Idolatry

I posted an interesting article on my other blog Spiritual Healing and Growth about idols. Take a look.

You shall have no other gods before me!

Christian Healing and Growth

I am shifting many of my thoughts to a new blog called Spiritual Healing and Growth. I have found that the name of this blog gets a lot of hits but most of them are for the movie Brave Heart. So, I am experimenting with different venues to get the word out about the things I am passionate about.

As I near my celebration for the 72nd anniversary of my coming into the world I am still eager to share the love, power and truth of Jesus Christ. Since I was a child I have been sought out for advise, wisdom, counsel and insight. I still am sought by many leaders who are stuck themselves or working with those who are stuck.

I studied Teaching and practiced that fine art for five years before running into some painful blocks. Looking back it was a good thing because I have learned to "Count it all joy when you encounter various trials..." James 1. I have learned to look for God at work during my trials and challenges and that early difficulty turned into a great gift because I returned to grad school and studied counseling.

It was there that I discovered the power of the environment to bring desired changes. Peer and Family support just can't be beaten when it comes to helping people change.

That led me to Cincinnati and a position at UC during the riots and Jesus Movement. These two movements taught me to watch out for massive spiritual, emotional and political movements and to see what God would have us do to cooperate with Him by facilitating changes in the church and Christians.

In 1973 God led me to College Hill Presbyterian and what a blessing that was. I learned to integrate my theoretical and practical insights from psychology, counseling, sociology and theology into a wholistic approach to healing, growth and influence. We called our center, TELEIOS for wholeness in Christ.

We also developed a non profit organization CIC in 1978 that took our insights to the world. Last year was the 30th anniversary of the founding of what is now called Equipping Ministries International (EMI). EMI has spread to over 70 nations.

In 1989 God called us to open a Christ centered Psychiatric Counseling Center where we could bring all the insights and learning together into the task of helping distressed, traumatized and wounded believers heal and grow into maturity.

Now I am heading Sweeten Life Systems, formerly Life Way Inc, a non profit coaching, consulting and research organization dedicated to "Building a lifetime of great relationships" because all our experience and research points to the fact that death or life come from relationships.

I am hoping I can get all of you to follow me on the new blog where I will write about what is going on with me and a lot about the things that facilitate healing, growth and change.

Spiritual Emotional Life and Addictions in Russia

Papers are reporting that even the chimps in Russia are caught up in severe addictions.


MOSCOW - A Russian chimpanzee has been sent to rehab by zookeepers to cure the smoking and beer-drinking habits he has picked up, a popular daily reported on Friday. An ex-performer, Zhora became aggressive at his circus and was transferred to a zoo in the southern Russian city of Rostov, where he fathered several baby chimps, learned to draw with markers and picked up his two vices.

"The beer and cigarettes were ruining him. He would pester passers-by for booze," the Komsomolskaya Pravda paper said.

It added he has now been transferred to the city of Kazan, about 800 km (500 miles) east of Moscow, for rehabilitation treatment.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We have been working to establish Family Treatment Centers in the former USSR since 1994. Dr. Galina Chentsova came to Cincinnati to learn the Teleios System of ministry and returned to recruit mature Christians to head the effort. Now there are many training centers in churches and homes all over the nation.

The story above seems bizarre and comical but it illustrates the depth of the problems facing the good people of Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Romania and the rest of the Eastern Bloc. During the Seventy years of Communist rule, the high levels of shock, trauma and abuse are so high that it is difficult for us in the West to believe.

Entire families were intentionally destroyed and persecuted leaving generations of children and grandchildren to suffer from the brutality. Thank God for the ways He has taught us to bring hope and healing to those people through Jesus Christ. And, thank God for the faithful Pastors, Priests and Laity who stayed true to God's word during those terrible times.

Spiritual Peace

What does it mean to be at peace? And, if I can define it how can I attain it?

Here is what Jesus said about having peace:

John 14:27Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

I spoke this morning about Jesus and Serenity at Life Gate Church in Northern Kentucky. Several members of the church engaged me in conversations after the service to discuss these issues.

Take a careful look at this passage. Carefully meditate on it. Chew on it. Say it over and over in your mind and see if you can figure out the message of Jesus to you. Apply it personally because you may be the person Jesus wanted to hear the comment.

Where does peace begin?

How can you tell if you have the peace that Jesus is describing? Have you ever had such peace? Some people write things like, "Know Jesus-Know peace; No Jesus-No peace". Is that a marketing slogan or real fact? Are all Christians living in peace? Do any Christians you know live in peace? How would you know if they were? Can we feel guilty and have peace?


Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Ministry in Russia and Ukraine

There is a YouTube video of "You Have Talent" from Ukraine of a remarkable young woman who does sand painting. It is very emotional and powerful representation of the German invasion of the USSR. Maybe it can assist you in better understanding the trauma of WWII in that region of the world.

I am reminded of a trip Art Gasch and I took to Moscow several years ago. Arthur has a magazine that reviews medical devices for doctors and hospitals. He was able to get a machine donate to our Russian friends that tells how much oxygen is in our blood. It was, as far as we know, the only machine of its kind in all of the former USSR for the common people.

The trauma and abuse the good people of that area have suffered left them with extreme cases of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The need for inner healing though love, renewed thinking and prayer is very high. Thankfully we have a team of well trained Christians who know how to facilitate God's loving presence.

During one of our training visits Steve Griebling and I were teaching the dynamics of uncovering the deep wounds behind PTSD. One of the young women opened up about her dysfunctional life and shared how the terrible inner wounds had left her unable to develop an healthy relationship with a man. Alexis, not her real name, was beautiful and well educated but could not bear to talk with a man of her age.

We taught the training group how to draw up a genogram with past traumas and dysfunctions and then how to open themselves to the healing power of a loving God. After several hours of teaching,listening and prayer Alexia had a huge load of shame and trauma lifted off her by the Holy Spirit. Thankfully she was not the only one who personally experienced God's healing love. When we minister in groups the Holy Spirit is able to touch every single one of us with faith, hope and love.

The entire team of ministry in Russia continues to grow in maturity at the same time they are facilitating the growth and healing of others. It is the key to healing that great nation because its people, especially the Christians, have suffered so much and so long.

Pray for our brothers and sisters in the former USSR. And, if God leads, send a donation to us for their continued ministry of love. See the web page for an online donation.

Liferoute Russian Ministry

C/O Sweeten Life Systems

P.O. Box 498455

Cincinnati, Ohio 45249

A Model of Healthy Growing Churches

There are few congregations that seem to understand what is necessary to build a church that actually transforms Unbelievers into Believers who are fairly functional and above average in mental, emotional, relational and physical health. In fact, it seems to me that there are few Christian leaders who even think such a thing is possible or even desirable. Otherwise there would be Ministers and Elders clamoring for someone to show them how to accomplish growth and healing.

The little image above is an attempt to draw interlocking and overlapping circles that show the major dimensions of church systems. Overall we can think of a church as being system of systems. Each system and sub system has different roles and different goals.

First the church is a Hospital for broken, wounded, fallen and falling Christians. A hospital means that the hurting people come to a place where there are well trained and loving people who will assist them in getting better. Every born again Christian has birth defects that can be healed but healing and growth requires a great deal of hard work, expertise and prayer.

Second, the church must be a school. Every other system depends upon the school system to train people who can carry out their jobs with insight, wisdom and skill.

A church is also an army that must be well trained to repel the enemy of our soul and occupy the Kingdom of God.

At the center of all is the family that provides new babies, care, love and nurture.

All there activities are ongoing and concurrent. When every part works together the congregation becomes a healing-growth community.

Why Are Churches so Dysfunctional?

There are several POSSIBLE answers to this question:

1. Churches are NOT dysfunctional; members are holy

2. It is due to bad preaching or short sermons or poor theology

3. The members are not willing to change by submitting to Christ

4. Sin is worse now than ever before

5. Sin is deep and change is difficult requiring God's direct interventions

6. Women refuse to submit to husbands

7. Husbands refuse to love and lead their wives

8. Parents refuse to disciplining their kids

9. I do not know and do not want to talk about it

10. All or most of the above

What do you think? Write me your answers.

Healthy Churches

I have been interested in developing healthy churches for a very long time. I have seen some slight movement toward facilitating health in a few congregations but frankly I am not sure health is a very high priority for most Christian leaders.

Developing healthy churches is dependent upon facilitating healthy interpersonal relationships in the staff, elders, deacons and members. The kids in Sunday school will not likely become good communicators and good at caring for each other is the Sunday school teachers do not model those things. And, even if the teachers are excellent at interpersonal relationships, when the kids go home to chaos, conflict unbridled and miscommunication exponentially growing, how can the kids live healthy lives?

The church is a system of systems; a family of families. It is the sum total of all the family systems that are congregating. Here is my definition of the goals of church members:

A desire to learn how to work out all the problems and conflicts they have not been able to work out on their own at home. Husbands and wives bring to a marriage all the un worked issues carried over from childhood. Those issues are poured into the congregation with the high expectation that God, the Minister and the Elders will help the people get well, healthy or at least better.

This sets us up for grave disappointments. So, when we set the Ministers up on a high pedestal of expectation, they have a very long way to fall when they cannot deliver. But no human can deliver healing so it is unfair to set the Ministers up that way. Yes, but it happens every Sunday.

So, what shall we do? Teach the skills of healing, growth and change to every single member. Teach personal responsibility and how long it takes to bring change. Teach about mercy and grace for self and others. Teach every member how to listen and listen and listen. Teach every member how to take every thought captive. Teach them how to stop all that Stinking Thinking.

Every member needs to be trained to rest in Christ and stop all the performance nonsense.

It is not easy but we can make some steps toward healthier living. Why wait? Start now!

What Must Change?

The biggest challenge for Christians is not sharing the gospel so others can come to faith in Christ. That seems awfully clear. One must recognize that Christ died for our sins and ask God to apply the sacrifice to us. Everyone must come to salvation through Christ.

It is not necessary to know any theology or Bible in order to receive Christ. The Holy Spirit does the work. When I was young I thought getting people saved was my responsibility. I was very concerned about the style, the words and the environment. Then I heard testimonies from people who were deeply touched by the sovereign work of God and came to faith in Christ as a result. They were converted without much if any urging from people. It occurred to me that God does the work of salvation but He sometime allows me to be a witness and midwife.

But as I became a preacher, teacher and Christian Helper I saw that the remnants of the Fallen Nature continued to haunt all Believers. This meant that I needed to know how to help myself as well as others apply the most appropriate biblical remedy to their places of fleshly challenge.

In the last post I mentioned how much I learned from Dr. James Kallas whose model included three aspects of fallen nature. Bondage, Rebellion and Guilt. If that is true, then Christ's sacrifice must have been applied to all three of these horrible problems. Before a doctor can apply a remedy for a disease he/she must first diagnose the exact nature of the problem. A muscle strain is not treated like a broken bone even if both cause leg pain.

Bondage is treated differently from Rebellion and both are treated differently from Guilt.

Bondage means we are dead in trespasses and sins. We did not CHOOSE to be sick sinners but we are. Dead men tell no tales and make no big changes in their lives. Only a power greater than the Bondage can bring change.

Rebellion means we CHOOSE to act disobediently. The themes song is, "I'll do it my way". It is ego, self focused and narcissistic.

True Moral Guilt is not a feeling. It is a forensic fact that when we trespass of the law we are guilty whether we "feel" guilty or not.

So, when Christ came to earth and agreed to redeem us from our fallen natures, he had to take care of all three of these issues. If Christ had made us alive in a New Birth but had not taken care of our True Moral Guilt we would still be in trouble with God. Guilt requires Just Punishment and Jesus took care of the Justice we deserved through Justification or Forgiveness.

And, if had Jesus not also taken care of our Rebellion and turned us around from our obsessive path toward destruction, we would be in trouble. We would continue to be pursuing behavior that rebels against God. But Christ also Converted us and turned us around when He also Justified us and gave us new life through the New Birth. All three problems were solved.

Christ's life, death, burial and resurrection offers a New Birth, Justification and Conversion. He covered all three of the main issues remaining from then Fall. Praise His Name!

Now what? Is that all? I used to think so. But I was troubled. Everyone I met had deep problems from a lack of personal Identity. That went along with a lack of understanding their spiritual Inheritance. Most of us are deeply damaged. What is that called? I read, studied and prayed and came to a biblical conclusion. There was a fourth dimension of the Fallen Nature. I discovered that the Bible called it SHAME.

SHAME! What is that? In the Bible Shame is shown to be theologically, spiritually and emotionally different from Guilt. True Moral Guilt has to do with Justice with condemnation or Punishment. Shame has to do with a loss of Identity and Inheritance. The result is deep emotional scars and relational conflicts.

Adam and Eve were born free of sickness, sin and guilt. They also had a secure sense of who they were as their Identity as God's chosen people was made extremely clear. They had a conscious notion of their Inheritance.

But in Genesis 3 we see that sickness, death, rebellion, guilt and shame resulted from their decision to disobey God. The Hebrew word for shame is bwash and it means "to have a loss of face". Now what is the remedy for Shame?

Take Every Thought Captive to Christ

I am again teaching the classic course, Rational Christian Thinking, that I first developed and wrote back in the eighties. Pastor Brad Rosenberg asked me to train his staff and lay leaders how to live in the freedom of Christ and I agreed.

Because his wife Angie had gotten so much out of the training before she asked Brad to let everyone attend so young mothers like her could benefit from the training and rear their children free of fear and anxiety. So, we are teaching over 100 adults each Wednesday evening at Tri County Assembly of God in Fairfield, Ohio north of Cincinnati.

It is a thrill to be able to "Equip the saints to DO the work of ministry" and I love training them in ways to "Renew their minds" according to the Bible. The students are eagerly lapping up the information and responding with great interactions in the class.

Over the next few posts I will write some of the basic principles of biblically renewing the mind so the readers can start getting free from cultural, social and devilish ideas. I am amazed at how many Spirit filled Christians are ensnared in old fleshly ways to thinking, feeling and acting yet believe they "Have the mind of Christ."

A mind of Christ is a peaceful mind. It is Free from worry, free from anxiety and free from letting others put them down. They could care less what others think because they know what Jesus thinks.

So, read and reflect on how Gos can set us free from the "Stinking Thinking" that keeps us in bondage.

HEALED AND WHOLE

One day I dug a little hole
And put my hurt inside
I thought that I could just forget
I'd put it there to hide.

But that little hurt began to grow
I covered it every day
I couldn't leave it and go on
It seemed the price I had to pay.

My joy was gone, my heart was sad
Pain was all I knew.
My wounded soul enveloped me
Loving seemed too hard to do.

One day, while standing by my hole
I cried to God above
And said, "If you are really there
They say, you're a God of Love!

And just like that -- he was right there
And just put his arms around me
He wiped my tears, his hurting child
There was no safer place to be.

I told him all about my hurt
I opened up my heart
He listened to each and every word
To every sordid part.

I dug down deep and got my hurt
I brushed the dirt away
And placed it in the Master's hand
And healing came that day.

He took the blackness of my soul
And set my spirit FREE!
Something beautiful began to grow
Where the hurt used to be.

And when I look at what has grown
Out of my tears and pain
I remember every day to give my hurts to him
And never bury them again.

By Carol Parrot

Time With God

I wish I could attend but I am deeply involved in a thirty year reunion party that weekend. "What am I talking about," you ask? One of the famous and fabulous female weekend getaways with God hosted by Judy Haag and her merry band of God Searchers!

Here is the announcement:

What one women says about being at a "A Time of Refreshment" retreat.

There is something very special coming up on Saturday, October 3rd which I think you may want to look into if you have not signed up. I can tell you that when I have participated in
"A Time of Refreshment Retreat" that I have experienced some of the most significant intimacy with our Lord in my life. How can I describe it? Being in God's presence in His beautiful Creation. Slowing down, sitting still and experiencing His love for me personally. Worshipping Him. A day spa for my spirit. None of those phrases can capture it, I suggest you just try it yourself.

There is a time for everything...
But only 10 days left to Register NOW for the
Fall Time of Refreshment Retreat for Women!

You may send us an e-mail to reserve your time and place to be with God at the retreat!

Judy Haag
Spiritual Encouragers of Cincinnati
5091 South Ridge Drive
Cincinnati OH, 45224
513-853-2995
timeofrefreshment@gmail.com

Addictions from Sweeten Life

We live in a funny society. The Feds and various states pull out all the stops to prevent smoking and try to open gambling halls with alcoholic drinks to promote smoking, drinking and gambling addictions. We seem to have a whole host of Congressional Reps and Govt Bureaucrats who love to control the lives of us citizens under the pretext of saving us from ourselves.

I understand the motivation to save people. I was driven by a grand desire to save people for many years. I learned early in life that all I had to do to get a lot of affirmation from my family and the local preachers was to try to Rescue people. In fact, we were taught in church and Sunday school how to be a Black Belt Rescuer.

We were supposed to save the lost and hungry. Have you ever tried to save somebody against their will? How did it work?

In Singapore the penalty for selling a small amount of drugs is death. Every flight into Singapore there is an announcement right after the warning about seat belts that selling drugs will mean death. Still, a lot of people do dope and sell dope.

Human motivation to get high and medicate pain are extremely high. Highly motivated people are extremely creative in getting their drugs of choice. There is a lot of drug use in jails and prisons. If we can't stop dope by building a prison and putting up bars, how will passing a law that bans drugs work?

I think almost every church would be healthier if it had a series of 12 step programs. I would start with Al-Anon Groups designed for family members of addicts. Those groups are also helpful to ministers, elders, parents and government officials who are driven to make people stop doing what they want to do.

What we need are more 12 steppers running government agencies. After being in the 12 step community for some years the members begin to discover much more about helping people stay healthy.

Choose Life

There is a surprising Bible passage uttered by the Lord God to the Children of Israel. DT 30:19

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.

It is surprising because many of us assume that all people will naturally choose life without requiring God to warn them. But, it is not so. It is a truism's that millions of people choose death, curses and evil on a daily basis.

I was trained in public universities by secular humanist professors who were, as a rule, committed to the notion that all people are born good, pure and innocent. So, I naturally began to think that way as well.

The Bible gives us a different picture entirely. It paints us as deceitful broken and prone to selfishness and evil. Who is correct, Carl Rogers or Moses? What have we learned from life and counseling?

For a long time I struggled with the paradox of secular humanistic ideas in a fallen world. Finally, I was informed by my personal experience and biblical study the Moses was right and Carl Rogers was wrong. Over the last forty or so years I have struggled unsuccessfully to be perfect like I was taught and I have worked with thousands of people whose commitment to purity, peace and love was sabotaged by pride, prejudice and power.

The heart is wicked, deceitful and self defeating. That is why we need the daily, moment by moment salvation of Jesus Christ. Moses lays it out this way on the next verse. We can choose life

by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.

Life comes from:

1. Loving God
2. Obeying God's voice on a daily basis.
3. Holding fast to Him because He is our salvation.

Gary Sweeten

Music to Drive us Mild or Wild

Music sets the mood and may also change your mind. Read this article in the paper, ScotlandonSunday to see what I mean.

Music can torture or heal. Did you know the US Army has a list of the "Golden Oldies" that dive terrorists to spill their guts? They also have lists of music than can help calm an unquiet mind and even help kids with Asperber's Syndrome. Now that is something.

Read the article and see what you think. (But stop listening to Acid Rock before you write your comments.)

From Reality to Real Politics

It is easy to tell when a topic moves from being a focus on reality and becomes almost entirely political. For example, when I did my dissertation on integration of faith and soul care, the term "Evangelical" was clearly meant to describe a type of person who was deeply committed to Christ, the Bible and historic Christianity. Now it means a group of people who are trying to force their narrow views about life on the USA in defiance of the Constitution.

The same is true of "Pro Life". That term meant that a person believed that all human life was precious and created in God's image. Now it is used to mean that the person hates women and science.

Today I will focus on a view that has, until recently, dominated society, counseling and law. Everyone in authority agreed that homosexual behavior was abnormal and should not be encouraged. Additionally, the psychologists taught that it was an aberration that could through therapy, be healed and changed in many instances.

Today, any psychologist or counselor or lay person who says such things will be charged with "homophobia" and accosted as hating gay people. It is well known that a similar charge will not be made against a person who believes that depressives can be healed. I have counseled many depressed and anxious people as well as those who are fearful, angry or addicted but no one has accused me of hating the people I treat.

In those cases I am lauded as compassionate, empathic and concerned because I am responding helpfully to the requests of people who want out of painful situations.

I have also helped married couples stop fighting and adulterers trade adultery for better marital sex. I have shown parents how to stop yelling an start disciplining and they love it.

Because of my success I am asked to write, speak and consult. I am affirmed by many other counselors who want to learn from me. But when I mention that I have helped men and women stop their same sex attractions I am suddenly accosted as a mad man or evil charlatan.

What say you? Do you affirm counselors and peers who state that marriage was always intended for men and women? Can you support the Miss USA candidate who spoke up about her traditional views or do you think she is a homo-phobic that is spouting hate speech?

When A.A. leaders facilitate sobriety and community leaders put a stop to drugs do you see them as heroes or villains? If heroes then you will have to also applaud the courageous men and women at Exodus who have led thousands out of same sex temptations. Healing homosexuality is no more hateful or phobic than defeating depression or divrce.

Gary Sweeten

Sexual Abuse Recovery: Is There Hope?

One cannot keep from reeling at the high numbers of people who are sexually abused, shocked and traumatized in America. Here are the differences:

1. Sexual Shock is a one time or very rare sexual interaction that are inappropriate. This includes porn, sexual touching and sexual verbalization's.

2. Trauma is more than shock and includes occasional sexual interactions that are inappropriate.

3. Abuse is an ongoing, chronic inappropriate sexual interaction.

The results are different for the differing levels of pain.

1. Shock leaves a person with distorted, confused and cold emotions.
2. Trauma leaves a person with frozen, confused emotions.
3. Abuse leaves one with permafrost emotions.

There is good news, however, for all of these situations. Healing and restoration is possible for all three levels of pain. I have personally been involved with people who have been able to recover completely even from chronic abuse.

Recovery comes from faith, hope and love.

Never, ever give up. I heard a podcast today about a woman who was severely beaten, abused and rejected who ran away from an "insane asylum" in Australia and completely recovered, largely on her own. God's people are constantly seeing hurting people healed through prayer, worship, discipleship and caring.

Gary Sweeten

Gary Sweeten

The Power of Love

Karen and I drove up to Pittsburgh this week to get grand son Jack and bring him back to our house for some time together with us and the rest of the family. It is important to get the kids out of Steelers country occasionally.

On the drive we found an "Oldies but Goodies" station that was playing a lot of songs from the Sixties and Seventies. One of them was, "What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love" and it brought back many good memories.

First, we thought about the great times we had on campus and at College Hill Presbyterian. Then we were taken to the fact that indeed, the world does need love. The words of that tune could have been copied from the Bible. "There are plenty of mountains and valleys but not enough love" reminds us during hard times that money and materialism will never replace caring and godliness.

After forty years of counseling the words of that song ring even more true. Research is coming in from around the world showing that the heart and soul of healing is not medicine or clean rooms in a hospital but love.

Modern psychiatry is filled with talk about providing "Evidence Based Practice" so people are guaranteed the best treatment. This way of thinking means that technical expertise trumps great relationships. But I Corinthians 13 tells us a different story and that story is being reinforced over and over again by research and personal experience.

Take a look at this video and see the power of faith, hope and love.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP_EW9u_TTw&feature=related

Gary Sweeten

Healing

I have been in some type of healing activity for many years. During that time I have helped others get better even though sickness and pain have been my personal friend.

Several times I was counseling a person in depression while struggling myself with a deep melancholy. Interestingly enough my ability to focus on helping another person in pain also helped give me some relief.

For the past few months I have experienced pain in both shoulders. It has been difficult to raise my right arm above my head at times and that is frustrating. I asked for prayers from the good people at Dwelling Place Church in February and experienced some relief.

Because I was heading for Scandinavia with luggage it occurred to me that I needed to seek some assistance from Dr. Mark Korchok, a great Chiropractor near my home. After several sessions my shoulders are better but not pain free.

I am staying in the home of Jens-Petter and Astrid Jorgensen in Oslo and sleeping in the bed of their daughter Marie Theresa who is away at school. After spending a couple of nights here, my shoulder is substantially better. I am very thankful for prayers, Dr. Korchok and this good bed.

So here are the questions: "How does God heal" and "Is relief from a good night's sleep count as one way God heals?"

Secular Humanists do not believe in God so they cannot believe in a God who heals. It is said that an atheist believes in "The uniformity of natural causes in a CLOSED SYSTEM". I believe in the "Uniformity of natural causes and cures in an OPEN, GOD-SOAKED SYSTEM".

Here is the difference. Humanists discount any intervention into nature from outside the natural order. We Christians believe in a natural order that God can and often does interact with. My shoulder was damaged by some of my behavior and nature took its course and the pain alerted me to the damage I had caused myself. I have sought several "remedies from nature" such as pain medications and Chiropractic interventions. They have helped.

I also sought supernatural interventions through prayer. It also helped. This is not an "either-or dichotomy" but a "both-and unity". God gave the Hebrew people many different natural interventions stop the spread of communicable diseases. He was the first chemist in history and his advice saved thousands of lives. God created nature so why would He be hostile to its healing properties?

May God bless you and your Christian community as you seek to live under Hios rule and reign. I sometimes read that the modern church has lost its way when there is an emphasis upon being a "Therapeutic Community". The root words for salvation and therapy are similar. Let us go into the world as agents of salvation, healing and good works.

For more on the ways we foster healing, growth and health, see our web page.

Gary Sweeten
www.sweetenlife.com

Marital Stress Kills

An article recently published on the BBC Website says that:

Women are more likely than men to suffer damage to their health from being in a strained marriage, research suggests.

Men may be so out of touch with themselves and the state of their marriage that they don't get as stressed.

Maybe this is why over 90% of the people looking for help in mmarriage and family life are women.

Go to LifeWay Counseling Centers to save your marriage and save yourself.