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Friday, January 22, 2021

Purity 321: Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship

 

Purity 321 01/22/2021 

Good morning and Thank God it’s Friday!

Today’s photo takes us to the other coast as I share my friend’s photo of this Pacific Ocean setting sun at Rodeo Beach, California. They commented that the beach is normally windy, cold, and foggy but on this particular day it was almost like summer and they enjoyed this beautiful sunset. 

I thank them for sharing it and I share their joy of this magnificent sight.   Contemplating the Canadian temperatures that will be descending on us this weekend in the northeast, I wouldn’t be surprised if those who see this scene of Rodeo Beach say, “Getty Up!” and seek some California sunshine, even if only in their minds.

Today I continue to share Dr. Neil Anderson’s “Twenty “Cans” of Success”, to encourage my friends that are fasting as well as those who aren’t.  

18. Why should I be confused when God is the author of peace and He gives me knowledge through His Spirit, who lives in me (1 Cor. 2:12; 1 Cor. 2:14:33)?

 Our success comes from living in the Lord’s peace.       

 Christ died for our sins on the cross to reconcile us to God; so that we would have peace with Him.

 What I say may be controversial, but the things of this world really don’t matter all that much.  Politics, fashion, current events, sports, and entertainment all capture our attentions and influence how we live but, ultimately, the only thing that will matter will be our relationship with God.  

 Amazingly those things that capture our attention can also steal our peace.  The news stirs feelings of fear, discontentment, and dissatisfaction. 

 But the good news of Jesus Christ, should be a constant source of peace and joy. Knowing that we have been chosen by God to know the truth and have been given eternal life and the power to leave all the darkness of our pasts behind should be a life changing revelation.   But why aren’t all those who identify as Christians experiencing it?

 They either don’t know who they are in Christ or have been deceived by this world to be more concerned with it than they are with the One who provides a peace that goes beyond all understanding.   

So, how do we live in that peace? The word says to abide in Christ. That means to rest in the truth of who He is and what He has done for us.  We find the Lord when we seek Him. We do this by praying and seeking to understand Him by studying His Word. 

However, we must also choose to live by the wisdom He gives us. All the promises of the New Testament about who we are in Christ are only completely fulfilled when we surrender our lives to Christ and walk in His ways. 

As you do this, God’s reality in your life will manifest in all kinds of ways.  The things we leave behind in our old lives are not worth the magnificent new life that comes from being in His presence and experiencing His peace.   

(There is More at the restricted blog. Follow me on Twitter or MeWe for easy access.  Blog M T 4 Christ dot org – This is where the Facebook post ends.)

This morning’s meditation verse is:

Luke 8:15 (NKJV)
15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

Today’s verse comes from Jesus’ parable about sowing seed on various types of ground.  As the sower sowed the seed some fell on the wayside and were devoured by birds, some fell on rocky soil that sprang up quickly but dried up because they had no root, and some fell among thorns and were choked out by the thorns.  

Jesus explained that the parable was actually about sowing the “word” of God.  In the above “soils”, the “wayside people” never really receive the word, the “rocky soil people” receive the word and believe it for a while but in temptation fall away, the “thorny soil people” receive the word but “go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.”

And of course, today’s verse points to the “good soil people” who receive “the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.”

While I could go on and on about this parable and its implications about those “other soils”. I will just focus on the good soil.  

When I pulled today’s index card and saw “a noble and good heart”, I was skeptical, thinking that I must have gotten this from some flowery translation and that I better see what a more traditional translation had to say. But as you can see this was the New King James Version and its pretty traditional.  Even the King James Versions says, “an honest and good heart”.   

Actually I think “honest” is a better word to convey my point, which is: that those who receive the word of God and are saved and produce fruit are the ones who honestly and sincerely accept Jesus with their hearts.   For me it was: “The jig is up. I don’t know how I’ll be as a Christian, but you got me. I surrender.”   I think the heart is where the difference between those who are claiming membership to Christianity and those who are in a relationship with Jesus Christ lies. 

In discussions of this parable, the emphasis seems to always fall the fruit.  When we do this a possible danger is that we will create believers who think that they better get busy working to show they are Christians, that if they do works, they will be saved.  

However, if we give our hearts to Christ and develop our relationship with Him, we will naturally do things that will be fruitful. 

I would like to also point out that your fruit doesn’t have to be a plantation sized crop.  I would suggest that you plant a backyard garden or even a window box garden to get started.  The fruit we produce can be simply praying, reading the Bible, and going to church regularly.  I would say that “fruit” is evidence that you are His, but only if you are doing it from the desires of your heart and not out of a perceived sense of obligation.  

If you start small and grow, the Lord may lead you to other things but for now tend your garden by seeking Him throughout your day and be an example of someone who has given their heart to Him. 

Today we continue chapter 10 of Anderson & Baumchen’s Finding Hope Again.

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage all to purchase Anderson’s books for your own private study and to support his work:

Commit Yourself to Meaningful Relationships

And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near (Hebrews 10:24, 25).

One of the major symptoms of depression is withdrawal from meaningful relationships, which would be number two on the list of destructive behaviors. Isolating yourself so you are alone with your negative thoughts will certainly contribute to a downward spiral.

You may feel that you need to be alone, but you need to stay in contact with the right people. Wrong associations will only pull you down. "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company corrupts good morals'" (1 Cor. 15:33). We suggest that you go see your pastor or find another godly pastor in your community. Tell him the struggle you are having with depression, and ask him what the church offers in terms of fellowship. A good church will have many meaningful activities, and small discipleship groups where you can get the prayer and care you need.

Anybody who has suffered from lifestyle depression for any length of time will have one or more people that need to be forgiven, and some that need reconciliation. We hope you resolved the need to forgive others as you went through the Steps to Freedom. Concerning the need to seek the forgiveness of others, Jesus said, "If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering" (Matthew 5:23, 24). If you need to be forgiven of your sins, then go to God. But if you have offended or hurt someone else, don't go to God; go to that person and be reconciled. You will have little mental peace until you do both.


Finding Hope Again: Overcoming Depression.

 

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

 

God bless you all!

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