I see the Church frequently running to the world for advice on how to handle its affairs, but its not necessary.
“But I need someone in my corner to help me with X”
Is that counselor giving you biblical advice? If not, then its worthless advice.
Even so, their background and beliefs are suspect and open to interrogation.
Psalm 1:1
Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly[following their advice, their plans and purposes],nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk,nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.
Col 1:13
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins
Numbers 11:23
The Lord said to Moses, “Is the arm of the Lord too short? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not.”
Gal 3:3
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Luke 1:57
For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Heb 6:12
That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
1 Kings 1:1-8
Is God the God of all your parts? Or only the “good parts”
Go to the Word for help, not the World
- 2 Kings 1:1-8 – Counselors are dangerous if not thoroughly grounded in the Word
- 1 Sam 28 – Saul took the easy way out, rebelled, disobeyed, then wanted the easy way out
Peter figured it out
John 6:68 – Simon Peter answered, “Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life.
Don’t air your dirty laundry to the world
- 1 Cor 5:9-13 – Don’t associate with non-believers because their philosophies will rub off on you
- 1 Cor 6 – and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
- 1 Tim 1:3-20 – I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
Where did that counselor get his counsel?
Heb 4:2 – For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
Matt 15:4 – Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
Proverbs 11:4 – Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety
Wilderness experiences strengthen your dependence on the Lord
David was a man after God’s heart, that’s why the Law had no hold on him. Yes, he sinned, but he repented and kept turning back to the Lord.
Luke 4:14 – Jesus came out of the wilderness experience in the power of the Spirit
Gal 1 – Paul took a 3 year bible class in order to recover from his Acts 9 beatdown
Heb 4:12 – For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the hear
Are you talking about God, or talking about your problems?
Romans 15:18-21 – God is trying to use you to affect the world, not the other way around.
Matt 11:7 – What are you trying to find out there in the World?
1 Cor 10:5 – Nevertheless, God was not pleased with the great majority of them, for they were overthrown and strewn down along the ground in the wilderness. (AMP)
Heb 3:1-16 – Don’t harden your heart to God’s solution: His Word
When you empty yourself – it puts you back in the ring, intimacy with Him
1 Cor 2:2 – All the solutions to life’s problems are found in Christ. They once were hidden, but now they are not. Now accessed freely through your spirit from the Holy Spirit.
Our God is a consuming fire.
Heb 12:25-29 – God removes sin. God shakes us up. God prunes dead wood. God is a consuming Fire
Matt 21:18-22 – What ever is not from God, to hell it goes.
Matt 3:12 – and he will gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.
Heb 2:10 – Why the purge? He is bringing many sons to glory.
Increase your Intimacy with the Father
Luke 15 – Which son didn’t know his father? Both!
One was the “religious boring stick”, the other was “the party animal”.
Neither knew what their Father possessed: their answers, their provision, their future
Notice also how the Father didn’t go wallow in the mud with the son.
He didn’t need what the world had to offer.
John 16:33 – In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration;
but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]!
For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]
Even if we suffer persecution for our faith, we are still NOT perfected by turning to the flesh for answers
Gal 3:3 – We are NOT perfected by worldy advice. “If it feels good, do it. Indulge yourself. God will forgive you, right? You are not hurting anyone.”
Gal 3:4 – in this life of Faith you will suffer loss, but
2 Thes 1:4-5 – We ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer
2 Cor 12 – Paul went to the LORD 3 times when Satan attacked him.
Really, What are you looking for anyway?
Phil 3:8 – More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,
We start our Christian life with faith, we also win our battles in Faith too.
This means we need to exercise Faith in the Lord to help us with our issues.
Yeah, that problem.
We are refined by Faith, not by works
Gal 3:5 – God works by honoring your faith
Gal 3:9 – faith towards God results in your happiness.
Don’t re-crucify Jesus by being dependent on the world for answers
Gal 4 – Gal 5 – Power is available!
Why did God come to earth in the form of a man?
To play FIFA soccer?
“Um just to save me and build me that house of gold, yeah thats it”
Set your sights higher.
Jesus has and is the answer to your confidence, love, assurance, mental, physical and future problems
Apostolic Counseling Services. Can I help you?
“Um hi, yeah its me again. Yes, its Paul. Shh ok? Yeah um i’m having some problems on the mission field again, and I just thought maybe you could..”
Never Happened
2 Cor 12:7-10
1-800-Bad-Counsel
$45 for the first hour
Cheaper as your dependance on me becomes greater.
kidding