Rodham & Gomorrah

AMERICA: A COUNTRY IN SPIRITUAL DECAY

'A Fish Rots From the Head Down'

by P.C. Brewer

'Put not your trust in dumb idols.'

'Choose you this day whom you will serve.'

In What is Your Faith (and your Security) Placed..?  Of course, one cannot place his trust in that which is earthly--especially not that which is anti-Christ--or demonic.  (Colossians 3:1-3:  'If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God.  Set your affections on things above, not on the things of the earth, for you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.')  My ontological and spiritual security is in Christ--not in, what has now become, a pagan society.  Fortunately, I live, work, create, minister, and coach--under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God.

It's Not Just Fatalism or Determinism (Contrary to Freud, Skinner, or Hindu Karma)  Studying the Second Epistle of Peter and the Book of Jude will encourage you to remember that God's Redemptive Program is goingforward--that History is going somewhere--and that false prophets--and evil leaders--will be punished also.

A Fish Rots From the Head Down.  Obviously, for this man to be elected means that he is simply a dead head which has been placed on the top of an already dead fish. 

Rodham & Gomorrah.  The spiritually fallen Clinton--using Lewinsky to turn the Oval Office into a scoflaw's fornicatorium--simply illustrated the deadheadeness of the American Presidency.  The public / media outcry would have never ceased if Clinton had been a Republican, of course.  But a Republican  behaving in such an egregious 'Emperor Caligula' fashion would have illustrated the very same thing--the U.S. Presidency (from the highest office on down governmentally) is in spiritual decay--and has been for many years.

Systemic Septic Toxicity: Modern Politicians: Dead Men Talking.  American politics and political / governmental office from top to bottom has become so corrupted with pederasts. sodomites, drunks, personality disorders, satan worshippers, Maoists-Marxists, sociopaths, deviates, reprobate sinners, and criminals--that this Country has fallen under God's Judgement.

The Prophets of Baal & Their False Idols.  Anyone who 'puts all his spiritual eggs in the basket' like Demas'who loved this present world'--in anti-Christ Secularism, Materialism, Naturalism, Pantheism, Occult Mysticism--regardless of which country s/he lives in--will be sucked into Hell with the rest of the reprobates--where s/he belongs.  It must have been a wonderful scenario to behold when Elijah mocked the Prophets of Baal as they screamed and lashed themselves trying to get a rise out of their demon gods.  And then, after the God of Elijah had consumed Elijah's sacrifice with Refiner's Fire, to watch the Prophets of Baal be biblically butchered--teeth, hair, and eyeballs everywhere..!  Ya gotta love that if you're in the community of the redeemed--if you're transformed in Christ.  (Of course, ya gotta hate that scenario if you're part of the spiritual riff-raff--the unregenerate, evil, toxic, Christ-hating sinful World System--one of today's Baal prophets.)

(Blog: excerpt):

Rodham & Gomorrah

AMERICA: A COUNTRY IN SPIRITUAL DECAY

'A Fish Rots From the Head Down'

Copyright © 2012 by Philip C. Brewer

All Rights Reserved

PHIL'S LIFECOACHING BLOG: Theology of Therapy: Why Secular Social Work & Recovery Programs Always Fail

A MIRACLE: 
WHEN THE MAD MAN MEETS THE MASTER

A Clinician's 5150 Unit Notebook (Part One)

by P.C. Brewer

Power Encounter.  In Mark 5, we read of a power encounter between Jesus in His earthly ministry casting a legion of devils out of an otherwise hopelessly possessed, tormented man (a danger to self and others). Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, performed crisis intervention--His modus operandi here a model for the community of the redeemed today (Zechariah 4:6).


(One might wonder, did Jesus ruin the Gentiles' pig farming business by casting the devils into a herd of swine that quickly ran off a cliff to end it all..?)

There are some things even a pig won't tolerate.

I asked a locked-up man screaming at me in four point restraints, "How many pigs will it take to get you saved..?"  He didn't grasp my point and kept cussing and spitting.  He'd been dragged in by the police on a 5150 Danger to Self / Danger to Others and placed on a 72-hour Hold.  He'd tried to kill his sister who'd 'smoked up all my dope'.

Don't Try to Do God's Work Without God's Power.  Only by the Holy Spirit's empowerment, love and sound mindedness (2 Timothy 1:7) can a suffering-sociopathic-sinner-addict present his 'body as a living sacrifice to God' (Romans 12:1-2)--and subsequently 'put to death the deeds of the body'.  Only the man who is 'crucified with Christ--and who 'lives by the faith of the Crucified One'--and who 'walks in the Spirit' (Romans 8:1)--can live the miraculously transformed life--in Him.

The Failure of Recovery Programs, Social Work, & AA 12-Steps.  Even a tip-of-the-hat-salute to aHigher Power will never cut it.  The Boostrap Fallacy (the 'arm of the flesh': i.e.: humanism's good intentions that pave the road to hell) will always bring a worse condition and a more vicious visitation of evil after each attempt by the Seven Sons of Sceva, Jannes and Jambres, or Simon-the-social-work-Sorcerer.

'Never Chase a Drunk'.  The Drugger-Drunk is enslaved by evil spirits of booze and drugs.  The pot head, drunk, crankster, heroin addict, glue-sniffer, ecstasy, 'shrooms', etc., etc. ad nauseum is too demonically enslaved to be helped by recovery programs--or be chased after by do-gooder case managers or chemical dependency specialists.  The drugger-drunk needs an exorcist not a counselor, a Spirit-empowered deliverer--not hand-holding in a Twelve Step Program.  God, the Holy Spirit, may reach out (because of intercessory prayers offered on his behalf by the redeemed community) to the demonized, spiritually insane sin-bound drugger-drunk.  Only the 'Hound of Heaven' can chase down and tree a drunk.

Clothed & In His Right Mind.  When the Master met the mad man of Mark 5, the power of the living God rooted out the evil presence, the foul, toxic spirits which had held that man in their death grip.  Only the Holy Spirit of God can transform the human personality-body-soul-life and relationship with God and Man.  This healed, delivered man wanted to go with Jesus.  But Jesus told him to go and tell what God had done for him. This former mad man became an evangelist preaching in ten cities.

Demonology.  As C.S. Lewis cautioned, there can be a danger in over-emphasis on demonology, but it is also dangerous to minimize or neglect the reality of demons and demonic oppression and/or possession.  The Christian Life Coach who is trained in both psychotherapy and biblical theology will recognize (by the Spirit's wisdom and knowledge) the presence of spiritual evil in the human personality.

Characteristics Noted in Scripture & In Acute Psychiatric Units.  There will be severe personality change influenced by the toxic idiosyncrasies of the intrusive devil's personality.  Axis II (DSM Personality Disorders) especially Antisocial Personality and behavior will be evident.  But there will be accompanying 'occult cleverness', e.g. the demoniac (as did the demon-possessed girl in Acts who followed the Apostle Paul) knew who Jesus was. Matthew adds, "Have you come to persecute us before our time?" Demons know of their impending doom. Besides supernatural knowledge, there will be super-human strength. I've watched a slight-of-build drug-addicted female prostitute, spouting epithets and an ugly gutteral glossalalia, throw around four stocky male cops.  There will always be 'danger to self' and 'danger to others'. The demonized drugger-addict-sinner will always be self-destructive especially--as this man in Mark 5 was.


Listening to tormented souls scream for up to twelve hours of my shift reveals the hell they are living--en route to eternal hell.

They Walk among Us.  The Chronic Drunk-Drugger-Demonized-Sociopath, in my thirty-years of observation, has never had a power encounter with the Master--never experienced deliverance from evil by the power of God, the Holy Spirit--in the authority of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  S/he may hang around in religious circles (e.g. the girl following the Apostle Paul) but will always have a contentious, controversial, anti-social, heretical ideation.


This toxic philosophy will include Naturalistic (Rationalism) and/or Pantheistic (Mother Earth) concepts (antagonistic to Theism) and, even if claiming to be a faux-theist, will eventually reveal anti-Christ philosophies like Evolutionary Theory and/or Marxist-Leninist-Hegelian-Maoist world views.


S/he may spout and promulgate communist or fascist propaganda, and/or will, with a hardened social attitude (albeit moralizing) work at encouraging an adversarial and hateful relationship between ethnic and racial groups--or between genders.


S/he will despise faithful Christian heterosexual marriage.  S/he will ruminate over violent, murderous, evil literature, games, and movies.  

The demonized will mull over paranoid ideas and delusions (jealousy, grandiosity, persecution, ideas of reference, ideas of influence, nihilism, torture, revenge, blood and gore), and incarnate a satanic modus operandi in the lifestyle of the psychopath.  This practitioner of occult mysticism comes to kill, steal, and destroy in congruence with the devil's purposes.  (On a humorous note: This biblical passage does prove that Jesus invented deviled ham.)

A MIRACLE:
WHEN THE MAD MAN MEETS THE MASTER

A Clinician's 5150 Unit Notebook (Part One)

Copyright © 2012 by Philip C. Brewer

All Rights Reserved

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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.  P. C. Brewer,  M.S., Ph.D., a thirty-year professional psychotherapist, also offers Clinical Art, Music & Writing Therapy to high-functioning Aspergers (PDD) and persons suffering with Social Anxiety, who are not on psychotropic medications and have no chemical dependency or abuse issues. In addition, Four-Hour Marathon-Day Life Coaching is available to contracted Executives, Professionals. Counselors, Clergy, & Businesspersons in a 4-month program.  Auxiliary counseling is done via phone and Skype. (Maximum of two enrollees for each 4-month, in-person Executive Coaching Program.)  An Apprentice Model Life Coach Training is offered to two (masters level) persons per year.

The Christian Leader's Support Group

_____________________________

“I’m so busy—I have to take the time..!”
The Christian Leader’s Support Group
by Phil Brewer

Your Relational Support System. Ideally, you have a loving family, some good friends you can trust, and respectful regard in your ministerial milieu. But whatever the quality of your support system, you may want to consider organizing a support group of four or five peers. Friends and family are precious treasures and constitute part of our relational wellness. But your own support group, with its focus, accountability, honest feedback, mining of biblical truth, active listening, heartfelt prayer, sincere empathy, and shared vision offers profound benefits. The adventure of a functioning support group run in an atmosphere of courtesy, mutual dignity, and edification awaits you.

Seeking Candidates. Look for persons of like precious faith—who love God, whose lives are dedicated to faithful stewardship of the gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 4). Look for men who basically share (or feel compatible with) your world view and Christocentric vision. And homogeneity of gender (all men or all women) seems to work best.

Caveat: Discouragement. A good support group takes time. You must resolve to do some ‘research and development’ before your ‘engineering’ is improved. One or two may drop out, or not show up in the first place. But lay all before God in your earnest prayer for a functional support group, be persistent, and He will bring it to pass.

Caveat: “Clones.” Cloned sameness (while appearing to double strengths) may also double weaknesses. Healthy heterogeneity can enrich the gather-ings: an intelligent youth pastor or dedicated music minister enjoying wisdom of older senior pastors; a first time church planter comparing notes with veterans; a liturgical or mainliner with an independent charismatic or classical Pentecostal. Godly representation from different ethnic and multicultural backgrounds can bless your koinonia and bring valuable perspective. A counselor, a chaplain, or parachurch leader can spice up the conversation.

Seek Wisdom. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance to build a group of men/women who are rational, sensible, mentally healthy, and generally easy to get along with. (Someone who is chronically hostile, contentious, inappropriately suspic-ious, emotionally immature, a crank, a 'concrete thinker' who can't think abstractly, a grievance-collector, has a one-issue theology or simplistic hobby horse--usually needs more in-depth therapeutic ministry than the typical support group can offer.) 'High maintenance personalities' require 'high maintenance engineers' (life coaches!).And pray earnestly that your group will be focused: listening—observing, paraphrasing, understanding.

Transference Issues. Even though a pastor can’t have this luxury in his congregation, don’t build anyone into your support group whom you consistently feel uncomfortable or nervous around—or just don’t like. If you have sincerely brought this before the Lord, you may simply have a ‘transference issue’ and should just pray for that person from a distance. A support group can be chilled by transference issues (which often have nothing to do with his or your spirituality). For example, you may remind him (without realizing it) of a Little League coach he didn’t like, or he may remind you (unconsciously) of that prof who gave you a low grade, or that vicious ‘Diotrephes’ type church boss (cf. 3 John) who sabotaged your last pastorate and got you voted out! The typical support group doesn’t provide an appropriate arena for figuring out why you don’t like someone.

Phase One: Proactivity. Seek the Holy Spirit’s management. Make in-person and phone inquiries. Get Email addresses. Scan or snail mail this support group information to persons who may be interested. Invite four to six motivated persons to coffee. Agree to pray corporately regarding the support group. Stay in contact via Email and/or phone with those showing interest.

Phase Two: Organizing. Get together for an early breakfast discussion with the committed. Suggested maximum is six members per support group. Set the date for your first meeting. In the first support meeting, agree on a standard (albeit flexible for holidays or emergencies) time of the month and day of the week. Choose a ‘round robin’ location at the different homes, off-ices, (or comfortable and private church rooms) of group members. A full breakfast, or just snacks and beverages, may be offered as each member hosts the support group on his particular month. Suggested meeting time is from 8:00am to 1:30pm, one day a month—e.g.: second Thursday of each month. Of course, your group may choose a different schedule.

Phase Three: Management. Over the years several standard questions have proved helpful. Each member should try to manage his time in dealing with each question, while at the same time feeling relaxed enough to express himself candidly and fully. A support group member also has the privilege of deferring on a particular question (perhaps “all is well” in that category or he just may not want “to go there” at this time). One question might take forty-five minutes to go around the circle. Another question might be dealt with in a shorter period of time. In some meetings a particular member may need more focused empathy and time from the rest of the group. If profound issues emerge which seem beyond the scope of a support group, the member may want to talk privately with a qualified Christian consultant. Generally that life coach shouldn’t be in the same group, I think. While the support group has a very healing and encouraging purpose, it may not be able to function as psychotherapy or group therapy. Christian trust, based on absolute confidentiality, of course, is a must. Priority requires a prayerful sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s leading (e.g.: “themes” for the day) and proper orchestration (i.e.: no domination of time by one of the members).

Phase Four: Suggested Support Group Questions.

(“During this past month…)

1. …What has God been saying to you in His Word? (devotional Bible study and prayer-journaling—not just Sunday’s sermon if a pastor)

2. …How have you been using your time? (schedule, pacing, recreation)

3. …How are your relationships going? (family, friends, staff, ministry)

4. …How are things going personally? (stress, motivation, decisiveness, inertia, effectiveness, frustration, worry, anger, thinking, obsessions, perceptions, confidence, creativity, calling, hope, humor, health)

5. …What spiritual leadership principles have you learned--or desire to? (Are you growing in leadership-effectiveness & problem-solving?)

6. …How may we pray with you?” (wellness needs: physical, mental, spiritual, relational, economic, career-satisfaction--ministry, calling)

Support Group ‘peer-feedback’ can help one realize things like…

1. Life (& ministry) is a marathon not a fifty-yard dash (pacing, more time with the 'strong' than 'weak', sabbaticals, 'time-out'--not just 'time off').

2. Clearly defined boundaries, limitations, and 'compartmentalizing'--stall burnout.

3. Religious institutions were made for man (not vice versa) (“The sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”). Don’t be too 'religiously-pre-occupied'.

4. One must not derive too much self identity from 'role-image: “...have a life.”

5. Idealistic expectations can be blunted and lowered (accurate reality-testing).

6. Creativity, self-care, healthy humor, being flexible—help maintain wellness.

7. Difficult people and problems can be coped with (or seek God and move on!).

8. "The battle is the Lord’s"--become a Satisfied-Satisfier instead of a Frustrated-
Satisfier. (Frustrated-Satisfiers can backslide into Frustrated-Frustraters).

9. Your own handicaps & perceptual distortions may be managed and corrected.

10. Inspiration & encouragement from your group is available during blah times.

11. Support during personal struggles--e.g.:loneliness, alienation, sickness.

12. Build an enduring close friendship or two perhaps from your Support Group.

13. Develop insight re: how you come across to others (e.g.: facial expressions, mannerisms, habits, personal hygiene, communication style). Do you need voice-coaching to help you project properly with intercostal diaphragmatic breathing—because you preach with an effeminate, high, squeaky-squawky voice--torturous to listen to? [Many leaders have no insight regarding how tedious it is to listen to their perhaps good material—because of poor voice projection and lame rapport! Sadly, others may just be boring--blunt 'affect', emotionally cold, with impoverished and uninteresting no listen-no study-no pray lives--droning on-and-on--superficial and self-absorbed--with no depth of rich humor, satire, irony, paradox, or metaphor. Some are judgment-impaired magical thinkers--or secret-lifers*--some feel compelled to be on TV.]

14. Not trying to do God’s work--without God’s power. Like it or not (cf. Acts) the effective Christian leader must walk in the Spirit (as the leaders go--so go the people). The Spirit stops 'policy wonks', 'control freaks', 'toadie collectors', and attention-seekers. The Pneumatic (Spirit-empowered--Zech. 4:6) minister of Christ must not only have a healthy Christology but experiential knowledge and practice of a sound Pneumatology. (Who is in charge here?)

15. An honest Support Group can be an arena for the soul-healing confession--that artificial charm, secular market-driven purposes, programs, and the strange fire of carnal charisma have failed miserably to reach souls in the stewardship of Jesus Christ. My dear minister-Father told me about the deacons in a rural Kentucky church, who, when asked, “What is the anointing of the Spirit?” replied, “We don’t know if we could define what it is…but we sho-do-know-what-it-ain’t…”

EMMAUS
Christian Leadership Assistance Program
Philip C. Brewer, Director
(e) CounselPro@gmail.com
(Online LifeCoaching): http://christianleaderlifecoaching.com

Copyright © 2002-2003-2004-2005-2008 by Philip C. Brewer All Rights Reserved

Executive and Christian Leader Life Coaching via Skype.com

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Limited Online Appointments Available for confidential Online Christian Executive Life Coaching.

{Competent Christian Life Coaching could be analogous to 'preventive medicine': offering proactive, pedagogic, and a priori help--before a personal, relational, or career crisis or emergency occurs.}

Are you a Christian executive or businessperson?

Are you a Christian leader? Pastor? Associate pastor? Para-church leader? Missionary?--or staff member in a Christian ministry organization..?

{Christian leaders often seek sponsorship by their denominational headquarters, organizations, or mission agencies. Past consultation has included Southern Baptist, Assemblies of God, The Episcopal Church, Southern Baptist, Missionary Baptist, Freewill Baptist, United Methodist, Mennonite Brethren, Plymouth Brethren, the Church of the Nazarene, charismatic Catholic, independent charismatic churches, Youth With a Mission, Church of God (Anderson), Church of God (Cleveland), Pentecostal Church of God (Joplin), and Pentecostal Holiness.}

Have you considered the benefits of convenient and confidential Online life coaching?

(Or do you know someone (in the above categories) you'd like to refer? Who might benefit?

A Convenient Online consultation (or regular coaching with an experienced and credentialed Christian life coach) is just a Skype.com call away.

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(Emergencies requiring professional psychiatric and/or psychotherapeutic intervention, psychotropic or other medications, or danger to others or self, are referred to professionals in your area--and/or are advised to call 9-1-1.)

Issues may involve stress, indecisiveness, ineffectiveness, inertia, career frustration, ethics and character, misconduct, compulsivity (e.g. gambling), grievances, relational difficulties, personality traits, chronic anger, anxiousness, or obsessiveness.

Executive Life Coaching Appointments are arranged initially at convenient times via e-mail contact to CounselPro@gmail.com.

Light vs. Darkness

Light vs. Darkness
"What is truth..?" --Pontius Pilate

(People ask me:)
"How can I know who is speaking the truth to me (and what is Truth and what is Falsehood and Deception)--in my everyday conversations, and in the written, radio, TV, film, (media) news, polemics, politics, and propaganda..?" "And how can I know that what I am thinking and believing is the Truth--and not a Lie, not some 'doctrine (teaching) of devils' and evil deception--that, even though it might sound convincing, reasonable, and logical at first, will lead me, nevertheless, into the'broad way that leads to destruction'...the 'road to hell' that is paved with the proverbial 'good intentions'...?

I reply: "First of all (lay aside your past political brainwashing, your 're-education camps', the propaganda and secular philosophies of your past) is your mind redeemed? Are you transformed in Christ by the renewing of you mind according toRomans 12:1-2..? "Are you liberated by the Holy Spirit of God from the unsaved, perishing, sin-enslaved paradigms, world-views, and near-sightedness of sin-sick humanity--and the sin-virused soul...?"

I always remind folks that they must have more than some solipsistic emotional experience or cerebral 'aha' to become a regenerate born-again Christian--(Study John) because the Bible states that "The carnal mind cannot perceive the things of God." One must be sure that his unregenerate-non-born-again-sinful nature and the god of this world (Satan) has not cognitively and spiritually blinded his (spiritual) eyes.

A man or woman must be wooed, coaxed, drawn, convicted by the Holy Spirit. And s/he must respond in faith, trust, wholehearted and sincere belief in Jusus Christ--the Anointed One of God. There must be an authentic I-Thou Encounterwrought by the supernatural empowerment and 'connection' of God, the Holy Spirit--this is not some rhetorical--some philosophical-some psychological change of attitude, some baptist signing of a membership card, some political shift, some genuflecting, religious mumbling of a Christianized four-spiritual-laws formula--or result of a 'heaven-chilp implant.

Salvation of the soul is a divinely-wrought supernatural miracle. It cannot be culterized, tribalized, philosophized--or psychologized. (Sadly, this is why mega-churches and the so-called Emergent Churches are bursting in attendance. (You preach the truth of "Narrow is the way and strait is the gate, and the reality of persecution that comes to any true believer in Christ--and you'll not get a big crowd of twenty-something boppers...in fact they'll run away from you...as even the disciples did at first from Jesus when they realized, 'Hey, this guy's gonna get himself crucified...!')

And I also ask, "In your psycho-social support system--who are your cronies--who do you hang around with and feel comfortable with..? Do you try to get your fellowship with sinners...? i.e.: Are you (Psalm 1) "Sitting in the seat of the scornful..?...Standing in the way of sinners..?...Listening to the counsel of the ungodly..? Remember, the Bible states that"There is no fellowship (participation in the Holy Spirit) between (spiritual) light and (spiritual) darkness." And the Biblealso states, "Evil cronies have a corrupting influence."

1. Affirm and confirm your belief in Jesus Christ and trust in His Sacrifice on the Cross for the remission and cleansing of your sin, and confirm your sincere hope in Christ's Resurrection from the grave and defeat of Satan, Death, and Hell.

2. Pray: Seek the Heavenly Father God for the gift of the Holy Spirit (John). The Father will bestow the authentic gift of the Spirit--not a 'scorpion' or 'stone'--but a 'nourishing fish'--the 'true Bread' of the Holy Spirit.

3. Ask God for wisdom according to the Book of James: "If a man lack wisdom, let him ask of God."

4. Pray--seeking God that Jesus Christ will baptize you in the Holy Spirit--so that you may have the mind of the Holy Spirit--with which the Bible says is life and peace (Romans). (The Father is the Giver of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ is theBaptizer in the Holy Spirit.)

5. Study Jesus' instructions about the Holy Spirit in the sixteenth chapter of the Gospel of John. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. The Holy Spirit will lead the sincere seeker of Jesus Christ into all truth. The Spirit will convict and convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Falsehood and lies and deception will not stand in the light of the truth of the Holy Spirit.

6. Study the principles Jesus laid down in Matthew: e.g.: "A bad tree cannot produce good fruit." Apply these principles when you hear any street-corner philosopher gab, any social engineer speak, any politician, any 'conspiracy theorist'present his views, any media pundit or talk show host, or even TV preacher--pontificate.

7. Listen carefully--sometimes (especially with a politician on TV) turn off the sound--look at his non-verbals, his facial expressions, his eyes... But seek always for 'the mind of Christ...for the 'mind of the Holy Spirit'...for the Spirit of Truth--to discern between truth and error, deception, falsehood, and lies. We live in a world of psychopathy (cf. the writings ofMeloy and Hare).

8. And don't forget, God is on His Throne. Jesus Christ is Lord. All things are Christ's. 'Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord'. All things are ours in Christ. Yet, until Christ returns for the community of the redeemed, we still live in a fallen, sinful world dominated by evil control freaks and of 'people of the lie'.

(excerpt: unpublished work-in-progress):
What Is Truth?
The Question of Pontius Pilate
Copyright 2009 by Philip C. Brewer
All Rights Reserved

LIFE COACHING & ULTIMATE CONCERNS

Blog Discussion: LIFE COACHING PRINCIPLES
The Priestly Solution: Part One

Ultimate Concerns, Intercession, & the Efficacy of Earnest Prayer

"Who shall free me from the body of this death..?" --the Apostle Paul

"And you shall seek Me, and you shall find Me, when you shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you..." --the Prophet Jeremiah

The human personality is not a closed system--but an open system--and synergistic--made to interact interpersonally with others--and created to engage in the ultimate concerns of prayer.

One may infer from the symbol of Christ's Cross that horizontal communication, community, and communion hangs on the core truth of the vertical--every human being's God-bestowed ultimate concern for vital faith (the only saving faith --which clings to and trusts in its Object, Jesus Christ--because vital faith is not some metaphysical force--or even trust that one's chair will not break under him as he sits down) in communication , community, and communion with God the Father--in the wisdom, power, and love of the Holy Spirit.

Yet it is the rare Christian individual, couple, or family--who listens and responds wholeheartedly--when I prescribe a regular practice of intimate prayer timestogether every week.

I usually get a "Huh?" look--as they twitch impatiently waiting for me to get out of the way so they can watch American Idol, True Crime road chases, or listen to late-night-talk-radio conspiracy theories.

One-dimensional shallowness is pandemic.

And even among the so-called intellectual community, there is a rabid, mindless willingness to turn to Pop culture and then often on to Naturalism, Metaphysics, Eastern Mysticism, Middle Eastern Mysticism, Occult Mysticism, Pantheism--or even (within Christian aberrations) to Charis-magic--or cults like Peoples Temple.

"Demas has forsaken me--having loved this present world..." ---The Apostle Paul

Secular Naturalism (which rejects all supernatural implications or resources--when generating solutions for problems of living and problems of loving) is a closed system philosophically, psychologically, and, of course, spiritually. Naturalistic solutions can only be generated via the closed-system tools of Rationalism, Empiricism (truth is revealed by the five senses), Reductionism, Materialism, and Pragmatism (if it works--it's right).

Naturalism can only flail about in self-absorbed conspiracy theories, Collectivism, or some version of human and social engineering (because so many want to be taken care of by a centralized nanny or papa-fuhrer government)--reaching out for totalitarian and Orwellian solutions . Naturalism also appeals to Christ-rejectors who entrench themselves in any version of smug evolutionary theory--whether Darwinian or otherwise.

Metaphysics (Gnosticism, the mind sciences, EST, TM, Emersonian Transcendentalism, Transpersonal Psycholog y, Rosacrucianism, and their ilk) while housing many doctrines of devils--may appear to reach out beyond the solipsism of the human self --but hangs somewhere in the intellectual ghetto between navel-nuzzling Naturalism and tree-worshipping Pantheism...and remains a closed system--a bridge to nowhere.

Eastern Mysticism ( sacred cow worshipping gurus--with the cow's holy dung rubbed into their hair, Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Korean and Chinese Folk Religions--and their ilk)--is a faux open system--in truth only a door to the Occult. (Hey--dial 4-1-1 and ask the Bangalor operator if I'm right and she'll tell you I am.)

Middle-Eastern Mysticism, another gateway to the occult--includes the Jewish Cabala, and--surprising to many, the Muslim Religion. (Islam--actually a psycho-social, interpersonally-reinforcing-modernity-resisting-atavistic-radical-ludite movement--also bridges across to a form of Pantheism--because Allah is actually considered to be the Moon God--a pantheistic entity--not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Occult Mystici sm (OM) is a 'bridge' to an evil somewhere with its lies of Spiritualism, Necromancy, Fortune-Telling, Palm-Reading. Tea-Reading, Tarot Card Reading, Ancestor Worship, Soul Travel, Ghost & Monster Quest, Astrology, Primitive Tribal Religions (put your Dream-Catcher Mitt on Chief Running Bare...), the American Hollywood Star System--ad nauseum. Albeit an open system--OM is a devilish back-door-left-open system--a gateway to the Dark Side.

Pantheism (held together by its own separate philosophical glue) is a spiritual detour (away from Christian theology) offered to the superstitious-but-ultimately-concerned soul. The latest come-on from Pantheism (after the heaven-through-chemistry drug, LSD, psilocybin, crank, coke, opiate movement) is the Earth Mother Worship (planet-saving-tree-hugging-Earth Liberation Front, Vegetarian,Vegan,Veggie Tales, Globalist, global warming , etc.) Movement.

Walt Whitman, the great American poet, was known to remark that if only one person grasped the meaning of one of his poems--that was who he'd written it for. Christian Life Coaching often fails to connect to the counselee's heart and mind because the counselee (client) may not possess the gravitas--the profundity of understanding--the substantive qualities of personality--the emotional, intellectual, and spiritual depth --which are the essential requirements of effective Life Coaching--in my approach. Not that failed attempts at Life Coaching is pearl-casting--or teaching pigs to sing--and honestly that's not necessarily why I don't do prison or drug-rehab ministry--but I do exit stage left as quickly as possible from the shallow and the insubstantial-of-spirit.

(excerpt: unpublished work-in-progress)
Life Coaching & The Psychology of Ultimate Concerns
Copyright 2009 by Philip C. Brewer
All Rights Reserved