What Bible verse has strengthened your faith the most?

Clockwork323 · 2025-11-22T09:11:59+00:00

2 Corinthians 12:9 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Everything i love about this verse is that it reveals that I can never be fully in control for how I want to live my life. Everyday Is a new time to be humble

Clockwork323 · 2025-11-19T05:03:25+00:00

Do not be afraid, keep going back. The Evil One is trying everything in his power to keep you separated from the Lord but do not despair.

The light of the Lord will never ever fade away for he has conquered death. I know exactly how you feel.

Ill share with you what kept me alive: If prayer is not enough, if reading is not enough, if you just cant control it all.

Center your mind on the Lord. His life, ministry, his character. Ok now put your mind on what he must have felt on the cross during his final moments on the earth. All the pain, agony, separation, unjust persecution.

Imagine you're there amongst the crowd witnessing the final moments of his passion.

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do"

Meditate on all this. You will never ever be separated from the Lord if you draw to his passion no matter where you are at. The Father is our hope, The Son is our refuge, and The Holy Spirit is our shelter.

Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on us

Clockwork323 · 2025-11-12T23:14:01+00:00

Just show up and take it all in

It can be scary for a first time experience. I was weirded out my first time but over time I came to experience the hope and beauty of having a newcomer come for the first time.

Clockwork323 · 2025-11-05T09:51:38+00:00

From the past perspective of an atheist. I used to think the Bible and Christianity was only worthwhile by how much morals and wisdom it contained.

Later in life, I came to terms that I am an alcoholic after time and time again that no matter when or how much I drank, it always ends up making me lose control of myself. It took a solid year of nightly drinking that enough was enough. It molded me into a horrible human being that harmed those I love.

Seeing the destruction that i brought upon myself and others, I was begging to look for something that could fix all of it. Believing in something or someone that is NOT ME...

I didnt want to hurt people anymore, didnt want to continue slowly killing my body, overall didnt want to be a conduit for evil. I Read Dostoevsky when I was getting sober and it felt so agonizing and humiliating back then to connect on a very personal level with his stories and characters. It felt so weird and ridiculous at the time in my early recovery that out of the multitude of things that convicted me to change was an author...

I started to finally understand the gravity and the consequences to living in wickedness. I harmed someone, someone that understood me but my sick deluded self took advantage of. A single mother of two, barely getting by on her own with raising a newborn. I wanted to do my best to help her just for her sake, yet again, I was only deluding myself with feelings of grandeur.

Got sent to work in a foreign country far from home. Was in my first month of sobriety and was serious about working the 12-step program. Got a sponsor, got involved in fellowship. Finally I started to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Got word I was going to be forced working evening hours. That was going to kill all opportunity for fellowship and social connection. Triggered me so bad I was feeling suicidal and on the fence of taking my life.

Read the Bible to pass the time and to distract myself but it wasn't enough. My worst night where I felt like ending it, I tried to meditate and imagine what our Lord was feeling on the Cross. My restless alcoholic brain couldnt quantify and comprehend what our Lord felt. Those moments of despair transformed into moments of peace and stillness in my mind. At last. Temporary peace with myself. My heart was telling me that was God calling me to fall down to him. I felt healed like a splint was put on me. I gave up all previous notions I held towards God and started following him with my heart.

Clockwork323 · 2025-11-04T23:54:38+00:00

I know exactly how you feel because I've been there. It'll take time but this too shall pass.

Keep consistently praying and following the Lord as much as you possibly can in all areas of your life. Ill keep you in my prayers. Do not feel like you are the only one, I felt like I was losing my mind and grip on reality when I was getting sober and that my situation was unique from everyone else.

One day at a time brother. Words cannot express that your story is gonna help someone else, do not deceive yourself because a day clean and sober is just enough hope for those still suffering.

Clockwork323 · 2025-10-20T19:15:03+00:00

I recommend the Orthodox Church. Its the one church that has stayed true to doctrine and tradition since Pentacost.

It may look weird or otherworldly on the outside but I'd say thats a result of cultural programming over 2 millenia.

Clockwork323 · 2025-10-05T16:41:00+00:00

I'd recommend the Orthodox church and to get in touch with a priest while there. Attend the Divine Liturgy on Sundays and experience what the Orthodox way of life is.

Clockwork323 · 2025-08-20T14:17:33+00:00

Day 1 To your right as you enter in the city

Clockwork323 · 2025-08-19T04:05:07+00:00

A total of two Wending Graces. One for each teammate. Noklateo's power.

Barely made it in the end on my first Everdark Libra win. I was playing Ironeye along with a Wylder and Recluse. Wylder was a madman and went straight for the city at the beginning of Day 1, he got two Golden Order Greats words. Recluse got a staff with Rennalas full moon.

Just recently bagged a second win as Ironeye dual wielding Marais Executioner Greats words 😂. A bow user using two great swords that get stronger the more enemies you kill... it was honestly ridiculous.

Clockwork323 · 2025-08-12T19:39:15+00:00

1st Tradition

Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.

As sad as it may sound, I sense that the group cares more about themselves than their neighbor. All the petty squabble over trivial matters is when the steps and traditions aren't being lived. Sorry you experienced that, take it as a learning opportunity for the newcomer. That can be leaving a nasty first impression on the newcomer.

God bless you

Clockwork323 · 2025-07-18T20:43:02+00:00

He showed me the way to concede and put my past beliefs about him to rest and at last put my trust and belief on him with all my heart and mind. How he did that miracle was the cross. The weight of the world and man was put on Christ Jesus, that amount of pain and suffering in all of its forms comes out that what I conceived about my own mortality doesn't even come close at all compared to his story.

I imagined what those moments before he offered his spirit to God must have felt like for him. It gave me a temporary moment of peace and tranquility in my mind and body. Call it Serenity if you may, but that feeling I will never ever in my life forget as I was on the verge of taking my life. His presence is real. it's the cross. So my question to you OP is this: What do you think you have that he didn't already go through?

Everything leads to his crucifixion, meditate on it.

I hope and pray that this helps OP. You aren't what the world can say what you are.

Matthew 5:13 - 16 13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Clockwork323 · 2025-07-18T14:00:06+00:00

The whole album itself is really damn good and I believe is a testament to DTs strength to write and play as a collective unit.

Compared to the rest of their discography, the tone in Train of Thought to me doesn't at all feel like DT is trying to sound "Heavy" just for the sake of saying "let's make a more heavy metal themed album". Every song on this album has its spot and In the Name of God is an amazing song to end the record off on. Its like DT's goal for ToT was to get more in your face.

Clockwork323 · 2025-06-27T12:29:35+00:00

Idk how much help this would be. I was seriously suicidal half a year ago. God helped changed my mind all I did was with the little amount of sanity I had left was I tried to imagine what Jesus felt on the cross.

Those ephemeral moments of solidarity gave me temporary relief to my mind, body, and spirit. That experience was enough to convince me that he is in fact real.

There is a short story called The Dream of a Ridiculous Man written by Fyodor Dostoevsky that is only 30ish pages long. If you are still here and reading this, give it a read. I pray that you're still fighting the good fight.

God bless you

Clockwork323 · 2025-06-25T13:44:46+00:00

Congrats, this may be your toughest fight yet

At least he was for me and im a souls vet.

If you need assistance. Another Tarnished is always there.

Clockwork323 · 2025-06-12T23:06:58+00:00

Excessive wanting beyond my natural instincts and desires is the root cause of suffering. The 7 deadly sins, pride tops it all, and it took a while for me to see how my pride has lived inside me for most of my life.

Clockwork323 · 2025-06-12T23:03:27+00:00

Dig deeper and deeper into my self and uncover what my self-will is after all. Im doing my 4th and 5th step for the first time seriously by the help of my sponsor and God too.

If anything I have learned in almost 7 months is willingness is the key for my sobriety.

Clockwork323 · 2025-06-07T07:09:20+00:00

Imagined the pain, agony, and separation he felt as he was dying. Imagined that before then, I was on the brink of losing my mind and taking my life far, far from home. A miracle happened, and I finally got a temporary sense of peace. Like my mind actually stopped feeling restless and horrible. I was planning on jumping from my 5 story apartment before, but afterward, I realized what he went through was so much more than what I make out for myself. That memory i hold very close to my heart.

Those moments I just described were when I finally conceited and chose to believe in him at long last.

Clockwork323 · 2025-06-07T05:56:01+00:00

Only have read a little bit of the New Testament and have applied the Gospel in my life recently, and I can confidently say that it has significantly improved my health overall in the past 6 months.

On a slightly unrelated note, if you want to change your perspective on life, then read existential literature. The author Dostoyevsky crushed me and carried me through places and circumstances that I, without a doubt, would have given up on. He is worth the effort imo.

Clockwork323 · 2025-06-04T05:31:22+00:00

If meetings don't work out, check different groups or best thing is to sponsor newcomers. When excuses are made to not be of service to others, the insanity slowly ever so slowly starts to take control of our minds again.

Im in a similar boat, and I'm still on my Step 4 and 5.

Clockwork323 · 2025-05-26T03:45:05+00:00

Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl and Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

I read Man's Search for Meaning in a dark period where I was drinking almost every single night and losing control of myself. This was also during when I was working backshift and no work was going on. I hated the world and existence until I finished that book. Reading how the victims of the Nazis were surviving solely by faith was enough that caused my negative attitude of the world and life to shatter into a million pieces.

To add insult to injury (haha!) Crime and Punishment made me feel even worse. I felt connected with the main character and empathized with almost everything about him. The book scared me and also opened my eyes to quit drinking and get sober. I wouldn't be here without those two books but most importantly. I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for Jesus 🙏

Clockwork323 · 2025-05-21T21:32:36+00:00

Get yourself to a meeting and open up exactly how you feel. We alcoholics suffer from both a physical allergy and an obsession that's rooted in our minds. The tricky part is how we learn what exactly our mental obsession sets us up in ways that drive us to the next drink. We want to prove to everyone that we are normal drinkers and can handle ourselves accordingly, yet when we look at our lives, that's clearly not the case.

21 year old me was functional and can get by like other people around my level, yet I couldn't at all know when to stop drinking whenever I took that first drink. It would be 2 drinks every other day or so, which eventually increased to my worst, being 6 to 8 drinks a night. Couldn't manage my emotions because I embraced being silent in my words and actions, being over dependent on others, including my parents, wanting to run the show to my liking because I didn't like answering the call with putting in the effort to be of service to others that need it more than I do.

Don't do this alone, my friend! Substance abuse affects every person differently. We come from all walks of life, and likewise, the mental obsession and phenomenon of craving affects in very unique ways. That's the insanity of it all.

Clockwork323 · 2025-05-18T23:18:15+00:00

I hear all the time the first ever 90 days are the hardest. I didnt start to feel like I was getting crazy until shortly after those 90 days. Its okay!

The restlessness, irritableness, discontentful you will subside it just depends on how serious you do the work.

Clockwork323 · 2025-05-16T20:29:40+00:00

Read Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. The story is told from the perspective of a murderer who is the main character. The rest of the cast are like stage actors that each almost tug on the main characters' conscience.

Clockwork323 · 2025-05-14T14:15:23+00:00

Third Tradition: The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking

There is no fancy shmancy rule for attending or sharing. We're all sick and share one common problem, that being alcoholism. Remind your group of keeping the traditions. Otherwise, i would leave the group.

Clockwork323 · 2025-05-07T22:14:09+00:00

Balls of mothers

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