Biblical Counseling

When I was about eight years old, I got intrigued with cartridge pens. Regular ballpoint pens weren’t cool anymore; cartridge pens were classy! The soft plastic cartridges that held the ink were replaceable. After getting used to handling one of them, I graduated to a fountain pen. These pens were similar, but instead of a…

When our Lord commissioned His church to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, He left a blueprint and an adequate source of power. The enablement comes, not by our own good intentions, but by the ministry of the Holy Spirit in and through our lives: “But you shall receive power…

Now we consider the question, If the “seeds of forbidden fruit” (pride, independence, unbelief and self-will) comprised the original sin of Adam, could their opposites point the way for Christians to experience life more abundantly? In other words, are humility, dependence, faith, and submission essential to the Abiding Life? The answer is yes indeed! 1.…

We have been studying how pride, independence, unbelief, and self-will were the “seeds of forbidden fruit” that comprised Adam and Eve’s fall from innocence in Eden. By way of contrast, humility, dependence, belief, and submission to God are essential in Christian discipleship.[1] The Victory of The Last Adam Christ’s mission of redemption required His virgin…

Our family once visited Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This town marks the location of a devastating battle in the American Civil War. During July 1-3, 1863, the Confederate armies fought the Union armies resulting in at least 5,787 dead, 27,334 injured, and 10,612 missing or captured. [1] The various monuments to the military regiments involved in the…

Years ago when I read my daughter’s English paper, I was intrigued by her quote from Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dr Jekyll had surmised, “If each [good force and evil force]. . . could be housed in separate identities, life would be relieved of all that was unbearable; the unjust…

When we moved from the U.S. to Canada in 1982, one of our challenges was adjusting to the metric system. We were raised with cars going “miles per hour”; up north it’s “kilometers per hour.” I never could switch from fuel economy as “miles per gallon.” In the grocery store there is a whole assortment…

I recall attending a one man theatrical production of the book of Job. For over an hour the Christian actor quoted from this biblical book of wisdom, dramatizing Job’s sufferings, the related speeches, and his eventual restoration. When you see a man writhing in pain and calling out to God for answers and justice, it…

During the time we served with Peoples Church of Montreal, I had the opportunity to speak at some chapel services for some National League baseball teams. I enjoyed getting to meet some of the popular players during the mid-eighties. One of the lasting impressions from my fellowship with those Christian athletes was the stress of…

Flying home from a ministry trip I once sat next to a woman on the plane who gave me a vivid illustration of the damage anger can do. Her brother and his wife had an argument a few weeks previous and when he turned to walk away, his wife angrily hit him with a metal…