The Mark of a Mature Believer

by David Wilkerson

[May 19, 1931 – April 27, 2011]

The mark of a mature believer is a refusal to be "tossed to and fro . . . with every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:14). Such believers cannot be manipulated by any teacher. They do not need to run around, because they are feasting in green pastures, growing up in Christ. They have learned Christ. They will not be captivated by music, friends, personalities or miracles, but by a hunger for the pure Word.

Paul said, "That they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things" (Titus 2:10). What is Christ's doctrine? The grace of God teaches us that “denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world (Titus 2:11-12). The doctrine of Christ will conform you to the image of Christ. It will expose every hidden sin and every evil longing.

Is your teacher rebuking with authority, speaking and exhorting you to forsake sin and lay down all idols as instructed in Titus 2? Are you learning to hate sin passionately? Or do you leave church, still not deeply convicted? The message of the doctrine of Christ is, "Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1).

Many write to us saying that their pastors tell them, “I'm not here to preach against sin; I'm here to lift up Jesus.” Or, “You’ll hear none of that condemnation preaching from this pulpit! I'm here to lift the fear and depression off my people.” Even Pentecostal preachers have two extremes. Some scream a hard, legalistic gospel without love, merely of works; others preach against sin like cowards, taking it all back in the same message. 

The doctrine of Christ is a doctrine of godliness and holiness. "If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings" (1 Timothy 6:3-4). 

The preaching of Christ's doctrine will bless, strengthen and encourage you, but it will also convict you so deeply you cannot sit under it and still cling to a secret sin.

Pope Francis Says Atheists Who Do Good Are Redeemed, Not Just Catholics

Pope Francis rocked some religious and atheist minds today when he declared that everyone was redeemed through Jesus, including atheists.
During his homily at Wednesday Mass in Rome, Francis emphasized the importance of "doing good" as a principle that unites all humanity, and a "culture of encounter" to support peace.

Using scripture from the Gospel of Mark, Francis explained how upset Jesus' disciples were that someone outside their group was doing good, according to a report from Vatican Radio.

“They complain,” the Pope said in his homily, because they say, “If he is not one of us, he cannot do good. If he is not of our party, he cannot do good.” And Jesus corrects them: “Do not hinder him, he says, let him do good.” The disciples, Pope Francis explains, “were a little intolerant,” closed off by the idea of ​​possessing the truth, convinced that “those who do not have the truth, cannot do good.” “This was wrong . . . Jesus broadens the horizon.” Pope Francis said, “The root of this possibility of doing good – that we all have – is in creation”

Pope Francis went further in his sermon to say:

"The Lord created us in His image and likeness, and we are the image of the Lord, and He does good and all of us have this commandment at heart: do good and do not do evil. All of us. ‘But, Father, this is not Catholic! He cannot do good.’ Yes, he can... "The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone!".. We must meet one another doing good. ‘But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!’ But do good: we will meet one another there.”

More here... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/22/pope-francis-good-atheists_n_3320757.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false#slide=2475388

The Shaky Fondation of Psychiatry

SHORTCOMINGS OF A PSYCHIATRIC BIBLE [Excerpts]

Patients and parents concerned about mental illness have every right to be confused. The head of the federal agency that finances mental health research has just declared that the most important diagnostic manual for psychiatric diseases lacks scientific validity and needs to be bolstered by a new classification system based on biology, not just psychiatric opinion. The hitch is that such a biology-based system will not be available for a decade or more.

Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, posted his critique of the manual in a "Director's Blog" on April 29 and expanded on his reasoning in a recent interview with The New York Times. He was critiquing a forthcoming revision of the American Psychiatric Association 's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the first major reissue since 1994. Although there have been controversies over particular changes in diagnostic descriptions, he said, the new revision involves "mostly modest alterations" from its predecessor.

The psychiatric association's diagnoses are mostly based on a professional consensus about what clusters of symptoms are associated with a disease, like depression, and not on any objective laboratory measure, like blood counts or other biological markers. The mental health institute says scientists have not produced the data needed to design a system based on biomarkers or cognitive measures. To fill the gap, the agency started a program two years ago to finance research in biology, genetics, neuroscience, cognitive science and other disciplines with the ultimate goal of helping scientists define disorders by their causes, rather than their symptoms.

 The underlying problem is that research on mental disorders and treatment has stalled in the face of the incredible complexity of the brain. That is why major pharmaceutical companies have scaled back their programs to develop new psychiatric drugs; they cannot find new biological targets to shoot for....Meanwhile, the diagnostic manual remains the best tool to guide clinicians on how to diagnose disorders and treat patients. Consensus among mental health professionals will have to suffice until we can augment it with something better.

 [Editorial Board, "Shortcomings of a Psychiatric Bible," New York Times Online, May 11, 2013 

[TBC: The more psychologists learn, the less they know, echoing Dr. Sigmund Koch's conclusions, "The hope of psychological science became indistinguishable from the fact of psychological science. The entire subsequent history of psychology can be seen as a ritualistic endeavor to emulate the forms of science in order to sustain the delusion that it already is a science" (The American Scholar, Autumn 1973, p. 66).

 This simply notes what was known from the beginning, as another commentator states regarding the work of Freud: "The greatest criticism of the psychodynamic approach is that it is unscientific in its analysis of human behavior. Many of the concepts central to Freud's theories are subjective and as such impossible to scientifically test. For example, how is it possible to scientifically study concepts like the unconscious mind or the tripartite personality? In this respect the psychodynamic perspective is unfalsifiable as the theories cannot be empirically investigated" (McLeod, "Psychodynamic Approach," Simply Psychology, 2007.]