Many years ago, God gave me the mandate to destroy the altar of powerlessness. This altar is guarded by demons in various degrees of authority, running all the way up to Satan. This is a heavy thing to bare, not an impossible thing, but it is a consistent thing I need to put pressure against.
I have so much more to learn about this aspect of the ministry and although new revelation keeps coming forth, I have received much already. In my book, “Forever in Love with an Alcohol Abuser,” I touch on this topic. Ever since then, I have come under attack, to have the revelation God has given me kept under wraps. This morning, while reading my bible, God told me to write this article and release it on Tuesday, March 14th, and I said, “yes, I will.” As you read through this letter, allow God to open your heart and mind. Father God, I pray in Jesus’s name, that you surround who ever is reading this letter. Grant wisdom and understanding to their hearts and minds, that they receive your Words of ministry and obey what you have commanded to them. Lord, give them understanding about how the demonic operate so this seed I am casting onto the ground before them doesn’t get eaten by the birds of the air, but lands in good soil, and grows a crop of 30, 60, one-hundred fold. I pray for protection over them, their families, their finances and health. For your glory, Father, I write. Amen.”
On February 6th, 2022 God told me this: Satan wrote the 12-step program. He seized the opportunity to not only dominate the “drunkards,” but to dominate the sober “drunkards,” and as a bonus-captured the loved ones of the ‘drunkards.”
We have spoken about this in the devotional, “Daily Walk in Tomorrow,” so you may have heard some of this already; however, we know that faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word. The Twelve step program is everywhere, so you probably have heard the steps or read them somewhere. Television programs, sit-coms and even news programs have given them voice. Sadly, even many Churches boast about having ‘AA’ meetings and Al-anon meetings in their church.
Step One says, “We are powerless over alcohol and our lives have become unmanageable.” Let’s just stop here for a moment. If Jesus is in you, how can you be powerless? I mean, Jesus is the creator of everything, isn’t He? If you continue through your life confessing that you are powerless, you will be. Whether that is alcohol, a broken promise, not having enough money, raising your children, doing dishes, baking a pie, going to school and everything under the sun, you will remain powerless.
If you have the belief that your are powerless, you will do nothing to better yourself. Jesus cannot move through your unbelief. Faith is what moves mountains, not powerlessness. Powerlessness is your jail cell. The door can be wide open, but if you don’t walk through the door, you will remain in the prison cell for your entire life. There are people who stay married to alcohol abusers their entire life, and think once their spouse dies, they will be free. It doesn’t work that way. We are called co-dependants for a reason. Even after they die, they are still in a prison cell. They still think they are powerless.
Yes, I admit, they may have an area that their heart belief says they are not powerless in. For many, it is their outside job, they succeed there, but for most, it is a place to get out from under the thumb of the alcohol abuser. As they drive home, that depression comes back on them, and by the time they get home, they are fully deflated. They are so focused on dealing with the abuser that child rearing takes a back seat. It’s hard to get dinner on the table and the dishes cleaned up afterwards. (Yes, I understand, not all people have the same dismissive patterns, but if you examine your life, you will find something.)
Are you feeling powerless over living with an alcohol abuser? Do you battle with, I love him but hate him? Do you feel trapped? Used? Taken advantage of? This is what powerlessness does. It comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Wait a minute, isn’t that the ammunition of the enemy?
Whether you go to AA or Al-anon, they say, if you fail, go back, and work the program. Work through the steps again. This is a life-long program. Without working the steps, you are going to fail. Does that sound like ‘freedom’ to you? Jesus said, “by my stripes you are healed.” Peter says, “by His stripes you were healed.” Jesus says, freedom, the 12-steps says slavery.
Does this sound familiar to those who have attended a 12-step program. “They tie on your backs an oppressive burden to religious obligations and insist that you carry them but will never lift a finger to help ease your load. Everything they do is done for show and to be noticed by others. They want to be seen as holy, so they wear oversized prayer boxes on their arms and foreheads with Scriptures inside, and wear extra-long tassels on their outer garments.” (Matthew 23:4, 5; TPT)
If you have never attended a meeting, it starts with reading the steps. People go around the table, talking about how life was when they drank or when they lived with an ‘alcoholic,’ sometimes they tell you what step they are working on and sometimes they ask a question and everyone offers advice. You are not allowed to talk about any book or article outside of what was written for and by the 12-step program. You can’t talk about Christianity, but you can talk about a ‘God’, which can be Buddha, the Father God of Jesus, a rock, a tree, or have no God at all.
“Well, we live in a free country, and we can believe what we want to believe,” you say. So, as a Christian, you want to sit around a table, and listen to other people fill your ears with false religion? You want to sit around a table to listen to everyone complaining about their spouses, listen to people rehash war stories and offer you the hope that if you continue working the program for the rest of your life, things will get better. Have you noticed, that people who have been in the program for years, most of them are still battling the same demons they came in with? Still working the program, still hoping life will get better and they can find peace. If you are behaving yourself and staying where you are encouraging people to live the 12-step program, why would the demons put pressure on you?
Stand up and say, the 12-step program is a false religion and see the warfare you take on. This is where the vast majority stop. It’s too hard, I am not making progress, I can’t because I don’t have money, I can’t because I love them, I can’t because I have children. Do you want to see what that brings you? Read on.
“You blind guides! Great sorrow awaits you, for you teach that there’s nothing binding when you swear by God’s temple, but if you swear by the gold of the temple, you are bound by your oath. You are deceived and blind! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?” (Matthew 23: 16, 17; TPT) My dear friend, you are God’s temple. Jesus and Holy Spirit live inside of you. The creator of everything, is in you. He wrote a book called the Bible to tell you that. He suffered and died to show you that He loved you.
AA, Al-anon, Al-ateen, and all the other 12-step programs call for an allegiance to their books. Their teachings. Jesus asks, “Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?” Let me help you answer that.
“All those who make no-god idols don’t amount to a thing, and what they work so hard at making is nothing. Their little puppet-gods see nothing and know nothing -they’re total embarrassment! Who would bother making gods that can’t do anything, that can’t “god”? Watch all the no-god worshipers hide their faces in shame. Watch the no-god makers slink off humiliated when their idols fail them. Get them out here in the open. Make them face God-reality.” (Isaiah 44:9-11; MSG)
Let’s stop here a moment. Confidentiality is one thing, but anonymous is another. When you attend a meeting, you are anonymous. How does that make you feel? God has each hair on your head numbered, and you go to a meeting to be anonymous. God asks us to stand tall and proud for Him and be counted. The 12-step program asks us to conceal ourselves, protect the members in the group. “Ya, but, we need to protect our identity because it is embarrassing to be a victim of alcohol abuse.”
“The blacksmith makes his no-god, works it over in his forge, hammering it on his anvil – such hard work! He works away, fatigued with hunger and thirst.” (v. 12) Keep working that program, maybe one day, you will see freedom. Hunger and thirst, keep at it, maybe one day you will be quenched. Jesus said? Come on! You know…”I am the living water, and the bread of life.”
“The woodworker draws up plans for his no-god, traces it on a block of wood. He shapes it with chisels and planes into human shape – a beautiful woman, a handsome man, ready to be placed in a chapel. He first cuts down a cedar, or maybe picks out a pine or oak, and lets it grow strong in the forest, nourished by the rain. Then it can serve a double purpose: Part he uses as firewood for keeping warm and baking bread; for the other part he makes a god that he worships – carves it into a god shape and prays before it. With half he makes a fire to warm himself and barbecue his supper. He eats his fill and sits back satisfied with his stomach full and his feet warmed by the fire: “Ah, this is the life.” And he still has half left for a god, made to his personal design – a handy, convenient no-god to worship whenever so inclined. Whenever the need strikes him he prays to it, “Save me. You’re my god.” (vs. 13 – 17)
I know the ‘God’ of the bible is not popular. I know that many Christians believe there is more than one way into Heaven. I know that many people who claim to be Christian have never even read the bible or even own a bible. I know many who read this will say, “well if they want to worship a tree, let them.” You do know that the bible says, there is only ONE way into Heaven and that those who refuse Jesus as Lord and Saviour are going to Hell? I read an article this week, and it said, that one woman had the nerve to stand up for their child, when a naked man, who claims to be a woman, walked through the change room while little girls were in there. One. The rest of the moms knew this, and only one was bold enough to stand up. I would probably be in jail if some man walked through the girls pool change room naked with my granddaughter in there.
“Pretty stupid, wouldn’t you say? Don’t they have eyes in their heads? Are their brains working at all? Doesn’t it occur to them to say, “Half of this tree I used for firewood: I baked bread, roasted meat, and enjoyed a good meal. And now I’ve used the rest to make an abominable no-god. Here I am praying to a stick of wood!” (v.18, 19)
You have a choice, to believe whatever you want to believe. If you say, the God of the bible is a liar, you can say so. You can believe that to be true. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. My God is not a liar. God did not make alcoholics, nor did he make homosexuals. God spells it out in the bible, over and over and over again, that Satan creates alcoholics and homosexuals, but people just want to blame God. Well, you know, things change, this is this time and that was that time. Oh, really!
“This lover of emptiness, of nothing, is so out of touch with reality, so far gone, that he can’t even look at what he’s doing, can’t even look at the no-god stick of wood in his hand and say, “This is crazy.” (v 20) These verses were said by Jesus, through the Prophet Isaiah.
“But the bible is not relevant in today’s world. God is a God of love and loves everyone.” Yes, God loves everyone. But sin is sin. False idols are false idols. “Yes, but everyone is free to love as they choose.” Yes, we are. We are called to love others as we love ourselves. Yet, you cannot love someone more than you love yourself.
“You are like one who will only wipe clean the outside of a cup or bowl, leaving the inside filthy. You are foolish to ignore the greed and self-indulgence that live like germs within you. You are blind to your evil. Shouldn’t the one who cleans the outside also be concerned with cleaning the inside. You need to have more than clean dishes; you need clean hearts!” (Matthew 23: 25, 26; TPT)
When you challenge your heart, you find out what you believe. Things like a belief that homosexuality is lawful goes against what the Word says is righteous living. Yes, we are to love people, but hate sin. That doesn’t mean you treat someone who is living a homosexual lifestyle with cruelty or despise them because they are living a lifestyle that goes against what the bible teaches as truth. You need to believe that the Word is your final authority. That means you cannot allow yourself to think homosexual thoughts, act on them, teach them to others, agree with them, watch them on your television screen, receive them as one receives a confidante. I am well aware that you may have a daughter, son, parent or aunt who is caught up in that lifestyle. That doesn’t mean, you don’t entertain them, attend weddings or help them move, it means that you are fully aware of their battle against evil. The Word says homosexuals are going to hell. They need to repent, receive repentance, and make it right with God. You need to put your war boots on, pick up all your weapons, and go into the enemies camp and get them out.
As with a drunkard, you don’t march into their life and demand they put on Jesus. You don’t bad mouth them, treat them any less than anyone else nor do you mistreat them. Jesus ate with sinners all the time, he talked with them and had compassion on them, yet, He always stood on the Word. It was His final authority. If you are struggling with this, read the Proverbs. Read from a few bible versions. You will find exactly how to treat others and how to live your life without compromise.
Jesus hasn’t finished talking to the Pharisees and religious scholars yet. Shooting straight from the hip He says, “How will you escape the judgment of hell if you refuse to turn in repentance?” (Matthew 23:33) Can you hear the love He is extending to the Pharisees? He knows where they are going if they don’t receive Him. If you believe there is more than one way into Heaven, you better reread that verse. Religious leaders who believe in God, still not making into Heaven. Jesus, himself stating there is a hell.
The 12-step program is not a Christian program. There is no freedom in it. Jesus doesn’t want you struggling with drinking your whole life. He doesn’t want you dealing with the affects of living with an alcoholic your whole life. He doesn’t want you turning to the 12-step program for help. He doesn’t want you powerless. Jesus says, “seek first the kingdom.”
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:33, 34; NIV)
Be vigilant about what you listen to and seek. Your heart collects twenty-four hours a day, it doesn’t sleep. If you fall asleep with the television on, and a horror movie comes on while sleeping, your spirit and soul will hear it all. It will gather those words in your heart. If you listen to a minister who only teaches salvation messages but never tackles adultery, homosexuality, drunkenness, poverty, witchcraft, or teaches that there is a narrow gate, you are not getting the whole story.
You must allow Jesus to help you clean the inside of your heart. The 12-step program is like using an electric grinder to clean your fine china.
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. 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.
(Bold and italics mine)
When you just read them without thought or truly investing energy into discovering the meaning behind them, they sound very good. I have read AA websites and parts of their books and I was once a student of Al-anon and had almost all their books at the time I attended.
Remember, this is a secular ‘thing’. Anything can be your higher power. A tree, a rock, Satan, Buddha, even Jesus. Jesus is only part of the trinity, you need the Father God and Holy Spirit. People enter into this program seeking a higher power and are led to believe they can be a higher power. It is a dangerous place to be for those lost and seeking.
Above we talked about falling asleep and hearing a horror movie. Words are filtered through your mind and heart. Jesus says, to take each thought captive. What happens when you are vulnerable and start hearing and hearing and hearing, people rehash their war stories, how they came out of bondage because they work the program, that they didn’t need a power greater than a tree to save them. Faith comes by, hearing, hearing, hearing. Faith and fear work the same way, they are just opposite. I need to attend a meeting, I need to go to a meeting, is something you hear often. There dependence is in the meeting.
This is not a Christian program. You can say Jesus is my higher power, but don’t rattle on about Christianity. “How will you escape the judgment of hell if you refuse to turn in repentance?” This program doesn’t lead you to Christ. I understand that some organizations run under the banner of being Christian, and they renounce anything else being a higher power than God, still they use the steps as written, the books as written and the devotionals as written. All it takes is doubt, and faith will not work. It takes faith to please God. It takes God being number one in your life. If God mocks the guy cutting down a tree, if God says to the religious scholars, “Great sorrow awaits you religious scholars and you Pharisees – such frauds and pretenders! You do all you can to keep people from experiencing the reality of heaven’s kingdom realm. Not only do you refuse to enter in, you also forbid anyone else from entering in!” (Matthew 23:13; TPT) with this knowledge you now have, what will God say to you?
If something sounds biblical or sounds almost right, look at it. People are not given the full revelation on things, such as myself, as I stated in the above paragraph at the beginning of this letter. However, you have to decide for yourself, if attending a program that will fill your cup with mixed spiritual views is a good option for you. I say no. I studied the Al-anon program, and although I found some of the steps helpful, others took a long time to dig out of my heart.
Why do I despise the 12-step program? It goes against what God teaches in His Word. I am not powerless over anything, and my life is not unmanageable. There is only one way into Heaven, and that is through Jesus. There is a narrow gate. Only Jesus has the power to forgive. Words will change the avenues in your heart, protect it. What is in the heart, you will speak. Jesus is about freedom, healing, and deliverance.
Written by Tina Angel 2023
Three Crosses Canada
Threecrossescanada.com
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