‘The Message’ warns don’t ‘use and abuse the earth’

In a short fiction piece I did, I had the Christians rounded up in six camps. The seventh camp was where the prisoners burned Bibles. King James and NASB were thrown in the fire. And the fire was roaring night and day. One version, however, was saved and placed in trucks to be distributed among the Christians.

One new prisoner just couldn’t understand this. Another prisoner explained that the Bible that was not being burned, ‘The Missive,’ had been watering down Christians for years. This version omitted much about the sin of homosexuality, and added things here and there. The pro-homosexual regime saw the usefulness in giving the Christians a Bible that would slowly shape them, and ultimately their children, into useful creatures.

Another character was an earth worshiper. Here, to my amazement, is Eugene Peterson’s insertion of what seems to be “green” theology.

THE MESSAGE, 1 CORINTHIANS 6:9-11—”Don’t you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don’t care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don’t qualify as citizens in God’s kingdom. A number of you know from experience what I’m talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you’ve been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit.”

This is not found in any reputable translation, not the KJV, not the ESV, not at all. For instance:

NEW KING JAMES, 1 CORINTHIANS 6: 9-11–  ”Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”

Earth concern in, warning about the sin of homosexuality out. 

Emerging Church in, Body of Christ out.

Has AA helped create Emerging Church?

Here is a fascinating article by Sarah H. Leslie concerning the role of Alcoholics Anonymous in the rise of the emergent church. Christians who think AA is helpful, and compatible with Biblical beliefs, would do well to read this:  http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/009/discernment/8-emerging-8.htm

HT: http://www.morebooksandthings.blogspot.com

AA brings universalism into Church, culture

While we keep our eyes on the Mormons and Islam and much else, Alcoholics Anonymous has quietly but ferociously brought universalism–all paths lead to God–into our culture and into the very Body of Christ.

It can be said that AA has changed our very perception of God. This “higher power” theology is now enmeshed in our society. In ‘The Fall of the Evangelical Nation,’ secular author Christine Wicker credits Alcoholics Anonymous with “hastening the fall of the evangelical church.”

Wicker states A.A.’s 12 Step program “slowly exposed people to the notion that they could get the [higher power] without the dogma, the doctrine, and the outdated rules. Without the church in fact.” This has removed the authority and influence of “the preacher and the Bible and tradition.” After all, why bow to a God that always holds you accountable for sin? Why not cobble together a deity of your own? (quotes from pgs. 134-138)

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons…” (1 Timothy 4:1)

 

Pro-AA author Dick B. sees “no hope” for me

From Dick B., author of numerous books on the alleged Christian origin of AA and the 12 Steps: One more comment about the attempts to repudiate A.A. by claiming my titles don’t cover its history. If the writer looked at the first page of my main website, he would see the various sources of Big Book ideas. If he read my books, he would see the wide variety of materials early AAs and Dr. Bob studied. If he looked at the facts instead of speculating about them, he would find that, most assuredly, Dr. Bob was a Christian from his earliest days. http://www.dickb.com/drbobofaa. So too, Bill
Wilson belonged to and attended Congregational Churches, Sunday school, daily chapel, and was president of the YMCA. That he became a Christian by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour is quite clear from his decision for
Christ at the altar of Calvary Rescue Mission in New York. See http://www.dickb.com/newlight.shtml.
The problem with the author’s approach is not what he argues about; it has to do with his abysmal ignorance of A.A. history, A.A.’s Christian roots, the early A.A. Christian Fellowship; and the difference between these and what was embodied in the publication of 1939.Alas, there’s no hope for this writer since he has no been promulgating his misstatements for quite some time.

My response: It would bless the Lord if you repented for what you have done. Here you are in a position of authority telling people AA co-founder Bill Wilson was a Christian–which in turn encourages many to join AA.

Bill Wilson himself admitted he was not Christian. In a letter to author Mel B., Wilson states: “Christ is, of course, the leading figure to me. Yet I have never been able to receive complete assurance that he was one hundred percent God. I seem to be just as comfortable with the figure of ninety-nine percent. I know that from a conservative Christian point of view this is a terrific heresy.” (Bold mine) This is in Mel B.’s book, ‘My Search For Bill W.’ on page 21.

Yes, Bill Wilson was honest enough to admit this indeed is a “terrific heresy.” But somehow you, Dick B., believe you know better than Wilson himself.

For those interested in AA co-founder Dr. Bob’s theology, please read: http://www.worldviewtimes.com/article.php/articleid-3537/Brannon-Howse/John-Lanagan

Should Christians partake in a spiritual system where Christ is seen as but one “higher power” among many? 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 tells us:

¹⁴Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?

¹⁵Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?

¹⁶Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,
I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM;
AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
^17″Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord.
“AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN;
And I will welcome you.

Christ warns about Alcoholics Anonymous universalism

JESUS: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

Alcoholics Anonymous: “We found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him. To us, the Realm of Spirit is broad, roomy, all inclusive; never forbidding to those who earnestly seek. It is open, we believe, to all men. When, therefore, we speak to you of God, we mean your own conception of God.” (Alcoholics Anonymous ‘Big Book’ pg. 46-47) [italics mine]

“For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me…” (Isaiah 46:9)

Twelve Steps before A.A. existed

It was still astounding to discover that Emanuel Swedenborg had written about ‘twelve steps’ more than one hundred and fifty years before the creation of Alcoholics Anonymous. Swedenborg writes, “[Angels] picture wisdom as a magnificently and finely decorated palace. One climbs to enter this palace by twelve steps. One can only arrive at the first step by means of the Lord’s power through joining with Him…As a person climbs these steps, he perceives that no one is wise from himself but from the Lord…the twelve steps into the palace of wisdom signify love in union with faith and faith in union with love.”[3] Did Wilson copy this term from Emanuel Swedenborg? I do not believe so. I believe that Wilson, having opened himself up to communication with spirits, received his 12 Steps from the same place as had Swedenborg.

FULL ARTICLE: http://mywordlikefire.wordpress.com/2009/04/08/the-first-version-of-the-12-steps/

A.A. co-founder: Christ is not God

“Christ is, of course, the leading figure to me. Yet I have never been able to receive complete assurance that he was one hundred percent God. I seem to be just as comfortable with the figure of ninety-nine percent. I know that from a conservative Christian point of view this is a terrific heresy.” (Bold mine)

This is from a letter from Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill Wilson to author Mel B. You can find this in Mel B.’s book, ‘My Search For Bill W.’ on page 21.

Pro-A.A. author Dick B. protests

There is little point in dealing with the misstatements by the author who still chooses to break anonymity, distort my books, and focus on the spiritualism of Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob. He could just as well focus on the drug dealing, burglaries, auto accidents, divorces, infidelity, and other endless carnal activities of Christians and non-Christians. Alcoholics –drunk or sober–have usually done it all. That’s a major precept of A.A. and in the Bible. Take a look at James 4:7-10, which were important verses in early A.A. For me, the important fact is that there are tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of Christians in A.A. today who want and need to know the origins of A.A. in the rescue missions, the YMCA, the Salvation Army, United Christian Endeavoer Society, and the Christian evangelism in New England. These ideas were translated into the youthful Christian training of A.A.’s Christian cofounders and then into the Original A.A. Christian Fellowship program in Akron. If anyone wishes to see the documentation and learn the facts, they are certainly available in most of my 35 titles and 250 artidcles on the Biblical history, roots, and successes of searly A.A. (http://www.dickb.com/titles.shtml). God Bless, Dick B.

*********

Dick,

Yet I sent you all My servants the prophets, again and again, saying, “Oh, do not do this abominable thing which I hate.” (Jeremiah 44:4)

John