He Is Risen! I’m Risen Too!

We all love to exchange the traditional Easter greeting:                              

“He is risen.”

“He’s risen indeed!”

The Bible suggests that Christians add another greeting:

“He is risen.”

“I’m risen, too!”

Resurrected with Christ

The Apostle Paul says it plainly. “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above” (Colossians 3:1).

In Ephesians, Paul goes even further in applying Christ’s resurrection to the Christian. He prays that we might know, “His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him the dead” (Ephesians 1:19-20).

The same power that resurrected Christ resides in every Christian.

Tapping into Our RPMs

Of course, any honest Christians has to ask, “If I’m raised with Christ, if I have the same power implanted in me that raised Christ, then why don’t I live like I’m dead to sin?”

The answer is simple, yet profound. Instead of living victoriously in Christ, we live defeated lives because we try to live in our own power.

Paul tried the same futile approach before he became a Christian—placing his confidence in his own strength (Philippians 3:1-6). That’s why as a believer his focus was laser-like. “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings” (Philippians 3:10).

Paul understood what we must understand—we have to tap into Christ’s resurrection power. We have to avail ourselves of and apply the empowerment that’s already in us.

We don’t do that alone. In Ephesians 3, Paul prays that we, “may have power together with all the saints” to know Christ’s love, to be filled with God’s fullness, and to experience the immeasurable power that is at work within us (Ephesians 3:17-21).

We need “RPMs.” No, not Revolutions Per Minute. But Resurrection Power Multipliers. (Which explains why I call my ministry “RPM Ministries.”) As we commune with Christ and connect with Christians we tap into Christ’s resurrection power. As we cling to Christ the Vine, His power flows into our lives so that we can produce fruit to His glory.

Applying Our Identity in Christ

One of the most powerful ways we can “tap into Christ’s resurrection power” is through knowing, memorizing, meditating upon, and applying the truth of our new identity in Christ. We are co-crucified with Christ and we are co-resurrected with Christ. We are more than conquerors in Christ. We are saints with a new nature and sons and daughters with new power.

To help Christians to apply these truths, I’ve created a five-page resource Who I Am In Christ  (excerpted from Soul Physicians: A Theology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction). It paraphrases over 150 verses about your new identity in Christ. Applying these truths to your life will help you to personalize the reality that, “He is risen. So am I!”

Join the Conversation

Which of the verses concerning your identity in Christ will you apply in order to tap into Christ’s resurrection power?

Tags: Easter, Good Friday, Resurrection, Soul Physicians

Good Friday: The Wonderful Cross 

Chris Tomlin’s The Wonderful Cross calls us to die to self as Christ died for us.

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride 

See from his head, his hands, his feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown 

O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
All who gather here by grace draw near and bless Your name 

Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all 

O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
All who gather here by grace draw near and bless Your name

Join the Conversation

What is most wonderful about the cross for you? What is most amazing about grace for you?

Tags: Chris Tomlin, Easter, Good Friday, The Wonderful Cross

Holy Week Timeline 

Stephen Smith at Bible Gateway has put together a fascinating Holy Week Timeline Visualization. As he describes it:

“Here’s a new visualization we created that harmonizes the four Gospel accounts of Holy Week and lets you examine the ‘who,’ ‘what,’ and ‘where’ of events leading up to and through Easter.

Follow the lines in the chart to see at a glance what people were doing, where they were, and whom they were with at any point during the week. The horizontal axis shows time, and the vertical axis shows space. Proximity of the lines shows who interacted with whom. Constructed from a harmony of the Gospels, this chart is an interpretation; the timing of some events in the Holy Week narrative is open to debate.”

Click on the chart/image below to enlarge.

Bible Gateway is releasing the visualization under a Creative Commons license, which means that you should feel free to print copies (they recommend printing the PDF) and share them with people at your church.

Join the Conversation

As you reflect on Holy Week, which person in the narrative are you most like in terms of your response to Jesus?

Tags: Bible Gateway, Easter, Holy Week, Holy Week Timeline, Stephen Smith

Equipping Counselors for Your Church: What People Are Saying

My sixth book will be released in September, 2011 by P&R Publishing. To view the book video trailer of the book click on this link: Equipping Counselors for Your Church: The 4E Ministry Training Strategy.

Over a dozen leaders in biblical counseling have graciously shared their recommendations. Read what they have to say…and plan to order your book as soon as pre-ordering is “live.”

“Dr. Bob Kellemen knows that God has called all of His children to be active participants in the ministry community that He designed the church to be. Bob also knows that it is not enough to give people a vision and call them to commitment; they must also be biblically trained. Equipping of the Body of Christ for personal ministry has been Bob’s life work. This practical, step-by-step equipping manual is the mature fruit of that life-long commitment.”—Dr. Paul Tripp, D.Min., Founder and President of Paul Tripp Ministries, Author of Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hand

“Bob Kellemen—trainer and coach extraordinaire—has a simple goal: he wants to see your church’s one-to-one ministry transformed. The way he does that is by giving clear, practical instruction along with a huge package of supplies and tools. And when you follow his coaching you’ll be surprised to find that the result is not so much Bob’s system as it is an equipping model that is specific to your church.”—Dr. Ed Welch, Ph.D., Faculty Member CCEF, Author of When People Are Big and God Is Small

“So many of us long to see our churches equipped to minister the blessings of God’s Word to one another…and yet somehow it seems all too easy to get bogged down in the how. Bob Kellemen has given the church a tremendous resource—outlining not only the “how but also the “why” and most importantly the “Who.” This is a resource that will revolutionize the way your church does ministry and will give you the resources you need to offer practical help from a many-membered body serving one another and their community.”—Elyse Fitzpatrick, MA, Author of Counsel from the Cross

“This is a must-read book for every person who longs to see their church be more effective at helping people grow and handle the issues of everyday life. It is intensely biblical with a model that flows right out of the pages of Scripture. Yet it is equally practical. You will be encouraged and equipped to be a person who…encourages and equips. My friend Bob Kellemen has done a masterful job at helping us all think about how to be truly effective in the culture in which Christ has placed us.”—Pastor Steve Viars, D.Min., Sr. Pastor, Faith Baptist Church, Lafayette, IN; Author of Putting Your Past in Its Place

“This is the book we needed years ago at Mars Hill Church to help us re-think our counseling ministries. By God’s grace, we ended up with something like what Dr. Kellemen envisions; but save yourself the trouble we endured and let Bob’s wisdom guide you strategically through the process. In fact, join me: I’ll be using this book to re-think it all over again.”—Mike Wilkerson, Pastor of Biblical Living, Mars Hill Church, Seattle, WA; Author of Redemption: Freed by Jesus from the Idols We Worship and the Wounds We Carry

Bob Kellemen’s Equipping Counselors for Your Church is a desperately needed gift to pastors and church leaders for helping the church to envision, enlist, equip, and empower the saints for the work of ministry. Bob’s seasoned, insightful, and humble experience emerges in each chapter and is also reflected in his detailed appendices. I highly recommend this work whether you are just starting out or you have been in the trenches for years. I was personally encouraged and challenged in addition to coming away with many ideas that I will use to assess my own ministry.—Pastor Robert K. Cheong, Ph.D., Pastor of Care and Counseling, Sojourn Community Church, Louisville, Kentucky

“Bob Kellemen knows equipping biblical counselors from A-to-Z. He has done a tremendous job of structuring a step-wise strategy to develop the lay counselors in your church. In his humble style, Bob has gathered the best leaders of local church counseling ministries and done the work of bench-marking for you. This is a book that you will reference often as you help the hurting, and equip the saints for the work of soul care in your church.”—Pastor Garrett Higbee, Psy.D., Executive Director of Biblical Soul Care Ministries, Harvest Bible Chapel, Elgin, Illinois

“Dr. Kellemen has produced a landmark book that fills a significant vacuum in the biblical counseling literature: a comprehensive work that not only offers an exceptional overview of biblical counseling, but also provides a wise, strategic, and thoughtful guide outlining the essentials of developing a robust counseling ministry within the local church. Equipping Counselors for Your Church has the potential to influence a massive paradigm shift in how ministry is exercised in the Body of Christ both now and in future generations.”—Jeremy Lelek, M.A., L.P.C., President, Association of Biblical Counselors

“Dr. Bob Kellemen is a born encourager, coach, and equipper. His vision and enthusiasm are contagious! Bob has thought carefully about how to foster effective counseling of those struggling with sin and suffering in the context of the local church, and encourage informal disciple-making among all members. The result is this comprehensive resource, which will take your congregation through envisioning your unique counseling ministry, enlisting, equipping, and leading counselors, and administering your program. Whether you are a pastor, ministry leader, or a church member who’s already caught the biblical counseling vision, there’s something in this manual for you. Read it and dare to dream.”—Dr. Laura Hendrickson, Psychiatrist, Biblical Counselor, Author of Will Medicine Stop the Pain?

“Dr. Kellemen’s book fills a long-standing gap in Christian counseling and church-based ministry literature. It is an excellent resource for church leaders or counselors who are looking for practical biblical guidance, including instructions and all the necessary nuts-and-bolts, in developing the one-to-one, personal ministry component in their church’s spectrum of care. It is marvelously comprehensive and systematic, while at the same time flexible enough to apply to a variety of church personalities.”—Dr. Sam R. Williams, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Counseling, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

“This is a remarkable book. Bob Kellemen has accomplished the seemingly impossible task of combining sound Christian theology, informed biblical counseling principles, and practical training procedures into a guidebook for developing a counseling ministry in the local church. While some books focus on counseling models, the structure of training programs, or on counseling techniques, Dr. Kellemen has demonstrated the importance of addressing a comprehensive biblical approach to counseling in the church. Bob gives you the information necessary to build a complete biblical counseling ministry. He walks you through each step and shows you how to make counseling ministry unique to your church, not borrowed and artificially applied, but intrinsic to the God-given vision and biblical mission of the local body of believers. The result is a thoroughly biblical book that provides rich material for ministers, seminary students, and people interested in developing care-giving ministries. This is a ‘must’ book for anyone interested in counseling and the church.”—Ian F. Jones, Ph.D., Ph.D., Baptist Community Ministries’ Chair of Pastoral Counseling, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

“I am alarmed in our ever-increasing multiethnic urban society at how many people faithfully attend Bible believing churches with a successful external appearance while living in unbelievable personal and family dysfunction! Bob Kellemen’s call for and guidance towards a revolution of humble growing biblical counselors within the church is a timely resource for an urgent need.”—Dr. A. Charles Ware, President, Crossroads Bible College, Indianapolis, IN; Author of Darwin’s Plantation: Evolution’s Racist Roots

“Do you ever wish someone would help you better envision, understand, organize and implement personal ministry in your local church? If so, this book is for you. Who wouldn’t value an opportunity to sit with twenty-five leaders in biblical counseling—just to hear the conversation, listen to the interaction, learn from the dialogue, and benefit from the exchange of ideas in order to capture the challenges, commitments, struggles, vision, discernment, strategy and passion of these experienced and skilled counselors? After interacting with twenty-four ministry leaders, Dr. Bob Kellemen serves as your personal coach, giving you insight on how to better serve the Body of Christ. As you seek to serve those God has called you to help grow and maneuver through the challenges of life, this book will help you understand, plan, develop and implement authentic and lasting personal ministry in your church.”—Pastor Kevin Carson, D.Min., Pastor, Sonrise Baptist Church, Ozark, Missouri

Tags: Biblical Counseling, Elyse Fitzpatrick, Equipping Counselors for Your Church, Steve Viars

Emotional Intelligence: The ABCs of Emotions

Part 5: Dust and Divinity: Our Bodies and Our Emotions

Introduction: You’re reading Part 5 in a blog mini-series on Emotional Intelligence. Read Part 1: Emotions: God’s Idea, Part 2: Why We Feel What We Feel, Part 3: Good News about Good Moods, and Part 4: What Went Wrong? I’ve developed this series from material in my book Soul Physicians.

A Defining Question

In a recent CCEF Ask the Counselor video, biblical counselor David Powlison addressed the question, “Do you believe that there is a biological basis for depression which may endure, despite the fact that heart issues have been successfully addressed through biblical counseling? If so, is there a place for long-term use of medication?”

In his nuanced, loving, balanced response, Dr. Powlison noted that, “this is one of the defining questions of our age.” Listen to David’s full response at Is Depression Purely Biological?

A 1,000-word blog post can never provide the final word on this defining issue. Instead, consider these words simply an introduction to the Bible’s teaching on the complex inner-working of our body/soul, brain/mind connection.

Jars of Clay

In the beginning, God designed us as body-soul beings. “The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7). Even before the fall, we were more than inner person—we were and are embodied beings.

Our bodies are works of art fashioned by our heavenly Father who fearfully and wonderfully handcrafted us (Psalm 139:13-16). We are works of God’s hand; made, shaped, molded, clothed with skin and flesh, and knit together with bones and sinews (Job 10:3-12). We are not to despise our physicality.

After the fall, the Bible teaches that we inhabit fallen bodies in a fallen world (Romans 8:18-25). Paul calls our fallen bodies “jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7). As one commentator has mused, we are cracked pots! Paul also describes our bodies as a mortal earthly tent—perishable, weak, flesh and blood (1 Corinthians 15:42-47).

Paul is not saying that the flesh is bad or evil. He is saying that our bodies are weak and natural, prone in our fallen state to disorder and dysfunction.

Some modern Christians seem to take a hyper-spiritual approach to the brain/mind issue. They act as if inner spirituality eliminates all the effects of outer bodily maladies. Some seem to imply that giving any credence to the fallen bodies influence on our emotional state is something of a Trojan Horse that sneaks secular, materialistic thought into Christian spirituality.

Not So the Puritans

The Puritans would have been shocked by such a naïve perspective on the mind-body issue. Puritan pastors and theologians like Robert Burton, William Ames, and Jonathan Edwards recognized that problems such as scrupulosity (what we might call OCD) and melancholy (what we might call depression) might, at least in part, be rooted in the fallen body. They warned that such maladies sometimes could not be cured simply by comforting words or biblical persuasion (see A History of Pastoral Care in America, pp. 60-72).

Edwards described his sense of pastoral helplessness in the face of the melancholy of his uncle, Joseph Hawley. He noted that Hawley was “in a great measure past a capacity of receiving advice, or being reasoned with” (see A History of Pastoral Care in America, p. 73). Eventually, Hawley took his own life one Sabbath morning. Shortly thereafter, Edwards advised clergy against the assumption that spiritual issues alone were at work in melancholy.

Emotions: Bridging Our Inner and Outer Worlds

Emotions truly are a bridge between our inner and outer world. Think of the word “feeling.” Feeling is a tactile word suggesting something that is tangible, physical, touchable, and palpable. “I feel the keyboard as I type. I feel the soft comfortable chair beneath me. I feel my sore back and stiff wrists as they cry out, “Give it a rest!”

We also use this physical word—feeling—to express emotions. “I feel sad. I feel happy. I feel joy. I feel anger.” It’s no surprise that we use this one word in these two ways—physical and emotional. We know what the Israelites understood—our body feels physically what our emotions feel metaphysically (see my Th.M. thesis Hebrew Anthropological Terms as a Foundation for a Biblical Counseling Model of Humanity).

When I’m nervous, my stomach is upset. When I feel deep love, my chest tightens. When I’m anxious, my heart races. When I’m sad, my entire system slows.

We know much more about the brain than the Israelites knew. It is a physical organ of the body and all physical organs in a fallen world in unglorified bodies can malfunction. My heart, liver, and kidneys can all become diseased, sick. So can the physical organ we call the brain.

Embracing our Weakness/Embracing God’s Power

It is important to realize that every emotion involves a complex interaction between body and soul. Therefore, it is dangerous to assume that all emotional struggles can be changed by strictly “spiritual means.”

For some, spirituality includes embracing physical weakness. In fact, this is the exact message Paul communicates when he calls us “jars of clay.” Why does God allow us to experience physical weakness? “To show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). It’s the same message Paul personally experienced in his own situational suffering (2 Corinthians 1:8-9) and in his own bodily suffering (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

We can act as if we are more spiritual than the Apostle Paul. However, in actuality, pretending that our external suffering and our physical bodies do not impact us emotionally involves an arrogant refusal to depend upon and cling to Christ alone.

Certain emotions, especially anxiety and depression, involve physiological components that sometimes may need to be treated with medication. When we ignore the importance of the body, we misunderstand what it means to trust God. It is wrong to place extra burdens on those who suffer emotionally by suggesting that all they need to do is surrender to God to make their struggles go away. 

On the other hand, it would be equally wrong to suggest that medication is all someone needs. That would be like a pastor entering the cancer ward to talk with a parishioner who was just told that she has cancer. “Well, take your medicine. Do chemo. You’ll be fine. See ya’ later.” No! That pastor would support, comfort, talk with, and pray for his parishioner.

Sickness and suffering are always a battleground between Satan and Christ. So, while medicine may sometimes be indicated for certain people with certain emotional battles, spiritual friendship is always indicated. Physicians of the body (and the brain is an organ of the physical body) prescribe medication. Physicians of the soul (and the mind is an inner capacity and reality of the soul) prescribe grace.

The Rest of the Story

So how’s your EQ—your Emotional Quotient? In our next post, we’ll summarize and apply what we’ve said so far by presenting an EI Test: an Emotional Intelligence Test.

Join the Conversation

I know today’s post is controversial. What’s your take? Where do you stand on the issue of causes and cures for emotional distress? Does the body potentially play a role? Is medicine ever part of God’s ordained treatment?

Tags: Biblical Counseling, Emotional Intelligence, Emotions, Feelings

The Rev. Lemuel Haynes: The Black Puritan

Lemuel Haynes offers a remarkable example of African American ministerial modeling. Born at West Hartford, Connecticut, in 1753, of a white mother and a black father, Haynes lived his entire eighty years in Congregationalist New England. He completed his indenture in time to serve in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

Privately tutored, Haynes became the first African American to be ordained by any religious denomination. Upon ordination, Haynes then served white congregations for more than thirty years.

Among other accomplishments, he achieved notoriety for a sermon entitled Universal Salvation that defended orthodox Christianity against the threat of Universalism. For this work, he happily accepted the title “Black Puritan,” indicating his depth of Reformation theology. Middlebury College awarded him the master’s degree in 1804, another first for an African American.

His Personal Epitaph: A Christ-Centered Purpose

Haynes personal epitaph tells much about how he lived his life and where he placed his focus.

“Here lies the dust of a poor hell-deserving sinner, who ventured into eternity trusting wholly on the merits of Christ for salvation. In the full belief of the great doctrines he preached while on earth, he invites his children and all who read this, to trust their eternal interest on the same foundation” (Epitaph written for himself by Reverend Lemuel Haynes, the “Black Puritan”).

The Rev. Lemuel Haynes pointed not to himself, but to Christ. He understood that, “It’s all about Him!” His trust was solely in Christ and his focus was solely on Christ.

Following Paul’s Model

At age sixty-five, Haynes left his Rutland, Vermont, parish due to political friction that essentially forced him to choose to resign. His farewell sermon of 1818 emphasized, among other topics, his devotion to the work of the ministry and to the people of his congregation. Alluding to the words of the Apostle Paul, Haynes notes that:

“He that provided the motto of our discourse could say on his farewell, I have coveted no man’s silver or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessity.”

It was important to Haynes with his white parishioners that they recognized his Christ-like diligence. Few could legitimately question his work ethic given that he had preached 5,500 sermons, officiated at over 400 funerals, and solemnized more than 100 marriages.

Gospel-Centered Motivation

It was also vital to Rev. Haynes that they understood his godly motivations.

“The flower of my life has been devoted to your service:—while I lament a thousand imperfections which have attended my ministry; yet I am not deceived, it has been my hearty desire to do something for the salvation of your souls.”

Haynes acknowledged and wanted his people to realize that the ultimate Judge of his motivations was Christ.

“I must give an account concerning the motives which influenced me to come among you, and how I have conducted during my thirty years residence in this place: the doctrines I have inculcated: whether I have designedly kept back any thing that might be profitable to you, or have, through fear of man, or any other criminal cause, shunned to declare the whole counsel of God. Also, as to the manner of my preaching, whether I have delivered my discourses in a cold, formal manner, and of my external deportment.”

Join the Conversation

What epitaph do you want written about your life? How are you living today to make that happen?

Note: This series for Black History Month is excerpted from Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care. To learn more and to read a sample chapter visit Beyond the Suffering.