Alright folks! I am now the most excited blogger in the Alliance!! Ted Dekker and Erin Healy came to Kennesaw, GA last night for a book signing! My dear husband and I packed up the car after lunch and headed North! We arrived at Lifeway Bookstore a couple of hours prior to the signing and I spent some time meeting a lot of really terrific folks! The fans came with their Dekker clothes, Dekker jewelry, and their entire collection of Dekker books! We were all primed for a great evening! While I was in line, I met some really delightful folks! I had a special surprise when I found out that Nora St. Laurent was also in attendance! You all know her from the Christian Fiction Online Magazine Book Club corner! She also has her own blog Finding Hope Through Christian Fiction. Nora is queen of the book clubs, and meeting authors is her specialty!
Then...it was time! They arrived!! First there was clapping...then an amazed hush..We were about to meet Ted Dekker and Erin Healy!!
Okay, then we got down to business! Some folks brought their entire Dekker collection...some brought their movie posters...and for every single request, Ted and Erin were so gracious and patient! They made sure names were spelled correctly, they asked readers what they thought about particular characters and scenes from their books...nothing was too much! They smiled for a jillion pictures and were fully engaged with everyone! It was hard to tell who was more excited, the fans or the authors!
Ted and Erin loved answering questions. I learned that Kiss was Ted's first true collaboration. He approached Erin about writing together, and it took her three days to give him an answer! But these two have worked together for years and they know each other well, so their efforts were a huge success! Erin pitched the idea, Ted countered with the idea of how the concept would be delivered. Erin wrote the first hundred pages, Ted took it and wrote some more. The writing process was much slower than Ted's normally frantic writing pace, but he and Erin both said it was very rewarding. While Ted loves to physically act out scenes from the story, Erin is more comfortable working the drama out on paper. Their efforts burned up the internet and mobile phone lines, but the results...FABULOUS!
This was my first attempt to travel away from home to pursue meeting the authors I love to read, and it is truly an experience I will never forget! I loved Ted's quick, witty sense of humor and how easily he made folks laugh. Erin was so gracious and so quick with that warm smile! These two make a terrific team, and it will be a pleasure to follow their careers! Ted will introduce Boneman's Daughter in March, and their next collaborative effort, Burn, will be published next January. We will see Erin's first solo novel - working title is Ill Will - in the Spring of 2010. This is an evening I will LONG remember!!
And NOW....a special gift for my readers!!! I purchased a copy of Kiss and had it autographed by Ted and Erin! If you will leave a comment and share the word about this fabulous book, you will be entered to win this treasure!
Don't forget to leave your contact information so I can contact you! And tell me about your favorite Dekker story.
I am still so excited I can't stand it!! And I am thrilled to share this experience with YOU!!
The Gift of Psalms is the latest release in The Word of Promise audio series. I have to say, I was unfamiliar with this concept until I read a very touching review about it on my friend Deena’s blog. Now, having experienced this audio version of God’s word for myself, I must say it is very beautifully done!
In this particular volume, the Psalms appear on the left-hand page, followed by a very encouraging devotional and prayer on the right-hand page. There are fifty Psalms included in the book, and because of the layout design, the full Psalms is not included on several pages. I think it would be a big blessing to read the full Psalms as you consider the thoughts found within the devotional pages. That way you can be blessed by all of God’s promises within their full context.
The CD’s that accompany the book not only include the scripture reading, but the devotional as well. This would be perfect for someone who is on the road a lot and could use their drive time to listen to and dwell upon the promises of God found in the Psalms. I appreciate Carl Amari, CEO of Falcon Picture Group, for pursuing this project and bringing God’s Word to life in a way that will reach an entirely new audience. And while it might be easy to become skeptical of those chosen to do the reading, I choose to believe that God’s Word is powerful and living and can speak to the hearts of those chosen to dramatize His promises. It is very possible that lives will be eternally changed through this project.
The Gift of Psalms is a gift in the truest sense. It is beautifully presented, and I think the inclusion of the CD’s will appeal to many. This would make a tremendous gift of encouragement for anyone, and I appreciate Thomas Nelson for bringing this project to life. Pick up your copy here today!
“Who is this Jesus?” (p. 283) This is the question that Davis Bunn and Janette Oke seek to answer in their latest collaborative work The Centurion’s Wife.This novel takes place mere days following the crucifixion of Jesus.Everyone from Pontius Pilate to the high priest Caiaphas want to know and understand why the death of the prophet Jesus has sparked a powerful and unusual fervor among His disciples and followers rather than crushing their spirits and their hope. Pilate’s wife also seeks answers, because ever since Jesus stood before her husband she has been plagued with dreams and headaches that urge her to warn Pilate away from condemning this innocent teacher.
Both Pontius Pilate and his wife find a way to gain the answers they seek. Pilate sends one of his best centurions, Alban, out among Jesus’ followers to discover what has happened to his body and whether or not His followers are planning a revolution. In exchange for his answers, Alban is promised the hand of Pilate’s niece in marriage. Meanwhile, Pilate’s wife Procula sends her handmaiden, Leah (Pilate’s niece) to find Jesus’ disciples and find out just what is taking place. No one is prepared for the answers they find, nor for the life-changing truth that the answers contain.
During their search for answers, Bunn and Oke introduce Alban and Leah to some of the Bible’s better-known characters (i.e. Mary Magdelene, Joseph of Arimathea).Each encounter reveals another layer of truth about Jesus and who He is – a truth that gently calls both the centurion and his future bride into something far greater than anything they ever dreamed.And though their future remains uncertain by the end of the story, they face those uncertain tomorrows with a powerful, transforming promise.
The Centurion’s Wife takes the reader’s heart and mind back to the time when Christ walked the earth.The sights and sounds are vivid and bring the characters to startling life upon the pages.I cannot begin to convey the powerful beauty of this novel, but I can eagerly recommend it to everyone!I am also thrilled to tell you that this is book one in the Acts of Faith series. There will be much more to enjoy from these two very talented authors!
ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Davis Bunn is an internationally acclaimed author who has sold more than six million books in fifteen languages. His audiences span reading genres from high drama and action thrillers to heartwarming relationship stories, in both contemporary and historical settings.
Honored with three Christy Awards for excellence in historical and suspense fiction, his bestsellers include My Soul To Keep, and Full Circle. A sought-after lecturer in the art of writing, Bunn was named Novelist in Residence at Regent's Park College, Oxford University.
He and his wife, Isabella, make their home in Florida for some of each year, and spend the rest near Oxford, England, where they each teach and write.
Her first novel, a prairie love story titled Love Comes Softly, was published by Bethany House in 1979. This book was followed by more than 75 others.
After Love Comes Softly was published, Oke found her readers asking for more. That book led to a series of eight others in her Love Comes Softly series. She has written multiple fiction series, including The Canadian West, Seasons of the Heart and Women of the West. Her most recent releases include a beautiful children's picture book, I Wonder...Did Jesus Have a Pet Lamb and The Song of Acadia series, co-written with T. Davis Bunn.
Janette Oke's warm writing style has won the hearts of millions of readers. She has received numerous awards, including the Gold Medallion Award, The Christy Award of Excellence, the 1992 President's Award for her significant contribution to the category of Christian fiction from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, and in 1999 the Life Impact Award from the Christian Booksellers Association International. Beloved worldwide, her books have been translated into fourteen languages.
She and her husband live nearby in Alberta, Canada.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Janette Oke has dreamed for years of retelling a story in a biblical time frame from a female protagonist's perspective, and Davis Bunn is elated to be working with her again on this sweeping saga of the dramatic events surrounding the birth of Christianity...and the very personal story of Leah, a young Jewess of mixed heritage trapped in a vortex of competing political agendas and private trauma.
Caught up in the maelstrom following the death of an obscure rabbi in the Roman backwater of first-century Palestine, Leah finds herself also engulfed in her own turmoil--facing the prospect of an arranged marriage to a Roman soldier, Alban, who seems to care for nothing but his own ambitions.
Head of the garrison near Galilee, he has been assigned by Palestine's governor to ferret out the truth behind rumors of a political execution gone awry. Leah's mistress, the governor's wife, secretly commissions Leah also to discover what really has become of this man whose death--and missing body--is causing such furor.
This epic drama is threaded with the tale of an unlikely romance and framed with dangers and betrayals from unexpected sources. At its core, the story unfolds the testing of loyalties--between two young people whose inner searchings they cannot express, between their irreconcilable heritages, and ultimately between their humanity and the Divine they yearn to encounter.
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
Dr. Matthew S. Stanford is professor of psychology, neuroscience, and biomedical studies at Baylor University, where he also serves as the director of the Psychology Doctoral Program. He received his Ph.D. in neuroscience from Baylor in 1992. After graduating from Baylor he completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Prior to returning to Baylor as a member of the staff in 2003, he was a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at the University of New Orleans.
Product Details:
List Price: $19.99
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Paternoster (September 5, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1934068446
ISBN-13: 978-1934068441
MY REVIEW:
“We are talking, in the broadest sense, about wounded people with damaged lives – precious children of God whom we have been called to love and to bear their burdens. (Galations 6:2)” (p. 88-89)
One of the most difficult phone calls I have ever received came from a life-long friend telling me she had tried to commit suicide. The only positive results? She didn’t succeed, and as a result she received mental help she desperately needed. She was diagnosed with rapid cycling bi-polar disorder. That has been several years ago. She still struggles, and her medications have to be adjusted periodically, but overall, she is doing much better and has returned to a productive life.
It is because of this eye-opening experience in my own life that I agreed to tour Dr. Matthew Stanford’s book, Grace for the Afflicted. I wanted to better understand a relationship with my friend and be a better friend to her. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this book! Never before have I read something dealing with mental illness that is so compassionate, so filled with scripture and so encouraging to the body of Christ. Over and over again Dr. Stanford emphasizes that “…your job is not to fix them.God is the agent of healing and He is fully in control.Your role is simply to submit to Him and allow His life to be manifested through you.” (p. 212)
Dr. Stanford approaches the subject of dealing with mental illness as one with three necessary avenues – mind, body and spirit. Beginning in Chapter five, Stanford defines a particular illness and its subcategories, discusses psychological/biological factors, psychological/environmental factors and biological risk factors. He goes on to discuss treatment and then what the Bible has to say about that particular issue. I was amazed at the many examples of mental illness so plainly evidenced in God’s word! Truly, God has set forth principles to meet our every need!
The book is not difficult to understand, and it also includes stories of individuals dealing with each of the mental illnesses. Throughout the book Stanford reminds the reader of God’s sovereignty in all things and that “biology is never an excuse for sinful behavior.” (p. 193) He even provides assurance to those whose struggles linger without evidence of healing. On page 30 he states, “God is able to heal all illnesses, regardless of the cause, but in cases in which He chooses not to heal, He provides sustaining grace to those who turn to Him.”
The volume ends with emphasis on little things believers can do for those struggling with mental illness. He suggests things like grocery shopping, meal preparation, laundry and childcare service as well as just listening and praying for them. I will close with a quote that was very thought provoking to me: “If God has placed a mentally ill person in your life and you in his or hers how will you respond? Will you treat this person the way you would want to be treated if you were suffering? Will you love this person the way Christ loves you?” (p. 245)
AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
The church we were involved with at the onset of my son’s [mental] illness did not respond to us when we requested that a team come out and pray over him. . . . We were looking for support and comfort, and the churches we encountered were
not equipped to give that to us because they did not seem to have a complete handle on what we were dealing with. We have fallen away from the church, but not from God. —Laurie, mother of a son diagnosed with schizophrenia
“The Scriptures tell us that in Christ we have everything we need for life and godliness, correct? So can you explain to me why Anna’s bipolar disorder and her dependence on medication is not an issue of weak faith or sin?”
Only two of us stayed after the church meeting that morning, talking over coffee. I was a deacon in the church at the time, and the man who asked the question was a friend and respected elder. The question took me by surprise, and initially I was speechless (a condition for which I am, unfortunately, not known). If you have a loved one with a mental illness—or you yourself struggle with the debilitating symptoms—your first reaction to such a question may have been more along the lines of sadness, disgust, or anger.
But in my friend’s defense, he sincerely wanted to understand something he saw as alien and frightening. Was Anna sick, or was she spiritually weak? We know from 2 Peter 1:3 that we do have “everything we need for life and godliness.” Yet, even though Anna professed Christ as Savior, her life was a mixture of family problems, shame, suffering, and strange behavior. How should the church respond?
Science and faith have had a long and tense relationship. A dangerous and damaging battle—a battle between faith and psychiatry/psychology—is being waged daily in churches throughout the world. And lives are being destroyed. Men and women with diagnosed mental illnesses are told they need to pray more and turn from their sin. Mental illness is equated with demon-possession, weak faith, and generational sin. The underlying cause of this stain on the church is a lack of knowledge, both of basic brain function and of scriptural truth.
Mental illness is a frightening experience, not only for the afflicted but also for those who witness an individual struggling with strange thoughts and behaviors. An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages eighteen and older (one in four adults) suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.1 Centuries of tension between the church and the scientific community have made pastors and laypeople alike wary of adopting scientific explanations for behaviors and thoughts that, on the surface, may appear sinful (e.g., suicidal ideations).
Again, I believe that the lack of understanding in the church related to mental illness is rooted in spiritual ignorance and fear. So, let’s look first to God’s Holy Word to gain a better understanding of how we were created, what effects the Fall has had on our physical bodies and minds, and who we are in Christ.
How Are We Created?
We have been created in the very image of God (Genesis 1:26). We are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). We are complex beings, unlike any other living creature: the union of a physical body with an immaterial mind and spirit. While each aspect is separate, in some sense, they are connected and affect one another. The Scriptures attest to this truth.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:5)
My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. (Psalm 84:2)
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30)
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23) (all emphases, author’s)
The Body
At one level we exist in a physical body so that we can interact with the physical world around us. Our heart pumps; our stomach and intestines digest; our muscles relax and contract; our lungs inhale and exhale; our brain cells fire. We are God’s creative masterpiece: a miracle of skin, bone, and blood formed from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7). But at the same time we are so much more. We perceive. We think and reason. We pray.
There is also an immaterial, nonphysical aspect to our being—what some call our mind or soul.
The Mind
What is the mind? This question has baffled philosophers and scientists alike for thousands of years. Are our thoughts and perceptions merely the product of neurochemical changes and electrical discharges in our brain? Or is our mind something more—something immaterial, more than the sum of our parts? I believe the truth is somewhere in the middle. The functioning of our brain is integral to the existence of our mind, but that alone is not sufficient to explain it. Likewise, to imagine our mind as completely separate and unrelated to the physical does not seem correct either. Body and mind are intimately connected, each affecting the other. We retrieve a past memory of a fearful event in our mind, and our physiology reacts. Our sensory receptors are activated by familiar stimuli in the environment, and past thoughts and feelings rush to consciousness.
The Scriptures often speak of the mind. It is here that we . . .
Plan our actions
The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)
Choose to sin
For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so. (Romans 8:6–7)
Pray
What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing
with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. (1 Corinthians 14:15)
Receive revelation and understanding from God
Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. (Luke 24:45)
Meditate on the truths of God
Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:2)
Are transformed by the indwelling Holy Spirit
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)
(all emphases, author’s)
It is with our mind that we think and choose. It is our mind that controls our actions. And it is our mind that God wants to change through the process of sanctification, conforming us ever closer to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). A physical body formed by the hands of the Maker in union with an immaterial mind that controls and plans our behavior is a truly miraculous concept, though a difficult one to grasp. And the Scriptures teach us that we also have a third and even more amazing level of being, a spirit.
The Spirit
It is not uncommon for neuroscientists to talk and debate about the mind. We might use fancier words like consciousness or self-awareness to make it sound more “scientific,” but we are still talking about an immaterial, invisible aspect of our being. Things that can’t be seen make scientists uncomfortable. We don’t like to say that something is beyond our understanding or that it can’t be measured. We may admit that we don’t understand something presently but qualify our admission by saying that with enough study and the continued advancement of science we will one day. So to describe us as having a spirit, in addition to a mind and a body, seems almost heretical from a scientific perspective. But here is where we scientists must understand that Scripture is our ultimate authority and that it precisely describes our created being in the context of our relationship with God and our fellow human beings.
God created us as a unity of three parts, much like Himself. In our inmost being we are spirit, the very breath of God placed into a shell of dust (Genesis 2:7). That is how we differ from the other living creatures: both were created from the ground (Genesis 2:7, 19), but only humanity is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). I like the way Paul Brand and Philip Yancey describe it in their book In His Image:
“And the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being” (2:7).
When I heard that verse as a child, I imagined Adam lying on the ground, perfectly formed but not yet alive, with God leaning over him and performing a sort of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
Now I picture that scene differently. I assume that Adam was already biologically alive—the other animals needed no special puff of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide to start them breathing, so why should man? The breath of God now symbolizes for me a spiritual reality. I see Adam as alive, but possessing only an animal vitality. Then God breathes into him a new spirit, and infills him with His own image. Adam becomes a living soul, not just a living body. God’s image is not an arrangement of skin cells or a physical shape, but rather an inbreathed spirit.2
Our body, while we see it as our true identity, is little more than a container for our true essence, which is spirit (2 Corinthians 5:1). It is in our spirit that we have the opportunity to be in union with the very God of the universe (Proverbs 20:27; Romans 8:16).
Bringing It All Together
So how does all this work together—body, mind, and spirit? Let’s look at a simple visual representation. Figure 1 shows three concentric circles, each separate but interacting with the one above and/or below. The outermost circle represents the body, which is in contact with the earthly environment (outside) and the mind. The middle circle is the mind, which is connected to the body through the functions of the brain and nervous system but also in contact with our immaterial spirit (the innermost circle). The body senses and reacts to the external environment; and the mind uses that information to perceive, understand, and interpret our surroundings. The mind also forms our thoughts and plans our actions. The spirit, when connected to God, works to transform the mind into the very image of Christ, which results in an ever-increasing display of godly behaviors through the body.
We are an amazing creation! The physical (body) interacting with the immaterial (mind/spirit). Physical beings designed to be in an intimate communion with the very Creator of the universe, who is spirit (John 4:24). That is how we were created, and that is how it was supposed to be. But humanity fell (sinned), and the consequences of our disobedience are felt every day, both spiritually and physically.
How Have We Been Affected by the Fall?
After the shock had worn off, I thought for a minute about how to respond to my friend’s question about Anna. I asked him, “Do you know anyone who has heart disease and regularly takes medication?”
He said that he did, but before I could continue, he asked me if I was trying to say that Anna’s bipolar disorder and heart disease were somehow the same. Throughout this book, I will try to answer that question. How are they the same? How do they differ? But first we need to answer a more foundational question: What are the results of man’s sin?
When a follower of Jesus Christ is asked that question, he or she will often quote Romans 6:23: “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Such a response correctly points out that spiritual death, or separation from God, is the result of sin. As children of Adam, we are sinful by nature and therefore spiritually dead and separated from God at birth (Romans 5:12).
I have always thought it strange, however, that the answer to the question rarely goes beyond the spiritual. Clearly, spiritual death resulted from our sin. But what about the other aspects of our being, our mind and body? How were they affected by the Fall? I have suggested that the Scriptures describe us as a three-part being, with each part interacting with and affecting the others. If that is true, then our sin must have also adversely affected our mind and body. I’m not saying that this truth is completely unknown in the church today. Plainly, the Bible teaches us that we are fully defiled by sin (body, mind, and spirit)—caught in what some theologians call “total depravity” (see Romans 3:12). Yet the church emphasizes the spiritual effects of sin while minimizing or disregarding the mental and physical effects. As I stated above, I think this results from a misunderstanding of what the Scriptures teach about how we have been created.
Birth
At birth, we are physically alive but spiritually dead. We are born with an imperfect body, scarred as the result of generations of sin. On the day that Adam and Eve fell, they forfeited their intimate relationship with God, and they became mortal. And we were placed at the mercy of the environment and natural biological processes that wreak havoc on our bodies and minds. But as Jesus teaches in the story of the man born blind, each time we struggle with illness and physical weakness is an opportunity for “the works of God” to be “displayed” (John 9:1–3).
Growth
When Adam and Eve fell, we were forced to fend for ourselves in a hostile and fallen world. Look at figure 2 to get a better idea of how and why we think and act the way we do. As we grow and mature, our body and mind learn to interact with and react to our fallen environment, all the while spiritually separated from God by our sin. The body, physically affected by the Fall, gathers sensations and stimuli from the earthly environment (small black arrows). Our mind, knowing only sin because of our separation from God, chooses to satisfy itself by the “If it feels good, do it” lifestyle, or what we in psychology call the pleasure principle. In doing so, it associates normal physiological reactions and sensations with lustful desires and wants, causing impure thoughts to come to mind almost instantly in common, everyday situations (James 1:14–15). It is in our mind that we choose to sin (2 Corinthians 10:5); and it is with our body (Ephesians 2:3), or “members” (Romans 7:23), that we act out our sinful thoughts (large black arrows). This process is altered only in the individual who comes to a saving faith in Christ Jesus, and even then that believer continues to struggle with a sinfully programmed mind and body (Romans 7:14–25).
In addition to the sinful desires that attempt to control us, another result of sin is physical death and decay.
Physical Death
God told Adam that in the day he ate from the forbidden tree he would surely die (Genesis 2:16–17); and while He certainly meant this in the spiritual sense, He also meant it in the physical sense. The moment that Adam disobeyed he began to age and decay (Genesis 3:19). Physical death came a little closer each day of his life, and so it continues for us. In fact, the Scriptures tell us that the whole of the physical creation was affected by our sin and longs for the day of redemption (Romans 8:19–22). Our bodies are damaged because of sin. We age. We get sick. We suffer physically and die because the physical creation has been affected by the Fall.
However, while we were all born “dead in sin,” which affected our body, mind, and spirit, there is an amazing truth for those who have been “born again”: we are new creations in Christ; the old things have passed away; the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17)!
Our Identity in Christ
Have you ever thought about what it means that you are a “new creation”? It means that you have been fundamentally changed; what you were before becoming a Christian no longer exists. That is not how I used to see myself. I lived Sunday to Sunday, holding on to some kind of faith-based fire insurance that I could turn in at my death in order to get into heaven. I certainly didn’t see myself as Paul describes the believer in Ephesians 1, having every spiritual blessing. I now recognize that as a believer in Jesus Christ I was chosen before the foundation of the world; predestined for adoption as a son of the living God; purchased out of slavery to sin and death; forgiven of all my sins—past, present, and future; given spiritual wisdom and revelation; and marked as such until the day that I stand before Him holy and blameless.
Do you see yourself that way? If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then that is exactly how God sees you—whether you accept it or not. It doesn’t matter if you are struggling with mental illness. You are a new creation in Christ if you have received Him by faith. And we who minister to those who struggle with mental illness should remember that they are His chosen children, if they are in Christ, and they should be treated as such.
A Transformed Life
We were born with a fallen nature, which we received from our ancestral father Adam. But when a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ, he or she is “crucified”! The “old self” is nailed to the cross with Christ, never to return (Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20). God gives us His Spirit; Christ’s very life takes up residence in us (Colossians 3:1–3). We have His righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9) and a new, Christlike nature (Ephesians 4:24). Spiritually, we sit at the very right hand of God Almighty (Ephesians 2:6).
So, just like my friend said, as believers we are complete in Christ, having everything we need for life and godliness in Him (2 Peter 1:3). That is true in the spiritual realm, but remember that we are a unity of three parts. What happens to our body and mind after we are transformed in the spirit?
Being Conformed to the Image of Christ
You were born affected by sin, and you lived some period of time before coming to Christ. Consequently, you have habits, thought patterns, and biological predispositions that are the result of your old self. This “sinful flesh” does not disappear because you have been given a new life. But change is now possible, whereas before it was not.
Let’s look at figure 3 to help understand our new life. We now see, in the inner circle, the very life of Christ within us. The Scriptures teach us that we are to submit ourselves to Christ, allowing Him to transform our minds (Romans 12:1–2). In the diagram this is represented by the small white arrowheads. As our minds are transformed and our thoughts are taken captive to Christ, He begins to take control of the “members” of our body (symbolized by the three large, black-and-white arrows), and our behaviors change (Colossians 3:5–10).
Why Write This Book?
At this point you may be saying to yourself, I thought this book was about mental illness and Christianity. When are you going to talk about my son’s disorder? I need to know what to do! Why am I having these thoughts and feelings? I don’t want to be like this!
Those emotional responses, and many more like them, are why this book has been written. But beyond that, I have seen the limitations of psychiatry and psychology firsthand.
As a research scientist studying human aggression, I see the results of the Fall every day—broken men and women who want to behave differently but feel as if they have lost control of themselves, wives who fear their husbands, children who seem destined to repeat the sins of their fathers. In my laboratory, we test the effectiveness of different medications on aggressive behavior. In many instances the treatments are successful: the patient’s aggressive behavior is reduced in intensity and frequency. But is that enough if the person still does not know Christ? The medication treats only the physical effects of the Fall. The mental effects often remain; and if the patient does not know Christ, so does his or her spiritual separation from God.
I hope this chapter has shown you that we have been affected by sin at all three levels of our being. Both believers and nonbelievers carry the physical and mental effects of sinful programming. Fortunately, believers have been transformed in their inner being and are righteous before their Maker. But that does not instantaneously remove the sinful “flesh” we still carry around. Sanctification is a process by which our minds are transformed through submission to Christ. Biological defects and weaknesses do not go away by themselves, no matter how much we want them to or have faith that they will. God can certainly choose to heal us supernaturally, and in some cases He does so. But we should see our weaknesses as an opportunity to grow in our faith (2 Corinthians 12:7–10; James 1:2–4). Like the man born blind, we are flawed so that “the works of God might be displayed” in us (John 9:3).
1. Ronald C. Kessler et al., “Prevalence, Severity, and Comorbidity of Twelve-Month DSM-IV Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), Archives of General Psychiatry 62 (2005): 617–27.
2. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey, In His Image (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1987), 22.
Statistically, one in four adults in America will suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder this year—conditions ranging from depression to schizophrenia.
Each day men and women diagnosed with mental disorders are told they need to pray more and turn from their sin. Mental illness is equated with demonic possession, weak faith, and generational sin. Why is it that the church has struggled in ministering to those with mental illness? As both a church leader and professor of psychology and neuroscience, Dr. Matthew Stanford has seen far too many mentally ill brothers and sisters damaged by will-meaning believers who respond to them out of fear or misinformation rather than grace.
In his new book, Grace for the Afflicted: A Clinical and Biblical Perspective on Mental Illness, Dr. Stanford presents both the scientific evidence and the biblical truths that should shape the Christian view of mental illness.
Q&A with Dr. Matthew Stanford, Author of Grace for the Afflicted
Q: Why is it so important for Christians to understand both the scientific facts and the scriptural truths related to mental illness?
A: Science and faith have had a long and tense relationship. A dangerous and damaging battle—a battle between faith and psychiatry/psychology—is being waged daily in churches throughout the world. And lives are being destroyed. Mental illness is a frightening experience, not only for the afflicted but also for those who witness an individual struggling with strange thoughts and behaviors, particularly their family members. Centuries of tension between the church and the scientific community have made pastors and laypeople alike wary of adopting scientific explanations for behaviors and thoughts that, on the surface, may appear sinful. Statistically, one in four adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. These people often turn to the church for much needed support, only to be told they need to simply pray more and turn from their sin. Mental illness is equated with demon-possession, weak faith, and generational sin. The underlying cause of this stain is a lack of knowledge both of basic brain function and biblical truth. I wrote Grace for the Afflicted to help correct the misinformation often passed along in the Christian community and, hopefully, to inspire compassion for those afflicted by mental illness.
Q: What are mental disorders?
A: Mental disorders are real disorders that have their origins in faulty biological processes. The Bible even supports this by listing madness along with physical problems like boils, tumors, scabs, and blindness (Deuteronomy 28:27-28). These biological vulnerabilities are often magnified by psychological and environmental factors. Mental disorders include mood disorders (i.e., depression and bipolar disorder), anxiety disorders (i.e., post traumatic stress disorder), schizophrenia, eating disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, substance use disorder, and several others. Mental disorders do not discriminate according to faith, but rather affect believers and nonbelievers alike.
Q: In Grace for the Afflicted, you declare your belief that the Bible is the source of all truth—yet you point out that the Bible alone is not always sufficient to treat many forms of mental illness. Isn’t this a contradiction?
A: God’s revealed Word—not psychology or the DSM-IV-TR—is the final authority on truth, but it was never meant to be an encyclopedia of all factual knowledge. For instance, it doesn’t tell us how our heart or liver works. While the truths of the Scriptures go beyond the theological (e.g., to include historical facts), as a colleague of mine once accurately but flippantly said, “The Bible is not a science book, nor is it a manual on how to fix your car.” It does instruct us in the most important truths: there is a God who loves us completely and sacrificed Himself for us. St. Augustine said, “All truth is God’s truth.” This statement has often been misused and abused by those who would hold man’s “truth” to be equal with God’s. His majesty is reflected in how our brain cells function, the biological and environmental factors that affect the formation of our personalities, the mechanism by which memories are brought to our minds, and the precise balance of brain chemicals that are the foundation of our thoughts and behaviors.
Q: In each chapter, as you deal with a different mental disorder, you have included the story of someone you know who is really living with the condition. Why was it so important to include these stories?
A: I included all these stories in Grace for the Afflicted to put a personal face on mental illness and to give readers a better understanding of just how devastating it is. When we discuss mental illness, we are talking, in the broader sense, about wounded people with damaged lives—precious children of God whom we have been called to love and whose burdens we have been called to carry.
Q: Many people would be surprised to find out that individuals experiencing psychological distress are likely to seek help from religious leaders more than from any other professional. What level of involvement should we expect from pastors?
A: While pastors may have extensive training in interpreting the Scriptures, typically they have no formal training in the causes and treatment of psychiatric illnesses. In addition, many pastors have little if any training in individual counseling. The time available for them to provide long-term counseling is limited. However, the involvement of the pastoral staff in ministering to the mentally ill in the fellowship is critical. Much like the pastor and congregational leaders set the course for the local church, they should play that same role in ministering to mentally ill congregants. This is done simply by meeting with them (perhaps several times) and directing them to programs, services, and individuals in the church that will then do the lion’s share of the pastoral care. The pastoral staff should give serious thought to this issue prior to someone seeking help from them—developing ministries, training lay counselors, and screening community services (e.g., psychiatrists, psychologists, and Christian counselors) so they can facilitate the person getting effective Christ-centered treatment.
Grace for the Afflicted by Matthew S. Stanford, PhD
Second chances can mean a lot of things.It can be an opportunity to correct a wrong, to take advantage of a missed opportunity, or to restore a broken relationship. For Harry Bentley, it turns out to be a bit of all of these things.Harry Bentley’s Second Chance is a parallel novel written by Dave Jackson that compliments Neta Jackson’s latest novel Where Do I Go? The concept behind this allows the reader to see behind the scenes of a character who appears as a minor character in the other novel. In this instance, Harry Bentley, a retired cop working as a doorman in an upscale apartment building, played only a minor role in Neta Jackson’s book. However, Dave Jackson brings him to vivid life and allows the reader to learn all about second chances.
My husband has always admonished me not to be quick to judge others, because you simply don’t know what God is doing in another person’s life. This admonition is very true for Dave’s main character Harry Bentley. While he is just an older gentleman acting as doorman to the residents of RichmondTowers, God is working out some very disturbing and important details in his life – totally unbeknownst to those with whom he interacts every day. Harry learns that his estranged son has been put in jail and his only grandson reprimanded into the custody of his mother who has just been released from drug rehab. Harry’s heart is torn over what he should do because he also has an elder parent who needs his care. He’s a recovering alcoholic besides, and the thought of trying to help his nine-year-old grandson is almost overwhelming.
But when one of the residents of RichmondTowers (the main character in Neta Jackson’s Where Do I Go?) invites Harry to an evening of family activity at the local women’s shelter, he is introduced to a group of people that begin to have a profound impact upon his heart. The men Harry meets that evening, and his introduction to the beautiful Estelle turns out to be a very important step in changing the direction of his life. Harry begins to realize that perhaps God is not only real, but genuinely interested in his life, and he begins to make small steps toward getting to know more about the God that Estelle and her friends seem to know so well.
Then things go dangerously wrong when Harry makes an attempt to regain custody of his grandson and rescue him from a life of drugs and delinquency. Does God really care? Is He even listening?You’ll have to pick up your own copy of Harry Bentley’s Second Chance to find out. This book is every bit as engaging as Neta Jackson’s Yada Yada series and promises to act as the beginning for the Yada Yada Brothers. Truly the concept of parallel stories is very realistic and life like. Dave and Neta Jackson are setting the standard high for contemporary fiction, and the gospel message shines brightly throughout the adventure! I highly recommend this novel! Please go here to read my review of Neta's parallel story, Where Do I Go?
667 Ernest W. Barrett Parkway, Suite 100 The book can be ordered most easily (and with a $5 discount) by going to www.daveneta.com. You can also ask your local bookstore to order it through Ingram or Spring Arbor by requesting ISBN 978-0-9820544-0-6.
And now a very exciting opportunity! If you would like to win an autographed copy of both of these fantastic stories, please leave a comment on this post! Please don't forget to leave your contact information so I can notify you of your win!
If you'd like, share an experience you've had when God gave you a second chance!
I just wanted to state clearly here on my blog that the books I review are provided to me in exchange for my opinion and thoughts. I am a member of two blog alliances and I work directly with publicists and publishers at their request to review a variety of Christian fiction and non-fiction books. I receive no compensation other than free copies of the books to read, and when a give away is offered, that copy of the book is also provided by the publisher for that exact purpose.
I give my opinions both positively and negatively and will continue to do so as time permits and as I am able. I do this because I love to read and I love to share my thoughts with others who love good books and Christian stories.
then we got down to business! Some folks brought their entire Dekker collection...some brought their movie posters...and for every single request, Ted and Erin were so gracious and patient! They made sure names were spelled correctly, they asked readers what they thought about particular characters and scenes from their books...nothing was too much! They smiled for a jillion pictures and were fully engaged with everyone! It was hard to tell who was more excited, the fans or the authors!
collaboration. He approached Erin about writing together, and it took her three days to give him an answer! But these two have worked together for years and they know each other well, so their efforts were a huge success! Erin pitched the idea, Ted countered with the idea of how the concept would be delivered. Erin wrote the first hundred pages, Ted took it and wrote some more. The writing process was much slower than Ted's normally frantic writing pace, but he and Erin both said it was very rewarding. While Ted loves to physically act out scenes from the story, Erin is more comfortable working the drama out on paper. Their efforts burned up the internet and mobile phone lines, but the results...FABULOUS!
And NOW....a special gift for my readers!!! I purchased a copy of Kiss and had it autographed by Ted and Erin! If you will leave a comment and share the word about this fabulous book, you will be entered to win this treasure!
