While also providing a witness and a rebuke to the women leaders or the womens group, as it was preaching different gospel, and a different Jesus/Yeshua.. I lived at AA and Alanon meetings for years and was helped tremendously and then almost completely stopped. (BSB), John 10:1Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. However, unlike negative energy that simply attaches itself and hovers over us like a dark cloud, energetic parasites feed on our energy. Once we have knowledge of the truth, then we are held accountable to that truth. 2. Alcoholism is not a disease. Self-righteousness. It is basically peddling the same lie that Satan spoke in the garden, in that both Adam and Eve would achieve knowledge apart from the wisdom of God. My faith was empowered, as I knew it was my time to speak His Words. Are extremely loyal, remaining in harmful situations too long. All things including our evil ways will work to the glory of God somehow, and that is something I do and must believe in my journey. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Required fields are marked *. There is a saying I have heard often, which goes something like this, These were also women who professed His Name, one even ironically being from Saddleback. 11AND SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.(KJV). It is a tactic of the enemy within the thoughts of men to say well, how can this be bad, if I have seen good in it. Because even darkness can appear as something good, that is why Eve took a bite of the forbidden fruit. Manny blessings, and I will be praying for you! Baker, Celebrate Recovery Leader's Guide, 12). Compromise your own values and integrity to avoid . While I want everyone to come to know Jesus Christ our Lord, it is ultimately their decision. So, it is important to keep ourselves pure from false doctrines and teachers. Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? When Jesus stated, By their fruit you will know them, (Mat 7:16) He was speaking about wolves who appear to be good through what they do, and what they teach, yet are false. Thank you for sharing, and I am glad that you have had your eyes opened to the deceptiveness of this program. Both men, who developed the 12-step program were directed by a spirit(demon) guide in their revelation. Celebrate Recovery roots the 12 steps in biblical principles, and its final step charges participants to use their recovery to spread the good news. The most common reason why people relapse after a period of sobriety is that they become stuck in recovery. Official page of Celebrate Recovery. Many coming into AA are ready for a change in life spiritually; its a great harvest ground. However, the cost of sharing the truth with others, is rejection. Recovery is not a straight road or an easy fix. Yes, God can and does help people through the church and power of the Holy Spirit with repentance. Most people cannot stay sober or clean or free from any perversion for more than six months on average, only to "go back out". Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Satan manifests as an angel of light, and his workers as ministers of righteousness(2 Cor 11:14). Do not take the writer of this piece or even my word. Is Celebrate Recovery a biblically sound program? With the introduction of The Landing-God's vision for Celebrate Recovery is now complete!" -John Baker "The Landing provides a safe place for students to share about their hurts, hang-ups, and habits and learn to apply the Principles of Celebrate Recovery to help them break the cycle of dysfunction in their families." - Johnny Baker If you need a program then check it out for yourself. He wanted to also save lives, now. Roadblocks of indifference and prejudice. What does the Bible say about drunkards? Too many churches judge them for who and what they are instead of trying to help them. This is why I had thrown away the Blue Book, as well as an Alateen book I had aquired when I was younger. 14And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Thank you for sharing. While tens of thousands flocked to campus, school officials met in a storage closet to make decisions that would honor what is happening.. I dont go to CR meetings like I used to but at times I still go. (KJV), Leviticus 20:6And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people. Celebrate Recovery meetings rarely focus on the fact that continuing to drink can result in death. The Bible tells us to hate sin and evil, to cut it out of our life. Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. You may want to celebrate any, or all, of the following milestones in recovery: (Don't celebrate too much here because you are VERY much at risk still for relapse in the early days of recovery. 12) Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we try to carry this message to others and practice these principles in all our affairs. Celebrate Recovery gives the support and love that so many churches fail at. Readiness to receive free gift lies in practice of Twelve Steps. They meet at Family Life Church on Monday nights at . His whole purpose of me going there was to gain insight into these areas, help those who He placed across my path, and then expose and confront the lies of it. It is like taking a pile of poop, and placing the Bible on top. Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered 12-step program designed for all "hurts, hangups, and habits," including those caused by emotional, mental, and spiritual dysfunction.As one of the seven largest addiction recovery support programs, Celebrate Recovery is designed to be a confidential place where attendees can work through their "stuff" in a safe and God-honoring place. Defiance is an out standing characteristic of alcoholics. 2 Cor 11:13For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. Contemplative prayer, and other eastern meditation practices were, and are still very much part of AA. Subscribe to CT
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this sites author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. The ministry has also expanded to serve the incarcerated, as the program became adopted by state prison systems in New Mexico, California, and beyond. 6 Mar 2015. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.. Happy are those who know they are spiritutally poor. However, what is the true motive of this program, what is it's foundation, and is it suitable for those who profess to be walking with Messiah? Celebrate Recovery is for adults 18 years and older. Baker immediately saw the need to connect the gospel with the recovery program he had gone through. 1 bid. I hope you consider and pray on the things I have brought up, and really examine this program to see if it truly aligns with the word of God. Its not my place to tell others what to do. (KJV), John 10:7Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. I dont agree with that. Problems of intellectuality and self-sufficiency. The Participant Guides are designed to create movement through the steps as each person is on a healing journey that creates new understanding and hope through the work of the Holy Spirit, and not . Worrying about the past and dreading the future makes us unable to live and enjoy God's plans for us in the present. R So with that said, we all have to start somewhere and often its on the wrong path before we truly find our Lord. Meeting Time: Tuesday 7:00 PM. Other than that they all denied Him, and His Word, and praised the 12-step program, based upon AA. The program seems to tip-toe around sin and evil instead of calling it out as such. Celebrate Recovery is a substance abuse recovery program based primarily on biblical teachings and the words and loving power of Jesus Christ. This is why I stress within my blog that this is leading people to accept a different gospel. The phrase do not throw out the baby with the bathwater, with regards to programs and practices like AA/CR, is overriding several biblical commands to come away from such. I believe sin is a sicknesses. A perpetual drunkard, is being in perpetual sin, and those who do so, do not inherit the Kingdom. Who am I? We become free from our addictive, compulsive, and dysfunctional behaviors. Life after the Military does not always make sense. When someone is in AA, it is no different than someone being in Hinduism. As a result, people often walk out of worship services with their lives unchanged. St Boniface Church-Franciscans. So before I continue on with my story, I would like to go through some areas of AA. This is what I did, as led by the Holy Spirit. I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing, and my life is unmanageable. Sam, thank you for commenting. For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. Eventually Baker considered himself a functioning alcoholic, turning his back on God and separating from his wife. Celebrate Recovery is a ministry committed to seeing lives changed and healed through Christ. Through much prayer, and acquiring the Fathers will, the Spirit instructed me when I needed to go back, to finish what He had begun in me. As above, I will be going through steps 1-3, and 12, and directly quoted from CR website: 1 ) We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors, that our lives had become unmanageable. Celebrate Recovery IS: A safe place to share; A place of refuge; A place of belonging; A place to care for others and be cared for; A place where respect is given to each member; A place where confidentiality is highly regarded; A place to learn; A place to demonstrate genuine love; A place to grow and become strong again; A place for progress It will just be painful, like ripping into old wounds that Jesus has already healed. I would like to serve Him some other way, in another ministry. The one woman though, who had praised Jesus, wanted me to stay and chat with her for a little while. While growing up, I was familiar with the term AA and Alanon, as my grandfather was an alcoholic, as well as other family members. As they had all turned their backs on Yeshua/Jesus and His Word, they then had no problem turning their back on me. And Sobriety in any sense is not just for the addict but also for the many afflicted by the addict, such as the one that died in an accident. uses the 12 Steps and its 8 Principles (supposedly based upon the Beatitudes - acronym spells "recovery") 1. Prison Fellowship president James J. Ackerman collaborated with Baker to add Celebrate Recovery Inside to its curricula. They have been talking up the step study lately and there is pressure to join. When I was in rehab, a young girl left AMA and a few people and counselors had no hope for her because she wanted to immerse herself in God and leave what didnt work for her. If you are in danger of hurting yourself or someone else, please call: 911 - Emergency or 988 - Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or 1-800-273-8255 HELP IS AVAILABLE. I went on to expose AA and the 12-steps. Theyre always there to help somebody if theyre struggling. Dangers of self-sufficiency. This is an excerpt from one of my blogs The Deception of the New Age Awakening through DNA, The New Age movement is not a conspiracy but an eclectic configuration of spiritual seekers who have despaired of finding personal and cosmic satisfaction in either religious orthodoxies or secular materialism. They literally drain us and leave us feeling fatigued, unmotivated and even depressed. Celebrate Recovery has been a great program for me as well as thousands of others that need the love and support of others. (Pgs 5-6), 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.Joy of living is the theme of the Twelfth Step. No person has the same journey and everyone has something to recover from. Now in over 35,000 churches. Category: Group Celebrate Recovery. Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of Gods mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God this is your spiritual act of worship. All rights reserved. Celebrating each milestone is encouraged, as long as you can find safe celebration activities! Structured as an ongoing 52-week program, The Landing aims to help hurting teenagers get closer to Jesus as they learn key principles based on the Beatitudes to live a . For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. The last thing I want to do is delve deeper into my issues/motivations/whatever. 1 Peter 1:13Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;14As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:15But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;16Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. About a year later, I was led to sponsor a woman, who was coming out of drug addiction. Email vriggins@graceclarksville.com. After the meeting was over, all the women left, did not say anything to me, just turned their backs and left. BE SOBER-MINDED. This is what He did for me, and through such, I am obliged to warn others. (Mat 16:19-20). Thanks for sharing brother. 1 Timothy 1:3 As I urged you on my departure to Macedonia, you should stay on at Ephesus to instruct certain men not to teach false doctrines. I did not understand that this was a New Age practice, which was to focus on specific auras coming from different points of my body. Love that has no price tag. If you chose to eat ten candy bars every day and to never brush your teeth, they would start rotting out. Hi Kellie, During the past 25 years, some 20,000 churches in the United States have reportedly used CR, with some 2.5 million people having completed the program. (KJV), Deuteronomy 18:10There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, 11Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. It may use terms like god, creator, higher power, however, the god and creator that they speak is not that of Jesus/Yeshua. Amen brother, you are correct, we cannot be unequally yoked with unbelievers, or mixing light with darkness(2 Cor 6:14). By working and applying these Biblical principles, we begin to grow spiritually. His whole purpose of me going there was to gain insight into these areas, help those who He placed across my path, and then expose and confront the lies of it. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. So, I dont think we really have differing views on this, as you can be led into a church, program or group to share the truth of Gods Word, without necessarily being a partaker in it. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! Gal 5:19The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; 20idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, 21and envy; drunkenness, carousing, and the like. Why do we need 12 steps when the only step our Saviour has told us to do is repent and turn away from sin/evil. Over the years, many celebrities have chosen to use their voices and their platforms to speak openly . Yeshua is still in the healing and deliverance ministry. None of these women, spoke to me again, nor did I ever go back to Celebrate Recovery, as my assignment there was done. They are drunk, but not with wine; They stagger, but not with intoxicating drink. I also, have experienced Gods grace and mercy through the Holy Spirit through some churches I have encountered that was amazing. Colossians 2:8 states: "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the . They'll say, "I don't know anybody that doesn't need recovery" where I often chimed in, "I don't know anyone who doesn't need Jesus." When he hit his bottom, he began attending daily AA meetings, working through the steps, and finding hope in a God who loved him unconditionally. First Unitarian Universalist Church & Center. What? While also providing a witness and a rebuke to the women leaders or the womens group, as it was preaching different gospel, and a different Jesus/Yeshua. The magnificent reality. And theres many avenues to recover. However, as she began the meeting, she had decided for the other group leader to go first who was sitting to my left. I know several people who were addicts and now can occasionally partake in rare occasions because they no longer want the life they had before . I was rejected by all those whom I shared the truth within CR that day, and I understood that would happen, because of what the Father had sent me to do. Action its keyword. Once they are settled in their new . We have all been lied to or deceived on some level or another, however once we know the truth, we are held accountable and can no longer hide under the mercy of the Father while we were in ignorance. Here are ten common situations that are very dangerous to a person in recovery. I read this and the Spirit of God prompted to reply. Dangers of Celebratory Occasions in Recovery Most people in recovery will be prepared for their sobriety to be tested when times are hard. So far this year we have raised over $20,000.00 for missions. 1 Peter 1:13Therefore prepare your minds for action. Because Celebrate Recovery is based on the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and practiced in thousands of Christian churches without ever being questioned or held up to the light of scripture it is one of the most damaging forms of apostasy in the modern Christian church. Jesus must be rescued from a pedestrian and parochial orthodoxy that demands he monopolize the deity.. This was actually the point of my blog post. And He came to set the captives free! It is for people with hurts, habits and hangups they simply cannot overcome in their own strength. The desire of alcohol is a lust of the flesh. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." We've been talking the last seven weeks about coming out of the dark, exposing our problems to the light of God's love, and . You made some really good points. I too may have mixed feelings about this post. So if I forgive God, then that makes Him limited and also makes mistakes? You said, Why do we need 12 steps when the only step our Saviour has told us to do is repent and turn away from sin/evil. John Baker continues to be the primary author of The Celebrate Recovery curriculum and materials (quoted from Wikipedia). I love hearing peoples stories and the work God has done through the cross and his saving grace in others lives. It was still a deep tissue massage, which helped me to relax, and relive my sore muscles, however, I was engaging in a practice that is contrary to biblical practices. I am a new creation in Christ and have left a lot behind, but this program keeps digging it back up and putting it in my face. From that point forward, I was actually prohibited from bringing or reading my Bible in the group. Celebrate Recovery is a biblical and balanced program that helps us overcome our hurts, hang-ups, and habits. However, that is part of what it means to count the cost (Luke 14:28) of following Christ. Luke 12:47And that servant, which knew his lords will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. I am going to go through these areas, and will be sharing what I have learned, what I have personally gone through, and what the Lord, or YHWH, has shown me, through the guidance of His Spirit. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. You bring up several great points, ones that I became very familiar with while attending the program. Celebrate Recovery. I have gone and still go to CR meetings. Wow. What is spiritual awakening? Plight of the disillusioned. A sister meeting called The Landing is available for students in grades 7 and up. What is spiritual awakening? What does the Bible say about addiction. It's important to realize relapse is more of a process as opposed to a mere lapse in judgment. for less than $4.25/month. Creation of C.R. As you can probably imaginethings did not go well for me after that. Both alcohol and drugs impair judgment and control of the body. Whether the battle is with addiction, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, consequences of bad choices, or any specific mental health issues, Celebrate Recovery saves lives. He partied in college at the University of Missouri and as an officer in the air force, and his drinking habit grew as his career in business took off in his 30s. For some, this repentance is quickly and some it is slowly as God meets us with our willingness at whatever point we are in life. If you are not familiar with Rick Warren and his apostasy, please check out the below 6 minute video from Good Fight Ministries, that exposes one aspect concerning Rick Warren : I attended CR for a year, and during that time I was instructed by the Spirit to not partake in the worship, as the music and worship came from Saddleback. A.A. teaches that alcoholism is a disease for which there is no ultimate cure. His efforts to make amends to his wife, Cheryl, as part of the 12 steps led to him attending Saddleback Church with her, hearing Rick Warren preach, and renewing their marriage vows in a span of months. A Believer cannot be equally yoked with unbelievers. Baker is survived by his wife and Celebrate Recovery cofounder, Cheryl; children Johnny and Jeni Baker and Laura and Brian Gibney; and their grandchildren. Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore them gently. Leviticus 19:31Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD(YHWH) your God. John 14:6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. We must be a willing vessel to share the truth with others, even at the cost of suffering, for if we dont, then we are not picking up our cross. It also anti-christ as it denies Yeshua/Jesus as the Only Way(1 Joh 2:22-23, Joh 14:6). The magnificent reality. Not only that, but these biblical comparisons are verses that are taken completely out of context, and have absolutely nothing to do with what they are trying to fit, it is like trying to fit a square peg into a round holeAnd just as like above, there is no mention of the these addictions being sin, but rather what is called: hangups, habits, and character defects; and of course no mention of repentance either. Anything that impairs your mind, will also affect your spiritual wellbeing, and can lead into sinful choices. The ouija board got moving in earnest. Just as I am whereever I am. Lets help and love others walking in the calling he has for each of us individually not judging others and glorifying God, my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ in the process. Recognizing these dangers will help you avoid a possible problem in the future. Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols?