Why Christians struggle with Addictions, and how to be “Set Free” from them.

Why Christians struggle with Addictions, 

and how to be “Set Free” from them.

Would you rather consider yourself "Recovered"
in Christ, or "in Recovery" without Him
for the rest of your life? 

Many Christians struggling with addictions today are doing so because of our fallen churches that no longer teach The Gospel Truth, but rather a new age, feel good message that will draw large crowds, fill the coffers, and make the false leaders rich and famous. In the process becoming false idols to the flock. As Christians, we must never trust man, or their philosophical ideology that they disguise as theology, according to… Colossians 2:8, Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.  Instead, we must be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Since there are so many wolves in sheep’s clothing behind pulpits today, we must beware…Matthew 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." … and seek the Truth through the discernment of the Holy Spirit. As Christians in recovery, our lives and our Salvation is at stake. Our Recovery is at stake. We must trust God and His Truth in all that we do, especially in our recovery. We must recognise the many lies found in secular 12-step programs, such as "once a drunk, always a drunk"! That is a hopeless lie perpetuated by satan to deceive you into believing that you have no hope. Hebrews 6:19 says, "Our hope is certain. It is something for the soul to hold on to. It is strong and secure. It goes all the way into the Most Holy Room behind the curtain." Don't let satan's many lies destroy you and keep you in the bondage of addiction!   

Are you a full time believer, or a part time believer?

Do you have Faith one day, but doubt the next?

Matthew 17:20, And Jesus said unto them, "Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."
Matthew 21:21, Jesus answered and said unto them, "Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done."
Matthew 14:31, And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"
Matthew 16:8, Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, "O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?"
Ephesians 4:14, That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
James 1:6, But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.    

Christians in addiction recovery, once they’re born again and have absolute assurance of their Salvation, as in… Hebrews 10:22-23, Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23, Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) or,...1 John 2:25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
….Should stand strong in their Faith, ready to receive Gods many other promises, including being “set free,” as in … John 8:31-36, To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32, Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." 33, They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34, Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35, Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36, So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” …Here’s where many Christians stumble,…note the first part of the first verse, “If you hold to my teaching,”  another translation says “IF” you’re obedient to my Word.” Many of us overlook, or have never been taught the fact that many of God's promises are conditional, not unconditional. There are also many conditions for our Salvation, such as, “IF” we are born again, “IF” we repent, “IF” we confess our sins, “IF” we have Faith, and “IF” we we are obedient to His Word we will be Saved, and we will be blessed and receive His promises, and be “set free” from the bondage of our sin and addictions. We must obey God to receive His promises. Rarely, have I heard this simple Truth preached anywhere. And the fact that it isn’t being taught in our churches today, is exactly why Jesus says in, Mathew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” 

Do you believe, trust, and obey God's Word as The Truth? Or do you pick and choose scripture that feels good, and makes you comfortable? 
Scripture about Love, Peace, Joy, Health, Wealth, Happiness, and Tithing, are what most churches teach about today, and usually by picking one verse out of context, and not including any context that might indicate that there are any attached conditions or circumstances. We won’t hear much about pain and suffering, trials and tribulations, service and sacrifice, we won’t hear messages on repentance and obedience, because people don’t want to give up their cherished sin, or be burdened with being obedient. The Truth is that God will use trials and tribulation to test us and our Faith. Each and every one of us in Christ, are who we are, and where we are, based on how we respond to our trials. God wants us to Love Him, as He Loves us. 1 John 5:2, By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. Romans 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  To give Him our “Utmost,” He wants our unconditional service to Him,… Matthew 20:27-28, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Romans 7:5-6, 5 When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. 6, But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:13, You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
Ephesians 6:7, Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,
1 Peter 4:10, Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. by following in His Son’s footsteps,... Matthew 4:19, “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” Matthew 16:24, Then said Jesus unto his disciples, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” John 12:26, "If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour."   

God knows that in order for us to successfully serve Him and His people, that we must be “Set Free” from the burdens of the bondage of our sin and addictions! We can rest assured that “if we’re holding to His teachings,” through obedience, He will “set us free,” and we will be “Saved and Sober”! 

Anonymity in Alcoholics Anonymous

Anonymity in Alcoholics Anonymous

There are 2 types of anonymity found in AA, the 

Anonymity of GOD and His Son Jesus, and the 

anonymity of the members.

ANONYMITY OF GOD…  

      Since it‘s beginning, the founders, and today’s leaders of the AA 12 step alcohol recovery program have promoted themselves and their program to the world as having Christian values and biblical based policies as the roots for their program. Some of the policies governing the meetings however are anything but from Gods Word, the Bible, The Truth! One policy has been to protect and shelter the identity of the individual members, leaders, and founders, as well as their god that they would refer to as the  “higher power” its members should worship in its meetings and beyond. I’ve intentionally not capitalized this god because they refuse to acknowledge the Sovereign God Almighty, who Christians Worship. The anonymity of God begins with the idea that there would be no mention in their meetings of, or reference to, The name of the Almighty Holy GOD, Creator of the Universe and all in it. God The Father of our Savior, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, would not be mentioned in these secret rooms. God, the Living author of His Word, The Bible, The Truth for which all men should live by, should not be worshipped or prayed to, nor sought out for Wisdom in these meeting rooms occupied by men wishing to hide their own identities by remaining anonymous, yet professing Christian faith? Instead, the members of this group, (today this practice alone would qualify them as a cult), were encouraged to choose some undefined “higher power”, or any God of their understanding or preference to worship. This policy goes completely against Gods own commands in,…  Malachi 2:10,  “Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our fathers by breaking faith with one another?” Or in Romans 3:30, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Ephesians 4:6, 1 Timothy 2:5, James 2:19, Or Isaiah 43:11-12, says, 11 “I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.” 12, “I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.” This appears to me to be a pretty clear message that any Christian should understand without question, and that anyone willingly in violation of it, could be considered nothing less than a cult, guilty of blasphemy and heresy. 
      This practice or policy is still being followed today in AA meetings around the world, and even found in many “Christian” churches that are misleading its members straight to hell! There is but one God that Saves! To share its roof with a group opposed to that fundamental Truth is pure Heresy! And that’s just the beginning of the heresy found in a church that’s allowing secular 12-step addiction recovery programs to be used to counsel and minister to its members. There are a number of other practices and policies used in 12-step programs that would define any group using them while professing to be a church, clearly a cult. Any group that denies the deity of Christ is a cult, and should never be confused with, or misunderstood to be part of a Christian Church. Step 1 in these programs tells one that they are powerless. True, that when used in a secular environment by unbelievers, but pure heresy when told to a born again believer, according to Jesus in Acts 1:8. Another policy that opposes fundamental Christian ideas and scripture in AA and other secular 12-step programs, is the brainwashing of their members into believing that they’re hopeless, with the constant use of the cliché, “once a drunk, always a drunk”! And finally, but not lastly, another opposing AA  policy that’s existed since its beginning has been claiming, and now has the world convinced, that alcoholism, (drunkenness), is a disease, rather than sin. It’s reported that one of the founders actually suggested that alcoholism was an allergy! It’s no wonder so many members wished to remain anonymous!        

ANONYMITY OF MEMBERS… 

       I've never really accepted its usefulness in the ministry of Christian addiction recovery. It would interfere with James 5:16, "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." You can’t have fellowship and communication with others if you’re wearing a mask of anonymity and hiding your identity. I've always believed that as Christians, we need to accept and understand who we are in Christ, and how we fit into this world according to His will and purpose for us, before we can know and understand who we are ourselves. We must have fellowship with other believers, who experience the same shortcomings we do, before we can discover who we are in Christ. Before knowing Gods purpose for us, we must recognize the fact that we're all sinners and will always fall short of Gods glory, and are Saved only by His Grace through Faith.
     No matter what our sin or addiction might be, hiding behind a mask of anonymity is just another part of the denial that hinders our recovery. When we look in the mirror, we need to be able to smile and say "good morning", or we have a problem with self-esteem, confidence, and insecurity, all of which will hinder our ability to recover from addictions. When we carry this same insecurity into our “meetings”, and are unwilling to openly and truthfully share who we “really” are, and instead put on a mask and conceal our true identity, we may never recover! If we think we’re someone too special to be honest with ourselves and others, we’re just feeding our pride and ego. If we’re treating “someone else,” while hiding behind a false identity, we’ll never see recovery! 
      This practice of anonymity over many decades could very well be a significant reason for so much failure in these traditional secular 12-step programs. The continuous relapse that plagues so many members over and over again could be attributed to the fact that members aren’t facing themselves or the truth, because they’re hiding in anonymity. 
      You can’t ask a Christian to put on a mask and hide their true identity before coming to a meeting, then tell them they’re powerless, hopeless, and have an incurable disease, and expect them to overcome addictions. Remember, the first thing we have to do to be saved, is to admit to Jesus who we are, sinners, Saved by Grace! This is one reason, of  many, why traditional secular 12-step addiction recovery programs, being used for recovery in Christian Church’s won’t work. God has never had any intention for His people to remain anonymous! Any more so then He wishes to be anonymous.   
      As long as one refuses to reveal their true identity, and instead remains anonymous, they will not be able to shed their own guilt, but that of someone they're hiding. It's like looking in a mirror wearing a mask, but expecting to see yourself. God says we must confess our sin, not someone elses, and until we do, we’ll be forced to continue living with it. As long as we participate in recovery meetings cloaked in false identity, we’ll be “sharing” someone else’s problems, not our own. Facing the truth, and owning up to our very own, very personal, and very real shortcomings, whether drug and alcohol addictions, pornography, gambling, or simply smoking or over-eating, until we honestly face that ghost in the closet, we’ll never be able to overcome its power over us. Genuine  recovery can’t begin until complete denial is defeated, and denial will always exist until we can face “ourselves” in the mirror, with Jesus, instead of the “anonymous” person we’ve been pretending to be in meetings for years. Then, if we’re Christians, we can claim Jesus’ Words in John 8:31-36, that we’ve been “set free indeed”!  

WHO AM I ?.....    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt7OZyBj5Ik&feature=share