It can come as a shock to many individuals to discover that the good times can also be a test as well. 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. AA is just another false religion, trying to go in another way: We have no desire to convince anyone that there is only one way by which faith can be acquired(Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book, pg. With the knowledge above, of these steps, how can we then take Scripture to pile over it? I did not continue on with AA, and I am thankful for that. You often find this within eastern religions and practices such as yoga and achieving a higher self or Christ-consciousness. I have gone and still go to CR meetings. 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. 3525 /nph (be sober, unintoxicated) refers to having presence of mind (clear judgment), enabling someone to be temperate (self-controlled). Alcoholism is not a disease. Baker was raised in Collinsville, Illinois. $5.16 shipping. All those in A.A. are "recovering" alcoholics, who, according to A.A., never completely recover. While I want everyone to come to know Jesus Christ our Lord, it is ultimately their decision. This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son. A sister meeting called The Landing is available for students in grades 7 and up. This is what I did, as led by the Holy Spirit. If there is darkness in the AA program leading people astray, what better place to set up a lamp stand? I lived at AA and Alanon meetings for years and was helped tremendously and then almost completely stopped. Gods Word is clear about trying to mix pagan worship or other religions with His. What partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Once I was done with 6-7 weeks of rehab, I went back to my base in Italy, and continued on with a program through the military. All rights reserved. You bring up several great points, ones that I became very familiar with while attending the program. Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered ministry of discipleship and healing designed to help adults and families overcome different struggles in life as they grow together in a relationship with God. The ministry is "group based." All groups are gender specific and use the Small Group . Just as I am whereever I am. During the worship time, I sat in the back reading my Word. 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. Needless to say, CR has had a major influence on the church. It was not until a few years ago that I really started to know the truth about AA, as well as other recovery groups with a foundation in AA, that even profess to be Christian alternatives. At Landmark Recovery, we are happy to help you find a support system that meshes with your belief system. Until a chance encounter with my moms old Bible opened my eyes. It is based on the actual words of Jesus rather than psychological theory. 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. When someone is in AA, it is no different than someone being in Hinduism. Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10Nor thieves, nor covetous. Its not my place to tell others what to do. 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. We believe that this program targets the one thing that we all have in commonwe're all messed up in one way or another. Category: Group Celebrate Recovery. 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. Thank you for your obedience. The Saddleback Church pastor developed the popular Christ-centered 12-step program for hurts, habits, and hang-ups., Image: Courtesy of Saddleback Church / Edits by Christianity Today. I dont agree with that. Praise God for that revelation to you. 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 will also provide links at the very end, that I found helpful while doing my own research, that may help you as well. Mental obsession plus physical allergy. It is no different than saying once a thief, always a thief, or once an adulterer always an adulterer. When I was in CR (Celebrate Recovery) which I talk on within most of my post and testimony, is that God used me to bring His Light and truth to the darkness that both AA/CR have as a foundation. 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. Baker immediately saw the need to connect the gospel with the recovery program he had gone through. It is a bafflement that many professing believers would condone and endorse such a program knowing the full thoughts, intentions, and beliefs of AA and its origins. Your email address will not be published. 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. This is what brings us to our Lord. Wow. I would like to also share a few things if you will so allow me.. What partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? A Believer cannot be equally yoked with unbelievers. SPEAK TO SOMEONE TODAY. They have been talking up the step study lately and there is pressure to join. This is why we are told to come out, Be ye separate, Be holy, as He is Holy. How can I start a Celebrate Recovery Starting a Celebrate Recovery is an exciting step for your church! Call us today at 800-256-3490 to begin your journey. Sam, thank you for commenting. The group leader has been through step studies multiple times and still struggles with her problems. Sign up for our newsletter: See more ideas about celebrate recovery, recovery, recovery quotes. He delivered me completely of alcohol, and a great many of other things. We will all stand before the judgement seat of the Lord, and give an account of our lives. Contrary to what people think, this program is not only for people with alcohol and drug addictions. What does the Bible say about drunkards? apearlinthevineyard.com, 2018. Celebrate Recovery. True sobriety is not only having control over the body, but also the mind. 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." I believe sin is a sicknesses. B. (Mat 16:19-20). Analyzing Celebrate Recovery (C.R.) Thanks for sharing brother. 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. Never believe one persons opinion about something. It is mixing the Holy, and the profane. Most people cannot stay sober or clean or free from any perversion for more than six months on average, only to "go back out". 6 Mar 2015. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.. 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. Who am I? (Acts 17:30) At such time we can no longer claim ignorance and will be held accountable to such. No person has the same journey and everyone has something to recover from. Whatever works to get them there or even the ones affected. Forty years sober in AA.Yes,I believe everything you said about both programs.I Am a Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. A. (KJV), John 10:7Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. For example, as I mentioned in my post, I would not partake in the worship: 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. 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. (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. Your First Step to Celebrate Recovery: How God Can Heal Your Life by John Baker. 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. BE SOBER-MINDED. Celebrate Recovery is just another type ofSyncretism, as mixes Gods ways with heathen ways. I confronted her on the involvement of Rick Warren, AAs non biblical stance and that basically she and others are leading people astray and that they should be presenting the gospel of sin, repentance and being set free from bondage. 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. The Danger of Teaching Information Without Application By Rick Warren I believe the number one problem with preaching in America is its lack of application. As you can probably imaginethings did not go well for me after that. There are many who have either themselves or known someone to have gone through AA, NA, Alanon, etc. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. The Bible tells us to hate sin and evil, to cut it out of our life. I fully agree! Once they are settled in their new . It will just be painful, like ripping into old wounds that Jesus has already healed. Readiness to receive free gift lies in practice of Twelve Steps. For myself, I had adopted those parts which seemed convenient and not too difficult; the rest I disregarded. (Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book, pg.11). I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing, and my life is unmanageable. If so, then I challenge you to put your emotions aside from the program, and dig into the Word. However, you can pat yourself on the back for making it . Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! "This is a great place to hold an event. What an amazing God. 3525 nph properly, to be sober (not drunk), not intoxicated; (figuratively) free from illusion, i.e. John 14:6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Likewise, the acceptance of false doctrine will also impair correct judgment and can lead to spiritual decay/death. 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. III. 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. 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. We become free from our addictive, compulsive, and dysfunctional behaviors. Creation of C.R. Dangers of Celebratory Occasions in Recovery Most people in recovery will be prepared for their sobriety to be tested when times are hard. 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 did not understand that this was a New Age practice, which was to focus on specific auras coming from different points of my body. Barb, thank you for commenting! Read reviews, compare customer ratings, see screenshots, and learn more about Celebrate Recovery. Download Celebrate Recovery and enjoy it on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. And Love indeed had a pricethe price that Yeshua paid with His own life. Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore them gently. 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. Title: Celebrate Recovery 1 CelebrateRecovery! At Southside Baptist Church, the purpose of our Celebrate Recovery program is to both fellowship and celebrate God's healing power in our lives through 12 Steps and 8 Recovery Principles. It isnt just the impact he had on individual lives but on all of those who loved those who decided to walk into a Celebrate Recovery meeting.. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. 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. This very much includes programs like AA/CR which do not have a grounding in the Bible at all. 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. Worrying about the past and dreading the future makes us unable to live and enjoy God's plans for us in the present. 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. We are all broken and in need of a Saviour; my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,. 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. Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? It reminds me of a favorite passage of mine: Hebrews 11:25Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. 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. (1) The Bible declares that drunkenness is a sin but those in Recovery believe it to be a disease. Ive experienced His amazing grace and mercy through both programs. CR is for anyone with a hurt, habit or a hang up.