I have been reading a book written by Doctor Phillip McGraw PHD.
You gotta love this guy. He appeared frequently on Oprah before spinning into his own show.

The reason I say you gotta love him is because he has no baloney with him. He tells things exactly as they are. He doesn’t speak in platitudes,
he speaks direct. He doesn’t whitewash your problems or pat you on the head- he forces you to [i:3tux6xop]get real[/i:3tux6xop] and face the ugliness inside you.

Dr. Phil (as he is called), says things like [i:3tux6xop]you cannot [b:3tux6xop]change[/b:3tux6xop] what you do not [b:3tux6xop]acknowledge[/b:3tux6xop], You gotta [b:3tux6xop]name it [/b:3tux6xop] before you can [b:3tux6xop]claim it[/b:3tux6xop],[/i:3tux6xop] and [i:3tux6xop]Some people [b:3tux6xop]get it[/b:3tux6xop] and some people don’t[/i:3tux6xop].

Reading his book, or watching his show, you don’t see or hear what you see or hear in modern pop psychology. Dr. Phil doesn’t tell you that it’s your parents fault. He tells you that [b:3tux6xop]you own your problems[/b:3tux6xop].

It is impossible for me to do a full review of this book here but I can do a summation. Dr. Phil is right, but what he says isn’t new.

His approach is merely an affirmation of God’s approach. You see it in Moses who demanded of the Israelites; “Who is on The Lord’s side?” before the ground opened and swallowed the disobedient. You see it Jonah’s admonition to Ninevah, causing them to repent in dust and ashes and save themselves. You see it John the Baptist calling the Pharasees a [i:3tux6xop]brood of vipers[/i:3tux6xop] or Jesus calling them [i:3tux6xop]whitewashed tombs[/i:3tux6xop].

More importantly, you see it in the the age old sacrament of confession.
Sacrament exists in scripture all the way back to Old Testament times.
From the days of the Levitical Priests, it was always the Priest who forgave sins.

This is a real stumbling block for some. [i:3tux6xop]Why does God need a Priest?[/i:3tux6xop] they say, [i:3tux6xop]He knows my sins.[/i:3tux6xop].

Yes, He does…but [b:3tux6xop]do you?[/b:3tux6xop].
Are you really [b:3tux6xop]facing[/b:3tux6xop] your sin or burying it under layer after layer after layer of rationalization, projection, blame and denial?

The fact is that confession is four [i:3tux6xop]your[/i:3tux6xop] benefit because God knows;
You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge, you gotta name it before you can claim it, and some people get it and some people don’t.

God [b:3tux6xop]gets it[/b:3tux6xop]….and I’m starting to.