In chapter 2 of the book of Revelation, in the first seven verses, Jesus sends a message to the church at Ephesus. In this message, He makes one interesting statement, among the rest. (NASB, verse 2) “I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to…
IF YOU WANT THE SAME OLD THINGS TO KEEP HAPPENING TO YOU, THEN KEEP DOING THE SAME OLD THINGS. For things to continue the way they’ve always been, do nothing different. Change is not change until there has been change. Hoping for change will change nothing. Knowing the right thing to do, but not doing…
The following are many of the principles used in counseling. What should be obvious is that this list is not all-inclusive. Other principles used by other counselors may not have made this list. That only means that we did not have that principle, or were aware of it, to include it here. People Do The…
Would Jesus ever tell anyone to hate someone else? Luke 14:25-26 (NASB), “Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life,…
The idea is that just “telling the truth” to others because we feel they need to hear it may not be the great idea we might think it is. If you tell someone the “truth” (which is often just someone’s opinion about something) and you hurt their feelings in the process, then where’s the love?…
I had a discussion with a fellow Christian one day, and I unpleasantly surprised by what I realized about him. I have known this man for many years, so I am quite familiar with his life, personal choices, and results of many of these in his life. I happened to be with him when he…
The Biblical Application Process is a systematic and logical approach to discovering how things work according to the Scriptures. When conducting research, Bible Scholars use the Biblical Application Process method to collect measurable, empirical evidence in an experiment related to a truth (often in the form of an if/then statement), the results aiming to support…
Why do some people struggle so much living the Christian life as they understand the Lord wants from them? They tell themselves that they want to do what is “right,” but they find themselves often going against this desire, and giving in to baser urges. As a counselor, I have often had people in my…
What can keep you from hearing God’s voice? Here are only eleven reasons. Not seeking it often enough. Distracted by a crisis or a major issue. Predetermined answer or outcome. Not wanting to hear from God. Expecting God to answer only in a specific manner. Refusing, or failing, to double check the answer by searching…
Many times when Christians make assertions such as this, they are actually making the statements tongue-in-cheek. “Trust God,” Keep your eyes on Jesus,” “Do what Jesus would,” and many other phrases we use are similar. They mean something, but often the speaker is just quoting the phrase as a way of attempting to convey a…
A “Love-Hate” relationship with God. This may seem like a strange phrase. Webster defines a “love-hate relationship” as, “strong feelings of both love and hatred for someone.” Is it possible to have two strong opposing feelings toward God? Yes. How could these feelings develop and can they coexist? A way to understand this is by…
At the core of who I am, what makes me be me, is that I am a man of my Word. There is nothing more important to me than recognition as such, and that my word is taken seriously. For anyone to question that, they are questioning my concept of what is my essence, in…