Attack, attack, attack…

There is no better word to use to describe that which happened Tuesday night.  Everything was going according to our scheduled plans for the day.  There was nothing to predict that things would end up out of the ordinary.  My wife dropped me off at the churches counseling center as I had a scheduled appointment with one on my counselees.  After dropping me off, she and our youngest son were to take Gabriel (our fifteen year old Bichon Frise) to the Vet for his annual checkup.  Thus a somewhat typical evening for our family was planned out and running according to plan.

All things went well at the counseling center, as we used no more than an hour to cover the past homework assignments and cover that which was new in the counselee’s life.  Once we were finished, I handed out and reviewed their homework assignment and then we concluded with prayer.  After letting them out, I called my wife to let her know that I was finished and that she could come pick me up when she was ready.  She said she would be there shortly so I took that time to review the notes that I had just taken that night.  Shortly became a lot longer than I thought it should be but then twenty minutes later I saw her pull up.  As I gathered my belonging to leave I noticed that she was getting out of the car to come inside.  I went to the door to meet her and look on her face was not what I had expected to see that night.  She had a look of despair in her eyes, and then I noticed the red glow about her nose and I knew something was wrong. 

She took a moment to look me straight in the eyes before she spoke.  The first words out of her mouth were’ “Gabriel was ok but...” and that “but” stopped me solidly in my tracks.  There was nothing out of the ordinary in regards to his appointment even to the point that our son had taken him outside for a short walk while my wife took care of the bill.   It was at that time that Gabe began to act differently than his normal self.  At first he just sat down and would not move, and then he experienced problems trying to stand.  What he did not know was that he was starting to display the signs of an allergic reaction.  This caused our son to immediately bring Gabe back into the clinic and it was there inside the clinic that Gabe completely collapsed, succumbing to the reaction.  The staff was quick to examine and begin to treat him and it was not long before he began to show signs of improvement.  My wife let me know that by the time she left the clinic to come pick me up from the counseling center that she could tell he was starting to feel better. 

So why the name of this writing Attack?  I chose it because this came immediately after a time of victory in the counseling room.  It came at a time when rejoicing in the Lord would normally take place.  Instead of rejoicing there is heartfelt grief and sorrow.  The sense of victory that was achieved was quickly replaced by the feeling of hopelessness.  I also believe that since we as a family had started to become more and more active in our roles within the church that it is at times like this that the enemy raises his ugly head.  His attacks most often come in an area where we least expect it. Gabriel has been in our household all of his life and is a part of the family.  So when I heard this news, it was with a “punch in the gut” feeling.

When my wife first gave me the news I could not even frame a simple sentence, it had caught me completely off guard.  All I could think was that it was “just a simple yearly checkup.”  But there she was standing there looking up at me and I could not say a word.  She went on to say that the best option for Gabe at this time was to leave him at the Vet for overnight observation to which I agreed with her.  I locked up the church office got in the car and faced the quiet and solemn drive home.  I did pray for his health needs and for wisdom for the Doctors that were treating him but more so I wanted to thank God for my wife and her support at this time.  I thanked God that our youngest son acted quickly to get Gabe back into the clinic for treatment.  I know that God is in control of all things and that all things happen for a reason.  I am well acquainted with Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  This was happening for a reason and God knew the purpose for which He had ordained it to take place.  For which again I thanked Him for a loving wife and companion who knows me well enough to know how to walk with me as we walk through this new event in our life.  We can see the hand-print of God in this episode, and we know that He will get the glory out of it.  Part of that glory will come from our letting others know about it and how we could see His hand weaving in and out of the story.  The one true fact about our Lord is that He can be seen moving about the lives of all of His children.  We may not see Him in the foreground but we can testify to the fact that He is there and moving around.  Especially now that we look back on this we can clearly see the guiding hand of God.

Another passage scripture that comes to mind at this time is one that I had just recently unpacked in a counseling session, “Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths.  You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.” (Psalm 36:6, NLT)  Our God not only cares about His children, he cares about His entire creation as noted in this passage and as evidenced in our lives.  He once again is in control of all things and in loving care of all things.  Jesus said in Matthew 10:29, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.”  There is nothing that goes on in the lives of His creation that He is not aware of.  All too often we seem to walk around in a self-induced state of self-awareness which at times trumps the presence and power of God and in doing so plunges us into stages of despair as we quickly find ourselves in need of His help.  Paul assured the Philippians of this and also assures in Philippians 4:19 which says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”  Paul’s confidence in this statement resonates with assurance, assurance of his God, and that same assurance needs to resonate within us are we talk to others.  How true is this and how precious this can be.  No matter when the need, no matter what the need we can be assured that “My God, that our God” can and will supply it.  Sometimes even before we are aware of it or have time to ask. 

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As an addendum to this or the lessons learned here are many as we look back at this incident in the light of Scripture.  This visit was to a new Veterinary Clinic, one that we had prayed about because we are soon to be adding a rescue dog to the family.  This incident helped us to bolster the confidence level of the choice that we made and to reassure us that the Lord was watching over us (especially Gabriel).  We have taken Gabe home and he is doing fine.  We are now anticipating the day that we bring the rescue pup into our home.

If Hate is Necessary… then hate what God Hates

I know that this title will catch a few eyes so that is why I have left it as such.  There is a lot of disgust, detestation, abhorrence, and loathing going on in the world today, and that often translates down into one word which is hate.  I do not know how many times I have heard that little four-letter word come across my desk in the counseling office.  What saddens me is that those who come in and sit across from me are often guilty of the same sin that they say they “hate” in others.  They have come in for counseling, they came in for help yet once they sit down and begin to share their story with me what I hear is their anger and hatred of others.  In the midst of their story it is often noticeable that they are totally oblivious to the fact that they are equally as guilty of the same sin.  They are self-deceived and caught up in their own arrogance, oblivious to the sin that they are caught up in.

As I took the time the other day to go over my notes for the past week’s sessions that I had engaged in, the Lord revealed to me that this one common thread was running though almost every case.  That common thread was the phrase “I hate,” it was associated with almost every session.  As I sat there I began to wonder, was I too experiencing this same distaste?  Was I just as guilty as they?  And sadly I have to say guilty.  I was starting to go off course in my own life.  This led me to the conclusion that I needed to ask my God for forgiveness because I was going in a direction that He had not intended for any of us to go.  I was going in a direction that I did not want to be traveling.  I was starting to take things too personal and to selfishly.  It was then that I was reminded of a statement that George Washington once made, “There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily.”  A very straight forward and sound statement and it is biblical in meaning.  “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:14), “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

If I am to serve Christ and that is my desire then I need to change my way of thinking.  As I went to the Lord about this issue I had a new revelation, a new line of thought to pursue.  If we are to hate something we need to hate what God hates.  Our focus needs to be directed at exactly what it is that He hates.  There is a passage of Scripture that stand out here and that is found in proverbs which reads, “These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: (17) A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, (18) A heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, (19) A false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.” (Proverbs 6:16-19)  It really cannot be much clearer than this, God Hates Sin.  I am convinced that this sin that He hates is one that all believers struggle with and that has its roots in selfishness and pride.  If not dealt with, this self-deception will work its way through every aspect of my ministry if it is not dealt with immediately. 

As we read this passage it is interesting to note that God says that there are six things he hates and of which seven are an abomination yet five of the things mentioned are lying or directly related to lying.  God here in this passage is clearly stating that He hates lying.  If God is adamant about hating lying should not we be also?  There is nothing more frustrating in the counseling situation or life in general than to be confronted by someone that you know or face and you know that that they are lying to you.  This sin is one that is committed by all believers and is a common practice by many.  I would dare say that if someone says to you that they do not lie there is a good chance that they just did.  Edmond Burke (1729-1797) once said, “Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all.”  This is one bold statement but one that hits the nail directly on the head.  If we are children of the Word then we must live, walk and breathe by the Word. 

Many try to cover up this sin using pleasantries such as “embellishment’s,” or “exaggeration’s” but the truth be known, they lied.  They strayed from the truth and lied, they did that which God hates, they have sinned note the following verses:

Proverbs 14:5, “A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness will utter lies.”

Proverbs 14:25, “A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies.”

Proverbs 19:5, “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies will not escape.”

Proverbs 19:9, “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies shall perish.”

Proverbs 19:22, “What is desired in a man is kindness, and a poor man is better than a liar.”

The problem is that we have deemed it socially acceptable to do so.  You cannot watch a program on the TV where lying not practiced, accepted or encouraged.  You cannot watch or listen to political ads and you must be leery of those we face from day to day.  It's almost a given that we really cannot trust most people that we wind up talking with until we know that they are not lying to us.  It is sad that we have to do so.  It is sad that we have to hunt the truth in everyday conversations.  We search it out in the writings and notes that we take in the counseling room.  Psalm 58:3 says “The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.”  This truth is evident in that many of the people we encounter.  With some, they will rather tell a lie than the truth.  I do believe that this is why the psalmist wrote Psalm 120:2, “Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue.”  The Psalmist did not want to be around those who lied either.

I do believe that as believers we need to make an effort to return to the things of God.  We must return to the truth and the way of truth.  One of the first steps that we should take is one back to total honesty.  We must hate the sin of lying as God does.  Proverbs 12:22, “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.”  If we take this challenge, if we make it a priority, we will once again return to being a delight to the Lord. 

How does He do it?

I am often perplexed at the level of murmuring and complaining that is found coming from the body of Christ.  We are all exposed to the murmurings and complaining of others.  It seems to be the mindset and attitude of the population in general.  Believers are constantly targeted and exposed to complaining as others seek guidance or assurance from them.  The danger in this is that it can be and often is contagious.  It is so much so that we often find this as one of the prominent behavior patterns found amongst the members in the Body of Christ itself.  As believers, we have so much to be thankful for and appreciative of because of the work of Christ in our hearts and life yet they can find that they can easily succumb to the wiles of this sinful behavior.  I know that I should not be too surprised by this since murmuring and complaining was one of the problem traits of the children of Israel.  Pride and selfish dissatisfaction is often the underlying sin that feeds this behavior.  The desire to please self over and above anyone else is a cause that motivates this type of communication.  The fact still remains that it is sadly a very common trait that is found within the family of God.  What makes this extremely disheartening is that this behavior is neither a presentable trait for a believer nor is it ever right to do so.  

A short while back I had the unfortunate opportunity to have to overhear a conversation by two people in ministry as they griped, whined and complained about a third and the third person had no recourse or rebuttal because they weren’t there.  After a couple of minutes or so I had enough and since my only real option was to remove myself, I quietly did so.  I relocated myself to another area but not out of earshot, I could not get far enough away from the sound of their voices and their continuous complaining.  Their constant whining and complaining about this third party is all that I heard for over fifteen minutes.  Nothing I could do would drown out the constant drone coming from their conversation.  Then in a frustrated moment of prayer, a sad resounding truth ran through my heart and my mind.  It was as if God was speaking directly to me and I did not like the words that I heard which were, “I can’t get away from them either and now I hear your complaint as well.” Ouch!  The thought struck me straight through the heart, He not only heard their complaining, but I had subjected God to my complaint as well.  The sad truth is that God hears everybody as they complain.   

Our Heavenly Father has an ear that is tuned in for the call of His children and unfortunately when His children complain and we all do, I am not sure that He tunes that out.  There is no mention in the Word that He does so.  If you do a quick word search, you will find 33 references of murmuring.  If you take a closer look, you will find some 16 passages alone that speak of Israel’s murmuring while they were in their wilderness journey, while they were under God’s direct care.  God cannot remove Himself from the constant murmuring and complaining of all of His children. 

With that said, I am once again perplexed because, I have no idea of how He does it.  How does our loving God who longs to hear the voices of his children in prayer filter through all of the whining, griping and complaining of His children?  I do not know how He does it!  I am further perplexed in thought in that if He does not do so, how does He filter through it all?

Along the same lines I wonder what often compels believers to think that they have the right to whine and complain as they do.  Do they not know that every word spoken against another believer is a word spoken against the body of Christ and thus grieves Holy Spirit?  The Scriptures clearly tell us that our words should edify and lift up to the building up of the body not the tearing down of the body.  “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:12) and “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. (30) And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (31) Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:” (Ephesians 4:29-31).  As we can see from this Scripture passage above, the Bible clearly warns us against grieving the Holy Spirit; do we not realize that is exactly what is being done when a believer speaks out against another believer in Christ?  Whenever we gripe and complain saying we know better than another believer we are in a sense telling God that He doesn’t know what He is doing.  I find that to be dangerous ground.  “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.”  (1 Corinthians 12:18)  I do believe that God places individuals in whatever position they hold and when another believer speaks out against them they are in turn speaking out against God.  Murmuring and complaining about other believers is to do so against the Lord.  We are warned in the Word of God that we are to “… bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10 5b), we also see that Jesus tells in Matthew 12:36, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”  They wonder why they are dissatisfied, perhaps it is because they are at odds with the Father.  They wonder why they are disgruntled, it is because of sin.  They complain that things are not going their way yet they fail to see that the Scriptures clearly teach them that we are to, “Do all things without murmurings and disputings:” (Philippians 2:14).  I am reminded of a quote I read from John Piper which said, “Sin is what we do when we are dissatisfied with God.”  Are we so selfish that we are willing to sin against a Holy God because we want our way and cannot get it?

I am often in awe when I think about all that God does in the lives of His children.  I cannot understand how He does not get frustrated after a few minutes of listening to a believer as they whine and complain about another brother or sister in Christ and yet God does hear every one of us.  I am glad that God does hear us because I rely on the fact that He hears and answers prayer.  But in the mist of all the prayers that are being offered up, intermingled with the pleas for help and the cries for salvation at any given time He also hears bickering, whining, complaining and crying about another brother or sister in Christ.  It must not be so.  When we are close to someone who is doing so, we must help them to curb their complaining by turning it over to Christ not encourage their pity party.  As we noted earlier we are commanded to do all things without murmuring and disputing.  If we are to be true representation of Christ here on earth, then we must do so without complaining.  I'm not talking about criticism, I am referring to complaining especially that which is about another brother or sister.  Our communication should be such that it to be such that is edifying and uplifting the body.  Our conversation should be such that it emphasizes the building up of another believer, not the tearing down.  The Bible says we should grieve not the Holy Spirit and that is exactly what we are doing when we speak against another brother.  We do not have that right and we cannot reserve that right because that alone belongs to Christ.

When Peter denied Christ the third time, the Scriptures says that Jesus turned from the midst of his torment and trial and that He looked upon Peter.  This moment, this look broke the heart of Peter because of his sin.  What would you do, how would you feel if the precise moment of your last sin if you could see Jesus turn from His pain and look upon you?  What if in the midst of your whining and complaining if you could see the hurt in the Savior’s eyes.

The bottom line is this, God can do so because He is God.  Our bottom line is to do our best to not add to the whining that He has to put up with.  I am reminded of a prayer that I once read which said, “Deliver me from the natural Darkness of my own mind, from the corruption of my heart, from the temptations to which I am exposed, from the daily snares that attend me.” ¹

  I add to this, Lord help me to be more like your Son not just another child who adds to the noise.  I ask that my conversations be such that up lift an edify you and make me more aware of every word that comes out of my mouth.

1.      Valley of Vision, God Honoured pg 25

It's not who I am... but what I ‘do’...

In the movie “Batman Begins” the Batman’s nemesis, Henri Ducard aka “Ra's al Ghul” has tricked the police into closing off the Narrows which helps him as he prepares his assault on Gotham City.  Now the Narrows is an island in the middle of the Gotham River, situated between Midtown and Downtown Gotham City.  It is hoe to a poor, decaying and rundown neighborhood, it is also the place in which the infamous Arkham Asylum is located.  Once the island has been isolated from access, Ra's al Ghul and his followers began to release a psychotropic hallucinogen into the air.  This hallucinogen will cause the people in the narrows to act out in a panic-inducing state.  His starting point is the escaping patients of the Arkham Asylum and then the panic will soon overcome the residents of the Narrows as the gas engulfs the town as a fog.

In the midst of all of this is the Batman.  He is there to battle Ra’s al Ghul in an attempt to thwart his evil plan for Gotham City.  In the beginning of the attack Batman rescues Rachel Dawes and a small boy from a surrounding mob, by taking them off the streets and lifting them onto a nearby roof top where they should be safe.  Before the Batman can leave he is confronted by Rachel.  It is here that Rachel calls out, “Wait!  You could die.  At least tell me your name.  After a short pause, the Batman answers her “It's not who I am underneath... but what I ‘do’... that defines me.”  Rachel is noticeably stunned by his answer and calls out, “Bruce?”  Just as the Batman turns and leaps off the roof.

This scene from the movie “Batman Begins” has always been one of my favorites of the Christopher Nolan “Batman” Trilogy because it gives us a glimpse of the Batman that we have not seen before, it gives us Batman’s definition of himself.  I believe that this one line from the movie is a line that we as believers should learn from.  “It's not who I am underneath... but what I ‘do’... that defines me.”  I say this because it somewhat parallels a passage of Scripture in which Jesus taught in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”  It is the good works that we do that glorifies the Father.  It is our good works that we do that should define the relationship with the Lord that we have.  Our good works should outshine all that we are and all that we do.  But this is not so, especially in the common Christian community.  Sadly, all too often it is the selfishness of man “I did this” that over shadows the good works that are done for Christ. 

When it comes to the Christian walk many fail to understand that it is to be a way of life it is to be one that is constantly representing the Lord Jesus here on earth.  While writing his second epistle to the Corinthians, we find that Paul compares his own calling to that of an ambassador.  With that being said, he urges all Believers to consider the fact that they too, are ambassadors for Christ.  Note what he says in 2 Corinthians 5:20, “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.”  The apostle was referring to his role of ministry in general but we can see that the application to all is evident.  He is encouraging all believers to do the same.  When we identified our lives with Christ we died to self and were made alive in Him.  As believers our role and responsibility to those around us is to present Christ to them.  We are to do so in both word and deed.  Others should see a difference in both the works that we do and in that which proceeds out of our mouths. 

When we are around others, no matter where we are they should see a difference, not just a veneer that we put on for show but an actual difference that Christ has made within us.  If there is anything that this world teaches us it is that a server of self is opposite of what the Word teaches.  We are called to serve others first (Galatians 5:13-14, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.  (14)  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” NKJV).  One thing that I have observed over the years is that the average church is at best comprised of mostly church attenders.  They are not interested in serving, but they are quite prominent in noticing when they are not properly served.  They have heard that surrendering to Christ is important but are not willing to fully surrender to Him.  It is as if they are always weighing their options if you will.  The truth is that with Jesus it is all or nothing; He is an option that we can take or leave on a whim’s notice. 

Once again the Batman said, “It's not who I am underneath... but what I ‘do’... that defines me.”  And this is what I see as relevant for believers.  It's not who I am underneath (this is the “old” me underneath, it is the old sinful nature that waits for every opportunity to come out.  I do not want others to see that side of me.)  but what I ‘do’ (I want others to see in my actions that I am an ambassador for Christ.  I would like for others to experience that I am a servant of Christ.)  that defines me”  (and this is what should really defines me).  For this to be real in my life there needs to be a change and that change has to be drastic, the same is true of and for all believers.

The most common thread that runs throughout the church today is the thread or theme of selfishness.  The common cry, the drastic plea within the church is for its people to step up and serve other church members.  We are to step up and serve the “church.”  If I were to honestly look at the church in the light of the Batman’s statement I would have to say shame on us all.  For that which is underneath is still defining us if the church does not have enough people to serve.  Nowhere in the Scriptures do we find the commandment that calls us to sit back and be served.  If believers today would grasp a hold of Christ as He has of them life in the church would be radically different.  I am greatly disappointed in the church today as the majority of believers have a “me first,” “serve me” or worse yet, an “I did this” attitude.  This is evident in every church bulletin you find the leadership pleading for more volunteers. 

Serving in the church is not a gift, it is not a call it is a definition of who we are.  Matthew 23:11-12, “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. (12) And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”  If this is true with you then you can clearly say, “It's not who I am underneath... but what I ‘do’... that defines me.” 

New Start for 2016

 

Every once in a while we need to regroup, reorganize and restart our priorities especially when it comes to the personal things in life.  Everyone faces these restarts differently; some do so with question, others with quite reserve and still others with uncertainty and speculation.  One thing is certain and that is, each new day will provide all of us a certain amount of unseen variables.  Every year is different bringing with it a calendar full of challenges and obstacles that will need to be faced and often calls for us to take a look at the priorities that we have put in place in our lives.  Some days you will find that you are up to the challenge and other days you will feel overwhelmed.  The times that we feel that overwhelming feeling is most likely when life interrupts and throws us a curveball our way.  Last year was one of the curveball years.  I started the year having every intention to write and blog more but partway through the year life threw us a curveball.  We were faced with a short and unexpected hospital stay which in turn slowed me down immensely.  We do hope and pray that this year we will be able to pick up where we left off in all areas of ministry especially blogging, and I want to thank those who have asked us to continue with our blog.

We plan to face this restart of blogging with eyes wide open and with the expectation that the Lord will continue prove Himself and to do many great things as He has in the past.  It has at times surprised me in the way that God moves in and out of the pages of our life’s story.  Then, if we will be honest with ourselves, as we reflect on the past we will all find that we were the ones who were weaving in and out of God’s story.  He has continued to step in to help us face each of life’s situations.  I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul which says, “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.  (20) Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” (Ephesians 3:19-20)  I know that He is going to be there for me because He is faithful to His Word.  He cannot change nor can He deny Himself but moreso, He is faithful even when we are not.

I would like to post this new blog with a personal twist in that I would like to share our thanks to God for His faithfulness and for His presence in our heart and life.  I thank Him for my wife and family who continue to stand by my side and put up with my many idiosyncrasies.  I thank and praise God for our very close friends who have walked with us these past few years and continue to not only support us but also give us guidance and accountability when needed.  I wish to thank the Lord, and pray for my dad who will be celebrating his 88th birthday this year, for our oldest son who will be getting married in June and for our dog Gabriel, who we rejoiced in his 14th birthday this past February.

I would like it to be known of me that when I speak that I try to use words that are most often fitting, direct and not spoken maliciously.  In the book of Proverbs we are reminded in that, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” Proverbs 25:11 and James 1:19 which says, “...my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”  I have tried hard to develop and to practice listening skills to uplift and help others.  This has been especially helpful as I sit across the counseling table from those who come to us for Biblical Counseling.  Far too often we find that we desire to invoke repair thoughts before hearing the whole thought process of those we are talking too.  We find that this characteristic is also covered in the Scriptures, “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” Proverbs 18:13.  I do pray that these words will ring true in the counseling room and in all of life’s situations.

As I start blogging this Year, my desire is that the following words will be a pattern for life, “Lord I hear you and thank you for your ever presence in my life.  I need you to help me to take the first steps when needed and above all please help me to walk the paths that you will be leading me.  Lord Jesus, help me to rid myself of my own sinful and selfish desires and cleanse my heart of my selfish ways so that others can see you and not me.”

As a Biblical counselor I want to show the same compassion that Jesus does in the Gospels, and Paul in his Epistles so carefully and heart fully demonstrated.  I want to express a loving-kindness toward those who are hurting and offer gentle persuasion to help bring them to a full knowledge of the Lord Jesus.  I do believe that compassion has to be more than just a feeling of sympathy and heart-felt sorrow.  It has to be more than simple empathy, it has to be an action that helps others to want to take the appropriate steps that will meet their needs more than just satiny their feelings.  I do believe that this is the direction that the Father wants us to go.  We find that He has given us this example to follow in Psalm 103:13, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.”  Here we find two expressions of the compassion offered us by God the Father first, we see that He “has” compassion on his children but we also see that He “showed” compassion on everyone not just His own but on others as well.

My hope, my desire, my passion this year is to show more of Jesus and less of me.  No matter if it is in my home life, at work in private meetings and especially to all those who we will encounter in the counseling room.  I want to be a reflection of John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, …” Gen. 3:1

We often hear stories of how Satan works in this world and how he tries to undermine the work of God.  There is not a greater collection of these stories than the Word of God.  One of the most interesting stories that can be found in Genesis.  It is here where we are introduced to God, man and Satan.  The above passage from Genesis 3 opens the pages of history past to give us a ringside seat at the first face to face encounter between mankind (Eve) and Satan.  In this encounter we find Eve both out gunned and out classed by the enemy.  There is no doubt that He is as determined as he is subtle.  His directive is to take God down and he is determined to do so, one believer at a time if and as he deems necessary.  One true sign of his subtlety is seen in the way that he presents his case to the believer.  With craftiness of a court room lawyer he gets his opponents themselves to trip themselves up.  He asks his questions deliberately and yet slightly twisting the truth in such a way that he mixes in a little error.  He doesn’t question God, he gets his opponents to do so. Eve balked and faltered because she was unsure of the truth.  She did not hear God tell Adam what to do, she was going on what Adam had said and what of the truth she thought that she heard.

Now this historically specific encounter happened and is recorded for us as an example of the craftiness of our enemy.  I believe that he is as aggressive today as he ever was.   Yet at the same time I do not believe that the plan of the enemy has changed that much over the years.  The main difference is found in his ability to quickly and specifically cater each approach to the individual that he is facing.  If anything has changed it is his tenacity toward those who have called upon the name of Christ. 

 

I saw this picture on the internet the other day and it reminded me of the way that Satan tries to grasp a hold on our minds as he questions the believer in his attempt to get them to question God themselves.  The enemy confronts every believer at one time or another.  Many of whom, like Eve, will face the enemy and be out gunned and out classed because they failed to prepare for the battle.  Eve had no idea that she would one day be in a spiritual battle, once that day took place it found that she was unprepared.

All believers must realize that Jesus is the anchor that holds us fast to the family of God. It is because of this truth, the believer today must come to the understanding that the most important issues in this life will pale in comparison to our relationship with Christ Jesus.

So let me ask you a question: “How much time does it take to have or develop a good relationship?” Before you answer, ask yourself to verify your answer in the light of the statements below.

“How much time does it take to have or develop a good relationship?”

•           Ask a grieving widow as she sits at a bed side of her spouse of 50+ years struggles for each breath

•           Ask the couple who are celebrating their 1st wedding anniversary

•           Ask the parent how much time as they watch their child march off to war

•           Ask a young boy how much time as he holds onto his ailing dog

Time is not just of the essence it is of the most preeminence especially when it comes to our relationship with Jesus.  How much time is needed you ask, and the answer is all that they can get and a little more if possible.  We often find that time spent developing any relationship is never enough.  Erwin Lutzer once said, “The more intimate we are with God, the more we can discern His mind and His heart.”  Intimacy is what is developed over long periods of time as we act and interact within a relationship.  The better the relationship the more intimate it is and the more intimate it is the more liberating it becomes.  Intimacy in any relationship is always in direct correlation of how much time is invested developing the relationship.

Getting back to the opening statement, Eve was unprepared for a Spiritual battle and that largely rested upon the fact that she did not have an intimate relationship with the Lord.  She was relying upon Adam’s relationship and that was not enough, it will never be enough.  If we do not develop our own relationship with Christ we, like Eve will go into Spiritual battle unprepared and destined for failure. 

During World War II Japan had built a Battleship that was called the “Yamato” she and her sister ship the “Musashi” were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed.  These ships were designed and built to counter the numerically superior battleship fleet of the United States Navy.  They often proved their superiority when matched one on one or against small task fleets but when they were finally matched against the well-armed and battle ready Pacific Fleet they both met their match and were sunk near the end of the war.  Satan is much like the Yamato in that he is well armed, keenly suited for battle and well fitted for the task that as at hand.   When matched against this opponent the believer soon finds that they are no match for him.  This is why we must be aware that even when we are at our strongest we are no match for him and that we must remain in constant contact with our Heavenly Father.  We must get a grip on our relationship with Christ before the enemy gets his grips on us.

Even Jesus Himself when He was confronted one on one by this enemy referred to God the Father and to the Word for His defense.  I say that if this is the battle strategy of the Lord Jesus should it not be ours as well?  I am reminded of the following passages of Scripture, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” (Psalm 119:11).  “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105).  We must also note that God said, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3.

The truth is that no one born of the flesh is able to overcome this wicked one.

Have you forgotten the importance of the eternal? 

Have you allowed the enemy to steal your joy?

For some, he has replaced our joy with an unsatisfying hunger and drive to that which only Christ Himself can fulfill.  It is no wonder that so many believers live unhappy and bitter lives.  They try to fill a void that only Christ can fill with everything but Christ.  Jesus is all that we need.  We trust Him for salvation then look everywhere else for satisfaction after that.  One of the best tricks of the enemy is to get our eyes off of Jesus and on to a counterfeit Jesus.

How did we reach this level of Mediocrity? (Part Two)

I read a quote once that said, “The Bible is a listening post where we go to hear the voice of God.”  I do not remember who said it nor where I read it but I do see a lot of truth in that statement.  Without time spent in the Word of God we become desensitized to the things of God because we distance ourselves from the sweetness of His voice.  There is also a lessening of the sting of sin because our spiritual sense has lost its sensitivity to the truths of His Word.  How soon is the heart drawn away from God and back to the things in this world once we quit going to the listening post.  It does not take very long before we slip into sin because we have failed to spend time with Jesus.  It does not take long before self begins to redirect our drive back to the old sinful and selfish ways we practiced prior to salvation.

Without precious daily time in the Word we will soon be drawn away from Jesus and wane in our fellowship with him.  I am not saying that everybody needs to be a Bible scholar.  What I am saying and what I am referring to is that I believe that all believers need to spend quality time with the Lord and that includes time in His Word.  We all know that if we want to get to know somebody you have to spend time with them.  If you want to get to know someone intimately you will need to study that person.  To be like somebody you will have to spend quality time with them.  If we are to be what God wants us to be, (which is to be Christ-like), then we need to spend much time with Christ and his Word.  One of the main keys to any relationship is found in the time spent with one another.  The more time we devote to the relationship the faster it solidifies and matures but again, the key phrase is that it will take time but it will be time well spent.  Jesus said if you love me you will keep my commandments.  One of his commandments is to search the Scriptures John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”

When you wish to become a part of another's household, it becomes of great importance that you familiarize yourself with the do's and the don'ts that are expected for peace within the household.  As believers we are a part of the family of God, we need to read God’s Word to find out what the true do's and don'ts are for His family.  One problem that I have found common within the family of God today is that too much time is spent reading books and about what others say about the Word of God and not enough time in the Word itself.  Leaders and laypeople alike spend more time in the writings of others than they do in the Word.  The problem here is that the Word of God is exclusive but when God’s people spend more time in the writings of others over the Word of God they attempt to turn that which is exclusive to that which is inclusive.  The Word must stand alone.  Those who rely more on man’s writings regarding what the Word says than on the Word itself says have the tendency to do just that.  They tend to regard what one writer says over another even to the disregard of the Word of God; elevating the writer’s personal interpretations of Scriptures over the Scriptures themselves.

I am not saying that we are not to read books, devotionals or listen to podcasts because they are important and have their place in the believer’s life.  They are tools that all of us need to use and take advantage of as we grow in Christ in today’s age of technology.  The problem becomes when you rely upon them more than you do the Word of God.  You cannot solely rely on devotionals because they only give you pointed and specific scriptures, those that apply to what the author is leading you to believe or change.  You cannot rely solely on all “Christian” authors because most authors will write with a certain bias (including this one).  Though study guides and devotionals are necessary to help us study the Word of God they must remain exactly that, “helps.”  If we find that more time is spent quoting authors than we do Scripture we need to take a timeout to check our areas of importance.   There is a possibility that you may be building a relationship with the authors of the guides and devotionals you are reading and not the author of the Bible.

Once again I'm not saying every believer has to be a Bible scholar but every believer will talk about Jesus at one point in time or another.  When they do so they should do so with some respect of Bible knowledge but that is not always the case.  I am reminded of a quote by J.I Packer which says, “Every time we mention God we become theologians, and the only question is whether we are going to be good ones or bad ones.”  This thought comes to mind when I am confronted by bad theology from believers who have been saved 20 or even 30 years.  Most of these people should have a solid grasp of the Word and yet still know very little of the Word of God.

The Bible says in Psalm119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”  I often think of this passage when confronted by those who claim to have been in the family of God for years but know little about Him.  If the apostle Paul and the other New Testament writers are right (and I personally believe that they are) then we have a must need to know the Word and the Christ of the Word.  We find in 2 Corinthians 3:2-3, “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: (3) Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.”  We also find in Hebrews 10:15-16, “Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, (16) This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them”

The real question then becomes, “Do we follow the Bible and what Christ said or do we sit back and celebrate our new level of Mediocrity?”

More to come…