Anchors Away! – Wherever You Go, Go with God
Purity 479 07/24/2021 Purity 479 Podcast
Good morning
Today’s photo of a sunrise paddling enthusiast comes to us from our
friend “across the pond” on the south sea seafront on the shores of Portsmouth
in the United Kingdom. I love the
abiding sense of peace that this photo conveys and I’m just so happy to see my
friend taking advantage of the summer season and going where his joy
flourishes.
It's Saturday so we made it to the weekend, and it is my prayer that all
my friends out there will also take advantage of the season and find a place
where your joy can flourish.
As for me, I have a confession to make, unlike my usual process, I had
to compose today’s encouraging words last night because I am hitting the road
early this morning and couldn’t chance running late because I have a boat to
catch. A friend has graciously invited me to go boating on Lake George today and
I look forward to the experience with real excitement and anticipation.
I haven’t been to Lake George in years, and I will be glad to see it
again and I’m not sure how the day will go but I plan on thanking the Lord for
all that I encounter and will keep myself open to wherever He leads me.
So open yourself up to the possibilities that God presents to you this
weekend. Let the people in your life know you appreciate them. And let them
know that God has a plan for all of us and if we are His through faith in Jesus
Christ, it’s a good one.
This morning’s meditation
verse is:
1 Corinthians 6:17 (NKJV)
17 But he who is joined to the Lord
is one spirit with Him.
Today’s verse speaks of the spiritual reality of the
indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in those who put their faith in Christ.
Jesus Christ was sent to earth to reconcile sinful men with
God. To become “joined to the Lord”, man
must put their faith in Christ. When that happens The Holy Spirit comes and
indwells us, quickening our formerly “dead” spirit, making us spiritually alive,
giving us “new life”.
Notice the small letter “s” in the word spirit in today’s verse.
This shows us that it’s not just the Holy Spirit in us, it indicates that
believers each have their own “spirit” that has been made alive. Our individual spirit now resides “with Him”,
meaning God in the person of the Holy Spirit.
Because The Holy Spirit is God, He is omnipresent, meaning
He can be everywhere at once. So The Holy Spirit can indwell each and every
Christian and still be present and active throughout the world at the same
time. I know, pondering this stuff can
blow your mind. This is the complex spiritual reality that is alluded to in
today’s verse.
Through salvation by faith in Jesus, we are joined to the
Lord and are one with Him in spirit.
As I often teach and try to explain, the Holy Spirit communicates
with our spirit in three ways:
1. Conscience
– We have an increased sensitivity to sin; sin becomes less enjoyable because
of the Holy Spirit’s communicating conviction to us
2. Intuition
– We become sensitive to His guidance and are led into all truth and into the
good works that God has prepared for us.
3. Communion
– We enjoy a special fellowship with God through the Holy Spirit when we
worship Him or study His word. For we are to worship the Lord in spirit and in
truth, and the Holy Spirit gives us revelation from God’s Word to help us grow.
Theses interactions with the Holy Spirit, is the means through
which we can “walk in the Spirit” or “live by faith in the Holy Spirit”. These interactions with the Holy Spirit can
lead to a deepening of our relationship with God because they provide an
experiential knowledge of God in our lives.
Some may say: “I don’t know what you’re talking about MT! Why
don’t I feel any of this stuff?”
There can be several explanations for not experiencing this
fellowship of the Spirit but the most obvious reasons for not feeling close to
God include:
1. No
real profession of faith - Have you really made Jesus your Lord Savior? Did you
verbal express it and feel joy at your “salvation”? We don’t go by feelings but
there should be some change in you after coming to Christ.
2. Active
Sin – Thoughts and Deeds that do not agree with the word and will of the Lord
disrupt our harmony with God.
3. Demonic
Interference – The enemy actively tries to keep unbelievers spiritually blind
and dead. And they love to deceive and oppress those who are saved from experiencing
their freedom and living out their purpose in Christ.
4. Spiritual
Apathy – Some believers either through ignorance, immaturity, or preoccupation
with the world do nothing to mature in their understanding or faith.
As people living in the world system that tries to live
independently of God, with the direct influence of Satan and spiritual forces
of darkness, the enemy can play a part in all these reasons but the other
player in this spiritual drama of life and death is ourselves. So do our problems reside in us or the
enemy?
The bad news is that we can’t always be sure, but the good
news is that the remedy in either case is the same. We are to proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior,
repent of our sin, and seek the Lord’s wisdom and His ways for our lives.
I have had conversations recently with people who have “lost
that loving feeling” of the Holy Spirit in their lives and they have stated
that they feel His Presence has departed because they have “quenched” the Spirit.
I have recommended confession and repentance as a remedy,
but they state that “it didn’t work” and they feel utterly dejected.
While there can be dry seasons in our faith walk, the only
answer is to keep walking. I got the impression that the person was still tied
to their sin. This may seem unkind, but
I got the feeling they had said “Sorry” and expected everything to go back to
normal instantly, without true repentance.
The Holy Spirit is omniscient, that means He knows
everything. He knows when you are sincere,
and He is the One who can lead us into true repentance. So we must surrender to
the Lord completely. Half measures aren’t going to work.
So if you want a deep relationship with the Lord, you have
to keep knocking, you have to keep asking, you have to keep praying, and you must
walk the away from darkness that is keeping you from Him. Let go and Let God, as they say.
And remember, The Holy Spirit is in you. So one possibility
for the feelings of separation is that you are being deceived by the enemy.
There is no condemnation for those in Christ (Romans 8:1) so if you are feeling
condemned those are lies you are listening to.
Confess your sin and agree with what God says about you and
do the rest of what Romans 8:1 says – do not walk according to the flesh, but according
to the Spirit. If you do that, the devil’s
condemnations can’t touch you.
So no matter where you are on this path of Christian
Discipleship, keep your head up, turn from your old ways, and keep walking and
talking with God.
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.
Proper
Guidelines Lead to a Proper Walk
7.
Security. Key Concept: Relating to the Eternal
Insecurity means depending upon temporal things that we
have no right or ability to control. Do you realize that God is shaking the
foundations of this world? Insecurity is a global problem. Some tough days are
ahead for this fallen world. It doesn't take a genius to determine that. An
exploding population and decreasing natural resources indicate we are fast
heading on a collision course.
Our security can be found only in the
eternal life of Christ. Jesus said no one can snatch us out of His hand (see John 10:27-29).
Paul declared that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ (see Romans 8:35-39)
and that we are sealed in Him by the Holy Spirit (see Ephes. 1:13, 14).
How much more secure can you get than that?
Everything we now have we shall lose
some day. Jim Elliot (a missionary who was killed along with four other men by
the Auca Indians in Ecuador, South America, in 1956) said, "He is no fool
who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
Paul said, "But whatever things
were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value
of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all
things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ" (Phil. 3:7, 8).
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,
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encouraged.
Encouragement for the Path of Christian
Discipleship
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