Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2019 4:42:58 GMT -7
Hey Will, have you got a copy of the Alcoholic Anonymous or Sexaholics Anonymous books. Those are helpful too.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2019 5:19:08 GMT -7
I have heard that they are. I never used them or read them...Which is strange since my dad was alcoholic and was in and out of AA while I was growing up.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2019 5:46:48 GMT -7
If you get a chance it's free online to read and listen too. Just know God is the God of the Bible not as they call it "God as we understand it". When they use that terminology it leaves room to create a god to suit your needs which is idolatry.
|
|
|
Post by Will on Feb 2, 2019 14:36:57 GMT -7
Hi guys,
interesting thought. Yes I have the SA book and was attending an SA meeting for a while a few years ago. It was great in some ways, but unfortunately exactly the point you raise became an issue for me. I have also attended an AA meeting with a friend who goes and has been greatly helped by that system. For me, same problem: not enough Jesus! Having really been through the mill as far as personal healing goes - I've tried everything over the years, one thing I've discovered to be absolutely true: it is only the Lord Jesus Christ who heals. Without a Jesus-centred approach, all attempts to beat addictions, in my experience, fail. Or, if they don't 'fail', they don't achieve 'healing', but rather a works-based, very fleshly and legalistic 'sobriety', that is a feat of the person's personal willpower and ego. They are not really free, just temporarily holding themselves up by will, but they are still miserable, and still tempted and slaves of sin because it is still in their lives, and their lives become this rigid, self-imposed prison of lifeless, personal legalistic rules.
While there's a lot of good intentions in the SA and especially AA systems, they are fundamentally secular, and this refusal to acknowledge the authority of the God of the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ constantly undermined real healing in my experience.
Basically it meant that for every benefit of sharing testimony with others, that was great, there was also as many downsides and bad influences constantly hampering mine (and everyone else's) recovery. So it was a bit pointless.
For example in our meeting we had a Roman Catholic, an oriental kind of Buddhist guy, and a freemason. Now there's enough spiritual wickedness and darkness there to cause a whole set of new problems, let alone solve the existing ones! And indeed that was what happened. These influences prevented anyone in the group ever getting real deliverance, and whenever Christ-centred healing came up, the enemy's spiritual influence constantly wanted to downplay it, distract from it, move the converstaion onto something else and prevent it working, citing the organisation's secularist fundamentals. Really it was a new age thing. As the Lord said, the strongman has to be bound by the authority of Christ, before people can be set free from him. These organisations are not willing to bind the strongman by Christ and keep him out, that is the prerequisite for real healing.
Truly I know there are good effects for some people, but for me only Jesus Christ of Nazareth heals, and I know this from personal experience. Anything else just doesn't work. Just my two cents! : )
|
|
|
Post by savedbygrace on Feb 2, 2019 16:32:32 GMT -7
AMEN!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2019 6:30:30 GMT -7
Unfortunately you are correct about AA and SA. It is sad really because at it's inception it was Christ centered. Then they moved to be more inclusive. I learned that in Celebrate Recovery (a Christ centered recovery group). I did post the original Serenity prayer, before it was made inclusive, on here. It is a beautiful prayer. It's pinned in the prayer forum.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2019 4:14:36 GMT -7
Hi guys, interesting thought. Yes I have the SA book and was attending an SA meeting for a while a few years ago. It was great in some ways, but unfortunately exactly the point you raise became an issue for me. I have also attended an AA meeting with a friend who goes and has been greatly helped by that system. For me, same problem: not enough Jesus! Having really been through the mill as far as personal healing goes - I've tried everything over the years, one thing I've discovered to be absolutely true: it is only the Lord Jesus Christ who heals. Without a Jesus-centred approach, all attempts to beat addictions, in my experience, fail. Or, if they don't 'fail', they don't achieve 'healing', but rather a works-based, very fleshly and legalistic 'sobriety', that is a feat of the person's personal willpower and ego. They are not really free, just temporarily holding themselves up by will, but they are still miserable, and still tempted and slaves of sin because it is still in their lives, and their lives become this rigid, self-imposed prison of lifeless, personal legalistic rules. While there's a lot of good intentions in the SA and especially AA systems, they are fundamentally secular, and this refusal to acknowledge the authority of the God of the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ constantly undermined real healing in my experience. Basically it meant that for every benefit of sharing testimony with others, that was great, there was also as many downsides and bad influences constantly hampering mine (and everyone else's) recovery. So it was a bit pointless. For example in our meeting we had a Roman Catholic, an oriental kind of Buddhist guy, and a freemason. Now there's enough spiritual wickedness and darkness there to cause a whole set of new problems, let alone solve the existing ones! And indeed that was what happened. These influences prevented anyone in the group ever getting real deliverance, and whenever Christ-centred healing came up, the enemy's spiritual influence constantly wanted to downplay it, distract from it, move the converstaion onto something else and prevent it working, citing the organisation's secularist fundamentals. Really it was a new age thing. As the Lord said, the strongman has to be bound by the authority of Christ, before people can be set free from him. These organisations are not willing to bind the strongman by Christ and keep him out, that is the prerequisite for real healing. Truly I know there are good effects for some people, but for me only Jesus Christ of Nazareth heals, and I know this from personal experience. Anything else just doesn't work. Just my two cents! : ) I feel the same way. So I asked others in SA if they wanted to create a Christ-Centered recovery group using the Life Recovery Bible which has the Biblical Step steps and the 8 principles of Celebrate Recovery. It's been almost one year and we have only 8 members. What do you feel about asking your Pastor at your church to start a men's purity group? That is what I asked and we are talking about it.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2019 4:15:21 GMT -7
This site and EMB are the only sites I go to
|
|
|
Post by Will on Feb 4, 2019 20:49:55 GMT -7
Good for you Dominic for starting the Christian recovery group! That sounds great : )
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2019 4:47:43 GMT -7
Good for you Dominic for starting the Christian recovery group! That sounds great : ) Thanks Will. It's not too active. But it helps. I asked other guys I know but they do not want to join.
|
|
|
Post by Will on Feb 12, 2019 21:20:12 GMT -7
Hi guys,
well just checking in. Slipped on Saturday unfortunately. It was not as bad as it could have been. Did not view pornography but watched inappropriate videos on youtube for some hours.
Pretty frustrated about it, had overloaded myself with a big week, and not left any energy for basic vigilance.
Dominic what about registering as an SA group or advertising online. There are so many people with this problem, would think a few would respond
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2019 5:16:46 GMT -7
Hello Will, Get back to Jesus quick let the flesh pull you back in the pit. Jesus is able to help you. The YouTube watching is a symptom of what you really need.
As far as the SA group, I asked a long time ago. They told me to use the name SA because it's copyright but I also have a problem with the secular teachings of SA because they preach another God and do not call Jesus as the only Higher Power because a "god of your own understanding" which leaves the door open to accept any and all faiths which is a lie and hell-damning. The email group we use is available if you are interested. Send me your email in a PM and all add you. If not it's ok too.
|
|
|
Post by Will on Feb 22, 2019 15:23:57 GMT -7
Yes think you're right about SA. So good to have a truly Christian support group for this!
|
|
|
Post by Will on Jun 22, 2019 1:13:51 GMT -7
Shalom folks! Well sorry I haven't been posting. Not sure why, think just been crazy busy. Since Christmas I have been making a concerted effort to 'seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness", so volunteering for more things, becoming more involved and doing more things for the body of Christ. It's great and has helped with sobriety, and I feel more spiritual peace working more for the Lord than previously, although admittedly it often has come down more to admin and more practical things than the kind of Spiritual breakthrough and healing type of Ministry that I would like to be involved in. Another reason is that my sobriety has really been good, the best ever in my life in fact, all glory to Jehovah. It must be over 3 months now since I've looked at porn or indulged lust for any sustained amount of time, that is really a huge blessing (previous top score was 7 1/2 weeks last Summer). Trying to follow the verse in my signature has been the key to it. There was also a powerful spiritual breakthrough for me back in about February when I just said to God: "God, I can't do this. I've tried to quit porn and lust, and I can't. If you want me to be clean from it, you're going to have to do it." Praise His Eternal and Almighty name He seems to have done it or certainly something good has happened, as I'm not aware really of doing anything different, just struggling and trying to keep righteous, but finally it's working more than not working, for the first time. Still some challenging times though. Like today. It's the first real day of rest have had for a few weeks, and as usual, the enemy influence to get into Youtube videos and the kind of Hollywood culture content comes around. Just ended up watching some interviews on Conan, then Kimmel, then ended up on Kimmel's 'The Man Show' before realising 'wow what am I doing'. God blessed me to remember 'hey, what about Blazing Grace, haven't been on there for a while'. Weirdly am kind of hesitant about posting praise reports on here because in the past it has tended to engender pride and a feeling of personal accomplishment, that has led to a fall. But God willing that will not happen this time. Am going to read some other posts to find out what is new, but hope you guys are going well. God bless you, brothers and sisters!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2019 13:32:46 GMT -7
Praise God! So glad to hear that you are doing well!
Ugh...Conan and Kimmel...they are a cess pool. Thank goodness the Holy Spirit pulled you out of it. He has had to do that with me and worldly entertainment also.
|
|