The Blessed Man

Today on the broadcast I will be talking about

The Blessed Man

Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Jesus taught about the Blessed man

Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Matthew 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Blessed is the man who’s washed in the blood of the lamb

Blessed is the man who’s name is written in the book of life

Blessed is the man who reads his Bible

Blessed is the man that hears his Lord say well done thou good and faithful servant

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The Blessed Man

Today on the broadcast I will be talking about

The Blessed Man

Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Jesus taught about the Blessed man

Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Matthew 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Blessed is the man who’s washed in the blood of the lamb

Blessed is the man who’s name is written in the book of life

Blessed is the man who reads his Bible

Blessed is the man that hears his Lord say well done thou good and faithful servant

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Renewed Mind

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will”  Romans 12:2

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Thought

Don’t be molded by the world. Wow, isn’t that a tough one to obey. It’s a reminder that what we think is one of the places of greatest spiritual warfare. Sloppy thinking is more than sloppy, it’s dangerous because we are fed messages constantly that distort God’s truth and holy values. But rather than being incensed by the world acting like the world, let’s be transformed by renewing our minds and doing what Paul said he did – take every thought, every word, captive for Christ. We often think a tithe is giving ten percent of our money, but an even more vital tithe is giving ten percent of our totally undivided thought time to the things of God!

Prayer

O Lord, please guard my soul from pride, my heart from callousness, and my mind from too much focus on unimportant things and not enough on your things. Teach me in my heart what it means to be about my Father’s business, especially in the world of my thoughts! In the name of Jesus, my greatest example of one who knew and lived your will, I pray. Amen.

By Phil Ware
Used by Permission

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Further Reading

•   Cling to the Lord

•  When Life isn’t Fair

•  Salvation Explained

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All That is Within Me?

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“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!”  Psalm 103:1 (ESV)

Sure, I bless the Lord with my lips and, as much as I can, with my heart. But with all that is in me? Can I really bless Him when my lower back is kinked or my sinuses are blocked and filled with pain? Can I bless him for my middle-aged tummy bulge or those widening hips? What about my second chin that is beginning to appear, or my hair, which has a mind of its own and pays more attention to the humidity than to any futile attempts to style it?

When we look at our flaws, imperfections, and body aches, it is hard to be positive, isn’t it? Other people may see our good points, but we magnify those things we hate about ourselves: our too-straight or too-curly hair; our big or pointy or hooked noses; our short legs; or, our over-sized bottoms. Some of us despise the fact that we are scrawny and tall and can’t seem to gain weight. (By the way, I secretly envy you, if that is your difficulty.)

Then there is the inside stuff: Our anger; our pride, which rears up when confronted; our stubbornness; and, our bad habits. Do people judge us more harshly than we judge ourselves? Does the way we act affect our appearance, or vice versa? What does that say about us as disciples of Christ? Where is our attitude of gratitude?

When will we realize that we are wonderfully and fearfully made by our Creator who desires relationship with us so much He even went to the cross so He could be with us? God sees us not as we are, but through the eyes of a loving parent. He sees the potential of who we can be when we use all the talents He has given us and when we choose to follow His ways. As the children’s song says, we are precious in His sight—no matter our race, our body shape, or our background.

It is true that some of our flaws are the result of our own life-choices. Through prayer and study of the Scriptures, we can change how we react to stress and to life in general. We can start turning to God for comfort and satisfaction, rather than to food or other worldly pleasures. We can spend less time at computers or on the couch in front of a television screen and, instead, get out to enjoy the beauty of our world. At the same time, we can help others in need.

Let’s read what Psalm 103: 2-5 (ESV) goes on to say:

“Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s”

The key is in the second verse when we forget not all His benefits; that is the attitude-changer. Once we claim Jesus as Lord, we receive eternal life and will one day have spiritual bodies free of disease and all imperfections. Since we have confessed Christ as Lord, we also get the crown. He forgives us, loves us, and shows us mercy. We can be more-than-satisfied with what is good, both in our bodies and in our lives. We can also seek God’s help to begin to see ourselves as He see us.

PRAYER: Dear God, the next time we feel down on ourselves, help us to remember who we are to You. Heal our attitudes and our bodies. Give us Your strength so we can renew every aspect of ourselves: our hearts, minds, wills, and bodies. May we rejoice in what we have been given, rather than complaining, knowing that so many have so little. Most of all, may we bless You with all that is in us for redeeming us from death and granting us eternal life and the forgiveness we could never hope to earn. We ask these things in Your holy and mighty name, Lord Jesus, Amen

Questions: When you look in the mirror, do you see yourself for your faults or for your blessings? How do you believe the Lord sees you?

By Julie Cosgrove
Used by Permission

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Further Reading

•   Should I Pray Every Day? 

•  The Supernatural Power of Praise

•  Salvation Explained

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3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Calling a Biblical Counselor

Photo by Ehimetalor Unuabona on Unsplash

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.

The apostle Paul instructed his Corinthian audience to examine themselves, to see if they were "in the faith" (2 Cor. 13:5). In some like manner, I'd like to encourage those who are considering making the phone call for counseling to "examine themselves" to see if they're truly ready to commit to the work of soul care.

I suggest this because of the prevalence of counselee complaints I see in social media and hear about "through the grapevine." Unfortunately, it's not all that uncommon to read someone's account of failed counseling efforts. One common thread, however, is that I've never read someone's story that had them failing the process as a counselee. Somehow, it's always the counselor's failure that led to their demise.

Let me be clear: Counselors are people, too, and therefore sinners in need of a savior and grace from their neighbor. Counselors are fallible, and thus capable of error, but hopefully not error of any intentional, malicious variety. They must always be about the business of reading and life-long learning in their field in order to maintain their skills. One thing every biblical counselor keeps in the back of their mind is that in some way, shape, or form, the counsel they dispense is as much for themselves as it is for the person sitting across from them.

No one is a biblical counselor because they've "arrived."

A counselee needs to have real interest in pursuing gospel-driven, Christ-centered change.

Having said that, can I just say that I've met more than one counselee who did not "count the cost" (or perhaps even refused to do so) of following Christ in the course of biblical soul care (Luke 14:25-34). I can say, with all due humility, that some counselees do indeed arrive as "stiff-necked," "idle" persons who have no real interest in pursuing gospel-driven, Christ-centered change (Acts 7:51; 2 Thess. 5:14).

The counselees of whom I speak are those who are not dissatisfied with their continued dabbling with sin, but simply its inconvenient consequences. They are people who are not actually open to rebuke at any level, but who in fact came looking for validation of their poor choices. They refuse to see their role in the tortured state of their marriage but know a priorithat their spouse is the one who must change (contra Luther's "all of life is to be lived in repentance"). They are people who, once biblical wisdom was clearly set before them, decided that Freud's advice would be better suited to their needs.

Examine yourself.

I hope my point is becoming apparent in these varied examples. I want to encourage everyone everywhere: if you think you might be in need of biblical soul care, pursue that effort. By all means, your biblical counselor, I'm convinced, desires to come alongside you in whatever condition you find yourself right now, or whatever situation you face, as a committed burden-bearer (Gal. 6:2).

Therefore, get ready to make that call! Yet, before you do, ask yourself these three hard questions:

• Am I truly ready to progressively enter into an increasingly transparent relationship in which the intimate details of my life and experiences will be brought into the light with someone who was previously a stranger to me?

• Am I ready and willing to own whatever culpability is rightfully mine before the eyes of God, before whose face we live (coram Deo)?

• Will I commit to making my appointments when it's inconvenient and to completing my assigned homework?

The above questions are not even remotely exhaustive, but I can attest by way of experience that those counselees who answer them positively (in word and deed) are the most likely to see positive outcomes in counseling. They are also the ones for whom I am most thankful, as I get a front row seat to all that the Spirit is doing in their life.

So, before you call the counselor, ask yourself: Which kind of counselee will I be?

Related Articles:

• Are You Receiving Biblical or Biblicist Counseling?

• 3 Good Things to Remember When You Feel Overwhelmed by Your Sin and Failures

• 4 Ways to Respond When Christians Hurt You

• Finding God's Mercy When You Fail

• 5 Ways to Love People in the Midst of Their Sin and Frailty

• 3 Good Things to Remember When People Let You Down

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Joshua Waulk is the founding executive director at Baylight Counseling, Inc., a clinically informed biblical counseling ministry for the church in the Tampa Bay area (FL).

This article is adapted from “Before You Call a Biblical Counselor” at baylightcounseling.com and was originally published at Beautiful Christian Life on August 16, 2019.

Click Here to Subscribe to BCL's Free Monthly Newsletter and Weekday Devotional

Recommended:

Scripture and Counseling: God's Word for Life in a Broken World by Bob Kellemen

 

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Ready to meet Jesus

Today on the broadcast I will be talking about

Ready to meet Jesus

Psalms 91:16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

1. Apostles Paul was ready to meet Jesus

2 Timothy 4:6-8

6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

1. Apostle Peter was ready to meet Jesus

2 Peter 1:13-15

13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;

14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.

15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

1. Born again Christians should always be ready to meet Jesus.

1 John 3:2

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

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Ready to meet Jesus

Today on the broadcast I will be talking about

Ready to meet Jesus

Psalms 91:16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

1. Apostles Paul was ready to meet Jesus

2 Timothy 4:6-8

6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

1. Apostle Peter was ready to meet Jesus

2 Peter 1:13-15

13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;

14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.

15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

1. Born again Christians should always be ready to meet Jesus.

1 John 3:2

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

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