I have had two church members who were threatening suicide whom I had to refer to professions. My dad while in a nursing home, threatened suicide. When I informed the nursing home personnel of Dad’s threat, they immediately called the police who transported dad to the hospital. This is the law in N.C.
Read moreIs Suicide the Unpardonable Sin?
Morgan Lee, at Christianity Today interviewed Al Hsu, the InterVaristy Press senior editor shared this story: I was on a radio show recently where one caller said, “I’ve always believed that suicide automatically sends you to hell, and that has prevented me from killing myself. Now I’m confused because if you tell me that suicide doesn’t automatically send you to hell, doesn’t that let people off the hook?”
Read moreReview of Two Sides of the Counseling Coin by Heath Lambert
Heath Lambert gives this analogy: Explaining the difference between nouthetic counseling and biblical counseling is a bit like asking whether a coin is heads or tails. A coin is both heads and tails. In talking about the heads side or the tails side of the coin, we are merely emphasizing different surfaces of one thing.
On October 8, 2012, Heath Lambert former executive director of ACBC (Association of Certified Biblical Counselors) formerly NANC (National Association of Nouthetic Counselors) now professor of counseling at SBTC contrasted and compared Nouthetic and Biblical Counseling at The Gospel Coalition.
The critics (click to open) of these two biblical models say the only difference is the spelling. But, Lambert will show there are major similarities and differences.
Read moreA “cheat sheet” for Counseling
Here is an outline and overview for the initial counseling meeting, the follow-up meetings, and the final counseling meeting from Jeremy Pierre and Deepak Reju’s book on counseling.
Read moreRemembering 9/11 Twenty-Years Later
Most of us remember where we were twenty years ago on that Tuesday morning in 2001 at about 9:00 a.m. We remember the first images of the American Airlines Flight 11 crashing into the North Tower at 8:46. The ninety-two people on board the Boeing 767 instantly died. At first, we did not know for sure what was happening.
Read moreWhat is saving faith?
In 1505, Martin Luther (1483-1546) was traveling by foot when he was struck to the ground by lightning. He cried out, “Save me, St. Anne, I will become a monk.” Luther ended his training as a lawyer and became a monk in Erfurt. He slept on a steel cot to merit salvation by works. He confessed his sins to his priest for three and four hours every day. He would get his absolution only on the way back to remember a sin he forgot to confess and would fall back into despair.
Read morePerseverance versus Preservation
Advocates of the doctrine of perseverance teach that the believer must persevere to the end in holiness of character, love for God and the brethren, and belief in the doctrines of Scripture.
On the other hand, proponents of the doctrine of preservation teach that God keeps the believer saved even if he does not persevere to the end of his Christian life in holiness, love, and truth. Not enduring to the end is not normal for believers but there are examples in Scripture of believers who walked not with God at the end in holiness, love, and truth.
Read moreThe Trinity, Part Four
Not only does the Trinity have a ministry to each other in the ontological Trinity, but to us. The relationship of the Trinity with God’s creation is called opera as extra or the outer works or the economic Trinity. Once again there is a difference in roles. God the Father’s official ministries are creation (Genesis 1:1), preservation (Matthew 5:45), and government (Psalm 103:19). God the Son’s official ministries are revealing the Father (John 14:9), and redeeming sinners (1st Peter 1:2). God the Spirit’s official ministries are inspiring Scripture (2nd Peter 1:21), regenerating sinners (John 3:5), and sanctifying believers (Galatians 5:16).
Read moreThe Trinity, Part Three
The ontological Trinity focuses on the relationship the Trinity has within the Triune God totally apart from the creation. A. H. Strong calls the ontological Trinity the “Social Trinity.” Ryrie refers to this relationship between the persons of Trinity the opera as intra or the inner works of the Trinity. Does Scripture speak of the relationship within the Trinity? In John 17:24 Jesus prayed to the Father concerning the love that God the Father had for the Son before the foundation of the world. This has to be so because “God is love” (1st John 4:8). There are three practical benefits from the ontological Trinity.
Read moreThe Trinity, Part Two
The Trinity can be summarized in three statements supported by Scripture. Any belief or movement or person who alters one of these Scriptural views is unsound Biblically. These three Biblical summaries refute Modalism, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Mormonism.
Read moreTrinity, Part One
James Dobson in his book Marriage Under Fire illustrates the difference between husbands and wives.
The most eye-opening encounter between us occurred on our first Valentine’s Day together, six months after we were married. It was something of a disaster. I had gone to the USC library that morning and spent eight or ten hours pouring over dusty books and journals. I had forgotten that it was February 14.
Read moreAnswers to Twenty-five Advanced Salvation Questions
This is question number four: What is sacerdotalism?
Martin Lloyd-Jones defined sacerdotalism as “the notion that there is inherent efficacy in the sacramental act itself.”[1] Grudem defines sacerdotalism as the Roman Catholic view “that there is a special priesthood of ordained people within the church who have a special authority or ability to extend God’s grace to people in the church.”[2] Theopedia describes sacerdotalism: Sacerdotalism (from the Latin sacerdos - priest) is the belief in a priestly system where the priest has been given the special authority to act as a spiritual mediator between God and mankind. The Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and high Anglican traditions are sacerdotal. Although the priests are not supposed to be seen as better or more godly than others, their role in the sacraments of the church gives them a special "mediatorial" role, as representatives of the Church (Christ's body on earth) and thus of Christ. This is especially noticeable in the Roman Catholic confession, mass, and last rites.[3]
Read moreBiblical verses Non-biblical Models of Counseling
Whether the counselor believes the counselee is made in the image of God determines which model counselors use.
Psychology is “the study of the soul” and Psychotherapy is “soul healing” (psyche=soul and therapeuo=to heal) and yet one study reported statistics showing academic psychologists to be among the least religious group of scholars, with 50% reporting no religious preference. Secular Psychology denies the soul in its view of human nature.
Read moreApplications that Change Lives
Daniel Darling gave this advice on how to better apply our sermons to our people:
I endeavor to live in and among my people in such a way that I hear their conversations, listen to their pain, and understand their struggles. I cannot simply preach from the ivory pulpit; I must seed my preaching with the blood, sweat, and tears of those whom I serve (“Who Exactly Am I Preaching To?” in Leadership, Fall 1997).
Read moreAnswers to Twenty-Five Advanced Salvation Questions
Here is the third answer to an advanced salvation question
What is a biblical refutation of annihilationism?
Grudem writes “the idea that there will be eternal conscious punishment of unbelievers has been denied recently even by some evangelical theologians.” He then lists some of these evangelicals in a footnote: “See Philip E. Hughes, The True Image: The Origin and Destiny of Man in Christ (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989), pp. 405-407; David L. Edwards and John R. W. Stott, Essentials: A Liberal-Evangelical Dialogue (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1988, pp. 275-76; Clark Pinnock, “The Destruction of the Finally Impenitent,” CthRev 4 (Spring 1990), pp. 243-59).[1]
In addition to the arguments refuting universalism, Jesus’ statement in Matthew 25:46 disproves annihilationism: “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” The same Greek word aionios for eternal is used to describe both eternal punishment and eternal life. The annihilationists cannot have an eternal heaven without an eternal lake of fire.
[1] Wayne Grudem. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994) 1148.
Pastoral Hospital Visitations by Aldine Gibson
Darrell L. Bock is a Senior Research Professor in New Testament Studies and Executive Director of Culture Engagement at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas Texas and is the author of the theological journal “The Table Briefing: Ministering to Hospital Patients” with assistance from Mike Del Rosario the cultural engagement assistance at the Dallas Seminary. Bock begins this journal with the passage of Scripture from Matthew 25:36-40, “Naked, and you clothed me: I was sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying Lord, when saw we you hunger, and fed you? Or thirsty, and gave you drink? When saw we you a stranger, and took you in? Or naked, and clothed you? Or saw we you sick, or in prison, and came unto you? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (KJV).
Read moreJesus’ Sermon on End Time Events
This sermon is called Jesus’ Farewell Address to the Nation of Israel. This sermon is Jewish in content just like the entire Gospel of Matthew.
Read moreHOLINESS (The Book of Leviticus) ( Lev 11:44-45 and 1 Peter 1:15-16)
The command to be holy Lev 11:44-45 is repeated in 1 Peter 1:15-16
1. “Without holiness no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrew 12:15)
2. In Genesis, Israel was born. Genesis covers 2000 yrs from Eden to Ur to Egypt.
In Exodus, Israel was redeemed and made a kingdom of priests. Exodus covers 431 yrs from Egypt to Sinai. In Leviticus, Israel is taught how to be holy and worship God and fulfill her priestly role. Leviticus covers 1 month at Sinai. In Exodus, the tabernacle is built and Leviticus shows how to use it.
Read moreCessationism verses Non-cessationism, Part Three
Spiritual gifts color how we see and respond to needs in the lives of others.
For example, imagine that seven of you after the Sunday morning service go to LongHorn Steak House for lunch. Each of you has one of the seven spiritual gifts operative today as listed in Romans 12:
Read moreEzekiel: The Glory of the Lord
I. Judgment on Judah (Chapters 1-24)
II. Judgment on Near By Gentile Nations (Chapters 25-32)
III. Blessings on Israel (Chapters 33-48)
A. New Life for Israel (33-39)
1. Ezekiel Reappointed as a Watchman (33)
2. Present False Shepherds Contrasted with the Future True Prophet (34)
3. An Enemy Nation Defeated (35)
4. The People of God Blessed (36)
5. The Nation Restored (37)
6. Defeat of Far Off Enemy Nations (38-39) (Including Russia, Iran, Sudan, Egypt. Ethiopia, and Libya)
a. Who invades from the north? A Northern Confederation in which Russia is predominant (38:1-6)
b. Where do they invade? Israel (38:7-9)
c. Why do they invade?
First, the human reason for the invasion is given in 38:10-13. The northern confederacy invades to take a spoil. Part two of the questions is answered in 38:14-16. The divine reason is God.
d. What happens at the invasion? The northern army is destroyed by God (38:17-18)
e. How does God destroy the northern army? (38:19-39:8)
f. What are the results of God’s judgment? (39:9-29)
B. New Order for Israel (40-48)
1. A New Temple (40-43)
2. A New Worship (44-46)
3. A New Land (47-48)