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Archbuilders: A Biblically Based Recovery Manual
Archbuilders A Biblically Based Recovery Manual Author:Friends of Bill's Friend Arch Builders is an addiction recovery resource that reveals to the people at the 12 Step meeting in the church basement that the recovery "message" is the same message being shared in the stained glass lit pulpit in the sanctuary above. And that is cause for great joy. The recovery fellowship "principles" are the same as the God of Our Fa... more »thers principles. "The Way the Truth and the Life" from the Good book, and "The One who has all power" in the Big Book are the same God. The One and only God, who restores and unites the recovery fellowship (BB page 161). This was the "message" shared at the inception of the AA program. Dr. Bob's famous one liner when asked anything about recovery and living sober was, "What does the Good Book say?" Bill Wilson, whose "newfound Friend" took away his sins root and branch (Bill's Story Chapter One Big Book page 13) carried his "message" to newcomers with the following line which came to be known as the AA "Golden Text" "The Lord has been so wonderful to me, curing me of this terrible disease, I just want to keep telling people about it."(Big Book Fourth Edition, page 191) In the decades since the death of Dr. Robert Smith in 1950, the AA fellowship and all the recovery fellowships modeled after that original recovery Gold Standard, have been experiencing a slow but steady devolution. The Biblical Christian roots that are the source code of program literature, and the spiritual underpinnings that inspired the fellowship and sparked the addiction recovery big bang, have been diluted and diminished though the attrition and steady creep of secular humanism and the idolatry of the modern world. However, the foundational Biblical Christian sources were then and are still now shedding light on the dank recesses of addicts souls in a way not previously seen since the first grape was crushed and first hangover nursed in ancient times. One feels the glory of corporate worship of God in church services on Sunday mornings, and one feels the warmth and unconditional acceptance at the 5:30 Happy Hour AA meeting at the local AA club house, but the two spiritual experiences seem so distant at times. The church excels in the first part of Christ's greatest commandment, " Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind" and the recovery fellowship excels in the second part "Love your neighbor as yourself" . Arch Builders can be a touchstone of revelation to the recovery fellowship spiritual traveler, placing that last but essential piece of the puzzle into place; the "principles" came from somewhere, from someone, and that someone, the One who has all power, is Christ. AA's own literature points to Sermon on the Mount, James and 1 Corinthians :13 as foundational to the program. The principles are Christ's teachings. Many practice the principles and never make that life everlasting connection. Sobriety is great but eternal salvation is better. It is like digging for potatoes and discovering diamonds. Arch Builders can also be a channel of acceptance through which the church and pastors can embrace the recovery fellowships, with the knowledge that the Bible and Christian teachings are the foundation, not secular humanism or idolatry that can lead seekers to spiritual dead ends or worse. Arch Builders was written by anonymous Christian recovering believers, with no motive other than to help carry Christ's message of the Gospel to those in recovery fellowship who lack Christ, and for those in Christian Church fellowship who lack sobriety, and perhaps the deep personal relationships and "go to any lengths" love that flows in the recovery meeting rooms. It is time for the sanctuary and the basement of the church to unite in support of all addicts in achieving sobriety, and salvation though acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We encourage comments and networking at www.archbuilders.org« less