I had just been released from prison when I joined a small church that practiced “session censured” communion. Basically, this means that no visitor may take communion at the church unless and until they have first been examined by the elders of the church. A practice I question to this day, but which Scripture and tradition reveal is not entirely without precedent. The pastor at the church was fairly new to the ministry, never having examined someone for membership. He wasn’t sure where to begin. So, I recommended
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; color: rgb(54, 53, 46); font-family: Bitter, georgia, serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 32px; background-color: rgb(247, 246, 239);"> There have been many challenges brought by critics who doubt the reliability and trustworthiness of the accounts of Jesus’ life in the Bible. How can we be sure that the Bible we read can be trusted as accurate?</p>
<p> If you’re to live productively in this broken-down world, it‘s absolutely critical that you humbly admit your limits as a human being and then live within them. The limits on our abilities are extensive and profound. For one thing, because you're a physical being, your life is limited by the laws of the physical universe. The ramifications of this are huge. <br /> <br /> You can only be in one place at a time. You can only be in one time at a time. You can’t propel yourself back into the past or launch yourself into the future; your existence is permanently anchored in the here and now.
When I was involved actively in Alcoholics Anonymous one of the many portions of the "Big Book" that I found interesting was the discussion of resentments and the suggestion that the alcoholic should avoid retaliation and argument with people who wrong him or her. There is the observation that those people, like the alcoholic, are spiritually sick. The alcoholic is admonished to ask God to help
Hope deferred makes the heart sick. (Proverbs 13:12) Depression, despair, feelings of disquiet and emptiness are common complaints we hear in the counseling office. Standard treatments of care for depressed persons notwithstanding, in this post I’d like to single out one specific aspect of the diagnostic picture as well as treatment plan that Christian counselors often fail to see but are uniquely equipped to address.
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 18px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; font-family: franklin-gothic-urw-n4, franklin-gothic-urw, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(60, 60, 60) !important;"> God’s Word really does open up to us the mysteries of the universe. It really does make us wiser than we could ever be without it. And yet, having said this, it's sad that we don’t take more advantage of this wisdom God has given us.</p> <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 18px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; font-family: franklin-gothic-urw-n4, franklin-gothic-urw, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(60, 60, 60) !important;"> It's sad that we don’t think his thoughts after him. It's sad that we don’t require ourselves to look at life through the lens of his revelation. It's sad that we swindle ourselves into thinking that we're wiser than we are. It's sad that we're not irritated by our foolishness. It's sad that we're not motivated to seek his help.</p>
A Tale of Two Paths and a Case for Biblical Counsel
Author: Margaret Ashmore
Category: Uncategorized
"They heal the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially, saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace.” Jeremiah 8:11 Psalm 1 is the gateway to the whole of the Psalms. 5th century theologian St. Gerome called this the “psalm of psalms and the Christian handbook on the whole of the bible.” In light of its clear and life altering implications the simplicity is striking. In a few short verses the
Jim loves God. He appears to love his wife and kids very much; he’s a leader in the church. He looks a lot like you and me. Jim, however, has a secret. He’s been living a double life for some time. At first it bothered him a lot, not so much anymore—he has developed a calloused heart. His conscience is seared from neglect.
God’s Word really does open up to us the mysteries of the universe. It really does make us wiser than we could ever be without it. And yet, having said this, it's sad that we don’t take more advantage of this wisdom God has given us. It's sad that we don’t think his thoughts after him. It's sad that we don’t require ourselves to look at life through the lens of his revelation. It's sad that we swindle ourselves into thinking that we're wiser than we are. It's sad that we're not irritated by our foolishness. It's sad that we're not motivated to seek his help.
"So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help," Psalm 107:12. I remember when I was in prison and feeling sorry for myself and whatever prospects awaited me after my release, countless, well-intentioned volunteers would come in and try to make me feel better about myself and my future. "You just made a mistake,"