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Thursday, September 9, 2021

Swamped – Walking out of the Muck and Mire – Purity 519


 Swamped – Walking out of the Muck and Mire  – Purity 519                                                                    

Purity 519 09/09/2021  Purity 519 Podcast

Good morning

Today’s photo of a gravel road running along side an emerald green swamp into a forest wilderness beyond comes to us from yours truly as I was recently working near the Charleston State Forest in Esperance NY out on Sara Lib Road.  The bright green algae on the swamp caught my eye as I was driving by and decided to take a moment to enjoy the silence and to take a few shots to capture that vivid green of the swamp lands. There are a few additional photos on the blog today if you want to see more.  


Well, It’s Thursday and I share today’s photo that features a road as an invitation for my friends to join me on the path of Christian Discipleship by taking an eleven week journey to deepen your faith through the Freedom in Christ course I will begin presenting this evening, locally at Rock Solid Church in Hudson NY at 6:30 pm, and nationally or internationally via the mt4Christ247 podcast. 

The Freedom in Christ course comes from Freedom in Christ Ministries and its material is a collaborative effort from Dr. Neil Anderson and Steve Goss, FICM’s international Director, and also includes personal testimonies from FICM presenters, Daryl Fitzgerald, and Nancy Maldonado.  I am well versed in FICM’s materials and know that God can use them to heal and transform Christians who wish to draw close to Him and experience their freedom in Christ.  

After coming to faith in Christ, we can often feel like we are stuck some where between heaven and hell as we know that the Lord has given us a new life, but we feel like we are stuck in the muck and mire of our old ways and can’t escape.  We can feel like we are a failure or even doubt if we are a Christian because although we said the prayer that gave us the hope of heaven, we are still dealing with the hell that our life choices have put us in, or we are just floundering to keep our enthusiasm for our faith because nothing seems to have changed.  



This transitional period of life in the Christian faith and this idea of being stuck, as if we are in a swamp, reminds me of:

Psalm 40:2 (NLT2) which says:
2  He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.

 

Psalm 40 is an awesome psalm to inspire your faith walk. So if you need some inspiration you should look it up and read the whole psalm, but I wanted to point out this verse because it indicates what God has done for us and what we are supposed to do now.  

When we heard that gospel message and put our faith in Christ, God rescued us and lifted us out of the pit of despair. He placed us on the solid ground that is faith in Christ and steadied us once and for all.   No matter what we may face in life, if we have placed our faith in Christ, we have the solid ground of our salvation and identity in Christ to stand upon. 

But we may still be covered with the mud and mire that we acquired from a lifetime of living independently of God and through the consequences of poor decisions.  So we are supposed to stand on the solid rock of our faith and walk towards the Lord to leave the darkness of our pasts behind and to walk into the new life of purpose and meaning that God has for us.    

If there was only some regimented way to become built up in our faith that could educate and encourage us to walk into the freedom we have in Christ!?  

Well, I’m offering a free class to assist people with that, starting tonight. So if you want to leave the muck and mire of the world behind and live a life that is anchored by the love and wisdom of God come to class or listen to the class via the mt4christ247 podcast.  

Is this the only way to go on the path of Christian Discipleship? No, of course not, but if you are hearing or reading this message it just might be the way that the Lord is calling you to pursue.

So step out in faith and follow where the Lord leads you.  As long as you trying to draw close to God and are walking towards God’s will for your life, I would say you are going in the right direction.   So keep walking and talking with God, He has lifted you out of the pit of despair and will steady you as you walk along towards your new life and freedom in Christ.

 

Today’s 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:

Galatians 5:1 (NASB)
1  It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

 

Today’s verse plain speaks of why the Lord has chosen us and instructs us to live out our purpose.  

In our struggles of trying to be conformed to the image of Christ, we can get to a point where we question why God bothered to save us at all.  We may ask: why did God choose me? Why did He set me free?   

Galatians 5:1 answers that question.  Why did the Lord set you free?  For freedom!

What? Are we answering the question by just rephrasing the question into an answer or what?

It’s like asking, “Why did I win the game?” And being told that you were chosen to win, so you could win! 

If we don’t grasp the meaning of what the Lord is telling us here, through the Apostle Paul, we can think we are being played the fool to some form of circular reasoning.  But it’s not that. This verse speaks of our purpose!

You were set free so you could live free, continually, in freedom.  Free from what?  The yoke of bondage. What’s the yoke of bondage? The yoke of bondage is the sin or negative mind states that you were enslaved to that kept, or keeps, you from experiencing the fruit of the Spirit.  

You can identify your personal yoke of bondage by examining your life and asking yourself what is keeping you from experiencing Peace, love, joy, kindness, faithfulness, patience, goodness, gentleness, and self-control.   

That’s a long list of fruit to realize and there may be a complex situation of many factors that is keeping you from experiencing them.  So what do we do? 

We stand firm in our identity in Christ and surrender to the Lord’s leading to help us not be subject to our yoke of bondage again.  It very well could be a long process to experience all the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, but the Lord will steady us in our walk as we grow in our faith and in our freedom.   

It was for freedom that we have been set free! That’s our purpose: freedom. So let’s endeavor to realize our purpose by humbling ourselves and following the Lord’s ways for our lives.  Our realizing our freedom is not about instant perfection, it’s about progress.  Every step and decision we make to follow the Lord is another step towards freedom.

So keep walking with God and enjoy the increasing freedom that comes from standing firm in our faith and allowing Him to transform our lives.

 

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:

II. Characteristics

The best way to describe the relationship between figure skaters Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding is . . . icy.

It's 1994 and the XVII Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, are just six weeks away. The skaters will first compete against each other at the United States Figure Skating Championships in Detroit, Michigan. Nancy is favored to win the Olympic trials competition and is at the rink a couple of days ahead of time to practice her backspins and jumps. She exits the rink temporarily and walks toward a backstage area, never imagining even for a moment that she will become the victim of a crossed boundary . . . a boundary concerning violence. The Bible has strong words for those who pursue violence. . . .

"The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion."

(Psalm 11:5)

A. What Differentiates Bad Boundaries from Beneficial Boundaries?

Nancy Kerrigan suddenly is approached by a man wielding a weapon resembling a police baton, and he does the unthinkable where a figure skater is concerned . . . he clubs her on her right knee.

The elegant skater now writhes in pain and anguish, buckling to the floor and bemoaning her probable withdrawal from the competition. After a medical examination, it is determined that Nancy, indeed, is not fit to skate and will need time to heal in order to try to be ready for the Olympics. Meanwhile, Tonya, her fierce competitor, glides to victory and is dubbed the U.S. champion.

But eyebrows start to raise when the assailant and his three cohorts are identified, exposing close connections to . . . Tonya. In the tragic scenario . . . bad boundaries abound.

Scripture gives clear warning concerning those who are engaged in evil schemes. . . .

"Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning's light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it."

(Micah 2:1)

Setting and respecting boundaries is a two-way street. It becomes a loving approach to your relationship with others. Sometimes it becomes necessary to reestablish and reinforce your boundaries when they have been violated.

People who have never had appropriate boundaries or who have no boundaries at all may not be aware when they step across another person's boundary line. In addition, they will likely fail to recognize when they should set and communicate appropriate boundaries for themselves.

Those who have healthy, beneficial boundaries are generally quick to recognize unhealthy, bad boundaries in others. The goal then becomes that of maintaining boundaries while seeking to convey the value . . . the necessity . . . of everyone establishing loving, beneficial boundaries in their own lives. . . .

"The Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. . . . for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. . . . Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you."

(Proverbs 2:6, 8, 11)

In seeking to distinguish bad boundaries from beneficial ones in your own life or in the life of another, be aware of the following differences. . . .

Bad Boundaries vs. Beneficial Boundaries

Bad Boundaries

Beneficial Boundaries

• You define yourself based on what others say or feel about you and will do almost anything to feel accepted by them.

• You know that you are accepted by God and created by Him for a unique purpose and that you must define yourself based on who He says you are!

"Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God."
(Romans 15:7)

• You do not express your opinion out of fear that people will not agree with you. This leaves you feeling inferior.

• You are not afraid to express yourself, although doing so can leave you open to criticism, rejection, and hurt.

"God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
(2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV)

• You isolate yourself in order to minimize suffering, and you see yourself as a victim. . . . You don't ask for what you need.

• Even at the risk of being hurt, you form relationships based on mutual respect and see yourself as healed of past hurts.

"Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise."
(Jeremiah 17:14)

• You seek out many people but do not trust anyone.

• Although not everyone is trustworthy, you have a few trustworthy "forever" friends in your life.

"One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
(Proverbs 18:24)

• You are enmeshed in relationships, but have little true intimacy. You retreat deep within yourself, concealing your innermost feelings. You feel that it is unsafe to love and be loved so you do not let down your guard with others.

• You have many acquaintances but choose to be totally open, truly transparent, and deeply intimate with only those who have proved themselves to be safe and to always have your best interest at heart.

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity."
(Proverbs 17:17)

• You are inconsistent when enforcing your boundaries . . . yet, when you do decide to draw the line, you overreact and become overbearing, rigid, and inflexible.

• Your boundaries are flexible, yet consistent. You can be assertive without being aggressive. . . . You are tender and straightforward, firm, and respectful when setting your personal boundaries.

"All you need to say is simply 'Yes' or 'No'. . . ."
(Matthew 5:37)

• You use emotional manipulation to get your needs met because you view disagreeing with someone as attacking them, and you don't want to risk their getting angry.

• You can express what you want and how you feel in a forthright way while also being sensitive, dialoguing in a spirit of mutual openness and discovery.

"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit."
(Proverbs 18:21)

• You learn to use boundaries as a weapon against others, to exert power over them, to deceive them, and to keep them off balance or at a safe distance.

• You do not use boundaries as a weapon against others, but to demonstrate your desire to maintain healthy, honest, God-honoring relationships.

"Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body."
(Ephesians 4:25)

• You cannot see the ways you allow others to mistreat you or the ways you mistreat others.

• Your boundaries help you identify how others are mistreating you or how you are mistreating others.

"The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception."
(Proverbs 14:8)

• You stay in bad relationships with unsafe people because you feel needed and unworthy of anything better, or you feel too insecure to leave the relationship.

• You learn to enforce repercussions for the unacceptable behavior of others and act to change harmful relationships. You reward positive behavior that helps relationships to flourish.

"Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.
(1 Corinthians 15:33)


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!

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

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