"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. . .'" (John 11:25,26).
"For the wise men of old, the cardinal problem of human life was how to conform the soul to objective reality, and the solution was wisdom, self-discipline, and virtue. For the modern mind, the cardinal problem is how to subdue reality to the wishes of man, and the solution is technique" (The Abolition of Man, C.S. Lewis).
The quote from Lewis reminded me of the years when I was teaching as an adjunct professor at Nebraska Christian College. For grading, I placed a high value on questions that the students asked and one of the most common questions asked by female students (I do not recall male students asking the question with very much frequency) was, "What technique works best when . . .?" I should have done more to help them understand their own need to be controlling! Counseling is more than bringing short-term changes of behavior, but it involves changing a life. Sometimes, life-changing can make things worse rather than better in the short term, but the long-term changes are the ones that matter. Short-term changes may result from manipulation, but long-term changes result from being introduced to Reality.
I am going to take a 2-week vacation from posting--I just wanted to warn you faithful readers so that you wouldn't worry about me.
Grace&Peace,
Tom
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
DELIVER US FROM EVIL 2
"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (I Peter 5:8).
Satan resides in many places, sabotaging much of the good that is being done. One of those places is our institutions of higher learning, where Satan is thought not to exist.
"Fifteen of the thirty most trusted advisers to Adolf Hitler held doctorate degrees. Some of them were medical doctors. These white collar criminals conducted a reign of terror exceeded only by those of Stalin and Mao. [I think I need to add that the murderous leaders of radical Islam are doctors and engineers. They are the masterminds. They recruit the poor and the ignorant to do their bidding.]
"The American psychologist appointed to examine accused Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg trials said that the Nazi inmates had one thing in common -- 'all lacked empathy.' They did not feel the suffering of their victims. They were devoid of compassion. Such a state is the precursor of cruelty and is the essence of the satanic spirit. lucifer (I refuse to capitalize his name) is the destroyer precisely because he is incapable of love, devoid of compassion. Christ is the Savior precisely because He is love. The Holy Spirit is a counter presence to apollyon in the world because the Holy Spirit is love. He stirs us to the deepest empathy. He builds, nurtures, and protects, rather than destroys. Empathy may be the most powerful healing reality in any therapist."
Education is a good thing, but when the Spirit is not present the evil one turns the educated one into a clever devil. Love, joy peace, gentleness goodness, patience, faithfulness and self-control indicate the presence of the Holy Spirit. If these are not present then it is quite possible that satan is involved--beware!!
Grace&Peace,
Tom
Satan resides in many places, sabotaging much of the good that is being done. One of those places is our institutions of higher learning, where Satan is thought not to exist.
"Fifteen of the thirty most trusted advisers to Adolf Hitler held doctorate degrees. Some of them were medical doctors. These white collar criminals conducted a reign of terror exceeded only by those of Stalin and Mao. [I think I need to add that the murderous leaders of radical Islam are doctors and engineers. They are the masterminds. They recruit the poor and the ignorant to do their bidding.]
"The American psychologist appointed to examine accused Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg trials said that the Nazi inmates had one thing in common -- 'all lacked empathy.' They did not feel the suffering of their victims. They were devoid of compassion. Such a state is the precursor of cruelty and is the essence of the satanic spirit. lucifer (I refuse to capitalize his name) is the destroyer precisely because he is incapable of love, devoid of compassion. Christ is the Savior precisely because He is love. The Holy Spirit is a counter presence to apollyon in the world because the Holy Spirit is love. He stirs us to the deepest empathy. He builds, nurtures, and protects, rather than destroys. Empathy may be the most powerful healing reality in any therapist."
Education is a good thing, but when the Spirit is not present the evil one turns the educated one into a clever devil. Love, joy peace, gentleness goodness, patience, faithfulness and self-control indicate the presence of the Holy Spirit. If these are not present then it is quite possible that satan is involved--beware!!
Grace&Peace,
Tom
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
DELIVER US FROM EVIL
"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matthew 6:13).
I have been reading a booklet by one of my seminary professors, who is also a friend and brother in Christ, Dr. Bruce Parmenter. The title of it is The Holy Spirit: Primary Change Agent in Pastoral Care and Counseling and in all Psychotherapy. This post, and the next one, will be quotes from his booklet on the subject of evil.
Evil is much more than the absence of good -- it is not explained by the absence of education, "enlightenment," good nutrition, clean air, and nurturing love for every child -- for evil is present when all of the above grace human culture. The most evil acts in history occurred in recent times in the twentieth century with humankind presumably in its most advanced stage, when technology, medicine, psychology and philosophy had reached never before dreamed of sophistication. But that same twentieth century was also the culmination of a period of severe secularization, beginning with the so-called "Enlightenment," about four hundred years ago. Darwinian evolutionism gave a strong boost to the notion that the origin and process of life could be explained in naturalistic terms. God was no longer required for the explanation of anything. The intellectual universe in the academy and therefore in general culture became naturalistic, reductionistic, and non-transcendent. Matter reigned over spirit. The only spirit admitted to discussion was the spirit of man. "Holy Spirit" became an anachronism.
Tom's comment: evil has its greatest opportunity when it is not believed to exist and when destructive, irresponsible and criminal behavior are only sicknesses and disorders.
Grace&Peace,
Tom
I have been reading a booklet by one of my seminary professors, who is also a friend and brother in Christ, Dr. Bruce Parmenter. The title of it is The Holy Spirit: Primary Change Agent in Pastoral Care and Counseling and in all Psychotherapy. This post, and the next one, will be quotes from his booklet on the subject of evil.
Evil is much more than the absence of good -- it is not explained by the absence of education, "enlightenment," good nutrition, clean air, and nurturing love for every child -- for evil is present when all of the above grace human culture. The most evil acts in history occurred in recent times in the twentieth century with humankind presumably in its most advanced stage, when technology, medicine, psychology and philosophy had reached never before dreamed of sophistication. But that same twentieth century was also the culmination of a period of severe secularization, beginning with the so-called "Enlightenment," about four hundred years ago. Darwinian evolutionism gave a strong boost to the notion that the origin and process of life could be explained in naturalistic terms. God was no longer required for the explanation of anything. The intellectual universe in the academy and therefore in general culture became naturalistic, reductionistic, and non-transcendent. Matter reigned over spirit. The only spirit admitted to discussion was the spirit of man. "Holy Spirit" became an anachronism.
Tom's comment: evil has its greatest opportunity when it is not believed to exist and when destructive, irresponsible and criminal behavior are only sicknesses and disorders.
Grace&Peace,
Tom
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
STEELE'S REPENTENCE INVENTORY (The top 10 indications that one might need to change)
"Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness. . ." (Acts 17:30-31).
10. If you never pass a mirror you do not like.
9. If you think the "see-food diet" is the best.
8. If you use Master Card to pay Visa, and vice versa.
7. If you, after looking at the family tree, see that you are the sap running through it.
6. If you discover that one of the songs your wife is planning to use at your funeral service is,
"I Guess He'd Rather be in Colorado."
5. If you have ever been stopped by a patrolman and he didn't have enough tickets in his
book to cover all the violations.
4. If you have ever been picked out of a police lineup.
3. If your mother has said to you, "May be you shouldn't come home for Christmas next year."
2. If you have ever been invited to join a small group of family and friends, and one of them said
to you, "We are having this intervention because. . ."
1. THIS ONE IS COMPLETELY SERIOUS--If you do not believe that you need to. God will not
work with the one who refuses to repent or change his way of thinking.
Grace&Peace,
Tom
10. If you never pass a mirror you do not like.
9. If you think the "see-food diet" is the best.
8. If you use Master Card to pay Visa, and vice versa.
7. If you, after looking at the family tree, see that you are the sap running through it.
6. If you discover that one of the songs your wife is planning to use at your funeral service is,
"I Guess He'd Rather be in Colorado."
5. If you have ever been stopped by a patrolman and he didn't have enough tickets in his
book to cover all the violations.
4. If you have ever been picked out of a police lineup.
3. If your mother has said to you, "May be you shouldn't come home for Christmas next year."
2. If you have ever been invited to join a small group of family and friends, and one of them said
to you, "We are having this intervention because. . ."
1. THIS ONE IS COMPLETELY SERIOUS--If you do not believe that you need to. God will not
work with the one who refuses to repent or change his way of thinking.
Grace&Peace,
Tom
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
STEELE'S DEPRESSION INVENTORY (for adults)
"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18).
In the first of my "Getting a Life" series I promised I would write later about the importance of measuring gratitude on my depression inventory. Typically, there are 21 symptom-attitude categories that are measured in a depression inventory: 1) mood; 2) pessimism; 3) sense of failure; 4) lack of satisfaction; 5) guilty feeling; 6) sense of punishment; 7) self-dislike; 8) self accusations; 9) suicidal wishes; 10) crying spells; 11) irritability; 12) social withdrawal; 13) indecisiveness; 14)distortion of body image; 15) work inhibition; 16) sleep disturbance; 17) fatigability; 18) loss of appetite; 19) weight loss; 20) somatic preoccupation; and 21) loss of libido (Beck/Beamesderfer Depression Inventory).
Though I do not have a great deal of research to back me up, I do believe that gratitude assessment should be included as a separate category in the depression inventory because gratitude is a characteristic of a psychologically healthy human adult. It is probably more important to measure gratitude as an independent category than loss of libido since there is a great amount of variation of libido among both men and women and the presence of gratitude is expected in every case of a psychologically healthy human adult. A lack of gratitude may indicate something other than depression, but it is certainly symptomatic of it.
I found a couple of interesting articles that tend to support my contention. One is an abstract found on the National Association of School Psychologists site, http://www.naspondine.org/publications/spf/issue2_1frohabstract.aspx The abstract of some research done on elementary students said that the daily counting of blessings for a two-week period of time resulted in improved school satisfaction as well as improved social and emotional functioning. This was true at retest 3 weeks later.
Another is found at http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/064/gratitude.html One of the gratitude factors discussed in this article is the impact gratitude has on physical health. The person with gratitude will live longer and be healthier in the process than those with low levels of gratitude. Gratitude is more important to one's health than the nutritional value of the food one eats! A prayer of thanksgiving for a crust of bread makes it more nutritious than a banquet eaten without prayer.
I believe it is essential to assess gratitude as an independent category by asking questions that deal with the frequency of the feelings of thanksgiving and the perception of the motive behind the good things that happen. The answers to these support the depression inventory in the indication of the presence of depression and the degree of depression.
In any case, gratitude is an essential component of a healthy life!
Grace&Peace,
Tom
In the first of my "Getting a Life" series I promised I would write later about the importance of measuring gratitude on my depression inventory. Typically, there are 21 symptom-attitude categories that are measured in a depression inventory: 1) mood; 2) pessimism; 3) sense of failure; 4) lack of satisfaction; 5) guilty feeling; 6) sense of punishment; 7) self-dislike; 8) self accusations; 9) suicidal wishes; 10) crying spells; 11) irritability; 12) social withdrawal; 13) indecisiveness; 14)distortion of body image; 15) work inhibition; 16) sleep disturbance; 17) fatigability; 18) loss of appetite; 19) weight loss; 20) somatic preoccupation; and 21) loss of libido (Beck/Beamesderfer Depression Inventory).
Though I do not have a great deal of research to back me up, I do believe that gratitude assessment should be included as a separate category in the depression inventory because gratitude is a characteristic of a psychologically healthy human adult. It is probably more important to measure gratitude as an independent category than loss of libido since there is a great amount of variation of libido among both men and women and the presence of gratitude is expected in every case of a psychologically healthy human adult. A lack of gratitude may indicate something other than depression, but it is certainly symptomatic of it.
I found a couple of interesting articles that tend to support my contention. One is an abstract found on the National Association of School Psychologists site, http://www.naspondine.org/publications/spf/issue2_1frohabstract.aspx The abstract of some research done on elementary students said that the daily counting of blessings for a two-week period of time resulted in improved school satisfaction as well as improved social and emotional functioning. This was true at retest 3 weeks later.
Another is found at http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/064/gratitude.html One of the gratitude factors discussed in this article is the impact gratitude has on physical health. The person with gratitude will live longer and be healthier in the process than those with low levels of gratitude. Gratitude is more important to one's health than the nutritional value of the food one eats! A prayer of thanksgiving for a crust of bread makes it more nutritious than a banquet eaten without prayer.
I believe it is essential to assess gratitude as an independent category by asking questions that deal with the frequency of the feelings of thanksgiving and the perception of the motive behind the good things that happen. The answers to these support the depression inventory in the indication of the presence of depression and the degree of depression.
In any case, gratitude is an essential component of a healthy life!
Grace&Peace,
Tom
Friday, June 06, 2008
EVERYTHING IS AS IT SHOULD BE
"But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the LAKE that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death"(Revelation 21:8).
It's great! Celtics over the Lakers in game 1 of the NBA finals! Celtics/Lakers, a great traditional rivalry. Just when we were worried about global warming, high gas prices, Islamic jihad and high taxes, we are brought back to reality. God is still on the throne, the Celtics are still playing the Lakers for the championship and the warning of Revelation 21:8 is still true. Being that kind of "Laker" is rather painful, to say the least.
Go Celtics!!
Grace&Peace,
Tom
It's great! Celtics over the Lakers in game 1 of the NBA finals! Celtics/Lakers, a great traditional rivalry. Just when we were worried about global warming, high gas prices, Islamic jihad and high taxes, we are brought back to reality. God is still on the throne, the Celtics are still playing the Lakers for the championship and the warning of Revelation 21:8 is still true. Being that kind of "Laker" is rather painful, to say the least.
Go Celtics!!
Grace&Peace,
Tom
Monday, June 02, 2008
GETTING A LIFE 6: THE GRACE FACTOR
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).
One can't "get a life" without grace. Literally, every breath one takes is a gift of grace because, ". . . He Himself gives to all peoples life and breath and all things" (Acts 17:25 b). The very fact that we are physically alive is a grace-gift from God. And because of His love for all people, God has offered a special gift to all who will receive it through faith, salvation in Jesus Christ.
Many things might come to mind when you think of salvation, one of them surely is heaven and being safe there. But that is the only part of salvation that is safe. One doesn't have to die to begin to experience salvation--it begins with the presence of The Holy Spirit in our lives (Acts 2:38). One of the universal doctrines of Christendom is the presence of The Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian. Being saved may make us think of safety, but God is not safe--He is dangerous. The Spirit in our lives will work little by little to make us whole (2 Corinthians 3:18).
The journey to "wholeness" can be adventurous, dangerous and painful, but it is also a joyful experience when it is understood with the mind of faith. One of the commands of Scripture is, "Do not quench the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:19). It is dangerous to "pour cold water" on His work in our lives!!!
Being aware of the presence and work of The Holy Spirit in our lives as a grace-gift helps us to understand the significance of each day as we experience it--there are no days with out meaning. Each day is another day that God uses to make you a little more like Christ.
When you have God you have a life!
Grace&Peace,
Tom
One can't "get a life" without grace. Literally, every breath one takes is a gift of grace because, ". . . He Himself gives to all peoples life and breath and all things" (Acts 17:25 b). The very fact that we are physically alive is a grace-gift from God. And because of His love for all people, God has offered a special gift to all who will receive it through faith, salvation in Jesus Christ.
Many things might come to mind when you think of salvation, one of them surely is heaven and being safe there. But that is the only part of salvation that is safe. One doesn't have to die to begin to experience salvation--it begins with the presence of The Holy Spirit in our lives (Acts 2:38). One of the universal doctrines of Christendom is the presence of The Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian. Being saved may make us think of safety, but God is not safe--He is dangerous. The Spirit in our lives will work little by little to make us whole (2 Corinthians 3:18).
The journey to "wholeness" can be adventurous, dangerous and painful, but it is also a joyful experience when it is understood with the mind of faith. One of the commands of Scripture is, "Do not quench the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:19). It is dangerous to "pour cold water" on His work in our lives!!!
Being aware of the presence and work of The Holy Spirit in our lives as a grace-gift helps us to understand the significance of each day as we experience it--there are no days with out meaning. Each day is another day that God uses to make you a little more like Christ.
When you have God you have a life!
Grace&Peace,
Tom
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