I’m Better Off Alone. – Lies of the Enemy #32– Purity 1044
Purity 1044 05/15/2023 Purity 1044 Podcast
Purity 1044 on YouTube: Coming Soon!
Good morning,
Today’s
photo of my wife approaching the Ridge Cabin at the Merck Forest and Farmland Center
Grounds in Rupert Vermont comes to us from yours truly as the wife and I
decided to “DO Something” this past Saturday and spent a few hours hiking along
the Gallop Road until we lost our way.
For the life of me I don’t know which way we were supposed to go to stay
on track because we were faithfully following the signs leading the way but at
the intersection leading to the Ridge Cabin things didn’t appear as they seemed
as the three forked path must have had a fourth path as we came down one,
explored the other – to the Ridge Cabin – and left via what we thought was the “only
other way” only to discover a short while later that the path we were on wasn’t
the one we thought it was!
But the sign
we followed that pointed us back to the Visitor’s Center didn’t necessarily lead
us astray, it just didn’t take us back to the beginning we had planned on.
Well, It’s
Tuesday and I spontaneously did something a little unexpected. I booked a “camping”
trip for Saturday and Sunday (– no I’m not doing three days – I know my limits!)
of the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend to stay at the Nemorod Cabin at the Merck
Forest and Farmland Center. While it’s
hardly going to be “roughing it” what with Nenorod Cabin’s wrap-around porch
and rocking chairs, but I will be
without my beloved electricity and indoor plumbing, and there are grave doubts that
I will be able to connect to the internet with my phone, but sometimes you have
to step out of your comfort zone and get away from it all. Although,
I imagine I won’t have to worry about solitude as I am inviting the wife and
her kiddos along for the ride if they dare… I’m sure they will. They are no strangers to camping and may even
choose to forsake the comfort of the cabin to sleep in tents or just to lie on
the ground for all I know…
Anyway,
although my Memorial Day Weekend won’t be spent in solitude, I am hopeful that
I will find some peace and rest, in spite of the rugged conditions and the
boisterous company of people who “love camping”. Although family vacations can be a mix of fun
and frustrations at times, I know that whenever I venture too far into solitude
or silence the specter of loneliness will rear its ugly head causing me to want
to reconnect with loved ones, my heavenly Father, or just in the company of
strangers in public places.
And that
brings us to our current
series the “Lies of the Enemy”, which is an examination of some of the common lies, sometimes
sneakily whispered into our minds as “first person” statements, that the enemy
tells us to cause us to doubt our faith, lose our peace, cause division, or
influence us to not follow the Lord with the way we live our lives.
So today’s big lie is:
Lie #32: I’m better off alone.
Today’s lie is whispered into our
ears by the demonic forces of darkness usually when we are at our lowest or most
vulnerable state. It usually comes after loss and can be born from the deep
hurt and disappointment that follows the rejection of broken relationships or
even the departure of loved ones into eternity.
Our pain and depression of the things
we lost or at the offense of how we have been mistreated or abused can give us
the desire to become a hermit and distance ourselves from everyone. The enemy offers the solution of unending
solitude with the rationale that because other people have caused your pain, it
only makes sense to protect ourselves from further pain by removing ourselves from
the company of others.
However, this is usually a set up as
the enemy will then take the peace of solitude and change it to the anxiety of
loneliness but with the hopelessness that “You can’t” – or won’t reach out to
others to alleviate the problem. It is
then that the enemy tries to convince you that you really are alone – that there
is no God – and no meaning or purpose to this life – and thus Satan and his
demonic associates will offer up the final solution of suicide to “end all your
pain, forever.”
From hurt to solitude to isolation to
suicide, the enemy knows if he gets us alone we are more susceptible to his
lies and schemes to destroy us.
But God’s word tells us that it is
not good for man to be alone and He commands us to love our neighbors as
ourselves indicating that we are to have continuous relational contact with
others. The injunctions to not forsake
the fellowship of the saints commands us to gather for worship and the guidelines
for love, marriage, and raising children point to the flourishing that comes
from God’s design for families. Whether
you decide to marry or not is up to you, but nowhere in scripture does good recommend
a long term solitary existence as Christians are all called to go and make
disciples. God knows what we need and
gives us His wisdom to lead us into a life that is filled with the fruit of the
Spirit and all of those are best cultivated (especially patience) with others
in mind.
So yes I acknowledge the difficulties
that our human relationships can cause but the trials are meant to mature us,
to be wise and discerning with our hearts, and to choose the company and
fellowship of those who respect and follow the Lord. I
f someone isn’t following the Lord,
are you surprised they are selfish or abusive? Those who don’t have a
relationship with God through faith in Christ are worshipping false idols –
usually themselves – and will invariably show the foul fruit that comes from
following anything other than the God
who loved us enough to send His Son to die for us.
SO don’t believe the lie that you are
better off alone. It’s a trap from enemy! Instead choose to follow the Lord
into the company of the saints and those who need the good news and the good works
that you can give.
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For those who want more evidence for Christianity
than my simple apologetic will provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s
website, https://crossexamined.org/ .
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Today’s
Bible verse comes to us from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”.
This
morning’s meditation verses are:
Colossians
3:12-13 (NLT2)
12 Since God chose you to be
the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy,
kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
13 Make allowance for each
other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave
you, so you must forgive others.
Today’s verses encourage us to be kind, gentle, patient, and merciful with one another, to make allowances for each other’s faults and to forgive those who offend us – as we have been forgiven all things through Christ.
I don’t set these messages up but the Lord sure seems to be Sovereign at times when our “random” Bible verse of the day flows with the first part of the message.
So Instead of thinking you are better off alone – forgive the offenses of others and be kind, gentle, humble, patient, and merciful in your dealing with others.
Now if someone is toxic and refuses to follow the Lord and these basic instructions for human interaction, you may have to put up boundaries to limit or even end your interactions with them – thus “releasing them to Satan and possible repentance.
When following the Lord we
have to be uncompromising in our love for others but to remain in our company,
we need to be clear that the others must also reciprocate the kindness and
respect we provide.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I
always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to
assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.
Today we continue sharing from “Satan, Demons & Satanism: A Sinister
Reality” By June Hunt.
As always, I share this information for educational
purposes and encourage you all to purchase June Hunt’s books for your own
private study and to support her work. This resource is available online
for $7.99 (https://june-hunt.myshopify.com/collections/keys-for-living/products/keys-for-living-on-satan-demons-satanism_ ).
Satan, Demons & Satanism
A
Sinister Reality
by June Hunt
IV. Steps To Solution
G. Prevention
and Protection
Living in
victory over Satan is possible when we realize that our victory is in Jesus
Christ alone! We are engaged in a lifelong war with Satan, and often that
struggle involves our family and friends. Therefore, we need to be prepared at
all times so that we and those we love will not fall into the enemy’s hands.
“See to
it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which
depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than
on Christ.”
(Colossians
2:8)
• Be
aware—
Know that
satanic influence can touch any family.
• Be
knowledgeable—
Know what
the Bible says about Satan.
• Be
alert—
Be quick
to recognize signs and symptoms of satanic involvement.
• Be
loving—
Listen
for and hear feelings and emotions that are being communicated.
• Be
respectful—
Do not be
accusing or condemning.
• Be
involved—
Attend a
warm, Bible-believing, spiritually alert church.
• Be
tough—
Realistically
present the consequences of satanic involvement.
• Be
edifying—
Plan
activities and projects that build self-worth.
• Be in
contact—
Get
support from ministers, youth leaders and police experts.
• Be in
prayer—
Ask God
for a hedge of protection around your family.
“Be
self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring
lion looking for someone to devour.”
(1 Peter
5:8)
|
Pray
… |
|
Thank You,
Father, that I am Your child and that Christ, who is in me, is greater than
Satan, who is in the world. I acknowledge that Satan is a defeated enemy. He
was defeated when the blood of Christ was shed at Calvary. His blood paid for
the guilt of my sins. I am a child of God, and Satan has no authority over
me. I’ve been bought with a price. My body is not my own. It belongs to
Christ. I refuse all thoughts that are not from God, and I resist Satan and
his power. As I stand in the full armor of God, I ask You to bind Satan and
his demonic realm from any influence over me. Just as You put a hedge of
protection around Job, I ask that You put a hedge of protection completely
around me for the glory of Christ. In the precious name of Jesus, I pray.
Amen. |
Many a
buddy has jumped into the lake with his friend. While they are joined at the
wrists, the jump feels fun and free. But stop! This isn’t your buddy—he’s the
enemy of your soul. In the end, Satan and all his followers will be thrown into
the lake of fire—a lake of eternal torment day and night, for ever and ever.
Don’t be deceived. Don’t dabble in the demonic. Turn around, turn away and
never turn back! It’s a matter of life and death.
—June Hunt[1]
---------------------------more
tomorrow------------------------
Join our “Victory over the Darkness”, “The Bondage
Breaker”, "Freedom in Christ" series of Discipleship Classes via the
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at https://mt4christ247.podbean.com, You can also find it on Apple podcasts
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These teachings are also available on the
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Email me at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive the class materials, share your progress, and
to be encouraged.
My wife, TammyLyn, also offers Christian
encouragement via her Ask Seek Knock blog (https://tammylynask.blogspot.com/ ), her
Facebook Group: Ask, Seek, Knock (https://www.facebook.com/groups/529047851449098 ) and her podcast Ask, Seek, and Knock on
Podbean (https://feed.podbean.com/tammalyn78/feed.xml)
For those who require the assistance of a Deeper
Walk International Prayer Minister to experience healing or your freedom in
Christ, I highly recommend Christy Edge’s Life on the Edge Freedom Prayer
Ministry. You can schedule a session by going to : https://cedge216.wixsite.com/life-on-the-edge
“The views, opinions, and commentary of this
publication are those of the author, M.T. Clark, only, and do not purport to
reflect the opinions or views of any of the photographers, artists, ministries,
or other authors of the other works that may be included in this publication,
and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities the author
may represent.”
Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship
[1] June
Hunt, Biblical Counseling
Keys on Satan, Demons & Satanism: A Sinister Reality
(Dallas, TX: Hope For The Heart, 2008), 20–21.
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