Confessions of a Restored Backslider – Part 3

Stating the obvious and claiming the same that we all have or will hold the title of “Restored Backslider.” 

It really doesn't matter what sin has control of you or which sin you are battling, what does matter is that SIN is in control and you are out of control.  You will never control sin, you will not conquer it, sin will control you, the only hope that any of will ever have over sin is in Jesus. 

Those who have gone to Alcoholics Anonymous are familiar with the statement, “One drink is too many and a thousand is not enough,”recovering Drug addicts who have attended NA meetings have a similar statement.  Sadly, the truth for believers is a short variation of the same concept, “One sin is too many, period!” (James2:10, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in onepoint, he is guilty of all.”)

The fact is that everyone is born a sinner and the only difference between some and others is that some have accepted Christ as Savior and others not.  If it was not for Jesus, we would all be hopelessly and helplessly enslaved in sin yet today.  The good news is that the Scriptures teach us that once we have received Christ as Savior all of our condemning sins are gone.  I have listed a few passages of Scripture as a sampling of what the Word of God tells us about the sin that once had enslaved us:

Psalm 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Micah 7:18-19, “Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?  He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. (19) He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities.  You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea”

 

In these passages of Scripture and others we find that one of the blessings in our relationship with Christ is that He has separated us from our past sins and their penalty.  Although He has freed us from the penalty of sin He did not separate us from the enticement of sin nor did he free us from the entrapment of sin.  That battle is a part of our walk and is our responsibility while we are here on earth.  We do find that God has made a way for us to escape from the sins that are used to ensnare us, sins that will ultimately separate us from the relationship that we have with Him (not the salvation that we have in him). 

For every choice, sinful or not, there is always a decision to make and therein lies the avenue to sin.  Sinful choices are generally selfishly made; many of them are usually preplanned and they are those that will lead you down a path that is away from God, away from the escape that God has already provided.  The battle against sin must be taken seriously to avoid the snares the enemy has placed in our way to entrap us.  God has already promised to do His part to prepare us a way out to “deliver us from evil.”  The way that He provides for us also causes us to run to Him.  It causes us to flee the call and entrapment of sin.  “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)  There is one thing to note here with this passage and that is that it is NOT that God does not give us any more than we can handle, but that He helps us to handle that which we have been given.  We do not have to face any situation alone and the way can be easier to face if we go through it with God’s help.  We see that God makes a way to escape or bear it; the responsibility is ours in that we have to want that escape route and we have to choose to use it.  We need to use it long before we are entrapped by sin. 

In the Word of God we find a precious illustration of God the Father in that He is always willing and waiting for us to return to Him, just like the father of the prodigal son.  He wants to lovingly welcome back the backslider who returns to the faith; He passionately welcomes each "faithless child" back home with a loving embrace as they return to Him.  He is not shaken, He is not taken aback, and we find that he loves us as only He can.  Mercy is once again extended towards us because God is who He is and He is always there, always ready to restore.  We find that the Scriptures say,"But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory." (Philippians 4:19). 

What the majority of believers must come to realize after salvation is that our greatest need in Christ according to Philippians 4:19 is restoration.  This is because we are prone to back slide.  We all mess up, we will all backslide and the only path to restoration is in JESUS.  The Old Testament illustrations that we find in scripture is that we believers are not that much different than Israel.  This is found in their relationship with Him, we have already noted this passage, “Why has this people slidden back, Jerusalem, in a perpetual backsliding?  They hold fast to deceit, They refuse to return.” (Jeremiah 8:5 NKJV)  The Prophet of God throws out the question from God, “Why has this people slidden back, Jerusalem (All Believers), in a perpetual backsliding?  Note the substitution?  If we are honest with ourselves and with God we can clearly see it and ask:

“How many times have I failed Him?”     -    “Unknown?” 

“How many times can it happen again?”  -     “I don't know?” 

Even with these questions in mind, this one thing I do know is that He has and He always will offer and provide us a way of restoration.  We find in the Word of God truths that God promises not only to forgive us but also to help us and to return us back to the state of proper son-ship that He desires for us.  We find healing for the Backslider in Isaiah 57:14-15, “And one shall say, ‘Heap it up! Heap it up!  Prepare the way, take the stumbling block out of the way of My people.’ (15) For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.’” 

The truth here is that we are all prone to backslide, there is only one cure for our tendency to backslide and that is Jesus.  He is the one who provides us a way of escape and that way of escape is always in Jesus.  His grace is unlimited, His forgiveness is ongoing and His mercy, as always is most graciously, everlasting.  This, my friend, is my confession to you, as one who is not just a saved and forgiven but also of on who is constantly tempted to backslide, it is a “Confession of a Restored Backslider.”

Confessions of a Restored Backslider – Part 2

We mentioned in part one of this blog that Backsliding is a problem that all believers have faced at one time or another.  There is not one believer (at least not an honest one) I know of who cannot honestly stake claim to the title of “Restored Backslider.” 

I am reminded of an example from Scripture that can be found in the 16th chapter of the book of Judges, “Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her.  (2) When the Gazites were told, “Samson has come here!” they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city.  They were quiet all night, saying, “In the morning, when it is daylight, we will kill him.”  (3) And Samson lay low till midnight; then he arose at midnight, took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two gateposts, pulled them up, bar and all, put them on his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.  (4) Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.  (5) And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, ‘Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.’” (Judges 16:1-5)  This passage is soon followed by one of the saddest verses in the bible, Judges 16:20, “And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.”

Here was one of the great Judges of Israel, one of their leaders not knowing that sin had taken him far from God.  In the above passage we read “But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.” This would imply that he was familiar with the Holy Spirit, that he was aware of the presence of God upon him and in his life and yet he woke up this one morning unaware that he was now far from God.  How could this have happened? 

No one wakes up on any given morning and says “I think I will start down a path of sin today”.  It is evident in this passage that he had already made the steps to do so.  Delilah had tried to find out the source of his strength and he played her game.  That is how the enemy works; subtly getting us to listen to his music and we are soon dancing his dance.  Soon we are caught up in the minstrel’s tune not knowing that we are slowly moving away from the Savior.  Slowly led away like a lamb to the slaughter, moving farther and farther away from God, farther and farther away from the One who truly cares for us.  It is quite evident that many believers follow this same path as Samson.  They follow a path that will lead them away from the light of Christ into the darkness of sin.  They march blindly into sin’s bondage leaving the freedom that we have in Christ behind.

I have spent untold hours talking to and counseling believers who have found themselves lost out on the sea of despondency, their lives facing shipwreck on Sin’s reefs of despair.  Just when they think that they had victory over Sin they find that it once again has victory over them.  As believers we often find ourselves overpowered by the enemy and as if without a fight trapped back in bondage.  This is so because we had given in one step at a time.  Sin’s victories are sometimes subtle, sometimes blinding, yet always overbearing and we find that it doesn't take long before we are caught up in sin and back in over our heads. 

How do we get so far off course so fast?  One small step at a time, that’s how.  It often begins with one extra lingering look at a woman or a man that you shouldn’t have taken for those who struggled with porn.  One sip, an “innocent” drink that you shouldn’t have accepted for those who struggled with alcohol.  And so the list goes on for whatever addiction that you may have been or are currently struggling with.  “It always begins with one seemingly simple… (list your vice here).”  It does not take long in any confrontational situation for God to begin to convict the counselor of his own backsliding issues.  You can hypocritically take a “Pharisaical stand” by saying, “…‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector,” (Luke 18:11) or you can take note and deal with the issues in your life. 

I can let you know this that God will deal with both parties regarding the issue of backsliding whether you are the counselee or the counselor.  The warning that we get about our backsliding will not go unnoticed once God has warns us.  We find that God has warned us of this through the Apostle Paul in Galatians 6:1-5, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.  (2) Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.  (3) For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.  (4) But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.  (5) For each one shall bear his own load.” 

This warning is given to all believers.  It is a special call especially to those who serve as ministers, leaders or counselors because ministry has caused some to fall into the trap of examining themselves in the light of others and not Christ.  They will find that the Grace of God will expose their sin if it goes unaddressed and that the Grace of God will not allow anyone to continue in sin.  It will be this same Grace that God that will aggressively extend in love toward His children to make them uncomfortable so that they too, by His Grace will seek the forgiveness of God for their sin as well.

Confessions of a Restored Backslider – Part 1

Backsliding is a problem that all believers have faced at one time or another.  There is not one believer (at least not an honest one) I know of who cannot honestly stake claim to the title of “Restored Backslider.” All believers, no matter who you are, should be honest enough to confess that they have found themselves backslidden at one point or another in their Christian walk.  This problem called backsliding, is commonly defined as the returning to our past sinful behaviors or practices in lieu of fully trusting and following Christ is something that haunts every believer.  Once we have committed our lives to Christ we belong in full to Him.  Any variation that leads us away from Christ is Sin.  He saved us in our sin to deliver us from our sin, and backsliding is taking steps to return back to that sin.  It says in a sense that Jesus isn’t enough to satisfy your needs, it is a longing for something more in spite of Him, saying that Jesus is not enough. 

The truth is, we've all failed, we've all back slid, and we have all woken up in a place we did not want to return to, a place we thought that we would never return to.  We awake to an old familiar face in the mirror, one that is facing the day saddened by a return to a sinful state that we thought was finally past.  We stare in the mirror at a face that is now saddened by the loss of joy because of the burden that sin has now applied.  We find ourselves once again standing before God guilty and shameful because we have disgraced our God and Father. 

Questions begin to flood our heart and mind such as, “How did I get here so far and so fast?  How could this have happened?  How could I have gotten so far off track while worshipping and serving Him?  Emotions flood through your heart and mind as you stare at the face in the mirror but which do you address first?  Emotions such as remorse, anger, sadness, bitterness and disgust just to name a few, all of which scream out to be addressed, each wanting attention, none wanting to be released from the list.  It has always been a problem with the people and children of God.  “Why has this people slidden back, Jerusalem, in a perpetual backsliding?  They hold fast to deceit, They refuse to return.” (Jeremiah 8:5 NKJV)

Why is it that so many believers, continue to toy with other gods when we have direct access to the one true God?  Why do we allow the idols of this world to fulfill that which only God Himself can fill?  We dabble with that which we shouldn’t, we listen to the music that the enemy plays and all too soon we are ensnared, we are uncontrollably dancing to the enemies tune, much like a marionettes puppet who dance is controlled by another. 

Another way to picture this is much like sailors found in the tales out of Greek mythology who would succumb to the call of the sirens and end up crashing their ships on the reef to their deaths.  In our lives today, we find that SIN’s call to us is much like that of the alluring call of the sirens in the mythological stories of the ancient Greeks and it is just as dangerous and potentially deadly.  In Greek mythology, sirens were beguiling sea nymphs that troubled sailors.  They would allure male sailors with their seductive voices and their enticing singing.  In many of the mythological texts it is found that that even if you knew better, the song of the sirens were still hard to resist.  In the Odyssey Book XII we find that Odysseus is warned about the dangers he was to face at sea and one of them being Sirens.  Odysseus did not have an Orpheus (Singer of charms) to drown out the lovely voices, so he orders his men to stuff their ears with wax and tie him to a mast.  In doing so the men could sail by in silence while he could hear their song.  The restraints that he had applied kept him from causing any danger to himself, his men or the ship.  It was said that the song of the sirens was so appealing that is hard to resist but that, if heeded,  he would do all that he could to follow their call even to the detriment of his ship and the other men’s lives as well.  So is the same to the call of SIN. 

 

Mythology offered one other escape from their call which was an Orpheus.  An Orpheus was one   whose singing was known to charm all living things.  We find in the adventure of Jason and the Argonauts, that Jason and his men faced the danger of sailing the seas where Sirens were known to be.  Jason and his men survived that passage, sailing safely by but only through the help of the singing of Orpheus.  Though we know that the stories of Jason and the Argonauts along with creatures such as sirens are a myth, we are quite aware of the enemy and the snares that he sets out before us.  As we sail through life and the siren’s calls of the enemy cries out to us there is one that we find today whose voice can over charm the soul and help us against the call to Sin and his name is Jesus.  If we listen to Him we can overcome many of the shipwrecks that sin leads us to; sadly and more often than most will admit we succumb to the call of sin.

All too often we find ourselves playing the part of Odysseus, we are back struggling with in the bondage of sin listening and longing to embrace its alluring seduction.  Life now finds us standing in front of the mirror, shipwrecked on the reef of sin and castaway into the sea being dragged down into the depths as only sin can take us.  Drawn away if you will by our own lusts (James 1:14, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.”) Once enticed we find ourselves quickly separated from the God that we love and who completely loves us.  Standing alone, crying out for sins embrace, and at the same time hoping that those around us cannot hear the call to seduction.  As I mentioned before, backsliding has always been a problem with the people and children of God.  I do not believe that anyone is immune to this struggle with backsliding.

Support for the family in crisis

I had the privilege to sit at the bedside of a dying saint the other day; this dear precious soul had not been able to talk for several days because of her medical condition.  It was quite evident that she could understand what I was saying and more so I knew from her expressions that she was most appreciative of the visit.  I sat there talking to her and her daughter for over a half an hour and during our visit she would nod from time to time as if in agreement and would offer other hand motions to get my attention and try to communicate with us.  Though her spirits appeared to be high there were all the signs of fatigue in her smile, signs that are often seen in those who have experienced more than their share of pain.  Her hands were old and worn but what touched me the most was the weakness of her grip as she held my hand.  She still had a gleam in her eyes but you could also tell that she knew more than she was letting on.  I do believe that she was holding back to stand strong in the presence of her daughter.  This was the first time that I had met this dear saint and I wanted her to know that she was more than just a simple hospital call to me.  It was not long before she began to tire so ended the visit with a moment of prayer.  After leaving her room I was able to spend a few minutes with the family and offered them all the support that anyone can in times like this. 

It was a few short hours later that I was called back to that same saint’s bedside but it was not a joyous reunion, at least not here in the hospital.  She had gone on home to be with the Lord, she had run her race, and she had finished her course and was now at peace and at home with Jesus.  The first thought that came to my mind after entering the room was from the Psalms where David wrote, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” (Psalm 116:15)  I could clearly see the peace and the love of the Lord in this situation.  This saint was now at home with Him.  As I stood there with the family I began to wonder through the scriptures that I have studied over the years.  I remember that the Apostle Paul said, “…absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Cor 5:8)  With that I began to put some thought in line with other passages of Scripture.  If the death of a saint is precious to the Lord (Psalm 116:15) and as the Apostle Paul believed that when absent from the body we’re present with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8) and King Solomon said, “… the spirit will return to God who gave it.” (Ecclesiastes 12:7)  Then perhaps it just might be that Christ Himself is present at their passing and He receives and escorts the passing saint into Glory. 

I sat there with the family for a little while chatting and offering them my sympathy and support in prayer the best I could especially under the present circumstances.  I would share a verse of Scripture and or say a prayer with different members of the family in an effort to help ease the pain and shock of death.  It is truly a blessing to see how the Word of God comforts in times like this.  It is no wonder that one of the most precious passages of Scripture that comforts in times like these also comes from the Psalms.  “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)  The comfort of the Lord is present when His saints go home to Him.  There is no need to fear for He is there to help us replace the pain of the experience with hope and assurance because of our faith and trust is in Christ, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.  But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18)
As I moved around the room talking to the different family members that were there I couldn’t help but notice the difference in the how each family member reacted.  One of them sat there holding the dear saint’s hand and carefully and lovingly continued stroking her arm.  At the same time she was taking in the vision of their family member noticing every blemish, every bruise and every flaw.  Occasionally they would ask me a question about what they observed or just to share a memory that had come to mind.  She would gaze upon the face of her loved one and smile or sigh then she would once again tell me another story or share another memory of this saint.  Another family member sat close to the bedside and held onto herself tightly almost wrapping herself up into a ball.  Every once in a while she would reach out and gently rub the shoulder of this dear saint, let out a deep sigh and then wrap herself back up into a ball  and begin weeping again.  They would join in the conversation from time to time but they were more reserved than the other siblings.  It is our trust in Christ that helps us through times like these because He alone offers HOPE that is needed.  He alone offers us something to hold on to that can and will carry us through the pain.  It is Christ alone that provides the peace that is need to calm the hurting soul.

You could see the signs of fatigue in most of the family members.  The adrenalin that they had been running on over the past several days was finally running out and exhaustion was settling in.  It is amazing how God gives us just what we need when we need it.  It is so evident that God in His gracious and loving care carries us through the rough times as only He can.  Once again I turn to the Psalms to find that which can close out this thought.  Psalm 48:14 says, “For this God is our God forever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.”

Home for the Holidays?

If I were to say the word Holiday to you I do believe that word association would lead many of you to words such as Merry or Happy.  There may be some who would even associate the word Thankful when they hear the word holiday.  I do believe that these words should come to mind and one more if you will, Family.  All of these word associations come to mind when you think of being “Home for the Holidays!”  Sadly though, there are some who when they hear “Home for the Holidays,” they associate words such as Loneliness, Loss, Sadness, or Regrettable Memories.  Words such as Merry, Happy and Joyous are overshadowed by words such as Death, Divorce and other avenues of Sorrow or Stress.

After some twenty years of pulpit ministry and an additional five years of ministry as a Hospital Chaplain I have seen more families face the loss of a loved one more during the Holiday months than at any other.  This actually gives new meaning to the phrase “Home for the Holidays,” especially after experiencing the passing away of a loved one.  This is so, because home will not seem like home to them anymore since their loved one will no longer be there.  That thought alone is enough to bring some down into the depths of depression.  Yes they are not here but they are where they will ever be happiest, for they are safe in the arms of the Lord.

A typical conversation that starts up after a loved one passes around the holidays is that the holidays will never be the same again.  You find that people will begin to fret over the next time that the family gathers for a Holiday gathering.  We often find that unresolved grief will also cause an increase in the stress level of people.  They will become prematurely saddened because their loved one that passed away earlier will not be there at home leaving an awkward void in the holiday festivities.  I am led here to say that the truth of the matter is, they are home; they have gone home to Jesus.  Those of us who are left behind are just that, we are left behind.  We are but strangers in a world that is not our home.  When they took their last breath they were home with Jesus.  We are confident in this because the Scripture assures us that we can.  “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. (9) Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.” (2 Corinthians 5:8-9) Not only do we find this truth in the New Testament but in the Old Testament as well, “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” (Ecclesiastes 2:7) Once our traveling’s here in this world are over we go home to be with the Lord.  What causes grief to escalate into holiday despair is found in the lack of forgiveness and closure.  This in turn increases their selfish desire to hold onto the past causing them to remaining emotionally stagnant.  Having an understanding and trust in God’s plan helps us to grasp a firm hold upon the truth that our loved ones are with the Lord.  Our desires need to be readdressed to the truth of the Scriptures which let us know that as David said of his infant son who passed away, “And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? (23) But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” (2 Samuel 12:22-23)

The Lord has warned us not to get to familiar with this world in which we live; we are told not to get too comfortable in this world because it is not our final home.  We are not to get too attached to the things of this world but that is a hard lesson for all men to learn.  That which we love in this world beacons us to long for and cling to it.  Love is one of the most precious gifts that God has given us and it is an emotion that cries out to be given to others.  There is nothing wrong with loving life nor that which life brings us.  The rift that a lost loved one leaves in our lives causes many struggle or spin out of control as they try to repair it.  At the same time we need to remember that this world is not our final destination; it is just a temporal place to journey through.  God has prepared a place for us and one day we will go to that home.  “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. (13) Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. (14) For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.” Hebrews 13:12-14  We also see this truth in Peter’s writings, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; (12) Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2:11-12)

So if we are strangers here on earth then we are to be at home with the Father and in His house.  The things in this life are just temporal and fleeting.  Those who have gone on before us have realized this and they now wait for us there.  It is the place where our hope is turned into reality, a place where we are to be at home with the Father.  Jesus said, “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:2-3).  With this in mind let me say that the next time you sing “I’ll be home for Christmas,” you can assuredly sing the last verse which says, “If only in my dreams.” 

For only those who have gone on before us are truly, “Home for Christmas.”

Circling the Wagons

I was talking to a close friend and fellow counselor the other day who had mentioned that it had been a while since I had posted anything; like a lot of us we have a tendency to get busy and yet I do regret it that I have not posted an article for a while.  It was not long before our discussion turned to the Church and the need for Biblical Counseling to be a vital ministry of all churches.  My friend, who I have known over six years, has been a member of two different churches in the time that I have known him.  The church that he is currently a member of is a different denominational back ground than the one that I am currently a member of.  Half way through the conversation we became aware of the differences between one denomination and another.  Some of the circles that I have had the privilege to work with would say that we are in different camps.  We are both members of the “Church” but members of different camps with in the church.  

I must say that the word “Camp” almost always strikes an odd chord with me when spoken of about the church.  I am not referring to “Christian Day Camps” or “Christian Youth Camps” but camps of the same sort such as medical, political and even Christian.  With some medical camps you have those who are driven passionately to treat all things solely with medicine while others look to surgery as the main avenue of treatment.  With political parties you have the Republican party (or camp) and the Democrats (as the other camp), both saying they know what is good for the country but when you look at their voting record, you will find that they strongly lean to please their party (or camp) in lieu of the need of those who have helped them get elected.  We have the same thing in Christianity, some camps say salvation is in works while others emphatically deny that and say that it is by faith alone, sadly there are camps with in these camps.  I am saying all of this to say that in most Christian circles it is camps that keep us from achieving all that God would have us to do.  For years I have made it a practice of reading various blog sites, articles and books by Christian Counselors and the camp lines with in them are becoming more and more evident every day.

The truth is that camps are separators.  It is the separation of camps that get us focused on the minors.  We often find that one camp is writing and gearing up for an attack against the other.  They do so as if to say let’s not worry about what the true issues are  as much as getting their point across that the writer of one camp wants to come across as more right than the one that he is writing about.  I am finding out that many of these writers are spending much more time and effort attacking each other than they do on the problems.  In doing so it is almost as if they become another problem incarnate.  Book stores and Blog sites are filled with volumes written and being written about various issues but many of the average reader find themselves losing heart in their efforts.  They spend hours trying to sort through the attack language and get weighed down in the authors ego mire.  Finding themselves finished before they get to the answers that the author originally intended to write about.  Sadly the truths in some of these books and articles are never found as readers too soon tire of the search and toss them aside.

It is sad in that you often find one counselor promoting the acronyms of the group(s) that he belongs to and talking against the acronyms of another group.  One group supports a certain group of authors and the other an entirely different group.  Humility is often replaced by pride and arrogance as their history and experience with working with others increases.  They sit by watching and witnessing the Holy Spirit as He works in the counselee’s heart and life at times in spite of the sin of the counselor.  Do they not see that their sin will soon find us out (Numbers 32:23)?  Could this sin possibly be revealed in an open session or in open writing?  With some of these counselors it seems that the truth of His Grace and Mercy does not extend toward some Biblical Counselors that they do not see eye to eye with.  In essence we hear them say, I love you brother but…, I love you sister but…, well, “Billy goats butt”.  Grace, mercy and forgiveness is what we are called to minister yet we find that some fail to practice especially in written form.

I do not believe that any of us are really exempt, we are all in danger of being caught up in the “your camp my camp mentality.”  We find that many of the writers take a sectarian stand when it comes to their group or camp.  Yet if we are truly Biblical we should turn first to the Scriptures for the answers.  It is interesting to note that when confronted with sectarianism Jesus himself forbid it as we see in Luke 9:49-50, “‘Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.’ (50) But Jesus said to him, ‘Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.’”  Sectarianism is a word which can conjure up a plethora of emotions, opinions and perspectives this is because the term can take on different meanings depending on how it is used.  According to one definition, “sectarianism is bigotry, discrimination, or narrow-minded hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions within a group, such as between different denominations of a religion, class, or factions of a political movement.”  I bet that this does sound a bit familiar to some.

The right question to ask is, “Is it really important for the cause of Christ?”  Is Jesus being glorified as we openly and unapologetically attack our brethren in Christ?  Are we really doing more damage to the Biblical Counseling Ministry that He has called us to by constantly attacking and bemoaning other counselors?  We should not walk into the counseling room to help someone before we get the splinter out of our own eye.  I do believe that there are some who carry a forest of beams in their own eyes.  We find this truth in this familiar passage of Scripture, Matthew 7:3-5 “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? (4) Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? (5) Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”  In doing so are we not guilty of grieving the Holy Spirit as well?  I do believe that we would all do well to have a permanent book mark in our Bibles to the fourth chapter of Ephesians.  We do well to teach the biblical rules of communication but some are still far from grasping them, from fully understanding the impact that they have on every relationship that we have.

It is now time to stop the separation and start circling the wagons and fighting the true enemy.  It is time to circle the wagons and protect that which is precious from the one who is trying so hard to destroy it.  If not we will be destined and determined to minimize the true fight by fighting ourselves while the real enemy laughs at us.  He has taken the tactic of divide-and-conquer to a new level by dividing us and getting us to fight each other.  This is what is evident among most Christian groups today.  A horse of a different color does not make it any less a horse.  We must learn to set our differences, our prejudice’s aside and start working together.  As believers in Christ we have just one mission and that is to bring honor to and glorify Christ.  Remember Luke 9:50? “‘… Jesus said to him, ‘Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.’” 

I am reminded of author Walt Kelly, he wrote of a comic strip character named Pogo who is quoted as saying, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” 

So where do we go from here?

You wake up one morning and your mind is clouded and your heart is filled with questions.  Who is to be your God?  Who is your main idol?  Who are you going to follow?  How can you see God?  How can you see Jesus?  It is a wonder that you can even think of God at all with all of the other god's or idols in your life?  How can you claim to love Jesus when you cannot get close to Him with the idols in your life?

Can you hear him with all these voices screaming for your attention?  Can you really say that you follow His call, His leading with all of these others demanding you hear and please them?  Is He really the King of your life with all of these idols?  They do not have to demand time and do not, but you allow and offer them that time that belongs to Jesus, time that is really not yours to give.

How often do we take that which is God’s and cast it before swine?  How often do we take that which is God’s and stomp it under foot?  How often do we in our own arrogance take that which is God’s and sinfully abuse it then in turn walk in His house singing “Everything’s all right,” knowing full well that it is not.  How often do we hypocritically march into His house pointing out those that we perceive as hypocrites.  It is a good thing that there is not a mirror for us to look into to expose us.  Yet we fail to remember or realize that our all knowing, all seeing God is keenly aware of who and what we really are. 

It is a good thing that we cannot smell the stench of our spiritual hypocrisy or maybe not?  Oh that God would allow us to see and comprehend the sin that is in our lives and what does it do to our relationship with Him?  Our spiritual awareness is dulled by our sin that we often believe that our goodness is good enough while we are deeply entrenched in sin

Isn't it time to surrender to Jesus all that is in your heart and life?  Isn't it time to surrender to Jesus all that you have raised up in your life?  Isn't it really time to truly stop and take a look at the shambles your spiritual life has become, because of your pride and idol allowances? 

Place them one by one in front of Jesus and slay them in his presence.  Whether it be money, occupation, things, family, friends, whatever or whomever it is.  We must slay these idols before the King of Kings and allow him once again His rightful place on the throne of our heart.

It is no wonder that you're not happy, it is no wonder you are not content, you have tried to place Jesus on your idol shelf and he will not stand for it.  He will either expose them as idols they are and make you deal with them or he will do with you because of them.  He is a jealous God and rightfully so.  Notice this passage of scripture from 1 Samuel.  "Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.  When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon.  And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the Lord .  So they took Dagon and set it in its place again.  And when they arose early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of the Lord .  The head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands were broken off on the threshold; only Dagon’s torso was left of it.  Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day." (1 Samuel 5:1-5)

In this passage of Scripture we see what takes place in our hearts we try to place God alongside another idol.  Dagon was an idol of the Philistines the idol had the head and arms of a man and the remaining torso of fish.  God's final point in this passage of Scripture is it when you remove the hands and head of your false god all that remains is the fishy part and it stinks.

God will not be placed with idols, he has to stand alone.  He must be placed separate and alone on the throne of your heart.  Someone once said that He is either Lord of all or He is not Lord at all." How true that is.

How can you serve Him when you're in the way?  How can you serve Him when you place idols in the way?  How can you serve Him when you allow your sin you to do so? 

If we want to be what He wants us to be, if we are to serve Him as He would have us to serve him, if we are to lead as He would have us to lead then we need to step out of the way.  We need to remove our clutter, we need to remove our junk, so that we can see Him, so that we can hear Him, and so that we can follow Him as we should.