dangers of celebrate recovery

I sat down with my bible on my lap, that I could not open, but with Scripture memorized, and words that I knew to speak. I previously completed step studies and attended CR as a participant. Anything that impairs your mind, will also affect your spiritual wellbeing, and can lead into sinful choices. I appreciate you sharing your insight and the leading of the Lord that you have followed without wavering. He wanted to also save lives, now. You made some really good points. 1 Cor 6:9Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? 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. See ya, Baker said. Substitution of A.A. as Higher Power. Our staff is up-to-date and knowledgeable, and we are standing by to help you on your road to recovery. Instead, they have turned to unconventional and esoteric sources in the hopes of finding what they seek in the ambiance of the mystical, magical and metaphysical.1 Given these tendencies, the Jesus of orthodox Christianity may seem inadequate. If I were to base my experience and how it made me feel as the only factors of judgement on such practice, I would consider it to be good. You bring up several great points, ones that I became very familiar with while attending the program. He wrote out a vision for what would become Celebrate Recoverys own version of the 12 steps, each one paired with a teaching from Scripture, and shared it with Rick Warren back in 1991. There were malign and mischievous ones of all descriptions, telling of vices quite beyond my ken, even as former alcoholics. This is my concern also for you, in that you are highly esteeming a program over that of the Word, which is the same spirit that I encountered while attending my last day of CR. Thank you for sharing, and I am glad that you have had your eyes opened to the deceptiveness of this program. Love that has no price tag. One of the worst things that an individual can do in early recovery is jump headfirst into romance. He instead, as is mentioned in the Big Book(pgs 12-13), made his own god, professed this god to be the Father of Lights and was led by this god-consciousness from within, and insisted that all he had to do was believe in a power higher than himself, and nothing else was required. This is why it is so important to know who we are listening to when it comes to worship music, and where that music is originating from. Too many churches judge them for who and what they are instead of trying to help them. 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. I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing, and my life is unmanageable. 70 percent of the people that attend are not church members because they feel that the churches have let them down. There did not come a time when there was an exception for drunkenness. St Boniface Church-Franciscans. From that point forward, I was actually prohibited from bringing or reading my Bible in the group. This was a situation that I had never planned myself but was led through the Holy Spirit to go through and then lead others into the truths pertaining to these programs. Bakers ministry began in 1991 at Saddleback Church in California and has spread to 35,000 churches nationwide over the decades. 3) We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God. To find a group near you go to group finder on our web page:. 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 . Did Jesus change the water into wine or grape juice? This is why I had thrown away the Blue Book, as well as an Alateen book I had aquired when I was younger. 1 Peter 1:13Therefore prepare your minds for action. (Acts 17:30) At such time we can no longer claim ignorance and will be held accountable to such. AA/NA holds people in bondage, making them think they are free. (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. Wilson was also not shy in expressing how he felt about Jesus/Yeshua Christ. The ministry, started at Saddleback Church in the 1990s, announced the news of his death Tuesday (Feb. 23) on social media. 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. 8All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 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? Just as those in Acts burned their magic arts, so should the Alateen/Alanon and AA books be destroyed. Now in over 35,000 churches. Jesus must be rescued from a pedestrian and parochial orthodoxy that demands he monopolize the deity.. 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 Would you disagree that we should take God/YHWH at His Word if we profess to walk in His truth? 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). Many coming into AA are ready for a change in life spiritually; its a great harvest ground. Both men, who developed the 12-step program were directed by a spirit(demon) guide in their revelation. I had provided her some more truth concerning Rick Warren, but ultimately she did not understand what my purpose was there, and told me that I could not come back to Celebrate Recovery. 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. 3. I take comfort in the thought that as John enters the presence of his Lord, he will hear the words, Great, Johnyou did it!. The messiness of addiction is too much for many churches to handle. 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. 4. I read this and the Spirit of God prompted to reply. How should a Christian view alcoholics? 3. I was also told that alcoholism is a disease, and that once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. They literally drain us and leave us feeling fatigued, unmotivated and even depressed. People were healed and delivered from blindness, leprosy, epilepsy, demon-possession, sexual lusts and perversions, etc. Contact: Bob & Pam Bay. Celebrate Recovery is a proven 25+ year old Christ-based 12-step program based on the Beatitudes. Baker is survived by his wife and Celebrate Recovery cofounder, Cheryl; children Johnny and Jeni Baker and Laura and Brian Gibney; and their grandchildren. Having said that, this review (completed largely with the help of Matthew Mumma) will demonstrate that CR contains two major problems: (1) Though claiming to be biblically based, its teachings are often constructed from a misuse of Scripture and an erroneous hermeneutic. Thank you for sharing. Through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I was told to throw them away. 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. 314-607-8165. This is why we are told to come out, Be ye separate, Be holy, as He is Holy. CR is for anyone with a hurt, habit or a hang up. Forest Brook Community Church. Life's problems can be stumbling blocks or stepping stones. So if I forgive God, then that makes Him limited and also makes mistakes? They have been talking up the step study lately and there is pressure to join. All rights reserved. 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. As a result, people often walk out of worship services with their lives unchanged. 60 Kearney Dr Ajax, Ontario, L1T 4N2 To discern good fruit you have to know if the doctrine, character, or practice, aligns with the word of God, and this should be your measuring line. I encourage you to speak up and speak what the Holy Spirit has laid on your heart. So, I was immediately led to Acts 2:38, and the Spirit had me to start at repentance. 20:2). There were many practices/beliefs that I was led to not partake in. The magnificent reality. I dont agree with that. Both alcohol and drugs impair judgment and control of the body. 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. Romantic relationships can be a great source of happiness in sobriety, but they can also be the source of great pain. Perhaps if you took the time to look into this further, you might begin to see a lot of the deception surrounding this, as while I do appreciate your comment, and believe it to be sincere, the deception is still very strong. Modesty of the HeartWhere is your Treasure? Read reviews, compare customer ratings, see screenshots, and learn more about Celebrate Recovery. While I want everyone to come to know Jesus Christ our Lord, it is ultimately their decision. Problems of intellectuality and self-sufficiency. It is so deceptive and the transforming supernatural power of the Holy Spirit is not acknowledged but rather working on the 12 steps and how the steps helps us get out of our hurts, habits, and hang ups. He wanted a specifically Christian addiction recovery group, so with the support of Rick Warren, Celebrate Recovery began as a ministry of Saddleback Church under Bakers leadership in 1990. It is like taking a pile of poop, and placing the Bible on top. Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Celebrate Recovery at Family Life Church is a Christ Centered program that uses valuable principles to help free us from the effects of our hurts, habits, and hang ups. This very much includes programs like AA/CR which do not have a grounding in the Bible at all. We are here for you online 24/7! Within AA, the introduction is similar in the person identifies as their addiction, My Name is, and I am a drug addict/alcoholic. During the worship time, I sat in the back reading my Word. This is what I did, as led by the Holy Spirit. I decided to leave after that, and not attend the meeting, and I didnt come back for a couple weeks. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. I have yet to meet an alcoholic who can not relate to Proverbs 23:29-35 no matter what they believe in; its a great introduction for a drunk to the Word of God. Plight of the disillusioned. Bauxite mining would threaten birds, plants, and clean water. Start your new life now! I began slowly and shared about the woman Yah first had me sponsor, and I recited Acts 2:38, and I went through the 10 Commandments, and what sin is, and what repentance is. (As well as: 1 Thes 5:6, 8, 2 Tim 4:5, 1 Peter 1:13, 1 Peter 4:7). So, with my final mission in view, with bible in hand, I walked into Celebrate Recovery for the last time. | We have Graphic Designers to assist you | service@banners.com 1.866.419.SIGN. While tens of thousands flocked to campus, school officials met in a storage closet to make decisions that would honor what is happening.. Hello Patrick, thanks for reading and commenting. I needed to see this. After I spoke, the atmosphere was so thick, you could have cut it with a knife. Readiness to receive free gift lies in practice of Twelve Steps. Blind yourselves and be blind! Do not take the writer of this piece or even my word. 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. The Celebrate Recovery Bible on Kindle, iBooks and Nook are also approved curriculum. And theres many avenues to recover. 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. The ministry is "group based." All groups are gender specific and use the Small Group . 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.. If there is darkness in the AA program leading people astray, what better place to set up a lamp stand? This is evident as you compare each step with the scriptures. Action its keyword. Defiance is an out standing characteristic of alcoholics. His moral teaching-most excellent. (RNS) John Baker, co-founder of Celebrate Recovery, an evangelical support group that helps people with "hurts, hangups and habits," has died. Like you mentioned, allowing God to guide you away from false teachings. We are all broken and in need of a Saviour; my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,. Some Celebrate Recovery groups offer childcare, Celebration Place for kids and The Landing for youth. Eventually Baker considered himself a functioning alcoholic, turning his back on God and separating from his wife. The desire of alcohol is a lust of the flesh. The only way for that to happen is through repentance of these programs/doctrines. John Baker continues to be the primary author of The Celebrate Recovery curriculum and materials (quoted from Wikipedia). The ouija board got moving in earnest. Celebrate Recovery (CR) meets at 6 p.m. Saturdays at Good Shepherd Church, 2341 S. Military Trail, West Palm Beach, featuring dinner, a big meeting and small open share groups. If you have a drinking problem in 2014, or a drug problem, or a gambling problem, your medically, socially, culturally, and politically mandated solution is a set of 12 . The lead woman was not there, and Yah instructed me where I needed to sit. Sam, thank you for commenting. The Bible tells us to hate sin and evil, to cut it out of our life. I fully agree! Once you know better, you do better. What? The actual definition given to Sober-minded means to abstain from wine. What an amazing God. I will say too, that these programs do sometimes act as a religion and Ive seen that for myself, but just as when I go to church or study my Bible, I have to let God guide me away from the false preachings and allow Him to give the message that is meant for me. However, that is part of what it means to count the cost (Luke 14:28) of following Christ. 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. There are many who have either themselves or known someone to have gone through AA, NA, Alanon, etc. The program addresses not just alcoholism and drug addiction, but codependency, depression, eating disorders, gambling, sexual addiction and sexual abuse. 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. When someone is in AA, it is no different than someone being in Hinduism. The one woman though, who had praised Jesus, wanted me to stay and chat with her for a little while. While a lapse can be a single event such as a poor decision of going . Hi Kellie, Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Please check directly with each church to find out if they are running during Covid-19. Create a safe place for hurting teenagers to overcome life's challenges by launching a Celebrate Recovery ministry-The Landing-for the students in your church, with the The Landing: Celebrate Recovery for Students Kit.. 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. This is what I encourage people to do with the writing of this blog, and not leading people blindly into a program that has led many to accept a false gospel. Yes, you are correct in that we should never simply believe anyones word at something, and I am not offended if you do not believe my testimony. (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. With maturity comes discernment, and with discernment comes an understanding that just because something may have been beneficial, or helpful, does not mean that it is sanctioned by God. Dependence as a means to independence. It is for anyone who has a "hurt, hang-up, or habit" within the community at large or our own church body - not restricted to only people struggling with an addiction. Negative and positive thinking. The magnificent reality. 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. I would like to serve Him some other way, in another ministry. 35Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. I say dont throw out the baby with the water. 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. A new state of consciousness and being is received as a free gift. 8,093 talking about this. How shall we let God into our lives? The program began in Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, and is now used in churches around the world. Once those who were fully crucified with Christ, and their passions and desires of the flesh, they too were set free from drunkenness. I told her, I know, but it has nothing to do with with you telling me, but rather it was already the Fathers will for me not to come back after this. This is a dangerous form of denial. 22 Seriously Inspiring Quotes About Sobriety From Celebs Like Demi Lovato & Bradley Cooper. 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. First Unitarian Universalist Church & Center. Forty years sober in AA.Yes,I believe everything you said about both programs.I Am a Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. 27). Needless to say, CR has had a major influence on the church. This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son. I understand how you could have mixed feelings about this, and I appreciate you sharing. To admit to be powerless over alcohol, does not address that it is a sin of drunkenness and a lust of the flesh, and needs to be repented of, as the Scriptures state, but rather that a combination of an allergy and mental obsession to bring a humility to sobriety. 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. Thank you, Patty for sharing your thoughts and comment on this matter. Celebrate Recovery. It wasnt until I became a facilitator that I began questioning the program. 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. 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. A perpetual drunkard, is being in perpetual sin, and those who do so, do not inherit the Kingdom. They are drunk, but not with wine; They stagger, but not with intoxicating drink. Celebrate Recovery has moved to Community of Hope Church on Thursdays at 6:15PM. Amen brother, you are correct, we cannot be unequally yoked with unbelievers, or mixing light with darkness(2 Cor 6:14). Philippians 2:13. A person can not only be intoxicated physically, but also spiritually: Isa 29:9Pause and wonder! Blessings! Step Two is a rallying point to sanity. A Believer cannot be equally yoked with unbelievers. Celebrate Recovery is for adults 18 years and older. Recovery is not a straight road or an easy fix. 6 Mar 2015. Until a chance encounter with my moms old Bible opened my eyes. 9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The last thing I want to do is delve deeper into my issues/motivations/whatever. Who am I? Email vriggins@graceclarksville.com. Once they are settled in their new . So, if you are sharing the truth about Gods Word, and how it contradicts the doctrine and spiritual application within AA, then great, but I am not sure how they would allow that to continue if the leaders of AA became known you were speaking out against the program. 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? 2 Cor 11:13For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. I do believe reaching others, Addicts, Alcoholics and whom so ever will through the church is the area of your calling. The program seems to tip-toe around sin and evil instead of calling it out as such. 14And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Anxiety causes us to waste precious energy dealing with past hurts hiding stuff and fear of being found inept kept me from present Hiding kept me Change can only happen in the present . I brought up that step three goes against the first two of the 10 commandments, and that there shall be no other gods before Him. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. I prayed about matters, and asked Him what His will was for me to do, and how to instruct this woman. Admission of powerlessness is the first step in liberation. During the worship time, I sat in the back reading my Word. (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. Required fields are marked *. Celebrate Recovery is a biblical and balanced program that helps us overcome our hurts, hang-ups, and habits. AA is a religion. I also would not introduce myself as a recovering alcoholic, but rather a recovered alcoholic, as to speak the former would be a lie against the work of the Holy Spirit in my life (1 Cor 6:9-11). Call us today at 800-256-3490 to begin your journey. Turning our will over to Higher Power. 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. How should a Christian view addiction? 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. In some ways I understand and even believe what you say. Love that has no price tag. 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. Sign up for our newsletter: So much in Christianity today is not based on Christ's teachings as much as it's based upon the ideas and theories of mankind.

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