Is It Time To Rebuild?

Years ago, when my wife and I were newly married, we bought our first house. That first house had some real problems.  The main one was that whoever built it did not take the time to put a footing under the foundation.  Therefore, the house had settled on one end.  The 20 foot living/dining room dropped about 12 inches from one end to the other. It took an incredible amount of time and effort to try to get that house back to level.  Eventually, someone had to come and dig out the old foundation, and put in a new footing and foundation, so that the house could be solid.

Today I see many families struggling.  They will say things like, “My kid is on suspension from school.”, “Our marriage is falling apart.”, “My kids won’t listen and obey me,.”, and the list goes on…

When you get a chance to talk with them and challenge them, you realize that their lives and families have a foundation problem.  They need to return to the Biblical principles, and teaching, and Jesus Christ in their lives and families.  Matthew 7:24–27 (NKJV) ²⁴“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. ²⁶“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

Some of you may think that you are fine, because the storms of life have not yet hit, but they will.  Many others are facing the storm and seeing their homes beginning to sink. and oOthers are seeing them collapse.  I want to let you know there is hope!  Remove the foundation that is allowing your life and family to fall apart, and start rebuilding on the Rock of Jesus’ teachings.  I am not here telling you it will be easy. It will be harder than rebuilding the foundation of our house, but it will also be more rewarding when you are done.  I also am not telling you to do it alone, in fact, I will work to help you in this process, or connect you to someone else who will point you to the Biblical principles that are needed in the life of you and your children.  Don’t put it off, because the longer you wait, the more difficult the job becomes.  If your children are young the job will be easier than if they are old, if you are working from multiple generations of the improper foundation your work is cut out for you, but don’t lose hope.  Do the job “one brick” at a time, then slowly and surely, you will see the benefits of your efforts as you submit to God’s Word in your life and family!

For assistance contact: First Baptist Church 309-257-2290 or littletonbap@mtcnow.net

Competent to Counsel

In Romans 15:14 Paul commended the Romans by saying, “Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. (NKJV)”  The final thing mentioned here is the Romans’ being “able to admonish” or some might translate it “competent to counsel.”   The word “admonish” comes from the Greek word “noutheteo” and carries the idea of warning, encouraging, or advising.  It is a comprehensive word for counseling and involves believers coming alongside other believers for spiritual and moral counseling.  This is not a gift or a job of just the clergy but it was the members of the Roman church that were being commended for this and it is the responsibility of every believer.

This is what John MacArthur has to say regarding this subject,

“Tragically, many Christians today have been convinced that competent counseling can only be accomplished by a person who is trained in the principles of secular psychology—despite the fact that the various schools of psychology are, for the most part, at extreme odds with God’s Word and frequently with each other. Although they may profess that “all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16), many evangelicals—both those who give and those who receive counseling—do not rely on the full sufficiency of God’s Word.

There is no such thing as a psychological problem. All personal problems are either spiritual or physical. Anyone who suggests that so-called psychological problems can exist apart from or between those two realms of human existence does not understand either the nature of man and the power of sin or the nature and power of God’s Word and Spirit.^[1]

With him, I whole-heartedly agree.  In modern psychology individuals are often given a title that they are then stuck with for life.  If one searches the scriptures for these behaviors rather than finding a sickness that I will be stuck with for the rest of my life we find “sin”.  Though taking on the title of a sinner is not pleasant it is not permanent in that Jesus Christ paid the price for sin and for all those who recognize their sin and trust in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross to pay the atonement for their sin there is victory.

God gives us two tools to help in this, first the Holy Spirit who indwells all who put their faith in Christ and the Scriptures.  Hebrews 4:12-13 “The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”  In “Nouthetic” counseling we apply Scripture to problems and challenge people to be honest about their sin so that they confess it and forsake it.  This is when one is freed from the bondage of sin and is able to live the life that God intends them to live.

One who is given a title by a psychologist may be helped to get by in life to the point that they do not cause difficulty in their family or in their neighborhood.  In other words they are helped to “survive”.   But Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly.”  He doesn’t want us just to survive, He wants us to THRIVE!

If you are tired of just surviving, a constant struggle with your own life or with your children and you desire to have a life that is thriving let one of us sit down with you and show you the freedom that you can have in Christ Jesus.  For more information see: www.fbclittletonil.org

---

^[1] John F. MacArthur, Jr., Romans, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1991).