“May we never think that pondering the Almighty’s love is only for beginners.  No one ever moves past the need to learn and then relearn this over and over again.”

Elyse Fitzpatrick

“The name of Jesus is not only light but food.  It is oil without which food for the soul is dry and salt without which it is insipid.  It is honey in the mouth, melody and joy in the heart.  It has healing power.  Every discussion where his name is not heard is pointless.”

John Calvin

We stay in the city when we travel to Chicago.  This is part of the reason I really NEED to go home after about 7 days.  The city is always alive.  There is always traffic, always emergency sirens, always a party to be found and always a kid driving a car that sounds like a boom box.  The noise is literally exhausting!  But to be fair, the city is a great place to hang out.  It is so wonderful to walk (in the summer!) wherever one needs to go, and (for those of us that live near Uptown of the Queen City) equally wonderful that there is actually somewhere to go ;o)

In the early morning hours I enjoy my demotion time near the window of our 26^th floor living room, watching from above as the commuters scurry around like little ants.  Downstairs from our building there is a small, concrete park dotted with marble benches and a tree maze.  In the center lies a strange display which, when viewed from above, looks like the face of a clock.  It is not a sundial; there is no time of day in which shadows denote the hour or minutes.  I’ve watched people as they sidestep the “3” and the “10” on their way through the park toward the street, but even their shadows are unable to act as the clock’s hands.  Apart from running downstairs, climbing up on the middle dot and flailing my arms about, I’ve decided to discontinue trying to figure it out.  Besides, the two potential audiences in view of my experiment (above and at street level) would simply think I flew off the deep end.  Course then I would fit right in here….

Anyway, I do still enjoy watching the people-ants; now I am fascinated with their shadows.  No one really pays much attention to a shadow.  When we walk past one another on a busy street we only say “excuse me” if we bump a shoulder or swing a bag inadvertently into someone’s leg; nothing is said if we step on a shadow. We don’t walk around shadows as though they are a person’s physical being.  Nor do we consider saying “ouch!” if a fellow pedestrian walks directly on the smoke colored person keeping perfect time with our stride.  Shadows are hugely ignored!  Yet as I watch from above, shadows are GLUED to their owners.  They move when we do, they make the same moves we do!  They are, in fact, attached to us.

This is where we transition to the spiritual discussion.

In the chapter of “Counseling” I read several days ago (it’s been hard to keep up with writing here amongst the noise), John Street asks the question, “Why Biblical Counseling and Not Psychology?”  Preeminent in answering that question must be the view both secular and Christian psychologists accept as true in reference to the ‘psyche’ of man; that is the Freudian concept which believes there are layers in the human mind.  These layers separate the soul from the spirit, “The soul is the psychological aspect of man, whereas the spirit is spiritual….The mind alone lies in the psychological aspect of man and not the spiritual.” (Frank Minirith)

However that isn’t what the Bible says, “No distinction exists in scripture between the psychology oriented and the spiritually oriented inner man.  The whole of the inner man comes under the dominion of the spiritual.” (Street)

Similar to the equation body + shadow = one, our soul and spirit also equal one.

This information is imperative to our understanding as we both seek and give counsel.   If we attribute the problems we encounter to a psyche (mind/soul) devoid of spirit we will necessarily focus on the wrong issue.

“Left to our own devices we would quickly give up striving after holiness, being discouraged with our progress.  But we hope in the living God who empowers our feeble efforts to conform us to Jesus.  By grace alone we have been declared righteous before the Lord, and grace alone guarantees our final reward; thus, we obey Him now, confident that our godliness today is not in vain.”

Tabletalk

07.07.09

So we visited Sue at the Field Museum today.  Actually we went to see the Pirate exhibition, but since that was just a bunch of poster boards telling a story (can’t I read the book?) I instead sat at the Corner Bakery and bonded with Sue.

Sue is a tyrannosaurus rex.  According to the prettier poster boards (Sue cost 8.4 million, she commands brass plated info boards), this T-rex holds the key to discovery in reference to flying dinosaurs and their evolution into birds.  The “Science of Sue” has already revealed –or better stated, corrected—previously held opinions regarding this creature’s stage of evolution.  And as usual, each new tidbit of information discovered about Sue “poses a whole new set of questions.”

We also wandered around the DNA display, a weird set up that has you (yup, you guessed it) reading “poster boards” –this time they were pretty glass ones—and watching really young looking scientists experimenting behind glass windows.  I wonder if they feel like zoo animals.  Anyway, DNA also offers insight into evolution as it allows you to create a family tree thereby showing the common relationship of our cells with all living species.  This science “proves” we all evolved from one single cell.

Bob went to the Evolution exhibition, at that point I had my fill of monkey-see, and learned about the six mass extinctions the world has experienced.  Each had its own cause, everything from global cooling to global warming.  Guess those early apes had huge carbon footprints after all.   I was encouraged throughout the museum to seek ways to reduce mine; that’s Museum-speak for “throw-your-garbage-in-the-right-container.”

Needless to say I found no redemptive qualities at my Day at the Museum.  It appears that each exhibition had as its foundation the religion of Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Today in Counseling, professor, Biblical Counselor and author John Street discusses the source of determining the human problem as well as the source for determining the solution.  Psychology, by its very nature, gleans its information in this regard from the natural world.  Christian psychology likewise, believing “all truth is God’s truth,” pursues “true and usable concepts” from the afore mentioned scientific studies.  The problem with this approach is, although God reveals himself in the natural world, creation has no power to transform the human heart.

“Far greater than all general revelation is the glory of God revealed in His Word, because the Word transforms the heart of man…..General revelation (the natural world) fulfills its duty by rendering man without excuse, but it can never yield transforming, authoritative truth for soul-problems because it can be resisted and dismissed.  Active and living truth is needed for that –divine, authoritative truth that can convert the soul.”

Again, it’s all about the foundation.  An entire museum determines its direction on a theory.  Everything it promotes, all the exhibitions it presents have one goal; prove evolution.  If our foundation is askew when we counsel others (and we ALL counsel others, either officially or relationally) we mislead both them and ourselves.  None of us would disagree that the reason the world misunderstands the universe is because they do not view it through the lense of Scripture.  Would we then disagree that it is Scripture alone (sola Scriptura) that interprets the soul?

“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.  Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me!
 Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Ps 19:7~14

“Amy Carmichael, the well known missionary to India, received a donation to her work with the stipulation that it be used toward ’soul work.’  She responded, ‘one cannot save and then pitchfork souls into heaven.  There are times I heartily wish we could.  But souls, in India at least, are more or less securely fastened to bodies.  Bodies can’t be left to lie about in the open and as you can’t get the souls out and deal with them separately you have to take them both together.’

Biblical evangelism and benevolence properly practiced is compassion expressed to the whole person.”

Rev. John P. Sartelle

I am a college dropout.

I am not a Beauty School dropout, for some reason I was able to finish that program.  But I couldn’t persist through the endless sessions of cut and paste at the Art Institute long enough to obtain a degree.  Hence, I am not allowed to call myself an Interior “Designer.”

The reason I went to school in the first place was because our industry is taking a strong stance toward “professionalism.”  The ranks of women who, after watching Trading Spaces or HGTV, ran out and helped their friends and family decorate their homes apparently diminished the role of “legitimate” designers.  I wanted to make sure I was working within the realm of the credible.  Besides, we didn’t have cable and I never watched those shows.

Several quarters into the program, however, it occurred to me that school had little to do with a secret design knowledge unknown to the average housewife and more to do with the per credit hour fee.  Which was outrageous.  I kept waiting to find out how the placement of candlesticks could threaten the life of a homeowner or which wall finish was the most dangerous to use in a child’s playroom.  Never mind the risk of falling from a plastic toy slide, it was the paint fumes that were most hazardous.

Suffice to say that, as much as the industry would like to legitimize, decorating is not hazardous to the average homeowners health.

Now pay attention, I’m gonna take a large leap here (picture that yellow plastic slide and me on top)

A similar correlation can be made in reference to psychology.

One of the questions I often ponder is, “who let Freud in the church?”  There is no force of nature that could persuade a body of believers to allow an atheist such as Darwin to influence the programs of a ministry. Yet the atheist Freud is to whom we refer our congregation’s deepest soul needs. For the past 100 years Christians have willingly deferred soul care from the institution with “the only authoritative source for counseling wisdom (the Holy Spirit speaking through the Word of God)” to the psychotherapist and expect he would fulfill “the role of a priest, and expect and demand of him that he shall free them from their distress.”

I believe the answer to my question falls somewhere in that thought above about professionalism.  By redefining the issues of sin and fallen man and giving them instead a medical identity, early atheist forefathers of psychiatric thought removed the problem (and therefore the cure) from the power of the local church.  “Specifically, in our time and place, secular psychology has intruded into the domain of biblical truth and practice.  Secular theories and therapies substitute for biblical wisdom and deceive people both inside and outside the church.”

And if you remember anything about Freud or Skinner or Jung, that was exactly their intention.  “Psychotherapists must occupy ourselves with problems which, strictly speaking, belong to the theologian.” Carl Jung (Oops!  I quoted Jung again!)

I think if I said that housewives are completely qualified (without a degree) to decorate both their own as well as their friends and families homes you would smirk – and agree.  I wonder if also I claimed that believers are completely qualified (without a degree) to counsel, admonish and encourage people in distress for the purpose of changing the human heart what the response would be.

“The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples.  The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation.” Psalm 33:10-11

Several years back I had the misfortune of dealing with an undiagnosed illness.  It began as a cold, developed into the flu and then morphed into a series of weird ailments.  My skin itched incessantly, I slept all the time and my chest hurt.  The first doctor I sought seemed to be experimenting with the latest in natural remedies.  She “prescribed” a nasal rinse and recommended I rest.  Humph.  A couple weeks later nothing improved.  The succession of doctors and ER techs that followed had me breathing into a paper bag, fainting while they took my blood gases (a novice at a teaching hospital, that was fun) and traversing a room full of treadmills all in the name of stress testing.  Nothing like a treadmill when it hurts to breathe; you bet I was stressed.

At one point a doctor I had never before met burst into my hospital room and announced I would be taking cholesterol medicine the rest of my life; she scribbled instructions on my clipboard, shoved the pills in my direction, and exited the room as quickly as she entered.  Against all of the doctor’s orders I instead got dressed and left the hospital.

In the end my problem had nothing to do with the treatment encouraged by the professionals.  Had I taken the countless prescriptions recommended for my unidentified ailment, they would simply have masked the source of my problem.

I began my trek through John MacArthur’s “Counseling” yesterday by first underlining our problem.  Sin.  If we attribute our problems to any other disease we will necessarily seek solutions from the wrong source. I’m not referring to true physiological illnesses—determined by a lab test—rather,  “Today’s ‘infirmities’ (self-image, looks, codependency, emotional abuse, mid-life crisis, and unfulfilled expectations) [which] were once seen more accurately as the pains of selfishness.”

MacArthur writes, “The path to wholeness is the path of spiritual sanctification.”  In an effort to alleviate pain, typically attributed to trials and suffering, Christians employ an ineffective technique often proposed by the world; behavior modification.  Similar to treating my unnamed illness with random pills, we adjust our behavior and believe we have cured our sin.

At our fingertips, however, believers have the most comprehensive tool to eradicate what ails us.  “The only reliable help for the human soul is the infallible truth of Scripture applied by the Spirit of God.”

Many of you just nodded in agreement to that statement and probably added this book to your “must read” list.  Before you do, though, let me delve a bit deeper into the thesis for this chapter.  MacArthur states that it is the Church that has moved away from that thinking, not society.  “Christian psychology”, a multi-billion dollar business, “has diminished the church’s confidence in Scripture, prayer, fellowship and preaching as means through which the Spirit of God works to change lives.”  It is “not taking the church in a biblical direction.”  “The influence of psychology is reflected in the kind of sermons that are preached from evangelical pulpits, in the kind of counseling that is being offered over the radio air waves…and in the books that are being offered by many evangelical publishers.”

This movement, the one that believers are eagerly taking, moves people from a biblical perspective to a problem/solution approach.  And “it cannot change the human heart.”

Which is our goal.

My illness was eventually diagnosed as pneumonia.  Apparently it hid in the lining of my lungs and could not be detected by conventional testing.  Ironically, at my chiropractor/ acupuncturist appointment last week, he mentioned that all skin reactions originate in the lungs.  Astounding that the myriad of professionals previously assigned to my case were unable to identify that symptom—nor add it together with chest pain!  But then, a chiropractor is trained to diagnose from a holistic perspective.

Hmmm.

Bet I just broadened my reader base.  Now both those who want to escape the ravages of sin as well as those who want to know how to do it better have logged on to my blog.  I think I will please the former and disappoint the latter.

Remember when we were in Sunday School and the teacher would ask a question, one in which the answer was quite possibly difficult to find?  Remember how everyone raised their hands up anyway?  And do you remember what answer each of them yelled out?  Jesus.  That answer, whether or not it was the one the teacher was looking for, would save you the embarrassment of hearing the teacher say, “wrong.”  They couldn’t!  He is THE answer.

Similarly, when looking at the “why” of life’s pain and difficulties, the answer is always SIN.  Maybe I won’t please those looking to escape the ravages after all.  Bear with me.

There is no problem in this world in which sin is not THEE factor.  “Wait a minute,” you might exclaim, “how can EVERYTHING be attributed to sin?”  Consider for a moment the three avenues in which sin affects all of life.

There is the obvious sin, the one that both believers and unbelievers are happy to get on board with; the sins of others.  “Bobby did it,” was a famous claim by my husband’s younger brother while they were growing up (there, now I have offended family as well)  “We demand justice!” is heard at least once during the 10 o’clock newscast.  A person has been wronged, or maimed, or killed and someone must pay.  Look at the immediate effort by the Jackson family to pin blame of Michael’s death on a doctor.  Never mind the king of pop was notoriously given to prescription medicine.  Obviously, in a world full of sinners, someone else’s sin is going to affect you or I.

Then there is the sin of self.  Here’s where I lose most of the rest of my readers.  Yes, Christians still sin.  Folks outside the fold like to call us hypocrites for that.  I laugh in the face of that remark!  A hypocrite is one who acts in contradiction to what they believe.  I, a Christian, believe that I am a sinner.  How is that hypocritical?  Ok, I digress, that is going to have to be another blog. So we sin, and we suffer the consequences of those sins.  If I am going to live the selfish lifestyle my heart so very much desires than yes, I am in fact going to struggle with a difficult life.  So is Bob!

The sin we often neglect to give credence to, however, is the sin we suffer from the Fall.  When Adam and Eve sinned the entire world, past and future, fell into sin.  Death happens because of sin.  Cancer happens because of sin.  Schizophrenia, tornadoes, migraines, tsunamis, allergies all happen because we live in a broken, fallen, sinful world.  When my mom was in the hospital last year a friend mentioned that nowhere is the Fall more evident than in the halls of a hospital.  Earth isn’t as God meant for it to be.

Inescapable, huh?  You may live your life protected from the sins of others; you yourself may pursue holiness with a vengeance and escape MOST of the effects of your own sin (not likely.) Inevitably, however, we will encounter sin if for no other reason than you and I are dying.  Every day.

Glad you read my blog yet?  Well, now for the good news.  I found a book that has THE CURE for all of these types of sin!  Are you with me yet?? The Bible provides the remedy.

The Bible has what I need to handle those who sin against me. “ Then Peter came up and said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.” Matt 18:15

The Bible provides what it will require for me to eradicate self and selfishness.  “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”  2 Timothy 3:16

The Bible has the remedy for natural disasters and psychological ailments (although don’t go looking in it for the type of prescriptions the world offers) “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4

The Bible even has the solution to restore all of those who are dying.  The Bible cures death! “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

These next few days I will be taking a break from Because He Loves Me, finishing the last chapter and summary when I get back to Charlotte, and begin my demotions with a new book; Counseling.  In order to counsel Biblically, or as I mentioned yesterday “take biblical truth and apply it lovingly, patiently, boldly to our hearts,” (same as counsel Biblically) it is of utmost importance to nail down THEE PROBLEM.  Sin is where we start and the Bible is where we end.  As John MacArthur states, “Scripture does, after all, claim to be the only reliable resource to which we can turn to solve our spiritual problems.”

Hang on!  I think we’re in for a wild journey…