Applying the Word to Human Problems & Issues: A Topical Bible Reference Guide for Christian

By C. Emmanuel Ahia

The Bible addresses all human problems directly or indirectly. Christian Counselors and other Christian leaders must therefore use and apply the WORD to the issues faced by their clients or those the Lord puts in their hands. Because it catalogs human problems with relevant bible passages, Applying the Word to Human Problems & Issues

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Aug 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9781647732790

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Applying the Word to Human Problems & Issues

a topical bible reference guide for christian counselors & leaders

Emmanuel Ahia

Trilogy Christian Publishers

TUSTIN, CA

Trilogy Christian Publishers

A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Trinity Broadcasting Network

2442 Michelle Drive

Tustin, CA 92780

Copyright © 2020 by Emmanuel Ahia

Scripture quotations marked CSB are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible, and CSB®, are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. Unless otherwise indicated all scriptures are taken from the NKJV and are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without written permission from the author. All rights reserved. Printed in USA.

Rights Department, 2442 Michelle Drive, Tustin, CA 92780.

Trilogy Christian Publishing/TBN and colophon are trademarks of Trinity Broadcasting Network.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Trilogy Christian Publishing.

Trilogy Disclaimer: The views and content expressed in this book are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views and doctrine of Trilogy Christian Publishing or the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN: 978-1-64773-278-3

E-ISBN: 978-1-64773-279-0

Contents

Preface/Acknowledgements vii

Introduction xi

Abandonment/Rejection 1

Abortion 5

Aging 9

Acohol, Drugs, and Other Addictions 13

Anger 17

Anxiety/Fear 21

Backsliding 27

Baptism 31

Bitterness 35

Bondage 39

Child Abuse 41

Courage 45

Coventousness/Envy/Jealousy 49

Criticism/Judgmental 53

Death 57

Death (Grieving After a Person Dies) 61

Debt 65

Depression 67

Desires (of the Flesh) 71

Dissatisfaction/Contentment 75

Divorce 79

Doubt/Faith 83

Encouragement 87

Enemies 91

Failure 95

Favor 99

Favoritism 103

Finances 107

Forgiveness 113

Freedom 119

Friendship 123

Gladness 127

Gossip 129

Gratitude (to God and Others) 133

Grief 139

Guilt 145

Healing 147

His Word 151

Homosexuality 157

Hope 161

Humility 163

Injustice 167

Joy 173

Judgment 177

Laziness 181

Lies/False Witness 185

Loneliness 189

Love 193

Lust 197

Marriage 201

Mental Health 205

Obedience/Disobedience 209

Parent/Child 213

Parenting 217

Peace 225

Praise 229

Prayer 233

Pride 239

Repentance 245

Salvation 249

Satan 253

Sexual Sins 257

Sickness 261

Sin/Sinfulness 265

Sorrow 271

Stress/Suffering 277

Suicide 281

Temptation 285

Trusting God 289

Uncertainty/The Future 295

Unity (Christian) 299

Vengeance 305

Will of God 309

Witnessing (Evangelism) 315

Worldliness 321

About the Author 325

Preface &

Acknowledgements

In the last two decades, there has been a rapid increase of professional counseling agencies as a result of expanded licensure and certification regulations for mental health professionals. These regulations have created opportunities for appropriately credentialed professionals to access financial sources that were previously unavailable to them. All fifty states now have laws that govern the training and practice of counseling, leading to insurance coverage and payment for Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) who now account for one third of the mental health care workforce.

This trend includes professional Christian counseling agencies that may or may not be affiliated to any Christian denomination. To access insurance payments, counselors in faith-based or church-affiliated counseling centers must be trained and licensed in accordance with their respective state laws and regulations. Sometimes, this leads to divided loyalties and lack of balance between Christian and secular counseling. This is not to say that they are inherently mutually exclusive.

More and more, professional Christian counselors working even in Christian agencies, are concerned more about secular issues and principles than they are of Christian principles. Many have become oblivious about what the Bible teaches concerning a counseling subject matter or clients’ presenting problems. Sometimes, what the Bibles teaches is totally ignored. The point here is not that state-approved counselor training and licensure requirements are inappropriate for Christian counseling. Rather that counseling without adequate understanding and application of what the Bible teaches about mental health presenting problems such as alcoholism, drugs, physical and sexual abuse/exploitation, anger, anxiety, divorce, death and dying, marriage, stress, etc., should not be considered as Christian counseling.

The best healing for a Christian experiencing life-challenging issues, can only come from a knowledge of what the Bible teaches and appropriate application of that word to the client’s life and issues. Secular knowledge, born out of socio-psychological research can of course be useful but only when subordinated to the scriptures. For example, the generally accepted fact that about 80 percent of what people typically worry about never happens, is useful information for a Christian to know, but it should not be a substitute for what the Bible teaches about anxiety and fear. For the believer, the words and works of men, no matter how brilliantly articulated, cannot adequately achieve the same spiritual results because they are not spiritually designed. Psalms 1:1-3 is specific on this issue.

The first purpose of this book is to topically identify and itemize what the Bible says about many mental health-related issues often presented to pastors, counselors, lay counselors and other Christian leaders. The topical passages and verses cited are not comprehensive or exhaustive. Each counselor should continue to grow these topics and passages. Although just a single book, we know that the Bible is alive and so vast that no one book such as this can be exhaustive. Moreover, the Holy Spirit can show a Christian counselor a more appropriate passage to meet a client’s need depending on the circumstance.

The second purpose is to help Christian counselors cultivate the interest and habit of recognizing and using Bible passages that relate to various mental health issues as they serve their clients. Thirdly, as Christian counselors, pastors, church leaders, and Bible teachers we are not immunized to the mental health issues that our clients and parishioners face. Knowledge of these passages and personally applying them to our own lives will help us maintain spiritual focus and resilience even as we serve the people of God. They help us to remain spiritually equipped.

I sincerely acknowledge the quick and dedicated help I received from Sister Donna Taylor during this venture. Her training, editing abilities, and love for God’s work were indispensable to the quick completion of this guide. I further acknowledge the positive and prompt responsiveness of Sister Beth Cintron whenever there arose a need to move things along. Sisters Catherine Crawford and Kassandra Dauphin were both very helpful in identifying additional and appropriate Bible verses that were later included in the manuscript. For that, I also thank them. A noteworthy backdrop to all these, is our senior pastor David Farina, Sr., whose habitual encouragement of all who serve under him, is a constant in our ministry. I personally appreciate his examples, his devotion to his calling, and his unflinching loyalty to the Word of God.

Introduction

To understand and use this text appropriately, important fundamentals are necessary. First, God can use human understanding and skills to bring healing and wholeness to a client or a parishioner, but He does not depend on them. He can always bring healing, wholeness, and peace to the life of human beings through His word or a miraculous intervention. If the user does not truly believe in the supernatural power of God to intervene in human problems and issues, he or she may not benefit the most from the use of the text.

Second, the role of a true Christian counselor is ambassadorial. They represent and present God’s Word through love and compassion to suffering and lost humanity. It is this commitment and identity that helps the counselor filter appropriate secular training and skills needed for meeting the need for any mental health client. This role implies a dependency on the Lord and the Holy Spirit, developing listening skills that show Christian love and nonjudgmental concern or a presence and attention that makes a client feel accepted as Christ would.

In addition, authentic Christian counselors should have an elevated sense of self-awareness. This helps them serve effectively even when they are going through their own personal issues. The ultimate result will be that clients’ care will not be jeopardized. Attitudes such as impulsivity and impatience are inconsistent with Christian