Popular opinion in these early years of the twenty-first century has assailed our minds with “politically correct” sentiment. In keeping with this viewpoint a garbage man ought to be dubbed a “sanitation engineer” and a short person is not short he is “vertically challenged.” Even the term thief might offend so we should adopt the more tolerant “ethically disoriented.” This paradigm bares its true farcical colors when traffic signs are marked in Braille so the blind aren’t offended!

This paradigm might even slip into evangelical Christian thought if biblical truths like “judge not lest ye be judged” are misunderstood. That is, many feel as though to “love” means that we should never be intolerant. Certainly no believer should want to needlessly offend, but when we tolerate what God judges we have capitulated to the society we should engage.

Many evangelical Christians would never tolerate impure moral behavior in the church (at least ideologically). Under the flag of “grace,” however, I’m convinced we allow a host of doctrinal impurities to corrupt the church. “Contend earnestly for the faith,” insisted the apostle Jude, but because we’ve bought into the tolerance of our age I fear many would rather comfort than contend. In harmony with Jude, but discordant with the creedal tolerance of today, however, Paul also contended for the faith:

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple (Rom 16:17-18).

Regarding the term mark them in the preceding passage esteemed expositor James Strong notes that the phrase means “to take aim at.” Is it possible that Paul, the gentle apostle of grace, wanted believers to “take aim at” leaders within the Christian faith? When considered through the lens of modern “tolerance” notions such an idea does indeed seem offensive. Paul, however, demonstrated the lost Christian virtue of intolerance when he cautioned Timothy regarding Hymenaeus and Philetus whose doctrines “will spread like gangrene.”

Will spread like gangrene? If a Christian today said such a thing he’d be labeled unloving, ungracious or “intolerant!” It’s easy to think that Paul must have only used such language with fringe fanatics, but Paul was publicly intolerant of even the most popular leader in the early church:

When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs (Gal 2:14).

In Galatians 2:14 Paul critiqued Peter because when trusted preachers proclaim errors others are mislead. Being intolerant toward doctrinal deviations isn’t sympathetic with modern live and let live ideology, but it is biblical. Even the Christians at the church of Pergamum in Rev. 2:15 did not need to guess about whose teaching to avoid. “You have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam,” warned the Lord, “who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice immorality.”

In Christianity today gracious tolerance in exchange for doctrinal purity is often considered a virtue. In scripture, however, Jesus demands that His church examine her teachers by practicing the virtue of intolerance toward straying teachers and their straying teachings. When the church of Thyatira tolerated aberrant teachers or their mistaken doctrines they merited a reproof that echoed through the ages:

Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols (Rev 2:20).

Just as the wayward doctrines of Jezebel (and even Peter) led the early Christians astray, teachers within the Christian church today go unchallenged though they too teach doctrines which cause the people of God to stumble. Contrary to the milquetoast tolerance dogmas so popular today the lost virtue of Christian intolerance is needed like never before because popular leaders with worldwide platforms stumble the servants of Christ and go unchallenged.

In his magnum opus, The Grace Awakening, Charles R. (Chuck) Swindoll presents himself as taking up “the torch of freedom” as brandished by protestant Reformers such as Martin Luther. In this he leads his readers to believe that by following him and his teaching in The Grace Awakening that they are being true to historical Reformation teaching on the doctrines of grace and faith alone. Consider:

Human works must accompany faith before you can be sure of your salvation. We continue to hear that “different gospel”…It is heresy. It is antithetical to the true message that lit the spark to the Reformation: Sola Fide – faith alone (The Grace Awakening, p.86).

When sixteenth-century European Reformers raised the torch of freedom and withstood the religious legalists of their era, grace was the battle cry: salvation by grace alone a walk of faith without fear of eternal damnation (The Grace Awakening, p. xiv).

True, the “spark that lit the reformation,” as Swindoll states, was Sola Fide or faith alone. However, the Reformers did not understand their theological terms as Chuck Swindoll does. Swindoll’s understanding of grace maintains, “regardless of how you choose to live, you can’t live so bad that God says to you, ‘you’re no longer mine’” (Shedding Light On Our Dark Side, tape sld 1A). Swindoll’s confidence in the inevitable salvation of even the most corrupt necessitates his elimination of the biblical and Reformation joining of works to genuine faith.

Chuck Swindoll aligns himself with the Reformers and leaves the naive reader with the false notion that his views on grace and faith are the identical to those of the Reformers. Contrary to Swindoll, however, Luther insisted that works or “human achievement,” as Swindoll says, go arm in arm with authentic, saving faith. On saving faith Luther said:

“Faith must of course be sincere. It must be a faith that performs good works through love. If faith lacks love it is not true faith. Thus the Apostle bars the way of hypocrites to the kingdom of Christ on all sides…Idle faith is not justifying faith. In this terse manner Paul presents the whole life of a Christian. Inwardly it consists in faith towards God, outwardly in love towards our fellow-men” (Luther, Commentary On Galatians).

In his bookFaith Alone Dr. R.C. Sproul wrote: “The Reformers saw saving faith as necessarily, inevitably, and immediately yielding the fruit of works. Martin Luther insisted that the faith that justifies is a fides viva, a vital and living faith that yields the fruit of works.” In opposition to this Dr. Swindoll insists it is heresy and a different gospel to believe that works must accompany saving faith. And this he does as if he were representing the Reformation!

Plainly, Chuck Swindoll leads the uninformed reader to view The Grace Awakening as book recovering the lost truths of the Reformation from the devious hands of present-day legalists who have corrupted them. When the truth is that Luther himself aggressively argued against the conception of grace and faith extolled in Swindoll’s book.

Like those who rewrite history to bolster their agendas, Chuck Swindoll has changed the history of the Reformation to coincide with his views. Does Swindoll teach that “justifying faith is a vital faith that necessarily yields the fruit of works” as did Luther? Does Swindoll insist that “whoever doesn’t do good works is without faith,” as did the Reformers? No he doesn’t, rather, Chuck Swindoll teaches the opposite: that there is no external proof of salvation or spirituality and that it is heresy to maintain that works must accompany faith. And he does this in the name of Reformation teaching! Is this not dishonest? How can this be anything short of historical revisionism?

How to Choose a Christian Counselor

There is wisdom in a multitude of counselors the Bible says. “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Proverbs 15:22. People who have tunnel vision, those who are locked into one way of thinking, are likely to miss the right road because they have closed their minds to any new options. We need the help of those who can enlarge our vision and broaden our perspective. Seek the advice of a professional and those who have a wealth of experience.

Using Christian Career Counseling

Make use of the Christian career counseling that may be available at your church. Church Christian career counselors can be an exceptional source of wisdom. They not only base their guidance on the Bible but are often less expensive than a counselor found in the phone book.

Choosing Christian Premarital Counseling

If you are a Christian couple pondering marriage it is also wise to start a Christian premarital counseling series with a certified Christian counselor. Through these series of meetings you will discover how well matched you may or may not be. It is far better to learn more about each other before you head to the altar rather than after you have been married for several years. God gave us marriage as a gift. Man and woman were created perfect for each other. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24. Find out if you are ready for this level of commitment before promising, in a public ceremony, yourselves to each other.

Seeking Christian Marriage Counselors

Seeking for Christian marriage counselors is the wisest thing to do at the first sign of problems. Living in the world today couples are bombarded from every side with temptations and distractions. It is no surprise that so many Christian marriages fail. Christian marriage counselors can be found at your church or your fellowship may be able to recommend a professional Christian marriage counselor if they do not have one on staff. Do not end a marriage without first seeking help and advice.

Do your homework before visiting any type of Christian counseling center or individual counselor. There are many counselors listed in the yellow pages and online. Call your pastor, who, by the way, may himself be a trained and certified Christian counselor. If he is not, ask for his advice on where to seek counseling. Listen to personal testimonies from friends, family members or colleagues who may have recently received some Christian counseling.Remember Proverbs 15:22: “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”

Christian marriage counselors can be costly. Many professional counselors may actually be covered by your health insurance or by the company you work for. Employers realize that if there employee is healthy emotionally and mentally they are a more productive worker. Do not hesitate to ask your boss or check with your insurance provider. Christian counseling services will also work with you on the fee schedule.

Christian Counseling

Christian counseling has to be a calling. If you feel you are called into this field or this type of ministry it is recommended you enroll in some Christian counseling courses. Especially if you feel your gift may be in Christian debt counseling. If you are on the other end of the spectrum and you are considering seeking counsel it is equally advisable to research the background of the various Christian counseling that is available to you whether you locate it online, in your neighborhood or through your church.

Be Called to Christian Counseling

Many pastors and others in the clergy believe that counseling is a gift from God. I am sure most Christians would agree with that statement. Even though that may be true, it is still advisable to receive some education in this area. Having a license, degree or other type of certification lends credibility to your chosen career. It would also provide insights into various situational problems and human behavior.

Earning the Degree

The Bible has many examples of great men anointed to counsel and lead others. It also demonstrates the results of those who seek counsel from the ungodly. In Leviticus Moses anoints Aaron and his sons.

“The Lord said to Moses , ‘Bring Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams and the basket containing bread made without yeast, and gather the entire assembly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.’ Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.” (NKJ)

As in Leviticus, when earning a Christian counseling degree you will receive your certificate or degree from qualified men who have also been ordained. Upon graduation, you will be “anointed” so to speak) certified by your professors that they believe, and will acknowledge this before other students, faculty members and family, that you are qualified and led by God into the counseling profession.

Christian Counseling Debt

Finding the perfect Christian counseling debt center may be as easy as asking your pastor. Someone who has been well educated in the financial field is best. You may be interested in going into the field of Christian counseling and if you are have worked in the financial world this may be a great direction for you.

Any type of counseling service can be costly. You want to be sure that the Christian counseling center you choose comes highly recommended. There may be free Christian counseling debt services offered at your church.

Choose A Reliable Service

It is a blessing to have individuals that are obeying the Lord’s calling by helping their fellow Christians in whatever area they may need counsel. It is also vitally important to get your education from a reliable, accredited Christian college. If you are seeking advice from a professional Christian counselor please verify that your counselor has received their certification through a qualified and accredited Christian counseling course and how experienced they are in the Christian counseling field.

You walk into the room at a party and see a handsome man. He has on black jeans and a sexy black shirt. You are attracted to his chic sensuality. You are about to walk over to him when he turns his head and glares at you with a look of disdain. The look is clear. It says, ‘Stay away, I’m not interested.’

You stop dead in your tracks, and make a beeline for the buffet instead. After that you feel uncomfortable. It’s the white outfit, which is way too girlish and naive. Perhaps you should have worn the V-cut black dress. Maybe yesterdays french-fries are showing all over your hips in this monstrous filmy thing. At the party, you don’t mingle much. You wait for the long, boring evening to end. Whereupon you trudge home, alone, to your empty apartment.

Now suppose you are on the other side and you are the male. Here’s what may be happening for you. You have just taken a sip of your cocktail, and it is sour as a green lemon. You purse your lips to try to keep from spitting it out. You are noticing nothing but the bad taste in your mouth- and you are thinking of how to get rid of it without drawing attention.

Now suppose you were Mr. Handsome in this scenario. If you were, the truth is you never even saw this woman . You were too busy with what to do about your drink. But later at the buffet you saw her and you wanted to approach. But she was too aloof. She had that look. And you thought, why ask for rejection? So you didn’t approach her.

I bet there have been times that you have been like this in your life. You have been 100% sure you knew the very thoughts in someone else’s head. And you have been 100% sure this was reality. And, like this story, I’m sure you missed out on something. Perhaps it was the soulmate of your dreams that you never even met.

Now we usually don’t see it, but this kind of thing happens to us all the time. We think we know how the world is. We think we know what goes on in the rest of the world and other people’s heads. But what we are truly perceiving is the world according to us- our judgments, assessments, and a huge load of past experiences and firmly held beliefs that color them.

Imagine all of the missed opportunities in your life that you didn’t even know about.

This whole concept of the difference between perception and reality is what we will explore in this and future writings. We will look at how to get power in life by setting aside our limiting beliefs and assumptions. So stick around, and follow my articles. And watch a whole new world arise before your eyes.

When talking about investments we always want to consider the rate of return. We want to know how much we will be earning per annum. We then compare it with other investments, weigh the risk versus the rewards and make a decision on the matter based on whether the risk involved is compensated by the reward that can be obtained.

But what do you think do you think is the best investment in the world? The answer is found in the pages of the Holy Scriptures.

King Solomon wisely writes in Proverbs chapter 19:7, “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

The said verse is wonderfully paraphrased by the Living Bible which states that “When you help the poor you are lending to the Lord–and he pays wonderful interest on your loan!”

According to the Bible, the highest yielding investment in the world is to help the poor! Why ? Because helping the poor is lending to the Lord. Take note that the verse does not say “You are “like” lending to the Lord.” However it states a matter of factly that “You are lending to the Lord.” What is wonderful about this is that the poor will not be the one that will pay you back, God will pay you back. Aside from that, God will pay you a “wonderful interest on your loan.” Now that’s is so amazing !

Abraham Lincoln once said “God must love the poor. Why else would he have made so many of them?”

Helping those who have less in this life has always been one of the ministries of Christ when He was here on earth. During the time of Jesus, he spent most of His time with the common people, the sick, the needy, those who are spiritually broken and those whose lives has been shattered not only by emotional and spiritual problems but by physical problems as well. Although the primary focus of His ministry is to “Seek and to save that which was lost,” nevertheless He also spent a substantial amount of His time helping those who are less fortunate in this life.

Jesus speaks of how important His ministry is to the poor in Matthew chapter 25 verse 34 to 40 when he says that “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, INASMUCH AS YE HAVE DONE IT UNTO ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE MY BRETHREN, YE HAVE DONE IT UNTO ME.”

Take note that not only will God repay you with wonderful interest for helping the poor and the needy, whatever you do for them, you have also done it for Christ. Because of all of these reasons, helping the poor and the needy is truly the world’s greatest investment.