The School of the Holy Spirit – 36 of 52 – Part 24 The Secret of Gods Continuous Assessment of you and ministry relative to inner healing and renewal of the mind to the image and likeness of His Son + The Holy Spirit – Biblical Counselor in you, the BASIS and BASIC – 2 of 12
#SchoolOfTheHolySpirit #TheSecretPlace #LimitedTheology #MindBoggling #Understanding #Rhema #Comfort #Foundation #FiniteMinds #Experiences #Firey #ZillionDirections #HurtingPeople #TraumaHealing #Ministries #PropheticCounseling #BiblicalCounseling #Crisis #Problems #Troubles #Trauma #Subconscious #Conscious #SubconsciousProgramming #Strongholds #Deliverance #SelfDeliverance #PeopleDeliverance #Bottlenecks #Significance #Selfworth #Security #Counseling #PeopleHelper #Counselor #InnerHealing #MindRenewal #assessment #WhiteHouse #BuckinghamPalace #AsoRock #Scoreboard #Scorecard #Unity
The School of the Holy Spirit – 36 of 52 – Part 24 The Secret of God’s Continuous Assessment of you and ministry relative to inner healing and renewal of the mind to the image and likeness of His Son + The Holy Spirit – Biblical Counselor in you, the BASIS and BASIC – 2 of 12
Otakada.org Content Count: 2,220,093
Date: Sunday, May 31st , 2020
Blog Link – https://www.otakada.org/secret-of-gods-assessment-of-you-and-ministry-relative-to-image-likeness-of-jesus
Podcast: anchor.fm/otakada.org
Quote on the secret place assessment, image and likeness of Gods Son and Counselor – the people helper:
“God’s Continuous Assessment of You is Paramount to Your effectiveness in Your WALK and WORK with Him: As a matter of principle, when I engage God in the secret place, I ask him, “Lord, what is your assessment of me relative to your Son? Is there something I still lack that You need to help me work on? am I doing what you have called me to do and am I doing it the way you want me to do it? If I am wrong, Show me.” I have never experienced silence from Him on the above question because that is the desire He has for every child of His – Make this a lifestyle in your secret work and walk with the Lord – You cannot help others effectively if these questions remain unanswered- You help yourself to be able to help others effectively” John 14:14-16, Psalm 23:3 –– Monday Ogwuojo Ogbe – Otakada.org
“With the whole wide world, currently in the eye of the storm, there is no better time than now to be the counselor, representing Jesus through the help of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives. At the end of the day, if God succeed through you in that counseling session, and draw the person closer to Him, you have scored goals for the kingdom. So, prepare, acquire the basic skills that the Holy Spirit can use through you and in you” – Monday Ogwuojo Ogbe
“Most of us are painfully aware that we’re not perfect parents. We’re also deeply grieved that we don’t have perfect kids. But the remedy to our mutual imperfections isn’t more law, even if it seems to produce tidy or polite children. Children . . . don’t need to learn to be ‘nice.’ They need death and resurrection and a Savior.” ― Jim Newheiser
“Heart of the Problem is the Problem of the Heart- The heart of the matter is to whom/what is worship given and how does one’s life exert what one truly value?
” – Evangelica Sola
“Evil is powerful, but good is more powerful. In fact, evil is so powerful that only good has the power to overcome evil. Darkness can be driven away only by light.” ― Jay E. Adams
“The biblical counseling method utilizes the scripture as the source of magnifying glass that walks along as a guide on the side by focusing the individual pointing to Christ as the source of hope of healing.” Evangelica Sola
“Jesus did not die to increase our self-esteem. Rather, Jesus died to bring glory to the Father by redeeming people from the curse of sin.” ― Edward T. Welch
“Foolishness is more than being stupid, that deadly combination of arrogance and ignorance.” ― Paul David Tripp
“Simply put, to please God means to bring him delight by being and doing what he desires.” ― Robert D. Jones
“You will not experience dramatic change in your struggle as long as you use accountability to describe your sins instead of declaring your need for help in the midst of temptation.” ― Heath Lambert
“We should strive to make church a place where being anonymous or nominal is difficult to pull off.” ― Jeremy Pierre
“ Hope is not defined by the absence of hardship. Rather, hope is found in God’s grace in the midst of hardship. Hope is found in his promise to give us a future.” ― Stuart Scott
“You are sanctified by remembering and believing afresh that you are justified by what Jesus did on the cross for you.” ― David A. Powlison
“God has not promised that the man of your dreams will pursue you. He has promised that he will love you with a perfectly faithful, steadfast, and undying love” ― Deepak Reju
Key Verses:
Matthew 6:6 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) 6 But when you pray, go into your [ most] private room, and, closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open.
Matthew 7:24-27 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) 24 So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them [ obeying them] will be like a [a]sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock.
25 And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
26 And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a stupid (foolish) man who built his house upon the sand.
27 And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great and complete was the fall of it.
Revelation 3:18 Amplified Bible (AMP)
18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold that has been heated red hot and refined by fire so that you may become truly rich; and white clothes [ representing righteousness] to clothe yourself so that the shame of your nakedness will not be seen; and healing salve to put on your eyes so that you may see.
Luke 21:34-35 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
34 But take heed to yourselves and be on your guard, lest your hearts be overburdened and depressed (weighed down) with the [a]giddiness and headache and [b]nausea of self-indulgence, drunkenness, and worldly worries and cares pertaining to [ the [c]business of] this life, and [ lest] that day come upon you suddenly like a trap or a noose;
35 For it will come upon all who live upon the face of the entire earth.
Romans 8:29-30 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
29 For those whom He foreknew [ of whom He was [a]aware and [b]loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [ foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [ and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren.
30 And those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified, He also glorified [ raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being].
John 14:16-17 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever—
17 The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly ] and will be in you.
Mark 13:11 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)11 Now when they take you [ to court] and put you under arrest, do not be anxious beforehand about what you are to say [a]nor [ even] meditate about it; but say whatever is given you in that hour and at [b]the moment, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 9:6 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
6 For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [ of Eternity], Prince of Peace.
Psalm 23:3 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
3 He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but ] for His name’s sake.
Psalm 139:23-24 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
23 Search me [ thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Proverbs 25:2 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a thing.
Luke 4:18 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
18 The Spirit of the Lord [is ] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [ the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [ who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity],
John 17:21 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
21 That they all may be one, [just ] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me.
Introduction.
Dear friends I welcome you to the series on the school of the Holy Spirit. Today, we bring you –
The School of the Holy Spirit – 36 of 52 – Part 24 The Secret of God’s Continuous Assessment of you and ministry relative to inner healing and renewal of the mind to the image and likeness of His Son + The Holy Spirit – Biblical Counselor in you, the BASIS and BASIC – 2 of 12
The sub-series was started in Wednesday, made of 12 series to Equipping the Saints with Prophetic Biblical Counseling Skills to Help Self and Others through their Troubles
At Otakada.org, we bring YOU over 2 million contents for All Round Success for your Spirit, Soul and your Body all in one place! Check this out in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 2 Timothy 1:7 and Hebrews 4:12
Read – 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Amplified Bible (AMP) 23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [ that is, separate you from profane and vulgar things, make you pure and whole and undamaged—consecrated to Him—set apart for His purpose ]; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete and [be found ] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Together with you, we are building MASSIVE SPIRITUAL TEMPLES in people’s heart for the Spirit of God to dwell in and operate through with ease in these times and seasons, so stay with us and build with us! – Check this out in 1 Corinthians 3: 1- 17; Leviticus 26:12; Jeremiah 32:38; Ezekiel 37:27; 2 Corinthians 6:16; 1 John 4:4
If you missed the last two series of Sunday and Wednesday as follows hereunder:
The School of the Holy Spirit – 34 of 52 – Part 22 – Anatomy and Secrets of the Secret Place – The Secret of Dropping the Foundation of our Limited Theology and Understanding of God in the things He Will Tell Us, Show Us, Ask Us or Cause Us to experience or do in our work and walk with Him + Let’s Explore 8 Mind-boggling Instructions in the Secret Place God gave some of His children to carry out that will explode Your understanding of Him to Zillion different directions and why He does that! – Stay Positive, Stay Focused and Stay Strong in God!
Follow this Link – https://www.otakada.org/secret-of-dropping-the-foundation-our-limited-theology
The School of the Holy Spirit – 35 of 52 – Part 23 Equipping the Saints with Prophetic Biblical Counseling Skills to Help Self and Others through their Troubles – Introduction 1 of 12 – Why do we end up doing things we don’t want to do?
Follow this Link
Brethren, thank you all for the birthday wishes and prayers through telephone calls, text messages and visits yesterday. The Lord bless you all indeed and may He remember you all for good in Jesus name.
I have made it a point of duty that every birthday, I ask God for a gift. Last year, 3 days to the birthday, I began a 3 day fast, asking for specific confirmation concerning the assignment, timelines and my walk and work with Him and He never said anything. On the birthday, one of our neighbor who has a prophetic ministry came with the husband to congratulate me and to pray. The Lord spoke through her concerning the question I was asking 3 days prior – How important it is to fellowship with each other, to draw on the gift the Lord has graciously deposited in His body. That was a massive gift for me because those where my expectations.
This year, the 29th of May 2020, in the early hours of the morning, the Lord spoke in my dream saying, “ You are my Ugochukwu.” I jumped up and asked my wife what does “UGOCHUKWU” mean in English? She said I don’t know but that in the morning, I should call and ask auntie Ugo, who use to be our neighbor in our former church in Lagos to give the interpretation.
By the way, after the revelation of 22nd of April 2006 on His divided body and the need for discipleship, He bundled me same year from the UK into this Church for 11 years. He told me lately that it was a training ground for the work He was calling me into – ability to see the outworking and the challenges in getting the body of Christ to come together in unity, drawing from each other’s strength, doctrine, etc to see what works, to really see the need for unity in the body of Christ, to focus on the essentials
This Church has ex-members from different denominations including Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholics, Anglican, Pentecostals to name but a few and no powerful man of God, as speakers are drawn from different denominations in the body of Christ to minister. It takes God to keep this His children together. I got my first training on the need for unity in the body of Christ in this church – It’s one of a kind in the whole wide world. I thank Him for the experience and the training. He is still working on us all into the image and likeness of His Son despite our backgrounds of faith, there is no need to tear each other apart because of the mode of worship or some other petty differences. We should just focus on the essentials.. I will encourage people who are passionate about unity in the body of Christ to check out this assembly and draw conclusions where need be.. God is calling us all to unity and united we must be
read John 17:21 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)21 That they all may be one, [just ] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me.
Visit the site at http://www.victoriafellowshipchurch.org/
Returning to my dream, I was wondering, how would God speak to me in Igbo language? Why didn’t He just speak direct in English or Igala?
I got busy during the day and it just occurred to me I have not found out what “UGOCHUKWU” means. So, I reluctantly did a google search and this is what I found – God has a very serious sense of humor and we can’t certainly box Him in our work and walk with Him.
I am an Igala man and God is speaking to me in Igbo. God does not practice tribalism or He is not a tribalist or a racist. He is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). Read what Solomon wrote for our records by inspiration in Proverbs 25:2 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a thing.
This is what I searched out from google –
“God’s Eagle”
Ugochukwu is an Igbo name. Its literal translation is “God’s Eagle”, which is interpreted as “Crown of God” or even “Glory of God” — since the crowns of traditional Igbo rulers are adorned with a tail feather of an eagle.
I almost fell off my chair on getting this interpretation – So, Lord, You are saying, “I am your “UGOCHUKWU””? – Thank you , my Father and my God. – This is indeed a birthday gift for me.
That brought back the memory of the prophecy received on the 28th of February 2005 concerning my assignment, where God said among other things, … “On eagle wings will you arise to fulfill your destiny as the serpent strikes. I will keep you and protect you the same way I kept Moses in the hand of Pharaoh”
I have shared this information not for any self-seeking motive for my sense of significance, self-worth and security is built on the foundation of Christ but this is to encourage you to seek out God concerning His specific purpose for your life. Concerning His endorsement of what you are currently doing. Life is not just about food on the table or comfort or acquisition of knowledge that amount to zero in the scheme of God for that was what the devil tempted Adam and Eve with and they fell from grace. Satan also tempted Jesus in like fashion and he will tempt you and me from time to time.
Life can get very, very confusing at times. You can be running around thinking you are in the center of His purpose of your life, but deep within, you know something is not right. Seek Him out. You could be the MD or Chairman of a major corporation but God could be calling you to something else that dovetails into His agenda – He has one for you.
External success is not necessarily an endorsement by God of what you are and what you do. In fact, the devil can simulate worldly success for you, all with the intent of taking you off purpose. You could have jumped into missionary work based on the advice of others meanwhile God wants you in the secular world to engage in the business marketplace. Or He might tell you time is up and should move away from the field. It is ok to take heed to instruction by those who speak into your life, spiritually speaking but does that bear witness to what the Holy Spirit is saying to you at this present moment? Read what satan told Jesus in
Luke 4:2-13 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
2 For (during) forty days in the wilderness (desert), where He was tempted ([a]tried, tested exceedingly) by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they were completed, He was hungry.
3 Then the devil said to Him, If You are the Son of God, order this stone to turn into a loaf [of bread ].
4 And Jesus replied to him, It is written, Man shall not live and be sustained by (on) bread alone [b]but by every word and expression of God.
5 Then the devil took Him up to a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the habitable world in a moment of time [[c]in the twinkling of an eye ].
6 And he said to Him, To You I will give all this power and authority and their glory (all their magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, and grace), for it has been turned over to me, and I give it to whomever I will.
7 Therefore if You will do homage to and worship me [[d]just once ], it shall all be Yours.
8 And Jesus replied to him, [e]Get behind Me, Satan! It is written, You shall do homage to and worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.
9 Then he took Him to Jerusalem and set Him on [f]a gable of the temple, and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, cast Yourself down from here;
10 For it is written, He will give His angels charge over you to guard and watch over you closely and carefully;
11 And on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.
12 And Jesus replied to him, [ The Scripture] says, You shall not tempt (try, [g]test exceedingly) the Lord your God.
13 And when the devil had ended every [the complete cycle of ] temptation, he [temporarily ] left Him [that is, [h]stood off from Him ] until another more opportune and favorable time.
The Devil knows you could be a prime target of derailing his ministry of killing, stealing and destroying in people’s lives and he will do everything in his power to derail, hence the importance of keeping your spiritual antenna open always to what the Spirit of God is saying to you.
The currency in the spirit realm in this dispensation of the Holy Spirit is souls, souls and more souls coming into the light of the Kingdom of God. The whole earth is set for destruction and this will happen only when the number of souls that are to come into the kingdom have come in and the gospel is preached to every nation….then the end will come – Read Matthew 24:14 from the reliable mouth of Jesus Christ.
The angels are not excited because you won that major contract or because you reached your goals of earthly accumulation or because you married and had plenty of children who will carry on your name – The heaven rejoices when one soul is won into the kingdom. Read from the lips of Jesus Christ – Luke 15:7,10. Ensure whatever you do in your secular job scores goals for the kingdom or whatever you do in the mission field scores goals for the kingdom.
There are souls in the higher echelon of life no one else can reach but you, per virtue of your position. Don’t play politically correct when it comes to the souls of men or women wherever they may be – Aso Rock, White House, or Buckingham Palace. God wants to reach them through you and you must inquire in the secret place to find out the specifics for you.
You might be shelling millions to the mission field but apart from that, God might need your time to draw someone in your circle to Him and disciple Him to maturity. If your sense of security, self-worth and significance is tied to that job, you will never bulge to His instruction. Hence the need for inner healing continually.
Don’t hide in the cover or on the cloak of giving money to mission to the detriment of the personal call of God upon your life.
True satisfaction and fulfilment comes from the position of purpose. Everyone has it. There is a place for you in the global assignment of – go make disciples of all nations
It will not just drop into your lap ..You have to search for it through prayer, fasting, waiting for that is your glory Proverbs 25:2
Read this – God’s Continuous Assessment of You is Paramount to Your effectiveness in Your WALK and WORK with Him: As a matter of principle, when I engage God in the secret place, I ask him, “Lord, what is your assessment of me relative to your Son? Is there something I still lack that You need to help me work on? am I doing what you have called me to do and am I doing it the way you want me to do it? If I am wrong, Show me.” I have never experienced silence from Him on the above question because that is the desire He has for every child of His – Make this a lifestyle in your secret work and walk with the Lord – You cannot help others effectively if these questions remain unanswered- You help yourself to be able to help others effectively” John 14:14-16, Psalm 23:3
“With the world, currently in the eye of the storm, there is no better time than now to be the counselor, representing Jesus in people’s lives. At the end of the day, if God succeed through you in that counseling session, and draw the person closer to Him, you have scored goal for the kingdom.”
Don’t make the mistake and thing that this is psychology. It looks like it but it is not it. We are using the Jesus model of counseling with the help of the Holy Spirit in dealing with their problem.
Now, lets explore The Holy Spirit – Biblical Counselor in you, the BASIS and BASIC – 2 of 12
One of the names of Jesus is “Wonderful Counselor” (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus counseled prophetically while here on earth, speaking the truth of God’s Word into the lives of those who came to Him seeking help.
Christ’s ministry of counseling was limited geographically while He was on earth, and eventually it was limited by time when He returned to Heaven. Upon His departure from earth, however, Jesus promised to send another Counselor to fulfill this purpose in our lives:
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever–the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17)
The Holy Spirit is the biblical counselor without limits. He is not limited by time or distance, because He dwells within each true believer. He is not limited by knowledge because as part of the Trinity of God He is all-knowing. The Holy Spirit within you can provide proper counsel in times of need and give you the ability to counsel others biblically.
Many times believers turn to counselors before they turn to God for help. As a believer, you already have a resident Counselor and intercessor within you. The Holy Spirit is your Counselor, and Jesus is the intercessor between you and God (1 Timothy 2:5). When a believer turns to the world for counsel, the question is similar to that raised by the Prophet Micah: “Now why do you cry out aloud? Is there no king in you? Is your counselor perished?” (Micah 4:9, KJV). Much counseling would be unnecessary if people would take their concerns to God first and search His Word for answers.
For a believer, the Holy Spirit is the true biblical counselor. The person providing guidance based on the Word of God is simply a facilitator, speaking forth the counsel of the Holy Spirit. Biblical counseling is the work of the Holy Spirit accomplished in believers and through believers–whether they are a professional counselor, minister, chaplain, or simply a born-again, Spirit-filled believer.
Biblical counselors must be led by the Holy Spirit. Counseling apart from the Word of God and the power of the Spirit is ineffective. At times, the Holy Spirit may direct you to say something different than what you planned. At other times, the Spirit may caution you to remain silent at the very moment you were going to speak.
If you remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit, He will direct you as to what to say regarding every issue. Jesus promised that in difficult situations you are not to “…worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit” (Mark 13:11, NKJV).
The Holy Spirit makes you, as a believer, competent to counsel. The Apostle Paul told the Romans: “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” (Romans 15:14,
NKJV).
No counselor can know the truth about situations without supernatural revelation by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the “spirit of truth” (John 14:17). It is the revelation of truth by the Holy Spirit based on the truth of Word of God that sets people free. Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).
The Holy Spirit bestows special spiritual gifts that enable biblical counseling–discernment, words of knowledge and wisdom, the gifts of healing, exhortation, discerning of spirits, prophecy, and miracles. The reason why some Christian counseling fails is that some counselors do not believe these gifts are for today. These spiritual gifts were bestowed “…to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). Have these purposes been completely fulfilled in the Body of Christ? No. So why would these spiritual gifts be withdrawn without fulfilling God’s purposes?
If you do not hear, accept, and act upon the Word of God regarding salvation, you will not be saved. If you do not hear, accept, and act upon the Word of God concerning healing, deliverance, miracles, etc., then most likely you will not experience these blessings. The Bible states that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you (Romans 8:11). If that Spirit was powerful enough to raise a dead body, is it not powerful enough to meet every difficult circumstance and problem in our lives?
The Holy Spirit–with His accompanying powerful spiritual gifts–is the biblical Counselor that the whole world needs. It is because He resides within you, revealing all truth, that you–as a believer–are competent to counsel.
As we look at scripture, there is no “book of counseling”. The basis and basics of biblical counseling are formulated from scriptural precepts and examples, including the greatest example of all, that of our wonderful Counselor, the Lord Jesus Christ.
There are three Hebrew words translated “counsel” in scripture. Taken together, they mean to deliberate, resolve, advise, guide, determine, purpose, consult, instruct, and plan. There are five Greek verbs for the word “counsel” which, when summarized, mean to beseech, exhort, encourage, comfort, admonish, and warn. All of these are components of biblical counseling.
There are basically three approaches to counseling:
-Expert knowledge: Based on research, education, and the work of secular psychologists.
-Common or traditional knowledge: Based on experience, observation, or knowledge passed down by traditions or previous generations.
-Divine knowledge: Based on God’s Word.
Although the first two may have some merit, it is divine knowledge based on God’s Word that provides the basis and basics of biblical counseling. This type of counseling is rooted in what the Word of God teaches regarding acceptable behavior, positive relationships, problem-solving, and conflict resolution.
Now, let’s explore THE BASIS OF BIBLICAL COUNSELING
The principles and examples provided within the pages of God’s Word provide the basis for biblical counseling. These include scriptural models of biblical counselors.
Jesus is the greatest model of a biblical counselor. As we look at Christ’s ministry, we see that His goal in every encounter was to effect change that would result in abundant life. At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus declared:
The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed one, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity], To proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound.] (Luke 4:18, AMP)
The following, qualities vital to effective counseling, were evident in the ministry of Christ:
-He loved people: John 3:16.
-He confronted people when necessary: Matthew 8:26; 18:15; John 8:3-11.
-He did not condemn people: John 8:11.
-He sought to save those who were lost: Luke 19:10.
-He ministered abundant life: John 10:10.
-He destroyed the works of the devil: 1 John 3:8.
-He spoke only what God told Him to speak: John 12:49.
-He spoke with authority: Matthew 7:29.
-His ministry was empowered by prayer: Luke 5:15-16; 6:12-13.
-He had compassion: Mark 1:41; 6:34; 8:2.
-He ministered in power: Luke 5:17.
-He made people take personal responsibility for their problems: Luke 5:24; John 5.
-He dealt with root causes: In Mark 2:5 He forgave sins first, then dealt with other needs.
Volumes have been written on counseling, from both Christian and secular viewpoints, and much of it is quite complex. As we look at the ministry of Jesus, however, we see that His encounters were simple, powerful, direct, and the results were immediate. He never referred people to secular resources, nor did He tell them it would take a long time for them to receive help.
The Apostle Paul is another great example of a biblical counselor. He said, “For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory”
(1 Thessalonians 2:11-12).
Paul’s efforts were successful because, as he continues to explain, “…when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13-14).
This is a perfect model of biblical counseling: A counselor who dispenses the Word of God as tenderly as a father deals with his own children and counselees who receive and act upon what is shared from the Word of God.
And again–if you read through Acts and the Epistles–every person to whom Paul ministered received immediate help. There were no long-term counseling sessions and no referrals to secular sources of help. Many people believe it will take a long time for them to receive help simply because someone has told them it will take a long time.
Old Testament Principles: Here are some references in the Old Testament directly related to counseling.
-The counsel of God comes through the Word: Psalm 119:24, 105.
-God is mighty in counsel: Jeremiah. 32:19; Psalm. 16:7.
-God’s counsel shall stand forever: Psalm 33:11; Proverbs 19:21; Isaiah 46:10.
-Jesus Christ is called the Wonderful Counselor: Isaiah 9:6; 11:2.
-The Holy Spirit is our resident counselor: Isaiah 40:13.
-The counsel of the Lord directs the path of the believer: Psalm 73:24; 85:13;
Proverbs 3:5,6.
-The believer is not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly: Psalm 1:1.
-It is beneficial to seek counsel from godly people: Proverbs 11:14;15:22; 24:6.
New Testament Principles: Here are some references in the New Testament directly related to counseling.
-The Scriptures were written for our counsel: Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11;
2 Timothy 3:10,17.
-God’s counsel is immutable–meaning it does not change: Hebrews 6:17.
-Jesus, the Counselor, prayed that the Father would send another Comforter, the Holy
Spirit: John 14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7.
-Part of the ministry of pastors is to counsel their people: 1 Thessalonians 5:12.
-Believers are to counsel one another: Romans 15:14; Colossians 3:16.
-Children are to be counseled in the ways of the Lord: Ephesians 6:4.
-Exhortation is one of the responsibilities of the church: Romans 12:8.
-The word “admonition”, meaning counsel, is used in 1 Corinthians 10:11; Ephesians. 6:4; and Titus 3:10.
-The term “to admonish” is used in Acts 20:31; Romans 15:1-4; 1 Corinthians 4:14; Colossians 1:28; 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:12,14.
Now, let’s explore THE BASICS OF BIBLICAL COUNSELING
The following are basic premises of biblical counseling:
The counselor must be a believer. You cannot provide adequate scriptural counsel if you have not been born-again as detailed in John chapter 3. As a believer, your mind is renewed so you can understand the things of God that unbelievers cannot comprehend. You are then empowered to counsel with the ability of the mind of Christ:
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things…For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:14-16)
The counselee must be a believer. Unbelievers cannot understand, receive, and act upon scriptural counsel with an unregenerate mind. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ is fundamental to the biblical resolution of problems.
Biblical counsel is based on God’s Word. It is not your experiences, ideas, or expertise that will help a counselee. It is not applying secular psychological models that transforms lives. It is the Word of God that effects true change:
… so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty ,but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)
Biblical counseling is done by believers who base their counsel on God’s Word, as opposed to counselors who–though they may be believers–base their counsel on secular philosophies. The Apostle Paul said that he had not neglected to proclaim the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). What was the counsel Paul gave? The entirety of God’s Word.
Biblical counselors believe that the Holy Bible is the inspired Word of God and that it is the final authority regarding faith and practice:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (1 Timothy 3:16-17, NKJV )
Biblical counselors do not view the Bible as something to try to see if it works, nor do they view it as an option among others to be explored. It is the inspired Word of the one and only God. It is the answer to every need.
The Bible is profitable for:
-Doctrine—by which one can know truth, and it is the truth that sets people free.
-Reproof—by which we become aware of our sinful condition through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, without which there will be no real and lasting change.
-Correction—by which we learn how to overcome sinful habits, failures, and weaknesses, putting off the old, sinful life-style of the flesh.
-Instruction in righteousness—adapting a lifestyle which includes continuous study of God’s Word, regular prayer, and involvement in a fellowship of true believers.
Secular counseling is void of this life-changing Word of God.
The counselee must agree to the authority of God’s Word. The person you are counseling may be a believer, but may reject a portion of the Word of God because they don’t want to act upon what it says. They may want to retain sinful emotions such as anger and unforgiveness, continue harmful habits and addictions, or refuse to sever sinful relationships
Others want to do things their own way. Good advice for them is: You got to where you are today by doing what you have done. How has that worked for you? If you want things to change, you must do something different!
The Bible warns that:
…the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:3-4 , KJV)
Some people will not endure–receive and act upon–sound doctrine. They do not want to hear the truth. Many people seek counselors who will agree with what they want to do rather than tell them what God says they should do.
The biblical counselor can provide only limited help to those who do not agree to the authority of the Word. The Bible is quite clear that because…
…they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. (Proverbs 1:29-32, KJV)
Even Jesus could not minister effectively in His own home town because of unbelief (Matthew 13:58). People continue in their problems because they reject the Word of the Lord. If a person refuses the Word, they are not rejecting the counselor. They are rejecting God Himself
(1 Samuel 8:7).
Biblical counseling is not done on the basis of human wisdom. We counsel on the basis of divine wisdom from God “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3, KJV).
The Apostle Paul declared:
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought.
(1 Corinthians 2:4-6, KJV):
This supernatural wisdom is based on the fear of the Lord: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding” (Psalm111:10). The fear of the Lord is loving reverence for God, His person, His Word, and His actions (Malachi 1:5-6). When you fear God, you obey His Word (Ecclesiastes 12:13); walk in His ways (Deuteronomy 8:6); serve Him (Joshua 24:14); and depart from evil (Proverbs 3:7-8).
Biblical counseling does not require a certified counselor. Training in biblical counseling is advantageous, of course, but because the Counselor dwells within, certification is not necessary in order to help yourself or others. When David needed encouragement, he encouraged himself in the Lord (1 Samuel 30:1-6). As New Testament believers with the Counselor resident within us, we can do likewise.
When Daniel was burdened, he did not seek counseling, talk to his friends, or call his spiritual advisor. He prayed to God (Daniel 9). The psalmist David turned to the Word acknowledging that: “Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors” (Psalms 119:24, NKJV).
This is not to discount the value of trained biblical counselors. The Bible declares: “Where there is no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14, KJV). But if you cannot find a Christian counselor who counsels biblically, you can still receive the help you need because the divine Counselor is resident within you and your answers are readily available in the inspired pages of scripture.
Biblical counsel aims for complete change. When David came to God seeking forgiveness for sin, he didn’t ask for a patched up version of his old self. He prayed, “Create in me a clean heart”–the word “create” means something new (Psalm 51:10). The Bible assures:
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV)
The counselor is not the one who effects change. The counselee does not change himself through self-effort. It is God that supernaturally changes a person from the inside out, creating a new creature in Christ. Not a patched-up version of the old person, but a completely new person!
Biblical counselors believe people are responsible for their actions. God is not interested in excuses for sinful behavior. He judges mankind on the basis of their response to Jesus Christ and whether or not their names are inscribed in the book of life:
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:12-15, KJV)
Biblical counseling deals with sin which is the root of dysfunction. Secular reasoning would suggest that we have “problems” instead of sins. Many problems, however, are actually sin issues–either the sin of the counselee or the sins of others committed against them. Biblical counseling will identify sin issues and deal with them scripturally.
The Bible says: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, KJV). The solution to the sin problem is not rehabilitation, education, or legislation. It is regeneration through Jesus Christ:
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6, KJV)
Do not settle for tears of sorrow from a counselee who was caught in sin and is reaping the results. Don’t accept excuses such as “that is just the way I am” or “I am this way because of my parents.” Don’t allow counselees to shift blame for their behavior to others. We are not invited to deal with sin, rather we are commanded to deal with it. The precepts given by God in His Word are not suggestions to consider. They are commandments that, when accepted and acted upon, have the power to change a person’s life and eternal destiny.
Biblical counseling equips you to counsel others. The difficulties you experience for which you receive and act upon biblical counsel prepare you to help others:
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, KJV)
All of the challenges you have experienced in your journey through life have prepared you to be competent to counsel. It is time to pass on to a needy world the comfort, encouragement, and help you have experienced through God and His Word. You have come into the Kingdom for such a time as this (Esther 4:14).
Conclusion and Prayer
Our Father and our God, We thank You for the privilege we have to gain access to your presence 24/7. Thank You for reminding us again to chase after You more than our necessary food – to find out our position and stand in you. To know whether we are standing or falling and failing.To get some scorecard from you We make commitment today to so do. We also are open to obey every instruction you give us in the secret place. We will never box You, Lord God. We are committed to go through every test, examination and practicals that You bring our way Lord God, we ask that You release Your grace upon us to run the race with vigor in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord, we declare that we are ready and will continue to prepare others that come our way to be ready as well. We receive grace to spend time with you in the secret place anywhere, anyplace and anytime so that we will reflect Your glory to a dying and decaying world in Jesus name, amen.
Now, experience all round-success this week and beyond as You are led by your closest friend – The Holy Spirit!
Remember, we are one in Christ Jesus – Only in unity we can have lasting and far reaching impact – Engage!
Ephesians 4:4-6 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) 4 [ There is ] one body and one Spirit—just as there is also one hope [that belongs] to the calling you received—5 [ There is ] one Lord, one faith, one baptism,6 One God and Father of [ us ] all, Who is above all [ Sovereign over all ], pervading all and [ living ] in [us] all.
You can secure answers to questions on the Holy Spirit and salvation via these links:
Find links to my books here –
Click here for access to otakada.org content guide for 2020
Click here to find titles to my books on amazon
Or at Otakada shop
Shalom!
Monday Ogwuojo Ogbe
e-discipleship at Otakada.org
+13022686313; +2348032835348; info@otakada.org
Originally posted on May 30, 2020 @ 5:20 pm
