Pastoral Counseling: Some preliminary thoughts

The Premise

Biblical counseling presupposes that man was made in the image of God, and as such was perfectly equipped to deal with life. Mental illness was unknown before sin enter into the human race.

So, to properly understand man, and to heal mental illness or bring life into proper equilibrium with our created purpose we must understand the purpose for which man was created, as well as the nature of man in general.

Theological anthropology is, therefore, a proper starting point.

The Psalmist wrote,

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

My personal conviction is that man is a tripartite being. He consist of a fleshly body, and immaterial soul, and a spirit that was infused by God at creation.

Those who believe that man is tripartite being, as I do, often quote 1 Thessalonians 5:23

“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Some, however, argue that since Mark records that Jesus separates the mind from the soul as evidenced by Mark 12:30, where he is quoted as saying that we should:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”

However, Jesus in my opinion is only alluding to the mind as the functioning principle of the soul, or real self. Scripture implies that men can think without the convenience of a body, as for instance when the fifth seal in Revelation 6:9-10 was opened, John says,

I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”

So, let us look at some of these functions of the mind.

Functions Of The Mind

The functions of the mind are closely tied in with the physical functions of the flesh and directed by the will that is influence by the conscience for moral insight and decisions.

Therefore, as an example, the intellect is the general term that refers to the mind’s capacity to learn. And, in turn the mind is in many ways a trinity in action, with the capacity for imagination—through which ideas are formed.

Another aspect is memory—where thoughts are formed and retained; and another is judgment—where ideas and thoughts are acted upon.

Some people have vivid imagination and good judgment but faulty memories; therefore, many ideas of value are lost.

Attitude Is Important

The Bible makes it abundantly clear that the mind plays an important role in who were are and how we are to cope with life.

“For, to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

Moreover, Scripture teaches us that—

“[T]he natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Romans 8: 6And,"[T]o be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.Romans 8:6Why?“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Romans 8:7

Whereas, on the other hand, the spiritually minded have the mind of Christ and can be instructed along the path of peace and personal contentment.

What's more, our destiny as Christians is to have the mind of Christ. According to Romans 8: 26-30, we learn that we are not alone in our struggles either, for we read:

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified."

Therefore, all pastoral counseling has one goal in mind—that is to disciple each counselee into mature Christians that reflect the image of Christ. For we know that a mentally healthy Christian is one that has completely surrendered to the Lordship of Christ in both thought and action.

Pastoral counseling is not difficult to understand. It does require, however, that the counselor to be firmly grounded in God’s word and thoroughly convinced that the Bible is His answer to the troubled soul that is searching for mental and emotional stability.

The Apostle James understood this principle long ago. He succinctly outlined the causes for most of our problems today, mentally and otherwise, when he wrote:

“What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God or it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

"You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy? But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires.

 “As the Scriptures say [He continues]‘God opposes the proud, but favors the humble.’ “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

“Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?

“Look here, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.’ Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” (James 4: 1-17; NLT)

Now, there are several points that I wish to bring to your attention concerning these verses, since you will see that throughout my counseling paradigm they will be present.

Firstly —James acknowledges the source of most of our struggles. That, of course, is our selfish and sinful nature.

Secondly — He uses Scripture as a counseling tool.

Thirdly — He demands action in the form of repentance. He says, “ … humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil … Come close to God … Wash your hands you sinners …purify your hearts … Let there be tears for what you have done … Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness . . . Humble yourselves before the Lord … Don’t speak evil against each other … your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. Do not judge your neighbor …”.

Fourthly — He tells us to live in the present. Now, is the only sure time that we have. Yesterday is past, tomorrow is not here, all we have is right now.

Truly, Christ is the answer for the past, present and future. We need nothing else for a completely satisfying life. I know that that sounds simplistic, but it is not. If we allow him to take care of the inside, he will also take care of the outside.

This is not to say, however, that Pastoral counseling is a substitute for clinical psychology or psychiatry—it is, however, a valuable ally.

Increasingly, however, secular psychiatrist and clinical psychologist have ignored pastoral counselors as a valuable collaborator and have intruded into the field of religion and offered imprudent counsel in areas of morals and spirituality that has encouraged and sanctioned a Godless immorality.

For example, in 1973 homosexuality was re-classified from a mental disorder to a lifestyle choice in The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), thereby confusing the creative purpose of male and female genders for responsible conjugal and societal functions.  [i]

As a result, surgical gender reassignment has mutilated otherwise perfect bodies to ‘make’ a transgender counselee to look like the opposite sex just because they ‘feel’like they were ‘meant’ to be the opposite sex.

It should be noted, however, that the debate is far from over. More recently the DSM has inserted a revision, classifying homosexuality as simply a lifestyle choice to that of an ego-dystonic [ii]malfunction—which when properly understood is just simply saying that homosexuality is a choice if one is comfortable with that lifestyle. If not, then psychiatry is there to help bring about a mutually acceptable therapy based on the counselee’s cultural or personal preference. [iii]  [iv]

So, we see that once again science has diagnosed the problem, but failed to provide the cure.

The sin of homosexuality is just one example. There are others that are just as potent.

Consider for example, the sin of a medically induced abortion. This horrific act has been condoned and encouraged by many as a means to experience more personal freedom and to provide greater opportunity to pursue a career. Why? Because one’s culture or lifestyle requires greater freedom, and that choice overrides the sanctity of life.

So, in the process consciences have been seared. The sins of greed, and envy, covetousness and the like have been hidden under the ruse of science and excused away as just part of human nature.

No wonder our national psyche is confused, and our pews empty. People are searching for truth, and they are not finding it on the psychiatrist’s couch or in our “user friendly churches” where pastors refuse to mention the word ‘sin’ for fear they may offend a potential member.

As a pastoral counselor, I have found the truth of the Gospel to be a very effective tool to bring about healing. Jesus never backed off from calling evil sin; nor should we as pastoral counselors.

That is not to say that we must be insensitive, or use Scripture as a big hammer to subdue a wayward soul; but as Paul admonished the Ephesians’ church, we can and must“speak the truth in love.” [v]

And, although the purpose of this book is not to argue the obvious, I must point out that a significant number in the counseling pulpit have by-in-large ignored sin as cancerous blight that has eaten the very soul out of much of America, including the church. My contention, though, is that for the counseling profession to mislabel sin as simply a choice or a character flaw is harmful to us as a nation.

It is encouraging, however, to see that slowly a number of secular psychiatrist and clinical psychologists have arrived at similar conclusions, and are willing to label sin as sin.

More about his later.

_____________________

[1] Mark 12:30 [See also Deut. 6:4,5]

[2] For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2: 14 16)

[i]“In 1973 homosexuality per se was removed from the DSM-II classification of mental disorders and replaced by the category Sexual Orientation Disturbance. This represented a compromise between the view that preferential homosexuality is invariably a mental disorder and the view that it is merely a normal sexual variant. While the 1973 DSM-II controversy was highly public, more recently a related but less public controversy involved what became the DSM-III category of Ego-dystonic Homosexuality. The author presents the DSM-III controversy and a reformulation of the issues involved in the diagnostic status of homosexuality. He argues that what is at issue is a value judgment about heterosexuality, rather than a factual dispute about homosexuality.”

[iv]1 Timothy 4:2 mentions a “seared conscience,” showing the possibility of such; however, hermeneutically, this reference is particularized.

[v]Ephesians 4:15. The entire chapter is an excellent recipe for a balanced life and provides a gold mind of sermon opportunities for the preaching pulpit.

 

A Guilt Trip Is A Rough And Unnecessary Ride!

We are God’s special creation. There is no one like me, and there will never be another you. No, God doesn't clone. Further, He has invested His greatest treasure in our welfare. This shows His great confidence in the potential of each of us.

Thus, we are under a moral obligation, and a God given responsibility.

An obligation to affirm His opinion of us, and the responsibility to cooperate with His purpose in us. Let us never forget that we bear the very image of Christ in our souls. Therefore, potentially, we are all winners! God thinks we have great possibilities. Why shouldn’t we? To believe less in ourselves than God believes in us is plain foolishness. A good self-image promotes good mental health. So, it is good psychology, as well as good theology, to believe in ourselves. Can anyone argue to the contrary that self-doubt brings on depression, and a spirit of defeatism? We should, therefore, in the words of Saint Augustine, “Think God’s thoughts after Him.”

Fretting over sin and feeling guilty, most often the cause for the mental doldrums is really nothing less than an abnormal reaction to our failure to measure up to His standard, I believe. I said, abnormal, because that is exactly the way God sees it.

Look once again at what He has to say,

The Ten Commandments were given so that all could see the extent of their failure to obey God’s laws. But the more we see our sinfulness, the more we see God’s abounding grace forgiving us. Before, sin ruled over all men and brought them to death, but now God’s kindness rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom. 5:20-21, TLB)

Therefore, there is no excuse for us living with guilt and to fret over shortcomings or inadequacies. He offers unconditional forgiveness and immediate spiritual rehabilitation for those who ask. So, why should we worry over a non-existing problem, once our sins are forgiven?

Once we are forgiven God never puts us back on a guilt trip. We do that ourselves.

Why Does God Expect Us To Pray?

Have you every wondered, “Why does God ask us to pray?” If God is all powerful and knows all the answers, and He really loves us, “Why does God ask us to pray?”

Jesus told His disciples that “... men ought always to pray and not lose heart ... ” (Luke 18:1). From time to time, throughout His Jesus' ministry He urged His disciples to pray. Why did He do that? Obviously, it was not for them to just express their wishes, or personal desires! Jesus never encouraged anyone to think of God as some kind of cosmic Santa Claus. No, as a matter of fact, Christ showed us the example by praying on that fateful night in the Garden of Gethsemane , “Father, not my will, but Thine be done.”

Could the answer to Christ clear instruction “that men ought always to pray, and not faint” be found in the Lord's Prayer?

Dr. Henry T. Blackaby, author of Experiencing God, this to say:

“In the middle of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, he gives a long and careful word on prayer (Matthew 6:5-15). The heart of it all is His “model prayer,” which begins: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven....” Examining the text carefully we notice that the heart of prayer is God the Father. Thus, prayer must first focus on God rather than ourselves. Our prayer should be for God's name and full character to be revealed clearly. We then pray for His will -- not our will -- to be done and that God express His will “on earth” in the arena of our lives. We should desire that heaven's will be done where we live.

“When our prayer is God-centered, God reveals Himself and His heart for all to see. When we pray for God to work mightily for Himself alone, He does. God can then work through the prayer lives of His people to make Himself known to a watching world. And when He does He is glorified! That is, He is seen in His activity for who He is, and this will draw people to Himself. Not all will be "saved," but all will know Him in one way or another. So we must model Jesus' prayer faithfully before we make any request for God to “bless us” and meet our needs.

“I have noticed that when people know that I am a child of God they watch to see what God does when I pray. Therefore, I pray with Him in mind so that when He answers my prayer HE is the focus of attention for everyone to see. Our desire should always be that God is seen and loved and followed by others because of what He is doing when we pray. And this, of course, is especially true when we live out our lives and prayer in our families and in our workplaces. Those around us every day, who should know us as Christians, will know when we pray and what God does when we pray. They will not be drawn to us, but to God -- whom we serve. And when they see God working, He will be honored and glorified!”

So, what Dr. Blackaby is reminding us of is that prayer has a focus and a purpose. The focus is God …not us; and the purpose is to know the will of God … not ours! It is not a matter of what we can do for God, but what His purposes are for His people, including each of us. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God , and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Mt: 6:33)” is the clear message of Christ. The focus is always God. And, to answer the question: “Why does God ask us to pray?” The answer is: Because He wants us to know God, and what His will is.

Success In One Easy Step

Kingdom success is always the results of obedience. Counting sheep may get you a plaque, but faithfully searching for the stray will win you a crown.

To put it succinctly, obedience is the key to success as far as God is concerned.

Has God called you to pastor in a small place? Then pastor. Has God called you to be a layperson? Then be a good one. Has He called you to be a missionary? Then be a missionary.

Are your resources limited? Don't worry. God will take care of that. Whatever the case, do your very best. God will take care of the rest.

Gideon found out that numbers did not count when God told him to whittled his little band of warriors down to just a handful of cautious men that cupped water up from the brook in their hands, rather than lapping the water like a dog. (Judges 7:5-7)

Obedience was the key to Gideon’s success, as well as ours.

My job is to train young men and women as ministers. I am obedient to that, even though I am well past retirement age and with limited income.

So, Bonnie and I are headed back overseas to minister and teach. That’s our assignment. So, we will obey.

Where will the funds come from? I don’t know. That’s God’s job—and, I might add, His faithful servants when he asks; so that we, together, may obey His call.

Now, the crucial question for you is not what I am willing to do, but what you are willing to do in obedience to his call on your life.

One Christmas That Lasted A Lifetime

A Christmas that last for a lifetime
As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big 'F' at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy to be around.

His second grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle.'

His third grade teacher wrote, 'His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest, and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken.'

Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class.'

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, 'Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to.'

After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her 'teacher's pets..'

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he had ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer. The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring.

Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, 'Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.'

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, 'Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you.'

(For you who don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Doctor at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)

Friends, forever!

Have you ever developed a friendship, only to find out later that your friend has moved on to bigger and better things, including you?

I’m sure most of us have experience that.

The problem is, some people treat friends like a commodity. And, like any other commodity that friendship wears out. Disillusionment follows, and sometimes bitterness, even hatred. It has always amazed me that a couple can be madly in love, and then end up in divorce--or contantly fighting like cats and dogs. Why is that?

The truth of the matter is that they really did not know each other, or over time one or both of them people change.
Sometimes one grows, while the other remains the high school jock he always was. Our interest change, also. Travel is a big factor in a missionaries life. Talking about the price of pork bellies and rise and fall of soy bean prices may interest Billy Bob Farmer, your old 4H sidekick when you were growing up in Podunk Hollow, as I did; but when you’ve traveled around the world more times than you can count (or at least it seems so) things like that just don’t make for a good conversation topic anymore. That doesn’t mean that you don’t like Old Billy Bob; it just means that you now have very little in common.

So, what’s the point in all this rambling?

The point is, we need to examine our friendships in light of all of these factors. It just may be that he or she was not the friend you thought you had.

Now, I’m not talking about the fellow that keeps looking over your shoulder at church council to see if he can spot someone with just a little more influence than you have so he can strike up a conversation with them. People like that are not friends, they’re opportunists. So, what is there to examine there?

Here are some tips on friendship that I have gleaned down through the years:

 Friends are upfront with you. They tell you what they think.
 Friends may disagree, but they are not disagreeable.
 Friends don’t hold grudges. Not even secret ones.
 Friends never take advantage of your friendship.
 Friends never impose on you.
 Friends never talk about you behind your back.
 Friends never expect too much from you.
 Friends confide in you.
 Friends never break trust.
 Friends stick up for you when you are right, and remind you when you are wrong.
 Friends accept your spouse as part of the package in your friendship.
 Friends are not jealous of your other friends.
 Friends are not envious of your success or critical of your failures.

There are many more, but lastly I would like to mention that good friendships are cultivated and work on. Can you think of more?

Has Sex Gone Viral In America?

Has Sex Gone Viral?

I don’t know, but are people more sexually charged than they were say, when I was a young man?

Great day in the morning, it seems that almost everyday some well known figure is accused of sexual harassment. Well, I should be quick to add, not only accused, but in far too many incidences the accusations are actually proven.

Today it is Herman Cain’s 15 minutes of fame. Tomorrow, who knows?

Then there are the cases involving school teachers. Now, we are not just talking about testosteroned charged football coaches talking trash in front of innocent little cheerleaders—no, not on you life—we’re talking about genders of both sexes, male and female. And, they are not just talking trash, they are actually bedding up with students, some as young as 13 and 14 years of age.

Excuse me, but what brought this perversion on?

Well, if you listen closely to what the perpetrators are saying, usually they blame it on an abusive childhood, or a manic depressive disorder, or some other nonsense. Reminds me of the day when Flip Wilson in character as Geraldine used to say, “The Devil made me do it!” At least he didn’t blame his parents or genetics.

Flip, however, was also wrong. It wasn’t the Devil, it was Flip that made him do it.

James wrote a long time ago:

A man must not say when he is tempted, “God is tempting me.” For God has no dealings with evil, and does not himself tempt anyone. No, a man’s temptation is due to the pull of his own inward desires, which can be enormously attractive. His own desire takes hold of him, and that produces sin. And sin in the long run means death—make no mistake about that, brothers of mine! (James 1: 13-16) (J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

Now, let me get quickly to the real issue here. One’s sexuality may be the by-produce of many contributing factors—hormone levels, learned behavior, cultural mores, and a host of other causes; however, in the final analysis individuals hold the lasting responsibility. Unchecked lust is a disaster in wait. Garbage in, garbage out is still a fact. In the words of Scripture, “For as [a man or woman] thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Prov. 23:7)

Hope you didn’t miss the words “thinks in his heart” because these words are very important. Thinking governs us and in turn society. Flip through any secular magazine, look at a preponderance of advertisements and it is obvious what inspires the average consumer to take a closer look at the product—in a word, sex. Sex sells. Why? The blunt answer is, because modern society's mind is in the gutter.

Hinduism’s Kuma Satra pales in the face of all the trash portrayed in our media where homosexuality, transvestism, transgenderism, polygamous marriages (the list goes on and on) are promoted as an acceptable alternate lifestyle. Morality is no longer an absolute, you can just pick and choose which style you think fits best.

Let’s face it, modern society’s thoughts are all wonky. Why? Because people's hearts are all wrong.

Cases in point. You can’t smoke on television, but you can fornicate. You can’t use the “n” word (and you shouldn’t); but you can defame the name of God. You can’t blow up Brooklyn Bridge (and you shouldn’t); but you can write a book on how you can. Parents can’t stop a minor daughter from getting an abortion, but she generally needs permission to get her ears pierced.

Want more? How about locking up people for smoking pot, unless they bought it at the local pharmacy? Show me any logic in any of that and I will eat my hat.

No wonder our kids are confused.

Do the ungodly have a Constitutional right to pursue that lifestyle? Sure they do, if we can protect the innocent. However, there is where the rub comes in—you can't. So, the question is mute, as far as I am concerned.

So, what am I saying? Simply this: until individuals in society change society by first changing their hearts, we are in for some rough sledding ahead as a nation and as a community of Christians.

God Has Not Promised

Things don’t always work out as planned. The economy takes a turn for the worst so little Johnnie (who is not so little anymore) must enroll in the local community college and kiss his dreams and yours of attending an ivy league school goodbye. Mom must shuffle between being the domestic goddess she was meant to be and the new cashiers job at the 711 just down the block. Suddenly, Fido and little Fluffy find themselves eating the generic brand rather than the pretty one that comes in the nice pink package and promises to give them strong bones and glossy coats. Life takes on a new flavor altogether—and you don’t like the taste, either.

Well, cheer up!—let’s get real.

God hath not promised skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;
God hath not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

God hath not promised we shall not know 
Toil and temptation, trouble and woe;
He hath not told us we shall not bear 
Many a burden, many a care.

God hath not promised smooth roads and wide,
Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;
Never a mountain, rocky and steep,
Never a river, turbid and deep.

But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

This I write after watching a dear loved one stripped of the dignity of work and the promise of a bright future. Metastasized cancer can do that, you know. Sometimes—perhaps, most times for many—life is just not fair. The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Disappointments come and go—but, mostly, they come. When these times come (I’m thinking of the bad times), then I dig out the words of “God Hath Not Promised Skies Always Blue” and read them through a couple of times until I start humming the tune along with the words, and I feel better. Why?

I’ll tell you why. It is because God has promised, and I find it to be true, that He will give strength for the day, rest for the labor, light for the way, grace for the trials, help from above, unfailing sympathy, undying love.

And, friends, that is good enough for me; and you, too, I suspect. But, the sad facts are that many do not sense that comfort since they do not know the Great Comforter. Jesus is a mystery or a myth at best to them. Not the loving Shepherd that we know and sense daily.

So, please continue to join with me as we spread this good news around the world. For, Christ expressly says, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” John 10:16

Chaz & All That Razmataz

Television’s most popular show for several seasons in the running has been “Dancing With The Stars.” Now, I have never been into dancing. That was a no-no when I was growing up; however, I understand that quite a few Evangelical Christians love to dance. Anyway, I’m not here to pontificate on that subject at this point, except to say that it does seem like our standard of holiness has been thrown out the window with otherwise faithful church going Christians watching all the filth on television these days.

The point I want to make in this brief commentary is that curiosity got the best of me and I had to watch Chaz Bono dance just because it was such an anomaly. Old Chazy is not a lesbian. No sir, far from that. At least that is what Mr/Ms Chaz claims. Now, I have not been reading up on transgender sex transformation surgery, but I understand from someone who has that Mr. Chaz is still Ms. Chaz technically speaking. Chaz does have a female partner, however.

So, if you are not confused enough by now, hold on.

Chaz has taken so many hormones that it has puffed him and/or her up like an oversized balloon, just ready to pop. The side effects of so much testosterone has produced the desired results, however. She (woops!) — well, let’s just say, shim — shim now has a nice squiggly set of Dutch sideburns.

Now, what is odd about the whole setup is that Chaz seems perfectly at ease with this bizarreness. And, that’s not all, so does most everyone else on the show—at least publically. Not only that, Chaz who bounces around like a rubber penguin got voted back on, thereby eliminating a couple that the show’s judges felt would be in the finals. So, there must be a whole lot of strange people out there voting. I say that because otherwise Chaz’s dancing alone would have never cut it.

Someone said a long time ago, “You should never mix religion and politics.” Well, whoever that person was must have been pretty persuasive because not only have we screwed up politically because of that but we have also allowed science to go wonky on us.

Let’s start with politics. Tear down the traditional family through gay marriages and transgender sex changes and you will rip America apart at the seams. Secondly, let science willy-nilly meander around test tubing babies, changing genders, shooting our vegetables and animals full of artificial hormones, condoning homosexuality as just an alternate life style choice, and doing all the other things that science does and dogmatizes on, and we will end up destroying not only mankind as we know it but sanity itself, in my opinion.

Albert Schweitzer, the eminent German theologian and medical missionary, was once asked by Adlai Stevenson, then a presidential candidate, what he thought was the greatest threat the world would have in the future. Schweitzer replied without hesitation, “Science without moral restraints.”

In many aspects Schweitzer was right. Think of it. Weapons that can destroy every living thing on earth in a matter of minutes. Freakish mutations that portend human abnormalities. Water that is unfit to drink. Air that is unsafe to breathe. Food that is harmful to ingest. And, the list goes on and on.

When will it stop? Never … unless men change for the better morally. Otherwise, we can kiss civilization goodbye as we know it.

Science does not have the final word, though. God does.

And, oh yes, Chaz you are still Chastity, whether you like it or not. Sorry.

Bumps in the road

How true this is. Life does have ups and downs. And, if you are fortune enough to live long enough you will find that it also has seasons. Sadly, however, a bad case of cancer or a car accident can cut you down in the autumn of life just when the trees began to shed their leaves in a serendipity of bright hues cast against a wonderful golden sunset.

Suddenly, a huge axe out of nowhere cuts through all your plans, ambitions, hopes and dreams. In a moment—most times without warning—a dark and foreboding winter sets in, blasting you with blizzards of hurt, despair, and, yes, even doubt. Doubting that you will make it through to the other side, knowing that some don’t. And, even at its best, it’s a bad winter.


Such is life, and death. We assume that we have a choice in how things will turn out, but we really don’t. Our choice is to simply to say, "Yes." Only God knows the outcome. The end is in His hands.

It is, however, at moments like these that we have our greatest opportunities for change. Attitudes can be reevaluated and improved. Forgiveness can be sought or offered. It’s all there—a chance to change, even in times of stress and uncertainty.

For me, it’s early to middle fall, winter is pushing its way hard out of the north, across the barren arctic landscape. But, it is still yet autumn. The leaves are slowly changing colors, then twisting and turning as they fall onto the dry ground below. It’s autumn, that’s for sure. So, I’m preparing for the winter. For as with the Master,

"I [too] must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work" (John 9:4).


For, as my Heavenly Father sent Him, so have I also been sent. (John 20:21) And, there is still work to do!

This not only motivates me, but it is also my obligation. My task as a missionary (literally: one who is sent) is to help the Good Shepherd find the stray.

I can’t do it alone, however. I need you to assist me. The work requires all the organization, team work and skills of a rescue party searching for someone lost in the wilderness.

If you wish to invest in the future and contribute towards our overseas ministry to educate, mentor, and train leaders overseas, please click onto the "Contribute" button below.

Please include in the comment section your preference:

√ Class (40) Ministry Trip.
√ Class (09) Personal Expenses.

Otherwise, If you are not online and wish to mail your contributions in, send them to that address below and I will see that you get AGWM and IRS credit:

Missionaries Jim & Bonnie Roane (AGWM/Retired)
1013 Madera Court
Allen, TX 75013-3639

Thank you for your consideration

Success In One Easy Step

Kingdom success is always the results of obedience. Counting sheep may get you a plaque, but faithfully searching for the stray will win you a crown.

To put it succinctly, obedience is the key to success as far as God is concerned.

Has God called you to pastor in a small place? Then pastor. Has God called you to be a layperson? Then be a good one. Has He called you to be a missionary? Then be a missionary.

Are your resources limited? Do worry. God will take care of that. Whatever the case, do your very best. God will take care of the rest.

Gideon found out that numbers did not count when God told him to whittled his little band of warriors down to just a handful of cautious men that cupped water up from the brook in their hands, rather than lapping the water like a dog. (Judges 7:5-7)

Obedience was the key to Gideon’s success, as well as ours.

My job is to train young men and women as ministers. I am obedient to that, even though I am well past retirement age and with limited income.

So, Bonnie and I are headed back overseas to minister and teach. That’s our assignment. So, we will obey.

Where will the funds come from? I don’t know. That’s God’s job—and, I might add, His faithful servants when he asks; so that we, together, may obey His call.

Some more reflections on growing older . . .

Some more reflections on growing older, and a few other things thrown in for good measure . . .

I've come to the conclusion that friends are friends. You know it almost the minute you meet them. You say to your self, "Now, there is someone I really like."— and you know that they feel the same. So, I don’t waste a lot of time “cultivating” friends. They’re either friends, or they are not friends. I believe in being nice to people, however. But, I do not expect everyone to be my buddy.

Another thing I noticed. I don’t step on bugs as much as I used to when I was a kid. I couldn’t create a little lady bug, or a grasshopper if I wanted to—so, I just admire them. I also marvel at God’s awesomeness in all of His handiwork.

Something else, too. I don’t need to be progressive to be contemporary. Show me a progressive Christian and I show you one that is setting himself up for a good doze of heresy. The Bible is the Bible, and according to the Bible, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Heb. 13:8)

So, I don’t feel compelled to support the liberal agenda, or play tootsies with others that seem to be hellbent on destroying America. No, I am not an old curmudgeon, either. I just have reached certain conclusions. Now, if you don’t agree. Fine. That is your privilege. But, please give me the same liberty as you demand. Okay?

Same-sex Marriages

Gay marriages are in the news these days. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat who has championed same-sex marriage in the state since taking office in January, held a party in New York City and promised to help push for same-sex couples to be allowed to marry in other states. "Passing this law not only completes the promise that we made to the people of the state during the campaign; it's going to make a real difference in people's lives,"

Mr. Cuomo told reporters at the Dream Downtown Hotel near the meatpacking district, where he hosted a reception for lawmakers and gay rights advocates. "And I don't think this is just about gay people who now choose to get married," the governor added. "This is a statement that we should all feel good about."

A city official married the first couple in New York City to wed under the state's new law allowing same-sex marriage Sunday. Phyllis Siegal, 76, and Connie Kopelov, 84, were married in a chapel at the city clerk's office as a crowd of onlookers cheered.

The two, of New York, have been together for 23 years. Kopelov left the clerk's office in a wheelchair, but used a walker to approach reporters. "Your cheers are wonderful," Siegal told well-wishers outside the office.

She told reporters the experience was "just so amazing. It's the only way I can describe it."

Surprisingly, very few Christians understand or can defend the Biblical stance on this issue.

Many have asked what my position is on the subject. So, perhaps, a blog is the best place to deal with it.
First of all both Old and New Testaments are adamantly opposed to sexual activity between people of the same sex. The scriptures explicitly forbid it.

For starters, just read Leviticus 18:22: "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination."

And, of course, the New Testament follows though on this theme culminating with Jude 5-7 which reads: "Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day - just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire."

Of course, advocates of same sex marriages are well aware to these verses of scripture, but through a series of contorted hermeneutical maneuvers manage to illogically circumvent these obvious proscriptions. Perhaps, the most ridiculous one is to somehow tie heterosexual marriages with the ancient practice of slavery as an example on how we must change our position on same sex marriages to keep up with the times.

Well, for one thing, marriage between the opposite sexes is not slavery-nor is it, archaic. Furthermore, Jesus recognized the marriage as consummated when the opposite sexes were joined together. To put it bluntly, the puzzle just does not fit in same sex marriages.

Read it for yourself: "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,' and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." Matt. 19:4-6

Finally, even reason itself dictates against the practice. It simply is not natural.

I know that some argue that gays are just born that way; but I maintain that the same line of reasoning and argument could be used to condone pedophilia.

Functions Of The Mind From a Theological Perspective

Introduction[i]

“The majority of people in our communities turn to a pastor or priest when they have a crisis or counseling need.”[ii] — Pastor Wade Goodall, D.Min.

First of all, some foundational points—counseling is inevitable; but not always well performed. Our duty as pastors and Christian lay workers is to prepare ourselves for the inevitable.

In doing so, however, we must keep in mind that not all counseling deals with nefarious behavior. Psychological needs are of sorted origins, some avoidable, some not. One thing is for sure, however, it can be easily assumed that right now, sitting somewhere in a pew in your church is a potential suicide, or a struggling homosexual, or a couple with their marriage on the rocks, or someone who has just been diagnosed with cancer, or simply a well mannered college kid that desperately needs career advice.

So, that being the case—and I believe that it is—the truth is, whether you are prepared for counseling or not, you will in all likelihood be call on for guidance. And, rightly so. Because as pastor and psychologists Robert Morgan, Ph.D., has observed:

“Pastoral counseling is best done by a pastor–not a professional counselor or psychotherapist.”[iii]

That is not to say, however, that professional counselors are not needed. Indeed, sometimes they are, since there are counseling situations that are for too medically complicated for the average counselor to treat. And, in such cases Morgan is correct in stating that:

“Good professional biblical counselors certainly play an important role when the complexities of mental illness are involved, but they are allies of the pastor, not substitutes for him.”[iv]

Morgan feels that pastors have several positive counseling advantages. Among the advantages are:

• Friendship. Pastors are considered friends, not professional.
• Prior relationship. There is usually an ongoing relationship between the pastor and the counselee. Generally, the pastors knows the family’s history, the counselee’s spiritual maturity, and past experiences.
• Preaching. The pulpit offers a great opportunity to include biblical counseling advice. Use this opportunity as often as you can; but don’t use this ministry opportunity to hammer the congregation over the head.
• Biblical advice. The Bible is still the best manual for counselors. Read it with an eye open for applicable Biblical truth that will minister to hurting people in the congregation.
• Availability. Pastors are usually more accessible to their parishioners, or at least they should be. Make sure your congregation know that, and feels free to come to you for advice. Availability does not mean that you can or should handle every case. At times, part of the care we offer people is helping them find a competent Christian mental health professional. [v]

With these particulars in mind we can easily see that it is vitally important that we sharpen our skills as a counselor.

Fundamental to that sharpening process are 10 key principles suggested by Christian counselor Dr. Larry Crabb, Ph.D.:

1. The Scripture is always right. The Bible covers a myriad of problems, difficulties, and issues that people face every day. We can know how God feels about divorce, adultery, substance abuse, dishonesty, and numerous other harmful behaviors. Scripture is clear about God’s desire to set people free, forgive them of their sins, and restore their lives. The Bible is our blueprint for living and should be every pastor’s counseling manual.

2. The counselee is always responsible to do what is right. None of us can blame others for our personal choices in life. It is the counselee’s choice whether to make the right or wrong decision. You can pray for and encourage those who come for counseling, but in the end it is their choice.

3. There is always a biblical, Christ-honoring response that the counselee is capable of choosing. What is the right thing to do when a person has wronged you? Every issue a person faces in life has a Christ-honoring response. It might be confrontation, a gentle rebuke, or forgiveness.

4. Listen carefully. What is said and what is meant may be different. Often people will hint at their situation but never clearly spell it out. As you listen to people, try to hear what they are really saying and ask them questions such as: “Am I hearing you say…?” or “Is there something else you want to talk about.” This type of question often prompts the person to bring out the real issues.

5. Don’t be afraid to ask about willful sin. If you suspect sinful behavior, ask about it at the appropriate time. You could say: “Have you been seeing someone else?” or “What behaviors have you been involved in that you know God would not approve of?”

6. The counselee is a person of worth, made in the image of God. No matter what people have done, they are important to God and should be important to us. God can cleanse, redeem, and restore anyone who comes to Him for help.

7. Counseling advice should be specific and doable. When you give people advice about how to overcome their problems, be specific about how to do it. Write out a “road map” for them. Just saying to counselees that they need to stop a certain behavior is not good enough. They often know they need to stop, but they don’t know how. You can help them find the “how.”

8. Remain hopeful, but realize there are no instant cures to life’s problems. The habit that has lasted years will often take months or years to overcome. A bad marriage doesn’t become a good marriage overnight. Those who have grown up in an abusive home could have similar challenges with their family. Be patient with people, and remain hopeful. Be an encourager to counselees that God will get them through.

9. Know that God can use you. Take charge. There are a variety of people and problems you will face in ministry. Help, in some way, those who cross your path. It might be through counseling, or it could be through referral to a Christian mental health professional or medical doctor. God will help you work with the people He has placed under your care.

10. You are a person talking to a person. Counseling is a relationship. Let people know that God has helped you with your difficulties and challenges. This gives people hope and lets them know that you are also working out your salvation with “fear and trembling”.[vi]

The wise pastor, therefore, keeps these 10 recommendations clearly in focus, because, as Dr. Goodall has pointed out,

“Counseling is a part of every pastor’s life. We counsel after a tragedy, at a funeral, during a marriage difficulty, or in a pre-marital counseling session. We counsel in the church foyer, during visitation, or before a critical surgery.”[vii]

Now that we have established that counseling is inevitable and ways in which we should approach our role in the counseling process.

The Premise is Simple

Biblical counseling presupposes that man was made in the image of God, and as such was perfectly equipped to deal with life. Mental illness was unknown before sin enter into the human race.

So, to properly understand man, and to heal mental illness or bring life into proper equilibrium with our created purpose we must understand the purpose for which man was created, as well as the nature of man in general.

Theological anthropology is, therefore, a proper starting point.

The Psalmist wrote,

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

My personal conviction is that man is a tripartite being. He consist of a fleshly body, and immaterial soul, and a spirit that was infused by God at creation.

Those who believe that man is tripartite being, as I do, often quote 1 Thessalonians 5:23

“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Some, however, argue that since Mark records that Jesus separates the mind from the soul as evidenced by Mark 12:30, where he is quoted as saying that we should:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”[viii]

However, Jesus in my opinion is only alluding to the mind as a functional principle of the soul.

So, let us look at some of these functions of the mind.

Functions Of The Mind From a Theological Perspective

The functions of the mind are closely tied in with the physical functions of the flesh and directed by the will that is influence by the conscience for moral insight and decisions.
Intellect is the general term that refers to the mind’s capacity to learn.

The mind is in many ways a trinity in action, with a capacity of:

• Imagination—through which ideas are formed.
• Memory—where thoughts are formed and retained, and
• Judgment—where ideas and thoughts are acted upon.

Some people have vivid imagination and good judgment but faulty memories; therefore, many ideas of value are lost. Of, course, a perfect mind would possess all 3 of these.

A person may be carnally minded, or have the mind of Christ.

Romans 8:6 says, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

The carnally minded are:

1 Corinthians 2: 14 — But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Romans 8: 6 — Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

The spiritually minded are:

1 Corinthians 2: 14 16— For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.

Our destiny as Christians is to have the mind of Christ for God’s purpose is to make us into the image of His Son. Romans 8 covers the essentials in understanding God’s purposes for us.

Romans 8: 26-30, says,

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[k] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

And, of course, we know that “To be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)

  

Attitude Is Important

The Bible makes it abundantly clear that the mind plays an important role in who were are and how we are to cope with life.

“For, to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

Moreover, Scripture teaches us that—

“[T]he natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Romans 8: 6 

And,

“[T]o be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Romans 8:6

Why?

 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Romans 8:7

 Whereas, on the other hand, the spiritually minded have the mind of Christ and can be instructed along the path of peace and personal contentment.[ix]

  

What’s more, our destiny as Christians is to have the mind of Christ. According to Romans 8: 26-30, we learn that we are not alone in our struggles either, for we read:

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”  

Therefore, all pastoral counseling has one goal in mind—that is to disciple each counselee into mature Christians that reflect the image of Christ. For we know that a mentally healthy Christian is one that has completely surrendered to the Lordship of Christ in both thought and action.

Pastoral counseling is not difficult to understand. It does require, however, that the counselor to be firmly grounded in God’s word and thoroughly convinced that the Bible is His answer to the troubled soul that is searching for mental and emotional stability.

The Apostle James understood this principle long ago. He succinctly outlined the causes for most of our problems today, mentally and otherwise, when he wrote:

“What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy? But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires.

 “As the Scriptures say [He continues] ‘God opposes the proud, but favors the humble.’ “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

 “Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?

 “Look here, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.’ Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” (James 4: 1-17; NLT)

Now, there are several points that I wish to bring to your attention concerning these verses, since you will see that throughout my counseling paradigm they will be present.

• Firstly — James acknowledges the source of most of our struggles. That, of course, is our selfish and sinful nature.
• Secondly — He uses Scripture as a counseling tool.
• Thirdly — He demands action in the form of repentance. He says, “ … humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil … Come close to God … Wash your hands you sinners … purify your hearts … Let there be tears for what you have done … Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness . . . Humble yourselves before the Lord … Don’t speak evil against each other … your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. Do not judge your neighbor …”.
• Fourthly — He tells us to live in the present. Now, is the only sure time that we have. Yesterday is past, tomorrow is not here, all we have is right now.

Truly, Christ is the answer for the past, present and future. We need nothing else for a completely satisfying life. I know that that sounds simplistic, but it is not. If we allow him to take care of the inside, he will also take care of the outside.

This is not to say, however, that Pastoral counseling is a substitute for clinical psychology or psychiatry—it is, however, a valuable ally.

Increasingly, however, secular psychiatrist and clinical psychologist have ignored pastoral counselors as a valuable collaborator and have intruded into the field of religion and offered imprudent counsel in areas of morals and spirituality that has encouraged and sanctioned a Godless immorality.

For example, in 1973 homosexuality was re-classified from a mental disorder to a lifestyle choice in The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), thereby confusing the creative purpose of male and female genders for responsible conjugal and societal functions. [x]

As a result, surgical gender reassignment has mutilated otherwise perfect bodies to ‘make’ a transgender counselee to look like the opposite sex just because they ‘feel’ like they were ‘meant’ to be the opposite sex.

It should be noted, however, that the debate is far from over. More recently the DSM has inserted a revision, classifying homosexuality as simply a lifestyle choice to that of an ego-dystonic[xi] malfunction—which when properly understood is just simply saying that homosexuality is a choice if one is comfortable with that lifestyle. If not, then psychiatry is there to help bring about a mutually acceptable therapy based on the counselee’s cultural or personal preference.[xii],[xiii]

So, we see that once again science has diagnosed the problem, but failed to provide the cure.

The sin of homosexuality is just one example. There are others that are just as potent.

Consider for example, the sin of a medically induced abortion. This horrific act has been condoned and encouraged by many as a means to experience more personal freedom and to provide greater opportunity to pursue a career. Why? Because one’s culture or lifestyle requires greater freedom, and that choice overrides the sanctity of life.

So, in the process consciences have been seared. The sins of greed, and envy, covetousness and the like have been hidden under the ruse of science and excused away as just part of human nature.

No wonder our national psyche is confused, and our pews empty. People are searching for truth, and they are not finding it on the psychiatrist’s couch or in our “user friendly churches” where pastors refuse to mention the word ‘sin’ for fear they may offend a potential member.

As a counseling pastor, I have found the truth of the Gospel to be a very effective tool to bring about healing. Jesus never backed off from calling evil sin; nor should we as pastoral counselors.

That is not to say that we must be insensitive, or use Scripture as a big hammer to subdue a wayward soul; but as Paul admonished the Ephesians’ church, we can and must “speak the truth in love.”[xiv]

And, although the purpose of this book is not to argue the obvious, I must point out that a significant number in the counseling pulpit have by-in-large ignored sin as cancerous blight that has eaten the very soul out of much of America, including the church. My contention, though, is that for the counseling profession to mislabel sin as simply a choice or a character flaw is harmful to us as a nation.

It is encouraging, however, to see that slowly a number of secular psychiatrist and clinical psychologists have arrived at similar conclusions, and are willing to label sin as sin.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 [i] Much of this introductory material was gleaned from Pastoral Counseling: 10 Key Principles by Wayde I. Goodall. Wayde I. Goodall, D.Min., former executive editor of Enrichment and coordinator of the Ministerial Enrichment Office, Springfield, Missouri. Enrichment Journal, 1445 Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO 65802/Email: enrichmentjournal@ag.org/Phone: 417-862-2781, ext. 4095

 [ii] http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/199803/096_key_principles.cfm

 [iii] Robert Morgan, “Why Pastors Make Great Counselors,” Leadership, Spring 1997, 29-31

 [iv] Robert Morgan, “Why Pastors Make Great Counselors,” Leadership, Spring 1997, 29-31

 [v] Robert Morgan, “Why Pastors Make Great Counselors,” Leadership, Spring 1997, 29-31

 [vi] Larry Crabb has used a variation of these points in his books and counseling seminars.

 [vii] http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/199803/096_key_principles.cfm

 [viii] Mark 12:30 [See also Deut. 6:4,5]

 [ix] For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2: 14 16)

 [x] “In 1973 homosexuality per se was removed from the DSM-II classification of mental disorders and replaced by the category Sexual Orientation Disturbance. This represented a compromise between the view that preferential homosexuality is invariably a mental disorder and the view that it is merely a normal sexual variant. While the 1973 DSM-II controversy was highly public, more recently a related but less public controversy involved what became the DSM-III category of Ego-dystonic Homosexuality. The author presents the DSM-III controversy and a reformulation of the issues involved in the diagnostic status of homosexuality. He argues that what is at issue is a value judgment about heterosexuality, rather than a factual dispute about homosexuality.”Source: http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/138/2/210

[xi] ego-dystonic [e″go-dis-ton´ik]—denoting aspects of a person's thoughts, impulses, attitudes, and behavior that are felt to be repugnant, distressing, unacceptable, or inconsistent with the rest of the personality. Source: Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved. Compare: Ego-syntonic—Consistent with one's sense of self, as opposed to ego-alien or dystonic (foreign to one's sense of self). Ego-syntonic traits typify patients with personality disorders.

Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

[xii] DSM-IV specifies that these dysfunctional patterns must be regarded as nonconforming or deviant by the person's culture, and cause significant emotional pain and/or difficulties in relationships and occupational performance. In addition, the patient usually sees the disorder as being consistent with his or her self-image (ego-syntonic) and may blame others for his or her social, educational, or work-related problems. Reference source: http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Personality+Disorders

[xiii] 1 Timothy 4:2 mentions a “seared conscience,” showing the possibility of such; however, hermeneutically, this reference is particularized.

[xiv] Ephesians 4:15. The entire chapter is an excellent recipe for a balanced life and provides a gold mind of sermon opportunities for the preaching pulpit.