I too may have mixed feelings about this post. In other ways I know both programs have brought people into their recovery process and even drawn them to Jesus. Gods Word is clear about trying to mix pagan worship or other religions with His. Your daily news briefing from the editors of CT. Free Speech and Abortion Collide: Supreme Court Hears One of Its Biggest Cases of 2018, I Was the Proverbial, Drug-Fueled Rock and Roller, Christian Conservationists Sue to Protect Ghana Forest. Also, by their fruits you shall know people. This is all quite contrary to the Word of God, and is what is called anti-Christ. Celebrate Recovery is a substance abuse recovery program based primarily on biblical teachings and the words and loving power of Jesus Christ. Ive seen Gods fruit in AA and CR as anything Good comes from God. Both alcohol and drugs impair judgment and control of the body. Celebrate Recovery is a biblical and balanced program that helps us overcome our hurts, hang-ups, and habits. 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 . Thanks for your post. I did not continue on with AA, and I am thankful for that. Wilson was also not shy in expressing how he felt about Jesus/Yeshua Christ. (KJV), When we choose the difficult path, which often leads to affliction, we are choosing to partake in the sufferings of Christ, and this is part of what it means to pick up our cross daily. Many alcoholic/addicts are not ready for solid food 1Cor3:2, Heb5:14. uses the 12 Steps and its 8 Principles (supposedly based upon the Beatitudes - acronym spells "recovery") 1. Amen brother, you are correct, we cannot be unequally yoked with unbelievers, or mixing light with darkness(2 Cor 6:14). However, that is part of what it means to count the cost (Luke 14:28) of following Christ. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. (Pgs 8-9). The magnificent reality. During the worship time, I sat in the back reading my Word. The only way for that to happen is through repentance of these programs/doctrines. 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. 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. 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. This is a good read and that is what God has laid in my heart over the years of my addiction and recovery. Roadblocks of indifference and prejudice. We believe that this program targets the one thing that we all have in commonwe're all messed up in one way or another. This is the very definition of deception, to appear one way, but with the intention to do another. 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. It is mixing the Holy, and the profane. They didnt attend any program, they just hit their rock bottom which is only decided by the individual suffering addiction. 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. 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 The program addresses not just alcoholism and drug addiction, but codependency, depression, eating disorders, gambling, sexual addiction and sexual abuse. Christian Fellowship has an active missions program. Problems of intellectuality and self-sufficiency. 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. 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. Compromise your own values and integrity to avoid . With Gods help, he showed again and again that those cycles can be broken, he said. 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. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! The atmosphere had changed, and I could sense the Spirit strong with me, and guided my every step. What? Is Celebrate Recovery a biblically sound program? Every week we state that we make decisions based on the truth. 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. I will also provide links at the very end, that I found helpful while doing my own research, that may help you as well. 1 Peter 3:17For it is better, if it is Gods will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. This program is being run at my home church and I love the church (Biblical teaching) and dont want it to feel awkward. 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. AA was birthed out of what was known as the Oxford Group in the 1930s. Dangers of self-sufficiency. John Baker continues to be the primary author of The Celebrate Recovery curriculum and materials (quoted from Wikipedia). The Bible tells us to hate sin and evil, to cut it out of our life. I fully agree! 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. Some Celebrate Recovery groups offer childcare: "Celebration Place" for kids and "The Landing" for youth. Happy are those who know they are spiritutally poor. It was designed as a program to help those struggling with hurts, habits and hang-ups . 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. (2 Cor 11:4-13), No where in the Bible does it say to go through a 12 step program to recovery, starting off with Accepting a Higher Power, but rather: Repent, be baptized for the remission of sins(Acts 2:38) and You shall have NO other gods before Me(Ex. John 14:6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. In Celebrate Recovery, the levels of recovery are far worse. About Of Dangers Recovery Celebrate So, it is important to keep ourselves pure from false doctrines and teachers. It becomes an addiction because the flesh craves it. 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. Celebrate Recovery founder John Baker, who turned his testimony recovering from alcoholism into a biblical 12-step program used by more than 7 million people, died unexpectedly on Tuesday at age 72. 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. (RNS) John Baker, co-founder of Celebrate Recovery, an evangelical support group that helps people with "hurts, hangups and habits," has died. (KJV), John 10:7Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. Would you disagree that we should take God/YHWH at His Word if we profess to walk in His truth? Recognizing these dangers will help you avoid a possible problem in the future. 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? 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. Once they are settled in their new . 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. It is a welcoming community and provided a perfect place for our retreat. Hello Patrick, thanks for reading and commenting. So, I hope that in sharing the truth with people within AA, you are not identifying with this. Baker, Celebrate Recovery Leader's Guide, 12). We will be held accountable for the truth that we were given, and at the expense of our flesh, rejected. And I believe that somewhere in their journey and even the ones affected from their addiction that they hit a rock bottom. 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. What is spiritual awakening? I also believe in the deliverence of it. This is evident as you compare each step with the scriptures. Just as those in Acts burned their magic arts, so should the Alateen/Alanon and AA books be destroyed. He shares in his testimony that he grew up a believer in a Baptist church but struggled with feelings of unworthiness. The program began in Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, and is now used in churches around the world. 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). There did not come a time when there was an exception for drunkenness. (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. Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10Nor thieves, nor covetous. This very much includes programs like AA/CR which do not have a grounding in the Bible at all. They meet at Family Life Church on Monday nights at . Your email address will not be published. Creation of C.R. SPEAK TO SOMEONE TODAY. III. Being a light, means exposing the darkness, not partaking in it, otherwise that light itself would become dark: Luke 11:33No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. 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. I appreciate you sharing your insight and the leading of the Lord that you have followed without wavering. God loves and sent His Son to die for us all. As a result, people often walk out of worship services with their lives unchanged. Modesty of the HeartWhere is your Treasure? No Celebrities Except Jesus: How Asbury Protected the Revival, After Pushing for UMC Unity, Former Bishop Joins New Denomination, The Kings College Faces Threat of Closure, Southern Baptist Convention Disfellowships Saddleback Church, With Gossip of the Gospel, the Church Grows in Nepal. God is good, all the time. Category: Group Celebrate 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. Romans 7:18. 4. A sister meeting called The Landing is available for students in grades 7 and up. Meeting Time: Tuesday 7:00 PM. 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. 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 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. We are called to be in the world, but not of the world. Please check directly with each church to find out if they are running during Covid-19. What partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Also, during this time, I was able to minister to quite a few women, and also became a sponsor.. 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. I previously completed step studies and attended CR as a participant. Do not perceive yourself as lovable and worthwhile. 8All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. Likewise, the acceptance of false doctrine will also impair correct judgment and can lead to spiritual decay/death. 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. St Boniface Church-Franciscans. (Pgs 8-9). Bauxite mining would threaten birds, plants, and clean water. That is what is so amazing about God. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Ive experienced His amazing grace and mercy through both programs. Bakers ministry began in 1991 at Saddleback Church in California and has spread to 35,000 churches nationwide over the decades. Step Two is a rallying point to sanity. What does the Bible say about addiction. Theyre always there to help somebody if theyre struggling. I am so glad to hear of the insights that you have received from the Holy Spirit pertaining to this program. It is like taking a pile of poop, and placing the Bible on top. CR is for anyone with a hurt, habit or a hang up. Recovery is not a straight road or an easy fix. 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. I did not fully know why at that time, but I just did as the Spirit told me to do. It is for people with hurts, habits and hangups they simply cannot overcome in their own strength. No person has the same journey and everyone has something to recover from. Did Jesus change the water into wine or grape juice? 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). Yeshua is still in the healing and deliverance ministry. From my experience and understanding, the reason why many people have a difficult time coming away from these programs/doctrines is because there is a spiritual bond(stronghold) that has taken place and it must be broken. The group leader has been through step studies multiple times and still struggles with her problems. And Love indeed had a pricethe price that Yeshua paid with His own life. At Saddleback, it became the top outreach ministry, with 70 percent of participants coming from outside the church. 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. 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. There was initially some resistance, as I have witnessed with so many others, as this becomes a crucial point for many, as they take that step in obedience.