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Monday, September 13, 2021

Falling Down and Walking Away – Prophecy of Pain and Loss – Purity 522

Falling Down and Walking Away – Prophecy of Pain and Loss  – Purity 522                                                     

Purity 522 09/13/2021 Purity 522 Podcast

Good morning

Today’s photo of an August sunset over Lake Ontario that features the moon comes to us from Celestial Blue Photography.  I am a huge admirer of the work of photographer, Rocco Saya, and periodically share some of his “views”.   The last time I shared a photo of his was of a beautiful sunset on September 4th.  The “title” of my blog that day was “Falling Down and Finding Comfort in His Presence”, referring to a misstep that I had made in my plan for optimal health due to stress.   I had no idea that the association of my title and Rocco’s photo could later be said to have prophetic underpinnings.  

Unfortunately, four days later, on September 8th, while photographing waterfowl on the on the shores of Breitbeck Park, Rocco fell off one of the large boulders there and broke his fibula and had to be rescued by firemen and EMT’s. His injury is quite painful and will require surgery.  So I am asking for prayers for comfort and healing for Rocco during this difficult time.  He injured himself while doing what he loved, and we pray that his recovery is complete, and he is fully restored to return to capturing the beauty of God’s creatures and creation.  

We never know what the next day in our lives will bring and I often try to encourage people to be intentional in the steps they make from day to day and to express the love they have for their friends and family now because we are not promised tomorrow.  

Part of the process of my sharing daily encouragements began when I agreed to be an accountability partner with someone and started sending them daily texts. I eventually started sharing that daily text with a group of men, and later several other individuals.  Even to this day, the message that I put out on the blog 6 days a week, is still texted to  that group of men.  As time has passed, on occasion I will get a notice that someone in the group would like to be taken off the list.  The texts are obviously voluntary so even though I am little disappointed to see people leave the group text, I immediately honor the request and hold no hard feelings towards those who “walk away”.    

On Wednesday, last week I sent out the group text and received an indication from one of the men on the group text that he would like to be taken off the list.  I just gave a “thumbs up” to his comment and the next day didn’t include him the text anymore. 

I just found out this morning that this person is no longer on this earth. They passed away two days ago. They were only 42 years old. I don’t know the details of their death and don’t wish to speculate but I really wish they had reached out to me and taken me up on my invitations to walk through life on the path of Christian Discipleship together.  Christ came to give us a new life and through following Him I know that we are given the power to change who we are. 

God gives us free will to choose to go His way or to choose to walk away.  Many people that I talk to about living out their faith indicate that they would really like to do that “someday”.  Unfortunately, if we keep going our own way and choose to walk away from the love that God wants to freely give, “someday” may never come.   

So, I don’t mean to bum anyone out on a Monday morning, but I want to encourage you today that your current situation could be worse, you could have a broken leg, and for those who are suffering a worse fate than that, you could be dead.   So going to work today might not seem so bad if we think about what has happened to two men who were just going about their business when something unexpected happened to change their course.   

So I encourage you to take care as you walk out into the world today and to appreciate the life and the health that you have.  Look for some beauty in your experience as you spend another day on earth. Appreciate the people and the things you have in your life and enjoy them. 

But most importantly, I would say to draw close to your heavenly Father by confirming or establishing your faith in Jesus Christ. Eternity can be a heartbeat away and if we are not careful the “someday” that we intend to make peace with God, may never come.    

So keep walking and talking with God. Tell the people in your life that you love them and share with them the hope that is found in Christ alone, the hope that will take you from here to eternity and beyond.

 

Today’s meditation verse is drawn from” from the Dr. Charles Stanley’s In Touch Ministries provided resource:  “Freedom: Our Life in Christ” Memory Verse Cards set: 

This morning’s meditation verse is:

Colossians 3:2 (NASB)
2  Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

Today’s verse commands us to put our attention on the big picture.  

Considering that people lose their lives every day, we should be greatly concerned with what will happen to us at the hour of our death.  Luckily, Jesus Christ came to earth to warn us of the dangers of being separated from God when we die.  If you read the four  gospel accounts that detail Christ’s earthly ministry in the New Testament, you will quickly realize that “meek and mild” Jesus really taught a lot about hell and the great value of gaining entrance into the kingdom of God.

I don’t mean to put an emphasis on salvation with this verse but let’s be real! Setting your mind on the things above is great but if you don’t secure your salvation by putting your faith in Jesus Christ it won’t matter how much you pondered the mysteries of theology or doctrine.

So first things first, make Christ you Lord and Savior. Okay?  -

Then, with your new and eternal life in Christ, we should really set our minds on things above, meaning that we should ponder how God would want us to live our lives.

Again, it won’t matter how much we think about the things of God, unless we do something with our knowledge about God and our speculations about how to do His will. We need to actually apply them to our lives.  

We’ve all heard the phrase about being so heavenly minded that someone was no earthly good. We don’t want to be that guy. God gives us the revelation of His truth and wisdom so we can put our faith into action.  

So secure your salvation with faith in Jesus Christ and then experience the peace and power of walking in the Spirit by changing your ways of living to God’s ways.  Although we are saved for all of eternity in an instant when we place our faith in Christ, our sanctification – the process of becoming more like Christ- is a progressive process that requires the renewing of our minds and the practice of living according to God’s instructions and principles that are drawn from His word.  

The things of this earth may seem compelling but most of them will pass away or lead us astray from the purpose God has for us. So set your mind on things above and live out your faith everyday by living in the presence of God and according to His wisdom.


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 to share from June Hunt’s Boundaries: How to Set Them, How to Keep Them.

 

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage all to purchase June Hunt’s books for your own private study and to support her work. If you need this title you can find it online at several sites for less than $5.00:

D. What Characteristics Accompany Codependency?

Jeff Gillooly and Tonya Harding . . . their marriage is punctuated with violence, restraining orders, divorce filings, and enmeshment, which continues even after the marriage is over.

Who knows what motivates Jeff to conspire to injure his ex-wife's rival, but codependency seems to characterize his relationship with Tonya. The skater's former agent Michael Rosenberg says Jeff and Tonya are incompatible and others chime in that the couple fight frequently.

James Golden, Tonya's stepfather, observes: "If she looked at someone, he would get mad. He'd manipulate her real easy. He has such a possessive nature and is so jealous of her." In contrast, the Bible describes authentic love. . . .

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."

(1 Corinthians 13:4)

Having a "codependent relationship" is being dependent on another person to the point of being addicted to, controlled, and manipulated by that person. It is the natural by-product of having little or no boundaries because it is driven by the lack of personal wholeness and sufficiency.

After all, if we can't depend on ourselves to meet our deep emotional needs, then it seems only logical to look to others to meet those needs—to depend on others to fill our emotional emptiness and to give us a sense of significance and purpose in life.

To be needed by someone is certainly ego-boosting and to meet that person's needs can be exhilarating . . . but to fail can be crushing, and to be rejected can be nothing less than catastrophic!

The problem for codependents is not their dependency but rather the object of their desire. The fact is, we are all dependent creations, but our desire should be for our Creator . . . our only true Need-Meeter . . . and not another dependent creature. As the psalmist wrote...

"I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

(Psalm 73:23-26)

Codependency Is...

  • Marked by an insecure, dependent person spending an inordinate amount of time and energy meeting other people's needs and desires while neglecting personal needs and desires
  • Based on the belief that the subservient helper, the rescuer, the enabler has no inherent value or worth and can gain significance only by meeting the needs of other people
  • Rooted in the premise that one person not only determines the worth of another person but also has the ability to control that person's thoughts, feelings, actions, and the processes surrounding them
  • Identified as a relationship dominated by fear and control where power is exaggerated, misapplied, misdirected, and generally abused in an effort to get inner needs met
  • Established by boundary violators who seek to use a series of tactical maneuvers to get their own way without regard for anyone else's feelings or desires
  • Characterized by the skillful use of manipulation through deception and intimidation, goading guilt, heartrending stories, unsolicited and undesired advice, anger, and even threats

The Bible gives this description of those who are held captive to codependent relationships. . . .

" . . . they loved human praise more than praise from God."

(John 12:43)


Biblical Counseling Keys: Boundaries: How to See Them - How to Keep Them.

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

 

 

 

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

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Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship

 

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