healed.

Overcoming means not having to struggle alone anymore. It means knowing you have the power within you to overcome everything which is thrown at you. It means the way you’re standing now is the way you’ll be standing in the end but you must go through the difficult days which will only make you stronger. “Overcoming” means to “come over” all the best efforts of the enemy by not letting him put you down. Just keep coming over and the struggle will always be behind you.

Overcoming all obstacles in your life,

Will soon find you stepping over into the Kingdom.

Salvation By Addiction

If you ever read the back matter of my book you will read where I wrote, “God saved me through addiction, not from.” Living a life of prosperity and ministry, thinking everything was fine little did I realize I was a lost man! It wasn’t until I became dissatisfied with what I thought was a normal and affluent life did I come to know I needed the one thing I actually could never purchased because it was purchased already for me—a Savior.

Often God will permit awful, to use the word properly, “full of awe” situations in our life to draw us closer to Him. We do not and cannot know we need a Savior until we recognize we are lost. It isn’t until we see a need in our lives where things are not going as well as we thought they were is when we begin to reach outward for help. We find ourselves praying more, attending church services more, associating with those persons who have meaning in their own lives and we desire to learn from them and open ourselves to the leadings of God because we recognize, now, we are not all that nor have we ever been, but now that we know we want to grasp that which is missing in our lives.

God accomplished this very act of salvation in my life by allowing me to go through addiction. I would have been one of those who would have said, “Lord, didn’t I do this and that?” and His response would have been, “I never knew you” because I really didn’t know Him personally as my Lord and Savior. Those many times I tried to take my life, He was saving me and He continues to do the same daily now that my focus is no longer on my lack, my addiction but on my Savior.

Hear my cry, oh God, take me from my pain.
Lead me in the Spirit, Your wisdom I will gain.

–Vikki Blossom

Disappointed at Truth

For many weeks I received responses of encouragement from those inspired by my writings regarding overcoming addiction but of late, my email has been quiet. The tenor of my latest writings have struck hard at the notion man is able to help man in overcoming addiction, which is not true. I’ve exposed the fallacy and called it “foolishness” and compared it with the only support system, God, there is which is tried and tested and found to be true. So, why are you not writing to say “Amen” to this when I share with you what was ultimately to be arrived at: your way is not true but keeps you holding on. Why is it you are afraid to jump fully onto this type of recovery which frees you totally from that which has held you under a burden so long?

Have you been so long in this way you are unable to “let go and truly let God” take control of your recovery? Are you afraid by no longer remembering the pain and daily assaults of your life it will no longer have meaning because you need no longer the support and memory by those associates you’ve known so long, attending meetings and support groups. Are you so afraid of being able to find complete restoration and life and live under a newness, or is it because you do not trust God or believe He is able to do what He says He will do? Answer me this question: Who are you putting your trust in if you are an addict or family and friend of an addict? God or man?

Do not be disappointed because I tell you the truth. Truth does not need the support of others because it stands alone and by its own merits. Do not be disappointed you will have to say good-bye to that which you thought was the right way when all along you’ve not found true happiness and freedom, but you’ve tasted such but are afraid to reach out to God without a so-called medium. Remember this, to experience God fully one must allow God full control of the experience.

There is no other way to true clean-living (sobriety)

Than through God.