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Antici………pation!

June 25, 2014 By bwatson Leave a Comment

Anticipation: 

1.  the act of anticipating or the state of being anticipated.

2.  realization in advance; foretaste.

3.  expectation or hope.

4.  previous notion; slight previous impression.

5.  intuition, foreknowledge, or prescience.

Anticipation

Anticipation is a wonderful feeling but there are times that it carries some idea of fear.  As I am writing this today, I think about some of the times that I have felt the emotion of anticipation the most in my life.  I remember some of the Christmases as a small boy always wondering what would be in the packages all wrapped in festive paper with bows on them.  I, along with my sisters, would sit and guess what was in the ones with our names on them.  Those are some fond memories of anticipating the big day that we would get to open the gifts and see if we were right or if the surprise would be even better.

I remember the days leading up to my wedding and anticipating the journey that was in front of me called “married life.”  I remember being nervous and yet excited all at the same time.  I had questions so many questions that were unanswered by anyone and yet the anticipation was driving me to continue on the journey in front of me.I remember the birth of my children and the anticipation that was all around those days.  Wondering when my wife would go into labor…Wondering if I would be a good dad…Wondering if my kids would be healthy…Wondering how my life was going to change…What Great Anticipation!!

Many of the emotions that I felt on each of those occasions and many more like them are the emotions I am experiencing now.  Over the past several weeks I have been on a adventure with God in which He has been stripping things away in my life that were being an hinderance to my relationship with Him.  He has led me to be more diligent in so many areas of my life.  He is changing my thought patterns.  He is changing my ideas and ideals about ministry.  He is changing my desires along with my values.  He is bringing me to a place that I feel stripped down in front of Him and He is asking me “Am I enough?”

Many times in scripture before God does something that only He can do, He causes people to see their own inadequacies just so they will recognize God as the author of what is happening.  I have been thinking about the disciples as they were with Jesus in John 11.  Jesus was told his friend Lazarus was sick.  So instead of getting up to go to Bethany, Jesus stayed where He was for two days.  He told the disciples that Lazarus’ illness was for the glory of God.  This is where I begin to add my thoughts about what the disciples were thinking at this time.  When Jesus said it was time to go to Judea, His followers began to question what He was doing.  Jesus tried to share with them what He was going to do, but no one understood.  As they journeyed to the town of Bethany, can you imagine the anticipation of what was next?  They were afraid of the Jewish leaders and therefore, afraid that they might die.  They loved Jesus and believed that Jesus was going to do something special, but they had no idea of what it was going to be.  Even up to the point of Jesus telling Mary and Martha that He was the Resurrection, no one understood He was about the resurrect Lazarus.  He had been dead for four days…Martha said that there would be a stench…Could Jesus really do something with a dead man?  

You know the end of this story.  Jesus called Lazarus out of the grave and he lived again.  Was what Jesus did on that day greater than what anyone else thought He could do?  Was there an excitement that followed this wonderful miracle?  Of course to both of these questions!!!

You see anticipation carries with it expectation of something special happening.  It also carries with it fear of change.  I have both today.  Am I ready to see the miracle today?  Am I prepared for the work that God is going to do so that He gets the glory?  

What an anticipation of what God is going to do!!!! Do you feel it?  Are you ready?

I would love to hear your thoughts today.

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Why I Am A Biblical Counselor

February 4, 2014 By bwatson Leave a Comment

Why Biblical CounselingI have been asked on a few occasions “Why do you do what you do?”  Also, “why did you leave the local church ministry?”  Both of these questions have basically the same answer.  I could go all the way back to when I was 15 and God called me to the ministry the first time to answer these questions.  I was on the side of the mountain in Glorieta, New Mexico talking with a girl about her relationship problems when I first heard God’s voice of calling me to the ministry.  I could go to the night that God called me and I finally said “yes.”  I was speaking to a group of teenagers about trusting God and I felt Him ask me “Are you truly trusting Me?”  I was using Proverbs 3:5-6 as my text (hence the name Directed Path Ministries).  I could answer the questions by referring to the classes I took in seminary on counseling that truly peaked my interest in counseling and had me wanting to learn more and actually practice what I was learning.  I do not refer to any of those scenarios to answer this question.

What I do refer to is what God has been doing in my life over the past several years.  While I was on a church staff, I began to do more and more of the pastoral counseling.  I began to study more and be trained in some different ways of counseling, all the while seeking God’s direction for my life.  When the time came for some major changes in my life and ministry, I believe that God birthed the vision for Directed Path Ministries in my heart and I began to pursue what I saw in my spirit.  Here are some of how God is using His Word to .

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NASB95)

16  All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

17  so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.Open Bible

This passage of scripture has become my basis for the method of my counseling.  As you can see that God tells us that His word is profitable for the counseling experience.  As a Biblical Counselor, I take the principle of scripture to help teach individuals the truth of God’s Word and how it applies to life.  If needed, I then lovingly show them how their lives do not match the principle and how correction is needed.  Finally, I use scripture to help train the individual or couple in using the principle to equip them for the life that God has laid out for them.

Hebrews 4:12 (NASB95)

12  For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Counseling ProcessI have been asked about using other methods or modalities of counseling.  I have even been asked why I did not get my license in Professional Counseling.  I looked into getting an LPC but the place I did at the time did not recognize any of my work as valid nor did they see scripture as a valid tool for counseling.  I sought out a license through a Christian organization called Therapon and am now working on getting a PhD in Biblical Counseling through Masters Theological Research Institute.

This verse that I reference is another verse that indicates that scripture is the source for what God has called me to do.  God’s Word will separate the person’s emotional self from his spiritual self and communicates how to correct the differences.

Obviously there are many more verses, but for today these I believe give a good demonstration of why I am a Biblical Counselor.  I believe that biblical counseling can minister to all that struggle in the areas of relational, emotional, spiritual, and even some physical needs.

I would love for you to respond with your thoughts.

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Capturing Your Thoughts

September 20, 2012 By bwatson Leave a Comment

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (NASB)
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

Have you ever considered how to take a thought captive?  For many of us, our thoughts seem to run rampant without any control what so ever.  I know that many people have told me that they just could not turn their thoughts off.  Once a person starts thinking about something or worrying about something, it appears to be impossible to stop the flood of negative thoughts.  There are times that flood of negative thoughts overtakes by mind and submerges everything I know to be true in Christ.  So as I write this, I am not saying that I have complete control of my thoughts or that I never sin in my thoughts.  What I want to present is the principle of taking our thoughts captive and honoring God with them.

Our soul is made up of our mind, will and emotions.  Those three aspects of a person are what God wants to develop into our character while Satan wants to tear us down at the same time.  All temptation fits in these three areas.  We might understand it better if we quote 1 John 2:16 (NASB)
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

You see Satan wants to use the world system to keep us from living in the Freedom that God offers us through Christ Jesus.

So if we understand this principle and the significance of how Satan tempts us through what we think, what we do, and how we feel, it is vitally important that we grasp the concept of capturing our thoughts toward the obedience of Christ.

How do we accomplish this feat?  We are bombarded with images, words, and ideas all day long.  Are we careful to make sure that we listen to music that is edifying and not negative or down right sinful?  I know that I do not listen to a lot of music while I’m in my car. (I listen to sports talk radio, mostly.)  But when I do listen to music, I listen to Christian music.  In my office, I have Christian music playing all day.  I find it to be refreshing and edifying for me as well as whomever comes in through out the day.

The second area that is very important is what do we watch on the television.  I am not trying to tell you that I do not watch TV, because that would be a lie.  I am not trying to tell you what shows to watch, because that would be presumptuous.  I am telling you that what you watch on TV can create images in your mind that keep you from living in freedom.  If you are watching shows that are violent or full of sexual innuendo or degrading to Christians, you might have a difficult time believing the truth of who God wants you to be.

Another area that I want to address today is the area of conversation.  How do you speak to people and how do they speak to you?   If people close to you are always putting you down, then you will have a very difficult time believing the truth of God’s Word.  It is important for us to realize how important our words are to others.  Proverbs 18:21 (NASB)
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.  Our family hears what we say, and it can create deep wounds in their soul as well as in their spirit if we are not careful.  We need to be diligent in being encouragers for the people around us daily.

Finally, we truly need to concentrate on scripture.  Many of the verses that I have memorized, I memorized as a young boy in Sunday School, Discipleship Training, or Vacation Bible School.  I believe we need to continue to work on learning new scriptures and allowing those scriptures to transform for hearts along with our minds, which can change our actions.

When you think about it, capturing our thoughts include preparing ourselves to live a Godly life as well as practicing daily.  If we don’t practice, we will not be very good at it and then we will not be able to live victoriously.

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I provide Biblical Counseling for:
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