Life's a Beach but Definitely Go with God - Purity 485

 Life's a Beach but Definitely Go with God 

Purity 485 07/31/2021   Purity 485 Podcast

Good morning

Today’s photo of some of the grounds of Lake Taghkanic State Park in Ancram NY comes to us from yours truly as I took advantage of the good weather on Tuesday, this week’s Saturday for me, to take a short walk and go swimming for about an hour before relaxing under a tree with a good book. The park’s swimming area was crowded so after my swim I set up far away from the mob near the back of the swimming area’s parking lot where I decided that, even though my spot was a bit reclusive and not a normal area where anyone would set up “camp”, my view was photo worthy.   The quiet stillness I found at the back of the grounds was the peaceful tranquility that I was looking for and if I decided not to set up in this unorthodox place, my visit would have been a lot shorter.  

Well, although I have to work on this Saturday, I am encouraging all my friends to do something to celebrate the last day of July.  It might seem silly to concern ourselves with the days of the calendar, but I must tell you that sometimes we have to break out of the normal routine of our lives and recognize where we are in the present and see that the days are moving forward because if we don’t we will miss the opportunities that only existed for a short time or season.  

I did one of these check ins with the reality of the season on Tuesday and recognizing the good weather and the fact that I could always enjoy the comforts of my home’s comforts and entertainments during season where you want to stay inside, I forced myself to “do something”.  So after I finished with an errand and finished a zoom meeting regarding future opportunities for development, I hit the road to Lake Taghkanic.   

And wouldn’t you know, 15 minutes down the road, I realized I forgot my wallet! So I cursed myself for my forgetfulness and headed back home.  I had somewhere to go in the late afternoon, so I only had a few hours to make this trip and I considered scrapping the whole thing when I realized I had to go back home.  But I reminded myself that I could always stay home on other days that were not in July, so I hit the road, again.  

And of course, with summer roadwork and mid-day traffic, the going was slow causing me to again curse myself, this time for the “need” to go “do something”.  I honestly believe this was part angsty me and part demonic spiritual attack, it’s hard to say sometimes!  Because I got thoughts like “What are you trying to prove?” “What’s a trip to the lake actually going to do for you?” “So another trip to Lake Taghkanic? Wow, does it bother you that you are in the same area after 49 years of life?  Shouldn’t you have gone somewhere in your life by now?” 

I defended myself from these condemning thoughts and just kept driving assuring myself that it was sort of one of those “now or never moments” at least as far as the month of July was concerned.  Realizing that I had to work the remaining days of the month, I reminded myself that this was it!

So then I get to the beach and see all the people! “OH great!”

I silenced that last negative thought and took a walk down the beach to the picnic area on the right side of the beach and took a few shots of the lake that didn’t include the mass of humanity on the beach and was glad I came.  After that I wormed my way through the crowds on the beach and enjoyed swimming for about an hour, doing laps at the back of the swimming area where only the tall and old dare to tread.   

On the way out of the water, I knew I wasn’t going back and was ready to jump in the car and leave the crowded beach behind for good when I saw the tree at the back of the parking lot and decided that since I paid $10 to get into the park, I should stay longer. Not caring what anyone would think I set up shop on the left side of the parking lot near my car, where I dried off and read a book for an hour.  

I hope this little glimpse of my afternoon on Tuesday encourages you to resist the voices that would tell you just to stay home and help you to “do something” today.   It may not have been some epic experience but when autumn and winter come later this year I will be glad that I took the opportunity that I had and spent a second day relaxing in the sun in July of 2021.   

Some may say “Wow, you went by yourself, I don’t know if I could do that.”  Well, the good thing about walking in the Spirit, is that no matter where you go the Lord goes with you and although you may be cruising solo, you never walk alone.  

In my little trip, the thing that gave me peace in the commute, in crowds and under that tree was the fact that I was in the presence of the Lord. I repeatedly thanked Him for my life and the day that He had made.  The book I read was about interacting with Him in prayer.  Although I was by myself and was even annoyed for parts of the trip, I never felt lonely. 

If you feel lonely at times, take my advice, and develop your relationship with God through placing your faith in Jesus Christ and following His wisdom and ways on a continual basis.   The results are peace and joy that are not subject to circumstances.  I extend the Lord’s invitation to the abundant life that He has for you.   So if you aren’t doing so already, start walking and talking with God.  

This morning’s meditation verse is:

1 Thessalonians 4:3 (NKJV)
³ For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;

Today’s verse spells out the Lord’s will for every Christian’s life and makes a direct suggestion for sexual purity.  

I have often heard this verse quoted in various messages from pastors over the years but usually only the first part of this verse is mentioned or alluded to saying

“God’s will for your life is your sanctification.”  

“Be holy, for I am holy.” From 1 Peter 1:16, usually gets thrown out right on the heals of this exhortation.

But the second part of the verse telling us to “abstain from sexual immorality” is not expounded upon.  Don’t get me wrong. I have heard one or two messages where the pastor has brought this up and would recommend those who were suffering from the evils of “porn” to find an accountability partner to get pure.  But not surprisingly, even after these messages, the testimonies of victory over sexual immorality never seemed to come forth.  This indicates that there were no victories to report or that the victors were too ashamed to announce them.  

Unfortunately, the grace and forgiveness that Christians enjoy can also lead to us to not seriously attempt to be pure.  

Some denominations of Christianity will approve of masturbation as a lesser evil than that of adulterous affairs or, God forbid, the suffering of not fulfilling our sexual needs.    So depending on your Christian tradition, you may or may not even consider masturbation as something to abstain from, it’s just something you have to be continually forgiven of, praise Jesus.   

I know hearing the word “masturbation” is unsettling and apparently taboo in Christian circles as this sexual sin is often referred to as “having a problem with porn”?  While viewing pornographic material is certainly a contributing cause, it is not a necessary component to sexual sin.  The sexual thoughts, obsessions, and actions of men and women are the problem and instead of prescribing masturbation as a lesser of two evils the word of God prohibits all forms of sexual immorality.     

So if we want to do the will of God for our lives, we need to consider that command and trust the Lord has our good in mind when He tells us to abstain.  

The mental, emotional, and spiritual bondage that sexual immorality causes in our lives is akin to the bondage of heroin addiction.  If you don’t think you have a sexual immorality problem and are not addicted, can you stop any time you like? As in stop, as in never?  

I know it’s a big challenge, but the Lord calls us to trust Him to take the challenge.  Of course, although accountability relationships can be a great support in our battles against all sorts of problems, the relationship that will empower us to over come is our relationship with the Lord.  

All things are possible with God. He calls us to be sanctified and our relationship with Him is the means by which we can walk in victory.    So submit your self to God, resist the devil’s, or your own, temptations, and you can leave the darkness of your sexual sin behind to discover that God has peace, love, and joy for those who endeavor to be in harmony with Him.  

As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I always share insights from prominent Christian counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. 

 

Today we continue with Dr. Neil Anderson’s Victory Over the Darkness, continuing Chapter 9.

 

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage all to purchase Dr. Anderson’s books for your own private study and to support his work. If you need this title you can find it online at several sites for less than $15.00:

Expose the Lie and You Win the Battle

Satan is a defeated foe; therefore, his power is limited, but he still has the ability to deceive "the whole world" (Rev. 12:9). Jesus said: "The devil . . . does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies" (John 8:44). Satan has no authority or power over you except what you yield to him when you are deceived into believing his lies.

How much deception is actually going on in Christians today I can only speculate. In my ministry I encounter false beliefs in nearly every counseling session. Many Christians are hearing voices in their minds, but they are afraid to tell anyone for fear others will think they are going crazy.

Most Christians I counsel are plagued by difficulties in their thoughts that negatively affect their personal lives and devotion to God. These mental distractions usually reflect their own flesh patterns, but they could also reveal a spiritual battle for the mind that Paul warned us about: "But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Tim. 4:1).

Because Satan's primary weapon is the lie, your defense against him is the truth. Dealing with Satan is not a power encounter; it is a truth encounter. When you expose Satan's lie with God's truth, his power is broken. That is why Jesus said, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). That is why He prayed, "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth" (John 17:15, 17, NIV). That is why the first piece of armor Paul mentions for standing against the schemes of the devil is "the belt of truth" (Ephes. 6:14, NIV).

Satan's lie cannot withstand the truth any more than the darkness of night can withstand the light of the rising sun. We are not called to dispel the darkness; we are called to turn on the light. Deceiving spirits are like cockroaches. They come out only at night, and when you turn on the light, they head for the shadows.

Victory Over the Darkness: Realizing the Power of Your Identity in Christ.

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

 

God bless you all!

 

Join our “Victory over the Darkness” or “The Bondage Breaker” series of Discipleship Classes via the mt4christ247 podcast!

at https://mt4christ247.podbean.com, You can also find it on Apple podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mt4christ247s-podcast/id1551615154). The mt4christ247 podcast is also available on Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartradio, and Audible.com. 

Email me at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive the class materials, share your progress, and to be encouraged.

 

Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship

Suddenly Mourning – Draw Close to God - Purity 484

 Suddenly Mourning – Draw Close to God  

Purity 484 07/30/2021  Purity 484 Podcast

Good morning

Today’s photo come to us from our friend Shane Onufrock who enjoyed this sunset while on vacation at Ocracoke Island in North Carolina on Tuesday with his dog PJ.  I normally don’t share the names of my friends in my daily posts but in this case I make an exception.  Unfortunately, this is one of the last photos that Shane will take of PJ, as the Onufrock’s beloved four-footed family member was lost to a tragic accident on Wednesday.  Shane expressed how much the shock and pain of this loss has rocked his family with the simple lament “God this hurts so much.”  

I share my friend’s love of his dog and the pain of his loss in hopes that you will join me in praying for comfort and peace for Shane and his family in the wake of this tragic and devastating loss.  As a Christian, I know that God hears our prayers and I know that He can provided us with comfort, peace, and strength to walk through the dark valleys of life. 

I also know that in times of mourning, the best gifts we can give to those who are suffering is our presence and care. We should avoid philosophizing a meaning to the loss and instead just be present and available for our friends who are suffering by listening and offering to help in whatever way we can.  

The cup of suffering will pass to us all at one time or another and the best thing we can do is to foster a deep relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ and to develop caring friendships of substance that won’t cut and run when the going gets tough.  

Christ Himself knew the pain of loss and wept. God understands our pain and offers us the peace that goes beyond understanding and the strength to walk through to brighter days that are in the distance beyond the shadows of mourning.    

So, be kind to one another, show your appreciation to your friends, your family, and yes even to your pets.  The relationships we cherish in our lives and the love that we have are a gift from God and when walk with Him He can ease our pain when we suffer loss and give us hope for the days ahead and the eternal life that we will share with Him where there will be no more pain, no more tears, no more sorrow, and no more death.

     

This morning’s meditation verse is:

1 Corinthians 6:20 (NKJV)
²⁰ For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

Today’s verse reminds Christians that we belong to God and that our lives are to be a living sacrifice to give Him glory.   

The preceding verses in this section of scripture remind us of the spiritual reality that we are temples of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, and we are not to use our bodies for sexual sin.   

In light of our modern society’s liberal views on sex, the biblical guidelines for keeping all sexual activity in the approved confines of marriage has taken a major blow as even professing Christians are involved in sexual relationship or who regularly practice masturbation with no serious conviction or intention to stop their sexual sin.      

Those outside the faith generally agree that if the activity is consensual there is nothing wrong with sex or masturbation.  Christian’s who practice the same sexual activity outside of marriage hold similar views and either dismiss the word of God’s commands to flee sexual immorality or merely lean on the grace of God to cover their multitude of sins with a licentious attitude and the self-admonition that they are powerless to change and they believe sexual purity is impossible.  

However celibacy is possible.   Humorously, a Google search of “Is celibacy possible?” will reveal a good deal of negative articles that question whether celibacy is bad for your physical and mental health but if you scroll through a few of those you will find material that states that people do indeed practice celibacy and recommend it.  And I am actually one of them, although if the right Christian woman would come along I would make her my wife and that change pretty quick.

Listen, before coming to Christ, I had sex that wasn’t under a marriage covenant and masturbated.  No matter how thrilling and pleasurable those experiences were, there was always a measure of guilt and shame that followed, usually right after giving in to sexual temptation.   Why do we feel guilt and shame if we “can do whatever we want”? 

For all mankind, any guilt and shame that we feel in regard to sex outside of marriage is part of our make-up that beyond society’s standards and rules, which are slipping more and every day, God has given each of us a conscience that tells us in our hearts what is right and wrong.   However, we can deaden our conscience with repeated sin.  

For the Christian, we are spiritual made a live with the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence upon salvation, so we usually feel a higher degree of sensitivity to sin because the Holy Spirit is convicting us to drive us to repentance because our sin is no longer compatible with who we are in Christ.  

However, even the Christian can “quench the Spirit” or “grieve the Holy Spirit” with repeated sin. 

From my own experience as a carnal Christian in the early years of my faith, I can tell you that we can be spiritually blinded to the severity or meaning of our sins and still be convinced that we have “surrendered all to God”.  

But the good news is that if we choose to seek the Lord and deepen our relationship with Him, the Holy Spirit will give us revelations of our spiritual state and draw us and empower us to repentance.   

Today’s verse reminds us that when we made Christ our Lord and Savior we belong to Him now. We have been bought and paid for by the blood of Christ. 

Today’s verse also makes it clear that we are to give our bodies & spirits to the Lord to glorify Him. 

How do we glorify the Lord with our bodies? 

We glorify Him by not giving our bodies as instruments of unrighteousness.

We glorify Him by turning from our sexual sins and any sins that involve the use of our bodies.

But hear me when I say this, you will struggle mightily to obey the “rules” of not sinning on your own.  

Our repentance comes through faith by the power of the Holy Spirit.   

We not only have to believe that God set us free from sin and death when we became His, we also have to live according to that belief.  The best way to live according to our faith is by having a daily spiritual practice in which we draw close to God by reading His word, by maintaining a continuous conversation of prayer with God throughout the day, and by choosing to live according to God’s ways rather than the ways of the world.  

Our victory comes from knowing we are bought and paid for by God, that we are His children now, and by choosing to commune with the Lord to live the life that He has prepared for us.  

 

As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I always share insights from prominent Christian counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. 

 

Today we continue with Dr. Neil Anderson’s Victory Over the Darkness, continuing Chapter 9.

 

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage all to purchase Dr. Anderson’s books for your own private study and to support his work. If you need this title you can find it online at several sites for less than $15.00:

Renewing the Mind

Do we have to remain victims of these mental strongholds for the rest of our lives? Absolutely not! If we have been trained wrong, can we be retrained? If we have learned to believe a lie, can we now choose to believe the truth? If we have programmed our computers wrong, can they be reprogrammed? Absolutely, but we have to want to renew our minds. How? Our lives are transformed as we renew our minds through the hearing of God's Word, Bible studies, personal discipleship and Christ-centered counseling (see Romans 12:2). Because some of these strongholds are thoughts raised against the knowledge of God (see 2 Cor. 10:5), learning to know God as a loving Father and yourself as His accepted child is a starting place.

More is going on in your mind than prior negative conditioning. You are not just up against the world system in which you were raised and the resultant flesh patterns you have chosen to adopt. You are also up against the devil who is scheming to fill your mind with thoughts that are opposed to God's plan for you.

In addition to previous thoughts that formed mental strongholds, we have the present-day responsibility to manage our thoughts according to 2 Cor. 10:5: "We are taking every thought [noema] captive to the obedience of Christ." Why do these thoughts need to be taken captive? Because they are contrary to God's ways and they may be the enemy's thoughts.

Notice how Paul uses the word "thoughts" (noema) in 2 Corinthians in relation to Satan's activity. In 2 Cor. 3:14; and 2 Cor. 4:4, Paul reveals that Satan is behind the spiritual hardness and blindness of unbelievers: "But their minds [noema] were hardened.†.†.†. The god of this world has blinded the minds [noema] of the unbelieving."

Paul also states that Satan is deceiving and dividing believers: "I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds [noema] should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ" (2 Cor. 11:3). We are not ignorant of his [Satan's] schemes [noema]" (2 Cor. 2:11).

Satan's strategy is to introduce his thoughts and ideas into your mind and deceive you into believing they are yours. It happened to King David. Satan "moved David to number Israel" (1 Chron. 21:1), an act God had forbidden, and David acted on Satan's idea. Did Satan manifest himself to David and audibly say, "I want you to number Israel"? I doubt it. David was a godly man and he wouldn't have obeyed Satan. What if Satan slipped the idea into David's mind in first-person singular? What if the thought came to David as, "I need to know how large my army is; I think I'll count the troops"? These were David's thoughts; at least he thought they were, but that isn't what Scripture says.

If Satan can place a thought in your mind—and he can—it isn't much more of a trick for him to make you think it is your idea. If you knew it was Satan, you would reject the thought, wouldn't you? When he disguises his suggestions as your thoughts and ideas, however, you are more likely to accept them. That is his primary deception.

I doubt that Judas initially realized it was Satan's idea to betray Jesus, but Scripture clearly reveals it was. "And during supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him" (John 13:2). Judas probably thought he was prompting Jesus to deliver Israel from the Romans. The fact that Judas was a thief was what made him vulnerable to Satan.

Ananias and Sapphira might have thought it was their idea to withhold some of their offering while getting the strokes and attention from others who believed they had given everything. If they knew it was Satan's idea, they probably wouldn't have done it, but Scripture clearly reveals the source of their thoughts. "Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back some of the price of the land?'" (Acts 5:3).

One of our Talbot students brought Tina to me for counseling. Tina was experiencing tremendous emotional difficulty as the result of an incredible background. As a child and teenager, she had witnessed sacrificial and ritual abuse and had repeatedly been violated sexually by her father, her brother and her brother's friend. She watched as her little pet puppy dog was sacrificed as a burnt offering in satanic worship.

Her hope for escaping her background was to enter the field of psychology. She finished her master's degree and tried to enroll in a doctoral program, but her personal life was in shambles.

I shared with Tina that Jesus Christ could set her free if she would open her life to Him. "Would you like to make that decision for Christ?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I'll do it later."

Having heard Tina's story, I was suspicious of what was going on in her mind. "Tina, are you hearing opposing thoughts to what I have been saying? They could be threatening you or me."

"Yes," Tina answered, her face blanched with shock and amazement.

"You're being told a lie, Tina, and Satan is the father of lies." I shared with her further from God's Word, and within 10 minutes she gave her heart to Christ.

If Satan can get you to believe a lie, you can lose some element of control in your life. Suppose I was devious and persuaded you to believe a lie. Would believing that lie have some effect on your life? Suppose I started a rumor that your spouse was unfaithful; and you heard it. Would believing that lie affect how you felt about your husband and how you related to him? Therefore, if you fail to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, you may be allowing Satan to influence your life in a negative direction.

Victory Over the Darkness: Realizing the Power of Your Identity in Christ.

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

 

God bless you all!

 

Join our “Victory over the Darkness” or “The Bondage Breaker” series of Discipleship Classes via the mt4christ247 podcast!

at https://mt4christ247.podbean.com, You can also find it on Apple podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mt4christ247s-podcast/id1551615154). The mt4christ247 podcast is also available on Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartradio, and Audible.com. 

Email me at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive the class materials, share your progress, and to be encouraged.

 

Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship

Bondage Breaker Lesson 10

 

Listen to Lesson 10 of the Bondage Breaker Discipleship Class

I mentioned a few other resources in tonight's lesson so I share them here for those interested:

Don Stewart's Article "Who is the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament?

Statements Of Truth

(Taken from the BONDAGE BREAKER by Neil Anderson)

1.     I recognize that there is only one true and living God who exists as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  He is worthy of all honor, praise, and glory as the One who made all things and holds all things together.    

EX 20:2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. EX 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

COL 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things have been created by Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

2.     I recognize that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us.  I believe that He came to destroy the works of the devil, and that He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public display of them, having triumphed over them.       

JN 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

COL 2:15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

1 JN 3:8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

3.     I believe that God demonstrated His own love for me in that while I was still a sinner, Christ died for me.  I believe that He has delivered me from the domain of darkness and transferred me to His kingdom, and in Him I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.    

ROM 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

COL 1:13 For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

  

4.     I believe that I am now a child of God and that I am seated with Christ in the heavenlies.  I believe that I was saved by the grace of God through faith, and that it was a gift and not a result of any works on my part.    

EPH 2:6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus,

EPH 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast.

1JN 3:1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

5.     I choose to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  I put no confidence in the flesh, for the weapons of warfare are not of the flesh but are divinely powerful for the destruction of strongholds.  I put on the full armor of God.  I resolve to stand firm in my faith and resist the evil one.    

2 COR 10:4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.

EPH 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

PHILIPPIANS 3:3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh

6.     I believe that apart from Christ I can do nothing, so I declare my complete dependence on Him.  I choose to abide in Christ in order to bear much fruit and glorify my Father.  I announce to Satan that Jesus is my Lord.  I reject any and all counterfeit gifts or works of Satan in my life. 

JOHN 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.

JOHN 15:8 “By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

1 COR 12:3 Therefore I make known to you, that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

7.     I believe that the truth will set me free and that Jesus is the truth.  If he sets me free, I will be free indeed.  I recognize that walking in the light is the only path of true fellowship with God and man.  Therefore, I stand against all of Satan’s deception by taking every thought captive in obedience to Christ.  I declare that the Bible is the only authoritative standard for truth and life.

JOHN 8:32 and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

JOHN 8:36 “If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.

JOHN 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.

2 COR 10:5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive thethe obedience of Christ,

2 TIM 3:15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

1 JOHN 1:3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.

 

1JN 1:5 And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

11.    I believe that the Lord Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth, and He is the head over all rule and authority.  I am complete in him.  I believe that Satan and his demons are subject to me in Christ since I am a member of Christ’s body.  Therefore, I obey the command to submit to God and resist the devil, and I command Satan in the name of Jesus Christ to leave my presence.    

MT 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

EPH 1:19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.

COL 2:10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

JAMES 4:7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

I mentioned the Steps to Freedom in Christ in tonight's lesson and felt moved to share a link to a free pdf copy:

 Steps to Freedom in Christ Free PDF 

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Looking Ahead but Not Missing the Details - Purity 483

 Looking Ahead but Not Missing the Details     

Purity 483 07/29/2021

Good morning

Today’s photos of walkway through lily pad covered waters comes to us from a friend’s recent visit to the Ann Lee Nature and Historic Preserve in Albany NY.

It's Thursday, and as is my custom I have shared another photo of a pathway to encourage others to draw closer to God in their lives by exploring the path of Christian Discipleship. It also serves as a reminder that you don’t have to be alone in the journey as I teach a discipleship class tonight at Rock Solid Church in Hudson NY and if you are not local, I make all my classes available via the mt4Christ247 podcast which is available on most podcast services.    

Although I normally only share a single photo each day, I like to step out of “the box” on occasion and to try new things to keep an open mind and heart and to stretch the limits of my, and other’s, expectations. 

I particularly like to challenge the world’s view of what a life of faith looks like. I advocate for a lifestyle of faithfully seeking the Lord’s presence and wisdom for our lives on a continual basis as opposed to the view that our Christian faith is exercised only once a week at a corporate worship service for a couple of hours.   

I am sharing the second photo today of a close up of those lily pad covered waters to share their beauty but also to point out the two aspects of any journey through life.  While we should be intentional about where we are going and looking forward rather than looking in the past, we should also be aware of the here and now and enjoy the beauty that is to be enjoyed in the present moment.  

No matter where you are in your journey or how tumultuous the present moment is right now, peace can be found in the realization that you are not alone, for the Lord is with you, and He will be your ever-present comfort as you move through the present to the future that He wants you to walk into.    

So stop and smell the roses, or heck, enjoy the exquisite beauty of the utter chaos of misfortune that you are suffering through, because either way God is right there with you and whether your future testimony will tell of the pleasant circumstances you were able to enjoy today or will speak of how you had to cling to the Lord with all your might to get through horrible circumstances as your world is being torn asunder, if you keep walking and talking in God your life experience will be one of supernatural peace and joy that comes through walking in the Spirit.

So embrace the present moment but don’t cling too tight, you got places to go and people to see; to tell of the freedom and victory that you have found through Christ alone.

This morning’s meditation verse is:

1 Thessalonians 1:3 (NKJV)
³ remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,

Today’s verse speaks of our ability to encourage one another in our walk of faith and speaks of our source of motivation for the journey. 

Here the Apostle Paul is greeting His fellow Christians in the church at Thessalonica, with a fond remembrance of their faithful work and their attitudes of love and hope that was supernaturally imparted to them through their faith in Jesus Christ.   

Yeah, if you are living your life of faith with the motivation of “doing everything right” or with the idea that “As a Christian, I’m supposed to”, you might want to check your heart and see if its beating, you might want to check your mind to see if you know who you are in Christ.   If you are really not sure what I am talking about when I refer to experiencing your freedom and victory in Christ on a continual basis, today’s verse is for you.   

While we are tremendously grateful for the Lord’s grace and our salvation, you are tremendously grateful right?, we are not trying to “pay Jesus back” by behaving like a Christian or by doing good works. Christ’s gift of His perfect life sacrificed for all who would call upon Him as Lord and Savior is a priceless gift and there is nothing that we could do on earth to pay God back for His mercy, grace, and love.   

However, the reception of our new life in Christ should cause us to love God and motivate us to deepen our relationship with Him because of that love.  

Paul rightly calls our Christian lives a “labor of love” because it is born from God’s love for us and is only possible to “perform” or live out through our love for God.   Loving God is our first commandment from Christ and when we develop that ability suddenly we are given the power of love to change ourselves and to love our neighbors as ourselves.   

But our faith is not just motivated by the love of what Christ did for us and is doing for us currently…, you do have a vibrant life of faith that allows you to say God is in your life currently right?

Anyway, our life of faith is also motivated by the hope of things to come.  And I’m not just talking about the return of Christ, which should be every Christian’s hopeful expectation, but I am also talking about the hope of where your relationship with God will take you and what things you will have the opportunity to do to glorify the Lord in your life’s journey. 

When we live by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit, we not only can glory in the love and the hope for what is to come in our faith walk but amazingly as we walk it out we can also encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ as we go.   

So love what the Lord has done, is doing, and will do in your life. And rejoice with the others that are following the Lord too.  Our walk is highly personal and individualized but that doesn’t mean that we are on our own.  Our lives can cause others to remember what the Lord as done for us and is doing for us and give them hope for their walk and give them the motivation to inspire others like you have inspired them.        

So live a life of faith, love, and hope through your life in Christ and encourage others to walk with you as you go.

 

As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I always share insights from prominent Christian counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. 

 

Today we continue with Dr. Neil Anderson’s Victory Over the Darkness, continuing Chapter 9.

 

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage all to purchase Dr. Anderson’s books for your own private study and to support his work. If you need this title you can find it online at several sites for less than $15.00:

Strongholds of the Mind

Action, Habit and Stronghold

Once your consideration of a temptation triggers an emotional response leading to a Plan B choice, you will act upon that choice and own that behavior. You may resent your actions or claim you are not responsible for what you do. However, you are responsible for your actions at this stage because you will have failed to take a tempting thought captive when it first appeared at the threshold of your mind.

People who study human behavior tell us that if you continue to repeat an act for six weeks, you will form a habit. If you exercise that habit long enough, a stronghold will be established. Once a stronghold of thought and response is entrenched in your mind, your ability to choose and to act contrary to that pattern is very difficult. It is like driving an old truck down the same dirt road for so long that deep ruts are established. After a while, you won't even have to steer the truck. It will naturally stay in the ruts of the road and any attempt to steer out of them will be met with resistance.

A stronghold is a mental habit pattern. It is memory traces burned into our minds over time or by the intensity of traumatic experiences. For instance, inferiority is a stronghold. Nobody is born inferior to anyone else, but you could be struggling with an inferiority complex if you kept getting the message from the world that everyone is stronger, smarter, and prettier than you.

Being the adult child of an alcoholic can be the basis for a mental stronghold. Suppose three boys were raised in a home in which the father becomes an alcoholic. When the father comes home drunk and belligerent every night, the oldest son thinks he is big enough to stand up for himself. He says to his father, "You lay one hand on me, mister, and you're in trouble."

The middle child doesn't believe he can stand up to his father, so he accommodates and becomes the classic enabler. He greets him by saying, "Hi, Dad. Are you feeling okay? Can I get you anything, Dad? Do you want me to call anybody?"

The youngest son is totally intimidated by his father. When Dad comes home, he scurries out of sight and hides in the closet or under the bed. He stays clear of his dad and avoids conflict.

Twenty years later their father is long gone, and these three men are confronted with a hostile situation. How do you think they will respond? The oldest one will fight; the middle one will appease; and the youngest one will run away. That is the way they learned to handle hostility. Their deeply ingrained patterns of thinking and responding have formed strongholds in their minds.

Hostility is a stronghold. The man or woman who struggles with hostile thoughts and behavior learned to be pugnacious or argumentative when threatened. That is how he or she learned to cope in difficult situations. He or she will not find it easy to learn to love his or her enemy, bless those who curse him or her and turn the other cheek.

Homosexuality is a stronghold. In God's eyes there is no such thing as a homosexual. He created us male and female. However, homosexual thoughts, feelings and behavior can usually be traced to past negative experiences or tempting thoughts. Such experiences precipitate sexual feelings, fantasies, and disorientations, causing some to believe a lie about their sexual identity.

Anorexia and bulimia are mental strongholds. Eating disorders have little to do with food. A 95-pound woman standing in front of a mirror believes she is fat and can't see the deception! She is the victim of negative thought patterns about herself that have been burned into her mind over time, or they could have originated during traumatic experiences such as rape or incest.

Victory Over the Darkness: Realizing the Power of Your Identity in Christ.

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

 

God bless you all!

 

Join our “Victory over the Darkness” or “The Bondage Breaker” series of Discipleship Classes via the mt4christ247 podcast!

at https://mt4christ247.podbean.com, You can also find it on Apple podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mt4christ247s-podcast/id1551615154). The mt4christ247 podcast is also available on Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartradio, and Audible.com. 

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Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship