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Thursday, February 4, 2021

Purity 333: Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship


 Purity 333 02/04/2021 Purity 333 Podcast

Good morning!

Today’s photo comes from a friend’s “first day” hike of 2021 at Stafford Lake Bike Park in Novato California.   I just love the way they captured the sunshine coming in over the stairway as if God Himself is inviting us “to come on up” to the new life that He has for us.  

Today, I am excited as I begin the Christian discipleship class at Rock Solid Church tonight and I truly believe the course material has the potential to bring people to a higher understanding of what it means to be free in Christ.   It has been over a month since I have taught, and I am really looking forward to teaching from Dr. Neil Anderson’s Victory over the Darkness.

I am also excited because I have decided to make the classes available to all through the mt4christ247 podcast (https://mt4christ247.podbean.com, you can also find it on Apple podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mt4christ247s-podcast/id1551615154).  So if you can’t make it to class you can follow along with us as I will make the lessons available to listen to after we meet each Thursday.   

So I am excited about tonight and the podcast but mostly I am excited to see Christians develop and grow in their faith by seeking to apply the truths from God’s word to their lives.   

The Christian faith is supernatural and when we seek to live our lives according to God’s way, we discover that God is with us and He can give us the strength and wisdom to transform us into the new creations that He intended us to be.   

We are never too old to learn something new and I pray that you choose to take our invitation to pursue the life God wants you to have.    

In Christ, there is no one or nothing that can keep you from being the person that God created you to be!

 (An Audio version of this messages is available at https://mt4christ247.podbean.com, you can also find it on Apple podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mt4christ247s-podcast/id1551615154)  and 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:

Psalm 118:8 (NKJV)
8 It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man.

 The psalmist gives us some excellent advice this morning!  It is far better to trust in the Lord than to put our confidence in man.  

 Those without faith will undoubtedly have a real problem with this as God doesn’t broadcast from the heavens to everyone what they should do on this earth. 

 Often, I have seen unbelieving people throughout my life, mockingly look to the heavens and challenge God to speak or to contradict what they are saying or stop them from doing what they are about to do. By the way, in every instance the things these people were saying or doing were foolish, selfishly motivated, or just plain wrong.  As much as I wish God had sent lightning bolts or stuck someone dead, He remained silent. 

 God’s silence was taken as evidence that God didn’t exist and that this foolish person was right! 

 Knowing that God is patient and righteous, I shudder to think what may happen to those people for their blasphemy and unbelief if they don’t change their course.  

 Ironically, unbelieving people will take demonstrations like this or instances of unanswered prayers as evidence that even if God does exist, you certainly can’t trust Him to help you.  So they put their faith in other people, or political systems to solve the problems in their lives.  

 Amazingly the mountains of evidence against the trustworthiness of men or for the downright evil things that men do, seems to be ignored by these people.  

 Some like myself before coming to Christ, don’t ignore the evidence, and determine that “people suck” and seek to live a life of isolation, only trusting in themselves.  But the folly of that is demonstrated by the countless mistakes that we have made in out lives. 

 But regardless of all this the thing that should bring us to trust God is the fact of our existence itself.  We didn’t determine when we would be born. We didn’t make this world. And by our own reasoning, we don’t really know what will happen after our lives end.  

 These existential ponderings should send us to seek the truth.   And I know from years of searching that God, as creator, is the author of truth and that Jesus came to earth to reveal it to all of us.   

 I don’t ask anyone to take it on my word, but I do encourage everyone to investigate Jesus Christ with an open heart and an open mind.  When I did that, God revealed the truth to me, and it has given me a transformed life where I know I am not alone and have been given an enormous gift to share with all who will listen.   

 Trust in God and He will show you the way.   

 

I invite all to mt4chritst.org where I always share insights from prominent Christian counselor’s work to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. 

Today we will continue to share from Dr. June Hunt’s Biblical Counseling Keys on “Self-Worth: Discovering Your God-given Worth”.

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

C. Why Is Comparing Yourself to Others Costly?

Dorie's life was a perfect setup for comparing herself to others. Her mother constantly compared her to her sister, resulting in her little sister receiving lavish affection and gifts from their mother and Dorie being pointedly ignored. Her mother verbally let her know that she did not measure up. Everywhere Dorie turned, Marie was the favored one. Thus, Marie was everything Dorie wanted to be. Both had brown eyes, but Marie's were beautiful. Both had dark hair, but Marie's lay in place. Marie's skin was fairer ... her face thinner. Dorie said, "I was looking for a way to be like her, but there was no way."

At the orphanage, in school, and in the various foster homes where they lived, other children were chosen or received decent treatment while Dorie was rejected and subjected to abuse. Dorie described the couples who came to the orphanage considering which child they would choose — which child they would cherish — as "well-dressed and carefully manicured. We could hear their muffled conversations, 'She's cute, isn't she?' or, 'There's one we might want to talk about.' My heart beat faster. 'Try me,' I screamed within, hoping that someone would look at me and want me. But my day never came. I soon got the message — only cute children are chosen." Dorie lost out every time she was compared to the other children. She was never chosen ... never ... not once. How could she not compare herself to others under those circumstances?

However, God had a plan for Dorie, and He would work out His purpose ... His will for her life. The Bible makes this clear. ...

"In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will
(Ephesians 1:11)

Has comparing yourself to others become so automatic that you hardly notice you're doing it? People often compare themselves to others in appearance, abilities, affluence, and accomplishments. Read the statements below to see whether they have become part of your self-talk.

Appearance

Physical features

"I am not as attractive as           ."

 

Clothes

"I cannot dress as nicely as           ."

 

Mannerisms

"I am not as graceful or suave as           ."

 

Abilities

Physical abilities

"I am not as athletic as           ."

 

Mental abilities

"I am not as smart as           ."

 

Social abilities

"I am not as popular as           ."

 

Affluence

Financial/job status

"I am not as financially secure as           ."

 

Family status

"I don't have a home as nice as           ."

 

Social status

"I am not as influential as           ."

 

Accomplishments

Education

"I don't have as many degrees as           ."

 

Talent

"I am not as gifted as           ."

 

Recognition

"I am not as accomplished as           ."

 

Myth: "I'll never be able to stop comparing myself to others."

Truth: Life is a series of choices, and while you may feel that you cannot change, God would not instruct you to do something without giving you the power to do it. God says if you compare yourself to others, you are not wise. ...

"When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise" (2 Corinthians 10:12).


Biblical Counseling Keys - Biblical Counseling Keys – Biblical Counseling Keys: Self-Worth: Discover Your God-Given Worth.

 

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

 

God bless you all!

 

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