Biblical Counseling

Through prayer, meditation, and suffering I believe the Lord has led me back into Canaan. He is bringing healing and maturity to my mind, will, and emotions through the fellowship of His Spirit and His people. However, I know my stay here is not guaranteed. My flesh is always lurking and has an accomplice in…

Before we go on, let’s review the three aspects of discipleship by a comparison with the marriage of Queen Esther. When she received the Persian king’s hand in marriage she entered a new covenant based on the king’s love (like positional discipleship). She then adjusted to married life and functioned in her role as a…

B. The rich young ruler also forfeited ideal discipleship (Matt. 19:16-22). Although salvation is offered to sinners as a free gift, knowing Christ as Savior and Lord also includes His role as Teacher (positional discipleship). In this relationship believers are called to come to grips with the full implications of Christ’s wisdom and authority (ideal…

6. Accusations from the Enemy If a believer is unsettled in his/her faith and has given ground to the devil, hostile accusations can jeopardize his/her sense of security. Consider this episode from the Old Testament. After Israel returned from the exile of Babylon, the remnant in Canaan faced spiritual warfare from the enemy. Zechariah chapter…

3. Carnal confusion When a born again believer is temporarily walking “according to the flesh,” doubts may arise in his/her mind as to whether or not they have lost their salvation or if they are truly regenerate.[1] One reason for this is that when the Holy Spirit is grieved and quenched by intentional sin in…

Scripture Memory Project God promises special blessings to us when we memorize His Word. As Joshua was counseled by Moses, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For…

“Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1:11). One of the joys of summer is fresh fruit. Memory lane brings back to me a bunch of examples. When we lived in southern Ontario’s “fruit belt” we would look forward to the fresh…

[“Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man …The first covenant had…

The Believer as God’s Tabernacle [“Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Cor. 6:19, NKJV). In his commentary on the Gospel of Luke, Luther gave a detailed explanation of the parts of…

A Test Case on the Role of Psychology: Self-Esteem The issue of self-esteem (overlapping with concepts of self image, self worth, and self acceptance) is a complex and controversial one. Biblical counselors may be pulled in two directions. It is obvious that pride and selfishness are sins to be repented of and renounced. However, other…