Thoughts
on Michael Wells’ teachings in Sidetracked In The Wilderness - # 8
Michael’s book is
available through:
Abiding Life
Ministries International
Littleton, Colorado
PRAYER, KNOWLEDGE, &
COUNSELING
(used with permission from
ALMI):
The Church is cluttered with shipwrecked scholars who
thought the Bible was written for understanding and did not recognize it was
written to give life (my emphasis by
making bold – Lee Mc)…God
is not to be systematized and understood – that is something that unbelievers
do to God – rather, He is
to be obeyed and worshiped…I believe that many times the pursuit of
knowledge keeps us from prayer. In fact,
it is much easier to pursue knowledge than to pursue the Lord in prayer…
Because there are many hurting
Christians in the Church,
quite an interest has developed in Christian counseling. Many Christians hold vehemently that
self-knowledge gained through psychological counseling is a concrete aid to
helping the defeated enter into victory.
However, one
disturbing thing about some Christian counseling is that the Lord Jesus and His
supernatural activity in our lives is often left out; the advice given to the
Christian would suit the unbeliever just as well. True Christian counseling leaves a person looking to Christ, not to
himself. I have always found
puzzling the measure of hostility that can be raised among Christians when they
hear Jesus is all we need. We are commanded to cast our anxiety
on the Lord, not on psychology:
...I proclaimed a fast, so that we
might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for
a safe journey for us and our
children, with all our possessions. I was ashamed to ask the
king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from our
enemies on the road, because we
had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on
everyone who looks to him, but his
anger is against all who forsake him.” So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and
he answered our prayer.
Ezra 8:21-23 NIV
At some point are we also not ashamed
for running to the world for the answers to the problems in man’s soul?
Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point Green
– IT, Incredible Truth
Red – GP, Greatest Promises
Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches Pink
– PV, Priceless Victory
Michael notes a major point that dramatically affects the lives of so many
Christians…they are taught from the time of being Born Again that Bible Study is so important to gain understanding of God, know about God, and to try and get in on what God is doing. All the while running from one Bible study, one Bible conference, one preaching service…to another…trying to gain more knowledge from the Bible…AND NEVER REALLY CONNECTING WITH GOD HIMSELF, AND CERTAINLY NOT GETTNG THE LIFE THE BIBLE IS INTENDED TO GIVE. What a tragedy!
But the one thing that has grieved my heart as much
as anything is the LACK of “the Lord Jesus and the supernatural activity in our
lives” being included in most of the counseling done in Christian churches and
circles. My goodness…Christianity is all
about Him, His power…and not us. It is
all about Him in us, us being crucified, Him being our life. If we are not teaching that, counseling that,
encouraging the discovery and participation in that, WE ARE NOT HELPING OUR
BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE LORD one iota.
Michael hits the nail on the head: “At some point are we also not
ashamed for running to the world for the answers to the problems in man’s
soul?” We should be.
Life verses.
Those scriptures that speak to the life of Christ that provide ALL the
answers for any problem in man’s soul.
Search the scriptures, make note of them, embrace them, and let the
rhema of God’s Word become real in your life!
And watch His power dominate your life.
Well, amen.
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