You’re No Good– Lies of the Enemy #28– Purity
1040
Purity 1040 05/10/2023 Purity 1040 Podcast
Purity 1040 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of an asphalt pathway running into the distance
surrounded by vibrant green trees and under a blue sky comes to us from Kat Flynn-Clark,
my sister in law, who made the best of the bad situation of having to take my
brother Matt to his physical therapy appointment following his hip replacement
surgery, by getting in a work out of her own on the rail trail that just
happened to run behind the doctor’s office.
Well it’s Thursday and I share Kat’s rail trail pathway
photo as a visual reminder or encouragement to stay on or get on the path of
Christian Discipleship. My brother and
sister in law’s situation actually points to some principles that we can apply
to our Christian walk and that relate to “recovery” which I spoke on last night
at Starpoint Church’s Celebrate Freedom Growth Group.
I share photos of pathways because Thursday was the night
that I originally went into Christian Recovery and served at the recovery and
discipleship ministries that I taught at and eventually directed at my old
church. But since migrating to Starpoint
Church after my marriage, I have now lead discipleship ministry on Tuesdays,
and after last night, have led a recovery/discipleship ministry on Wednesday
night! So as much as Thursdays are “pathway”
photo days, my winding path properly
reflects the fact that our walk with the Lord really is 24/7 and changes are to
be expected as we keep walking and talking with God.
But back to Kat and Matt’s “story”. Matt is my eldest brother,
and he will be 55 in September. I don’t know the underlying causes of his need
for hip replacement surgery, but I do know that he was suffering a significant
amount of pain which led to his current course of treatment. While
I don’t know his prognosis either, we can assume that his surgery was
successful and that an adherence to the physical therapy will result in healing
and recovery. In Matt’s story, he had
to recognize the problem and take action to correct it. If I recall correctly, when I last saw him in
December there were concerns about his hip and now he has gotten it “fixed”. Being a guy and knowing my family’s penchant
for stubbornness, I have to imagine that my brother probably had a significant
period of “suffering in silence” and “living in denial” as Matt is fiercely
independent and was somewhat proud of his physical health. Plus Matt is only 54 years old and I can only
imagine how there must have been a lot of rejection of the idea that he would
need to get hip replacement surgery. But
in the end, my brother did what was best for his health and humbled himself to
rely on others, the doctors, physical therapists, and his wife, in order to get
“well again.”
Our bodies and emotions tell us when we need help, and I am
here to encourage everyone when things “aren’t right” to say something to someone
and to get the help you need.
As for Kat, she is helping her husband with his recovery but
even in meeting that responsibility (or burden), she also decided to take care
of herself by going for a walk and enjoying the pleasant weather. Kat’s example
shows us to make the best of our situations and to care for ourselves by
finding joy where we can.
While I didn’t really think of Matt and Kat last night as I
taught at Celebrate Freedom, I could have because I was encouraging the group
to recognize their situations, to step out of denial, and to utilize the group
to receive the help and support available to them and to be intentional about
establishing a daily spiritual practice where they do some “self-care” by practicing
quieting, appreciation, and renewing their minds with the what the truth of God
word says about who they are in Christ.
I also encouraged them to attach relationally with the group members –
to share one another’s burdens and to attach to God as their Lord, Savior,
Helper, and Friend.
I especially tried to encourage the group in this last point
because often our ideas about God or our relationship with Him are not based on
truth. As “sinners saved by grace” many
Christians think that God is mad at them or barely tolerates them. They believe the lie that even though they
are Christians they are still “No Good”
and not are worthy of God’s or anyone else’s love.
And this 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
#28: You’re NO GOOD!
This
Lie is deeply rooted in those of us that have low self esteem and or a history
of bad behavior. We know our thoughts and we know the bad things we have done
before. We may consider ourselves evil, twisted, broken, or dysfunctional as we
may have a history of disappointments, rejection, or failures.. We may think of
ourselves as “criminal minded” as we have done things our way rather than God’s
way or the ways of a law abiding citizen. No matter what specific things we
have done or thought about doing, our final assessment of ourselves is that we
are just NO GOOD.
“You’re
no good, you’re no good, you’re no good baby you’re no good” I’m gonna say it again…. “
Now
I will grant that our permanent records and our past thought life, could
clearly indicate that we “we’re no good.” And I will allow that your present
thoughts and actions, could be added to the testimony that “You’re no good.”
BUT
– in Christ you are a NEW creation.
2
Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
17 Therefore, if anyone is
in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold,
all things have become new.
Also
Romans 8:1 (NKJV) Tells us
1 There is therefore
now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according
to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
So
if you have put your faith in Christ, you are a new creation and there is no condemnation
– IF you walk in the Spirit.
Although
we are made brand new the moment we put our faith in Christ, we won’t know it
unless we make the decision to start thinking and living according to our new
life as Christians.
Those
impure, foul, evil, sarcastic, or negative thoughts we have to go. Those selfish or sinful attitudes and
actions need to leave. Our old thoughts and behaviors need to “pass away”
otherwise the enemy has foothold in our lives and strongholds in our minds that
pollute us with “toxic thoughts” that cause us to experience frustration, anger,
anxiety, and depression and that drive us to our old sinful ways of
coping.
But
if we renew our minds by thinking about what is good, pure, and holy and accept
what God word says about who we are in Christ, our thoughts will tell us that “the
old person” we once were dead and gone and all the condemnation that we used to
lay on ourselves is no longer true. In
Christ all our sin is forgiven (past, present, and future!) and we have the
assurance of eternal in His kingdom, but we won’t experience the peace and joy
that flow from our new spiritual lives if we don’t:
A:
Believe it
B:
Live according to it!
We
need to renew our minds to embrace the blessed lives that we have been given
and to walk out of the shadows of our past by walking into the light of living
a simple and righteous life of truth and integrity. When we think on the truth and live
according to the truth of who we are in Christ, our thoughts, emotions, and
actions will reflect the light that the Lord has given us through His love for
us. Our new lives in Christ will produce
the fruit of the Spirit – peace, love, joy, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness,
patience, and self-control. We will experience the abundant life – here and now
– that Christ came to give us.
So
don’t believe the lie that “You’re No Good”.
You are a new creation in Christ, so think on it, believe it, and live
it by walking and talking with God every day.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For those who want more evidence for Christianity
than my simple apologetic will provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s
website, https://crossexamined.org/ .
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today’s
Bible verse comes to us from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”.
This
morning’s meditation verse is :
Romans 10:15 (NLT2)
15 And how will anyone go and
tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful
are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”
Today’s verse encourages us that we become beautiful in the eyes of those who receive the good news of salvation and freedom that come through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
Our resource only shared the last part of this verse on the “beautiful feet of the messengers who bring good news.” And it is true – our message is beautiful, and we can’t help to be beautiful to those who desperately need it. – So preach the gospel, but I also want to comment on the first part of the verse on “being sent”.
Christ’s commission to go and make disciples in Matthew 28:19-20 is for all of us. So we consider ourselves “sent” – we don’t need permission or a special calling or equipping to share the good news. The best “apologetic” is telling people “what the Lord has done for me”. Tell people your salvation story . Tell people how God has helped you. Tell people how God has changed you. Tell people how God has worked in other people’s lives that you know about. All of these “little testimonies” are beautiful true stories of the living God, alive and well in the world. They give glory to God and could move someone to put their faith in Jesus.
So consider yourself “sent” and “equipped (no one has your experience!) and go show the world your “beautiful feet” by telling everyone of the gospel of Jesus Christ according to the word of God and according to what you have seen, heard, and experienced in your walk of faith.
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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
C. See
How Satan’s Power Is Limited
Don’t
make the common mistake of assuming that God and Satan possess the same power—or
that the power of Satan is equal to the power of God. Nothing could be further
from the truth. Cast out of the heavenly realms to roam the earth, Satan has
been given power, but only to the degree that the Lord allows. In the first
chapter of the Book of Job, a dialogue between God and Satan confirms that
Satan’s activity is limited and always requires the sovereign permission of
God.
• Satan
cannot be everywhere.
“The Lord
said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the Lord, ‘From roaming through the earth
and going back and forth in it.’ ” (Job 1:7)
• Satan
has no absolute power over a believer’s possessions.
“Then the Lord
said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth
like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.’
‘Does Job fear God for nothing?’ Satan replied. ‘Have you not put a hedge
around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work
of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But
stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse
you to your face.’ ” (Job 1:8–11)
• Satan
has no absolute power over a believer’s body.
“The Lord
said to Satan, ‘Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the
man himself do not lay a finger.’ Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.” (Job 1:12)
• Satan
has no absolute power over a believer’s life.
“Then the Lord
said to Satan.… ‘[Job] still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against
him to ruin him without any reason.’ ‘Skin for skin!’ Satan replied. ‘A man
will give all he has for his own life. But stretch out your hand and strike his
flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.’ The Lord said to Satan, ‘Very well, then, he
is in your hands; but you must spare his life.’ ” (Job 2:3–6)
• Satan
must obey Jesus.
“Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For
it is written: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” ’ Then the
devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” (Matthew 4:10–11)
• Satan
must ask permission to tempt a believer.
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as
wheat.” (Luke 22:31)
• Satan
has to leave if he is resisted.
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the
devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)
• Satan
cannot protect his followers.
“Then he [Jesus, the King] will say to those
on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire
prepared for the devil and his angels.’ ” (Matthew 25:41)
• Satan
cannot prevent his own demise.
“The devil, who deceived them, was thrown
into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been
thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation
20:10)
Q “Does Satan have the power to know our thoughts?”
The Bible
says that only God has the power to know the hearts of all men. Although Satan
is highly intelligent (Ezekiel 28:12), he is still a created angel, and
creatures do not have the divine attributes of God. King Solomon, known for his
exceptional wisdom, states this about the Lord,
“You [God] alone know the hearts of all men.”
(1 Kings 8:39)[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
MT4Christ247 You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MT4Christ247
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), 14–15.
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