leaders Following THE LEADER, Christ.
Purity 500 08/18/2021 Purity 500 Podcast
Good morning
Today’s photo of this spectacular view somewhere along
the trail up the Ha’iku Stairs/Ladder in Oahu Hawaii comes to us from a friend’s
epic pilgrimage back in June. The Ha’iku
Stairs are also known as the stairway to Heaven and with this lush view of the Oahu
countryside, the blue sky, and the Pacific in the distance it’s no surprise why
it is called that!
I share this pic because it’s awesome and because
its Wednesday and I thought it was a nice symbolic representation of ascending
the “hump” of mid-week. Our friend’s God
given adventurous spirit led them to follow a couple of friends up this trail
to new heights and we are happy they shared their experience!
As we walk out our Christian faith each day, it is
a comfort to find out that we are not alone in our journey. The Lord is our ever-present
Comforter of course but it is also an encouragement to find other men and women
who have been touched by the Lord and who have also been inspired to live a discipled
life and who want to bring their faith in Christ with them into all the areas
of their lives. There are others that
are following where the Lord calls them.
Yesterday, I was happy to have a short conversation
with Mike Henry Sr., the CEO of followerofone.org, a Christian online community
that encourages Christ followers to integrate their faith at work by supporting
one another in “Marketplace Missions Trips”.
Mike explains what a “Marketplace Mission Trip is in a video I am
sharing on the blog today, at :
But it all comes down to being intentional about
being plugged into our faith in God each day and acting it out through our
prayers, words, and actions at work. The Follower of One community is a place
where we can connect with other Christians and can support one another in our “Marketplace
Missions.”
I am a new member of Follower of One and I am
encouraging all my friends to join this growing community of Christians who
believe that every one of us can be used by God for His purposes and that a
community of faith doesn’t have to be enclosed by the four walls of a church
building on Sunday morning. To join this exciting online Christian community go
to the link that I am sharing on the blog: Join Follower of One by clicking here!
I apologize if all that
sounds “pluggy”, but I know that living out our Christian faith provides us
with meaning, purpose, and power and I believe that the mission of Follower of
One is to help and encourage Christians to draw closer to the Lord, to realize
their part in His kingdom, and to experience the new life of freedom and
victory that comes though living out their faith in all aspects of their lives.
I have been a part of so
many different Christian communities that have helped me to mature in my faith
and while I know that it isn’t always easy to find people with a hopeful vision
and hearts of encouragement, I also know that when you do find others whose
purpose is to know Christ and to make Him known, the potential for personal growth
and service to God is as limitless as the love that the Lord has for us.
So keep walking and talking
with God. Listen to His voice and follow
where He leads. The mission God has for you may not be in another country. Your
mission may just begin with a prayer for someone at work, by taking time to
listen to a co-worker’s problems, or may lie in being intentional about doing our
best job with care and concern for those we encounter. The love of Christ has
been given to us. Let’s make it grow by sharing it in with others in all the walks
of our lives.
This morning’s meditation
verses are:
1
Thessalonians 5:4-5 (NKJV)
4 But you, brethren, are not
in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
5 You are all sons of light
and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.
Today’s verses speak of the safety and the transformative change that Christians have received when they place their faith in Jesus.
One of the most damaging and hobbling beliefs that is commonly and stubbornly held on to by most Christians is that they are “ JUST sinners saved by grace.”
While all Christians were sinners before coming to Christ and will have some sin in their lives until they are glorified, these verses in the letter to the church at Thessalonica does not identify members of the church by their darkness. Throughout scripture those who place their faith in Christ are instead identified as “sons of light”, highlighting their righteous position and security as members of God’s royal family.
This letter speaks about the “Day of the Lord”, the time when Christ will return to judge the earth, and Paul assures the church of their safety from God’s wrath telling the church that “this Day” is to be feared by those in darkness, but not those who are called the “light of the world”, Christians, in Matthew 5:14. Because we have placed our faith in Christ, we are safe.
But scripture also calls us to “walk in the light as He is in the light” (1 John: 1:7), and although it acknowledges the fact that we have not obtained a state of sinless perfection (1 John 1:8), it continually encourages us not identify with sin (1 Cor 6:11, 2 Peter 1:9) and to “not sin” (1 John 2:1, 2 Peter 1:10), or as Jesus said, to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11).
The Christian walk is all about moving forward into our new lives of faith and leaving our darkness behind. The keys to this walk are believing that we have been made new through our faith in Christ and that we are not “JUST” what we used to be but that we are alive, secure, and righteous new creations in Christ. Our Christian walk can and should progressively demonstrate our new lives in “the light”.
Our belief in
our new life in Christ is fundamental to our experiencing the fruit of the Spirit
and the more we intentionally live out our faith on a continual basis the more we
will know that what the word of God says about us is true.
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 in Chapter 12.
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:
When You Are Criticized or Rejected
The thoughts and feelings of
rejection that often plague us can be major deterrents to our maturity in
Christ. Apart from Christ, we all learned early in life to respond to rejection
by taking one of three defensive postures (see Figure 12-A). Even as Christians
we can be influenced to react defensively to rejection.
Beat
the System
A small percentage of people defend
against rejection by buying into the dog-eat-dog world system and learning to
compete and scheme to get ahead of the pack. These are the movers and shakers,
people who seek to earn their acceptance and strive for significance through
their performance. They feel driven to get on top of every situation because
winning is their passport to acceptance and significance. They are
characterized by perfectionism and emotional insulation and are plagued by
anxiety and stress.
Spiritually, the beat-the-system
people struggle with the idea of coming under God's authority and have little
fellowship with Him. They are prone to controlling and manipulating others and
circumstances for their own end, so it is difficult for them to yield control
in their lives to God. In our churches, these people jockey to be chairman of
the board or the most influential member on a committee. Their motivation may
not always be to serve God in this position, however, but to control their
world because their sense of worth is dependent upon it. Beat-the-system
controllers are often very insecure.
Controlling people's defensive
strategy only delays inevitable rejection. Eventually, their ability to control
their families, their employees and their churches diminishes, and they are
replaced by younger, stronger or more capable controllers. Some survive this
midlife crisis, but many who make it to retirement don't enjoy much of it. Studies
show that high-powered executives live an average of nine months after they
retire. They no longer have any purpose for living.
Give
In to the System
"Pastor, I'm a loser," a
high-school boy told me dejectedly. He explained that he wanted to be a star
football player but had been cut from the team. Instead of being in the
spotlight as an athlete, he had to settle for being a member of the pep band.
Compared to star quarterbacks, clarinet players were losers. What a sad
commentary on American culture!
The largest group of people respond
to rejection as this boy did: by simply giving in to the system. They continue
their efforts to try to satisfy others, but their failures prompt them to
believe they really are unlovable and unacceptable. The system says the best,
the strongest, the most beautiful and the most talented are "in."
Those who don't fit those categories—which includes most of us—are "out,"
and we succumb to society's false judgment of our worth. As a result, a large
segment of the population is plagued by feelings of worthlessness, inferiority
and self-condemnation.
These people also have trouble
relating to God. They often blame God for their sad state and find it difficult
to trust Him. "You made me a lowly clarinet player instead of a star
quarterback," they complain. "If I allow you access to other
areas of my life, how do I know you won't make me a loser there, too?"
By giving in to the system's false
judgment, these people can only look forward to more and more rejection. The
system has rejected them and therefore they find it easy to reject themselves.
Any success or acceptance that comes their way will be questioned or doubted on
the basis of what they already believe about themselves.
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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