Dangers of Celebratory Occasions in Recovery Most people in recovery will be prepared for their sobriety to be tested when times are hard. 8All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. All rights reserved. While I want everyone to come to know Jesus Christ our Lord, it is ultimately their decision. Step 12, not only speaks of New Age enlightenment, but blasphemes the true free gift, that of salvation, as well as the responsibility for a believer to share and take the gospel message to all, not the AA message. Too many pastors use an academic model in which they simply lecture their congregations. Mental obsession plus physical allergy. Initially when I went through rehab, now over 13 years ago, I went briefly through AA(Alcoholics Anonymous) as it was a requirement of the rehabilitation program I was part of. Live customer service hours are Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM CST [email protected] Call Toll Free: 866.419.7446; Hi Kellie, Jesus must be rescued from a pedestrian and parochial orthodoxy that demands he monopolize the deity.. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. This is why I stress within my blog that this is leading people to accept a different gospel. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. uses the 12 Steps and its 8 Principles (supposedly based upon the Beatitudes - acronym spells "recovery") 1. 1. It will just be painful, like ripping into old wounds that Jesus has already healed. Analyzing Celebrate Recovery (C.R.) A new state of consciousness and being is received as a free gift. The program seems to tip-toe around sin and evil instead of calling it out as such. 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. However, I knew what Yah had spoke to me, and He said that I shall be the first to speak. We are also told to test the spirits (1 Joh 4:1) as not all things that outwardly manifest as good or righteous will be so. 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. Readiness to receive free gift lies in practice of Twelve Steps. We believe that this program targets the one thing that we all have in commonwe're all messed up in one way or another. Philippians 2:13. The Celebrate Recovery Bible on Kindle, iBooks and Nook are also approved curriculum. My KJV Bible is all I need in this life plus my brothers and sisters in Christ. Needless to say, CR has had a major influence on the church. Your First Step to Celebrate Recovery: How God Can Heal Your Life by John Baker. After I spoke, the atmosphere was so thick, you could have cut it with a knife. We admitted we were powerless over alcoholthat our lives had become unmanageable.Who cares to admit complete defeat? Gods Word is clear about trying to mix pagan worship or other religions with His. For those who would like more resources here are some links: http://www.anti-antichrist.com/soap/lanagan.html, http://www.psychoheresy-aware.org/aaroots.html, https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/ (Search for AA). Celebrate Recovery roots the 12 steps in biblical principles, and its final step charges participants to use their recovery to spread the good news. We will be held accountable for the truth that we were given, and at the expense of our flesh, rejected. Is Celebrate Recovery a biblical program? Whether you choose a Christian rehab center that uses the Celebrate Recovery program or follow a different approach, you can find the help you need to live a sober life. 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 . Thirty years ago John Baker turned the ruins of his life over to Jesus Christ and God transformed him from a driven businessman with an addiction to alcohol, a failing marriage, and alienated children to a Christ-follower with a passion to help others with their hurts, habits, and hang-ups through the principles of recovery, wrote Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church and a mental health advocate. I know what you are implying with sin sickness as it has to do with things I already addressed in my blog and is a strong lie taught within AA/CR. Mark 14:38 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. So, below I have steps 1-3, and 12, all of which were quoted directly from 12-Steps and 12-Traditions. Staff was great, attentive to our needs and" more. 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. Roughly in 2014, I was going through some books in our bookshelf, and my eyes came upon the Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous), and an Alateen book that I had for quite a long time. Have been having more and more doubts about it as time has gone on. I read this and the Spirit of God prompted to reply. Today, when individuals with mental and/or substance use disorders seek help, they are met with the knowledge and belief that anyone can recover and/or manage their conditions successfully. This is also used in such other passages like: 1 Peter 5:8Be sober-minded and alert. Promote your Celebrate Recovery Chapter with a Full Color Vinyl Banner! Hi Kellie, If so, then I challenge you to put your emotions aside from the program, and dig into the Word. Spirit Word Church (8.9 mi) 4849 South Lindbergh, St. Louis, Missouri 63126 United States. Ebony, thank you for taking the time to share that with me. Celebrate Recovery has moved to Community of Hope Church on Thursdays at 6:15PM. I was immediately confronted after the meeting, and then again when I arrived the following week, as I was pulled aside by the lead woman of the group. Even if you do not believe God or His Word, consider this from the view of simple logic: how can a behavioral choice be a disease? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Plight of the disillusioned. Some people understand what weve been through and some do not. Creation of C.R. The lead woman was not there, and Yah instructed me where I needed to sit. What partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? (Heb 10:26) God has grace and mercy for us when we are being led in ignorance, yet we are held to a higher standard when the truth of a matter is presented to us. It is mixing the Holy, and the profane. It becomes an addiction because the flesh craves it. It's important to realize relapse is more of a process as opposed to a mere lapse in judgment. AA/NA holds people in bondage, making them think they are free. The most common reason why people relapse after a period of sobriety is that they become stuck in recovery. Both alcohol and drugs impair judgment and control of the body. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. We are all broken and in need of a Saviour; my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,. 36If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light. According to Step 3, it is like opening a door, however is going in another way other than Yeshua (Joh 10:7), as a person submits to a higher power. The last thing I want to do is delve deeper into my issues/motivations/whatever. You bring up several great points, ones that I became very familiar with while attending the program. Title: Celebrate Recovery 1 CelebrateRecovery! Thank you for sharing. Alcoholism is not a disease. Would you disagree that we should take God/YHWH at His Word if we profess to walk in His truth? His moral teaching-most excellent. 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. The ministry is "group based." All groups are gender specific and use the Small Group . 1 Peter 1:13Therefore prepare your minds for action. (Pg 5), Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.What can we believe in? There were malign and mischievous ones of all descriptions, telling of vices quite beyond my ken, even as former alcoholics. In other ways I know both programs have brought people into their recovery process and even drawn them to Jesus. This was actually the point of my blog post. I did not continue on with AA, and I am thankful for that. Negative and positive thinking. I agree with much of what you say about the spiritual aspects of AA. I sat to the left of the CR group leader, which would mean that I would be the first to speak. I can assure you, that it is not the Holy Spirit. However, what is the true motive of this program, what is its foundation, and is it suitable for those who profess to be walking with Messiah? If you are a Christian in recovery and currently attending a twelve step program whether it be Alcoholics Anonymous, Celebrate Recovery, Hunger for Healing or any of the other assortment of spin off programs, please take the time to consider the following information. I see it as a ripe mission field to share my testimony and experience; to share the Word of God and what Jesus Christ has done for me. Baker immediately saw the need to connect the gospel with the recovery program he had gone through. 3) We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God. Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? Through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I was told to throw them away. These were also women who professed His Name, one even ironically being from Saddleback. 3525. nph So far this year we have raised over $20,000.00 for missions. They preached about their higher power being God or Jesus but seemed to have no faith that He could deliver her or anyone Without AA. 1 Cor 6:9Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? There are many who have either themselves or known someone to have gone through AA, NA, Alanon, etc. This is evident as you compare each step with the scriptures. Celebrate Recovery is a substance abuse recovery program based primarily on biblical teachings and the words and loving power of Jesus Christ. These first three steps of the 12, undermine the gospel, and allow an individual to accept whatever higher power they choose. Search: Dangers Of Celebrate Recovery. Admission of powerlessness is the first step in liberation. I dont doubt that God is using those willing, to draw people away from this into the truth. Christian Fellowship has an active missions program. The loss of a sense of brotherhood and the loss of being part of something important and bigger than myself can lead to feelings of frustration, isolation, emptiness, boredom, anger, or loneliness. (RNS) John Baker, co-founder of Celebrate Recovery, an evangelical support group that helps people with "hurts, hangups and habits," has died. In such ways we want them to get sober in any way that works for them so not to affect others. I would like to serve Him some other way, in another ministry. God is good, all the time. We have also been to Indonesia twice . Ive been attending CR (and volunteering on the welcome team ) for about a year. Romans 12:1. To find out if these will be offered at your group, please call the contact number. I dont go to CR meetings like I used to but at times I still go. There is nothing greater than the blood of the Lamb, the true Creator of the Heavens of the earth, and the King of Kings Lord of Lords, Yeshua. It means that the individual is returning to old ineffective coping strategies for dealing with life. Once those who were fully crucified with Christ, and their passions and desires of the flesh, they too were set free from drunkenness. The Bible tells us to hate sin and evil, to cut it out of our life. I understand how you could have mixed feelings about this, and I appreciate you sharing. All those in A.A. are "recovering" alcoholics, who, according to A.A., never completely recover. 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. Lost faith found in A.A. The atmosphere had changed, and I could sense the Spirit strong with me, and guided my every step. In my mens small group I couldnt talk about my struggle, and at AA, I couldnt talk about my Savior, since the program speaks in more secular terms about a Higher Power, he told CT in 2016. 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. Giving that asks no reward. None of these women, spoke to me again, nor did I ever go back to Celebrate Recovery, as my assignment there was done. Start your new life now! Barb, thank you for commenting! If God can work through the mouth of a mule he can work through anyone he chooses. Happy are those who know they are spiritutally poor. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Celebrate Recovery. (Pgs 8-9). Compromise your own values and integrity to avoid . Other than that they all denied Him, and His Word, and praised the 12-step program, based upon AA. "This is a great place to hold an event. Thanks for sharing brother. I will also provide links at the very end, that I found helpful while doing my own research, that may help you as well. 48But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. Quoting from my blog: Many seem to believe that as long as something appears good, and that someone is helped that it must be of God, when this is simply not true; while He can draw His own creation to Him, in whatever circumstance they are in, this does not mean that it is His perfect will for them to continue on in what they are doing or involved in. Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? AA is a religion. At Landmark Recovery, we are happy to help you find a support system that meshes with your belief system. In fact, there are many programs and practices that may appear to be beneficial to the mind and body, yet when we test those practices against the word of God, they are proven to be false. This is a process of maturity and growth in the Lord. Celebrate Recovery is a ministry committed to seeing lives changed and healed through Christ. 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. They didnt attend any program, they just hit their rock bottom which is only decided by the individual suffering addiction. My faith was empowered, as I knew it was my time to speak His Words. However, you can pat yourself on the back for making it . He shares in his testimony that he grew up a believer in a Baptist church but struggled with feelings of unworthiness. The group leader has been through step studies multiple times and still struggles with her problems. And I believe that somewhere in their journey and even the ones affected from their addiction that they hit a rock bottom. (1) The Bible declares that drunkenness is a sin but those in Recovery believe it to be a disease. Daly City Celebrate Recovery. Do not take the writer of this piece or even my word. For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (KJV), Isaiah 8:19And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? Contact the group directly to see if these are offered. Here are ten common situations that are very dangerous to a person in recovery. A person could choose Buddha, Allah, Shati, Satan, as well as AA itself. Recovery signals a dramatic shift in the expectation for positive outcomes for individuals who experience mental and substance use conditions or the co-occurring of the two. 4. What does the Bible say about addiction. It was then that woman after woman, that spoke after me, praised only the program. 1 Peter 3:17For it is better, if it is Gods will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 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. 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. Are these 12 steps in alignment with the Scriptures? 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. A person can not only be intoxicated physically, but also spiritually: Isa 29:9Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! Category: Group Celebrate Recovery. 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. So with that said, we all have to start somewhere and often its on the wrong path before we truly find our Lord. The Birthright: Salvation and the Role of the Firstborn, Christmas Unwrapped: Why I No Longer Celebrate Christmas, The Deception of the New Age Awakening through DNA, Why I No longer Vaccinate: A Veterans Story. Sam, thank you for commenting. 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. What is spiritual awakening? Both were heavily involved in the occult, and many of the practices that were endorsed in Oxford Group, continued on with the establishment of AA. Every meeting, except my last, I was always led to open my Word and read directly from it. John touched more people with the healing power and grace of Jesus Christ than anyone else that I have ever known personally and one of those lives was mine, wrote Celebrate Recoverys national director and national training coach Mac and Mary Owen. Is it a sin for a Christian to drink alcohol / wine? So, in that dim lit room, and with 10 women around the table, some of which, for the last 12 months I had cried and prayed for, my 5 minutes began. Action its keyword. This is why people become deceived and un-willing to accept that possibility. My grandfather passed before I was born, so while I did not know him, I was told he was an alcoholic and was involved in AA. 1 Founded 25 years ago by pastor Rick Warren and the Saddleback Church in California, it started with just 43 people but now has groups in 29,000 churches all over the globe with more than 3.5 million . 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 only way for that to happen is through repentance of these programs/doctrines. 3 ; Recognize that Im not God. Once a person has repented, turning from sin, they are no longer defined by that sin, but rather are set free, and become a new creation: 1 Cor 6:9Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Any spiritual experience that is not vetted through the written word, and the Spirit of Truth, could lead a person down a path of destruction. Then they can turn their lives over to this god as they understand him. Whatever my point of willingness to believe and have faith to walk in and with him is where he meets me. 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). Or perhaps a sort of alternative that is more Christ centered such as Celebrate Recovery? 34The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Celebrate Recovery is a biblical and balanced program that helps us overcome our hurts, hang-ups, and habits. A. 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. (Pg 5), Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understood Him.Step Three is like opening of a locked door. This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son. 4 I understand that people, even those like myself, have been helped through these programs, however, the ultimate purpose of these programs are to lead people to dependency on the program itself, which is why in the 12th step of the AA program it teaches to: 12) 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. Celebrate Recovery is a proven 25+ year old Christ-based 12-step program based on the Beatitudes. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to author and APearlinthevineyard.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. So if I forgive God, then that makes Him limited and also makes mistakes? I am glad that you found this blog edifying. Baker went on to study at Golden Gate Baptist Seminary and serve at Saddleback as volunteer, staff member, pastor, and elder as Celebrate Recovery grew across denominations and ministry networks. While there are many godly and well-meaning people involved at the local Celebrate Recovery, the message has been twisted. This program is not something that you complete and then all of sudden, Hey, Im better. You don't have to face alcohol addiction alone, so give us a call today to get started at 888-448-0302. Baker was raised in Collinsville, Illinois. 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 R Thank you, Patty for sharing your thoughts and comment on this matter. Problems of intellectuality and self-sufficiency. I did not fully know why at that time, but I just did as the Spirit told me to do. Continued on with my story above, I started to attend Celebrate Recovery(CR), as prompted by the Spirit, even with the knowledge that it was a program that was directly tied to Rick Warren and Saddleback church: John Baker was an alcoholic and staff member of Saddleback Church who began healing through Alcoholics Anonymous. 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. Also, by their fruits you shall know people. 3525 nph properly, to be sober (not drunk), not intoxicated; (figuratively) free from illusion, i.e. The topical groups vary by site, and some. 9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. Hello Patrick, thanks for reading and commenting. A Believer cannot be equally yoked with unbelievers. Self-righteousness. Also on the part of forgiveness, we ar encouraged to also forgive God. Who am I? There is simply no way to put into words how I love John and will miss this kind, creative, brilliant and faithful man., Evangelical leader Johnnie Moore, whose family previously belonged to Saddleback Church when living in California, remembered Bakers commitment to saving the lives of the people whom God loves., He became a doctor of hope for those whose lives were caught in vicious cycles of guilt, shame, and failure.
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