Avoid the Leaven of 12-Step Programs!

<== I should be getting one of these next week, if I believed in the "12-Step" religion (which I don't). I'll take a dynamic relationship with the Living God and a crown in heaven over an inscribed poker chip any day, thanks.



Today Defending Contending ran this essay, put out by Christian Worldview Network and distributed across the Web. I am running it here to alert you of the spiritual dangers inherent in "Twelve Step Recovery Groups". Although the article refers to AA, the premise is equally applicable to Overeaters Anonymous and every other brand and stripe of the 12-Step paradigm. Elsewhere I have written a great deal on the unbiblical problems with 12-Step programs; this warning sums it up nicely. Is AA/OA spiritually-based? Yes. Is it Christian? Decidedly NO.

Please e-mail me if you would like more information on the dangers of the 12-Step groups, or would like me to recommend a biblical alternative. And as always, I am available for personal counsel.

Missionaries Into Darkest Alcoholics Anonymous

Mama and Papa,

We are in America at last. The Lord has sent us into the strangest belief system. The men and women here seem impervious to the Gospel, but the Lord has given us great love for them.

This religion teaches that virtually anything can be defined as a god. During their meetings these people gather and pray in unity, but the "god" each individual prays to can be as varied and unique as particles of sand in our African desert. It is unsettling watching them join in the Lord's Prayer, because most do not know Jesus, and therefore cannot know the Father.

This religion was founded here in America in the 1930s. It is a very American system of belief and worship. Very democratic, one might say. In this belief system, it is not important what one worships, only that one must worship something. In fact, initiates who come seeking help, but who have trouble inventing or envisioning a god, are often told they can worship a "doorknob," or even the group itself to begin their spiritual journey.

The first time we heard this we thought it was a joke-some form of esoteric humor. But it is not. It truly is not. We have heard the "doorknob-deity" speech a number of times now. It apparently serves as their starter-god. Like the training wheels on a bike-only there until the child is ready for the next big step. Believe in something, newcomers are told; believe in anything; just believe.

We have been documenting the various deities the members describe as their gods. One worships nature; another an unseen force; several pray to the universe, others to diverse spiritual entities. Some claim to worship the divinity in man. A woman in this sect recently proclaimed we are all part of God! We pray hard for her.

In this sect one can also find Mormons, non-Christian deists, Wiccans (modern day witches, very popular in America), and many who follow heretical versions of Jesus Christ. There is simply no limit to the gods that can be revered in this belief system. Here it doesn't matter whether the god you worship is an ant-or an avalanche-or an avocado.

It has been ferocious spiritual warfare. Mama and Papa, we are tired. This mission field…it is like living, not in a Christian nation, but in the pages of the Old Testament. This seems virtually the same to us as Jeremiah 2:27. These are people, "Who say to a tree, 'You are my father,' and to a stone, 'You gave me birth.' For they have turned their backs to Me, and not their face.'"

We fear most of these people will go to their deaths rejecting Jesus Christ. Our daily prayer is that the Lord will bring other missionaries to share the gospel with them. Here is where it gets complicated, for in the midst of this paganism, some that worship the Jesus of the Bible are also present!

There are Baptists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals and Lutherans. Sadly, most haven't come to share the gospel. They are not here to testify. They are here as participants of this multi-god religion. These saints attend their churches, acknowledge the Bible as the Word of God, but nevertheless belong to this undeniably anti-Biblical religion.

This made us angry at first. But the Lord has begun to reveal how deceptive and seductive this religion is. So seductive, in fact, that these Christians don't believe this to be a religion at all. They believe this to be a "spiritual program," a distinction that has no validity. In their minds this simple phrase, "spiritual program," allows them to attend these meetings, despite what their Bible proclaims.

They have turned to this belief system because it promises freedom from the bondage of sin they were (or are) trapped in. Mama and Papa, they come to this religion to free themselves from alcohol!

It is hard to understand. Somehow they have learned to come here rather than submitting to Jesus and seeking help within Bible believing churches. What about prayer meetings? What about Bible study? What about falling on one's face before a holy, all-powerful, compassionate Christ?

These Christians believe only through attending this all-gods religion can they be free. But it is a strange sort of "free," because they have to attend these meetings for life. In fairness, they have been encouraged to participate by their own pastors, family members, and by other Christians who already attend. For seventy years Christians have been part of this movement.

In their churches on Sunday they call God by that Name above all names: Jesus Christ the Savior. But here, in their all-gods sect, they call Jesus by the term all members use for their various gods. So Jesus becomes a "higher power." Thus has the Savior been placed in the pantheon, the temple of the gods.

In addition to this, when Jesus is mentioned (which is rare), the pagan people in this movement often get upset. Responses have included anger, sarcasm, and a general unease. The enemy is very active in this place.

It is obviously an anti-Biblical belief system, yet Christian after Christian has testified how wonderful this spiritual organization is. On the positive side, it has been encouraging to see Christians occasionally seek out non-believers after the meetings and invite them to church-but, as for boldness in the actual meetings, there is little of it.

Members carry around this religion's "bible," which they call the Big Book. There are actually Christians here who read it more frequently than the Word of God. You will have difficulty believing what we are now going to tell you. A Christian man who belongs to this all-gods religion invited us to attend church with him last Sunday. Badly needing fellowship with believers, we gladly accepted.

The service was wonderful. The Word was preached. Right after church our friend asked if we wanted to go back to the all-gods sect (he of course does not call it that.) We agreed, knowing the Lord would have us pray or proclaim the Gospel, or come alongside one of these lost and hurting souls.

Mama and Papa, the all-gods meeting was held right in his church after service. His pastor has allowed this! Since when does a pastor open the House of God to a non-Christian religion? Yet here in America, it seems a common practice. In America it is very important to be "nice." The Bible does tell us to be kind and loving-but also holy. Holiness, it seems, has been lost here.

In Deuteronomy 16:21 our Lord is commands: "You shall not plant for yourself an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of the Lord your God, which you shall make up yourself. You shall not set up for yourself a sacred pillar which the Lord your God hates."

The Lord does not want false gods worshiped alongside Him. But because the reality of a Holy God seems obscure to these Americans, they think nothing of planting an all-gods belief system right in the Sanctuary. Pray for Fear of the Lord among these people.

Last week we had an exchange with a Christian woman after her all-gods sect had finished meeting. We asked her point blank how she could Biblically justify belonging to this movement. We asked her to read Galatians 1:6-8 to us:

"I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!"

Does this not concern you, we asked, that Christians are sending people into a religion where Christ is but one god among many? Is not Paul's warning clear?

She rolled her eyes. "This is a spiritual program, not a religion."

Clearly the enemy uses this all-gods movement to dull Christians down, and to point the unsaved anywhere but Christ. This strategy has been marvelously effective.

Please pray that our Lord raise up other missionaries to send to these people in Alcoholics Anonymous. There are so many lost people here. This hurts to say, but many of the Christians, who love this all-gods sect, need missionaries almost as badly as the unsaved.

Pray the Lord of the Harvest sends laborers,

His missionaries In Deepest, Darkest A.A