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Friday, November 6, 2020

Purity 258: Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship

Purity 258   11/06/2020            

Good morning and Thank God Its Friday!  

Today’s photo comes from a friend’s recent fishing trip at an undisclosed body of water in “Upstate” NY.   In my neck of the woods, we are going to experience weather in the 60’s and this friend took advantage of the opportunity to get out there to commune with nature, and hopefully with the God that provided it.  

As we set our course into the weekend, let’s follow our friend’s example and take advantage of the opportunities that God lays before our feet and walk into them. While we are in different locations geographically and spiritually, you can be sure that God has something specifically for you to experience in your walk.  He is inviting you to follow Him and I highly recommend you follow where He leads. 

Recently, I have been dealing with unexpected changes in the way I send out this message. Previously I had used my phone’s apps  to incorporate all the aspects of what I present in a simple process of cutting and pasting, but sure enough corporate changes and acquisition of companies made one of my apps suddenly obsolete and overnight, without warning, the way I “always” did things had to change!   

In the past, I would have spun my wheels in anger and frustration and may have even decided to quit.  But now that I walk in the Spirit, God has shown me that He has given us the abilities to adapt and overcome challenges.  Usually changes disturb us because it offends our sense of control, and our identity in a sense.  When a change comes, it confounds us because we “knew what to do and how to do it” and now that “go to solution” is gone.

In recovery, that go to solution of “getting high” or getting drunk is gone. There are many ways we can adapt to life without it, but the Way that provides peace, love, joy, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control is to follow the One who made us and who made a Way for us in Jesus Christ. 

God’s got the answers for meaning and purpose for our lives and He will provide the wisdom, strength, and love that we need to find a new life, that part of us always wanted but never thought was possible.   We get there one step at a time and by following the still quiet voice that beckons us to “Come and See”. 

Keep your eyes open and you will see the glory of the Lord in your life.

 Today we come to the end of Neil Anderson’s Victory over Darkness:

"5. Help Them Be a Part of the Christian Community

Finally, we need to help people move from conflict to growth by encouraging them to develop healthy, supportive relationships. Progressive sanctification is a process that cannot be accomplished apart from the Christian community. The Christian life was never intended to be lived alone. We absolutely need God and we necessarily need each other.

It will take us the rest of our lives to renew our minds and to conform to the image of God. We are what we are by the grace of God. All we have and can hope for—as disciplers and disciples, as counselors and counselees—is based on who we are in Christ. May your life and your ministry to others be shaped by your devotion to Him and the conviction that He is the way, the truth and the life (see John 14:6)."


------------------------------more tomorrow----------------------

Tomorrow, I will begin sharing Neil Anderson & Hal Baumchen’s “Finding Hope Again”. It deals with the topic of Depression – a subject and an emotion that many of us are familiar with. I share Anderson’s work because his methods teach Christians how to apply their faith to the problems in life and to overcome them. 

As always, I recommend all of you to complete Anderson’s “The Steps to Freedom in Christ”, a simple process of prayer and renunciation that literally can set you free.  Here’s the link for a free copy:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56747bae0ab377c98158e42d/t/57ed5d006a49634e0b9b7d0a/1475173632920/Seven+Steps.pdf

Download it, print it out, follow the instructions, unpack your past and have the Lord take it away.  

God bless you all!

 

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