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)?
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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