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Showing posts with label 1Thessalonians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1Thessalonians. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Familiar Things that Give Us Peace & Seeking Our Constant – Purity 679


 Familiar Things that Give Us Peace & Seeking Our Constant – Purity 679

Purity 679 03/15/2022  Purity 679 Podcast

Good morning,

Today’s photo of a spectacular afternoon sky and a prism rainbow shining above the glass topped peaked building that, I now know, stands at 625 Broadway in Albany NY, comes to us from yours truly as I was moved to take a “blind shot” and captured this sight while I kept at least one eye on the road during my afternoon commute rolling down 787 on the way back home on March 8th.  

Thanks to a determined search of Google Maps this morning I was able to learn the address of this building, that houses the “Hudson Valley River Greenway” and an office of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation

I was shocked that my google searches for “glass topped peaked building near 787 in Albany NY” failed to retrieve any images of this building.  The building at 625 Broadway may not be the tallest in Albany but the way that peaked roof stands out, and is a great compliment to the setting sun in the afternoon, caused me to admire it on several occasions. When I see that glass peak, I know I am not far from crossing the Hudson River to make my way home.   

Well, it’s Tuesday and since I am on my “working vacation” that sends me in the opposite direction to cross the Rip Van Winkle Bridge into Greene County I won’t be seeing my “pointy” friend until next week but when I looked at this photo this morning I could still remember how seeing this building at the end of the work day always seems to give me that measure of peace and hope that is familiar to all of us. 

We may travel different paths but if we think about it we all have that point in our day when we know that the workday is done and we are headed home that is uniquely ours.  As our workdays consume a good portion of our lives, that “end of the workday time and place” can become dear to us as it becomes a constant of our routine and if a change sends us away from it we can even mourn it’s exit from our lives.   

For 20 years I commuted a different way to Albany, so that familiar routine of going over the Patroon Island Bridge and heading East on I-90 has been replaced by going south of 787 and seeing this building that I admired enough to want to know where it stood.  It’s funny how these things become a part of our lives and touch our hearts.    

Anyway, my training as a Psychiatric Tech for the Mobile Crisis Assessment Team of Columbia & Greene Counties is underway and one thing that stood out to me so far that we try to use to keep clients away from depressive episodes that could lead them to suicidal thoughts or angry thoughts that could result in acts of self-harm or violence is to talk with them and to discuss the things in their lives that they enjoy and give them peace. We prompt people in crisis to remember the people, places, and things that are good in their life and to engage them when sad, bitter, anxious, angry, or condemning thoughts come.

When we can remember the things that are good and bring us peace, we can avoid negative mind states and regretful actions.  So a good deal of what the agency I work for does is to keep people grounded in “the good” in their lives that can testify that they are okay. 

The wellness calls and hospital discharge follow ups that we do remind people that they are okay now, that there are good things in their lives, and that there are people that care about them.  These simple reminders are literally helping people to survive, and I am humbled to be a part of it.  

I know the power of encouragement and focusing on the good and when we raise our awareness to know that there is a God that stands behind and sustains everything that is good, and who knows and loves us personally, we can be encouraged all the more.  

That’s why I encourage people to seek the Lord.  Just like I had to know where that “good building” on my afternoon commute stood, we should seek the source of all the good things in life, and all goodness in general. 

When we seek God, we will find Him and when we find Him we can discover that there is no “bad day” that can separate us from His love. His presence in our lives can give us the perspective and the strength to reject the thoughts that would lead us into darkness.            

So keep walking and talking with God. He will remind us of all the good things in life and will encourage us to enjoy them, but He will also remind us that even if things in life change and we are separated from those familiar things that give us peace, He is still there and He will always be there regardless of our changing circumstances to provide us with the peace that comes from knowing His unending love.    ______________________________________________________________________

If you are interested in taking an online course with Freedom in Christ Ministries below you will find the course options for our Spring Session. The classes will meet for 1.5-2 hours once a week for 12 weeks starting the first full week of April. Our prayer is that you will be able to set aside time for one of these wonderful courses. They truly are life changing!

 

Spring registration is now open! We are offering these times.

1.     Women’s Group, Starting Wednesday, April 6 at 10:00 AM EDT.

2.     Women’s Group, Starting Friday, April 8 at 10:30 AM EDT.

3.     Men’s Group, Starting Tuesday, April 5 at 7:00 PM EDT.

4.     Men's Group, Starting Thursday, April 7 at 6:30 PM EDT.

5.     CO-ED SPANISH SPEAKING Group, Starting Tuesday, April 5 at 7:00 PM EDT.

6.     CO-ED Group, Starting Thursday, April 7 at 7:00 PM EDT.

 

If you are interested in taking the Freedom in Christ Course, please click the Sign-up Form link below to register for your desired course time.

Sign-up Form

 

We encourage you to order your books now through the FICM online Bookstore at Freedominchrist.com. You will need the Freedom in Christ Course Participant’s Guide and The Steps to Freedom in Christ booklet. 

 

For the SPANISH participant's book click here. For the SPANISH Steps to Freedom click here or search SPG004-1 in the bookstore search bar.

                       

All materials and shipping should cost you no more than $25.

 

Once registration has closed, you will receive an introduction email confirming your course time and giving you additional information about your instructor and how the course works.

  

Sign up and order your books today! Class registration will close on Sunday, March 27

______________________________________________________________________

 

Today’s Bible verse come to us from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”.

This morning’s meditation verse is :

1 Thessalonians 3:7 (NLT2)
7  So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith.

Today’s Bible verse reminds us of the great encouragement we can have even in the midst of our troubles and sufferings when we remain strong in our faith.   

Wow, I really don’t plan these messages but I think the Lord might have an idea about how things will turn out. 

Staying strong in our faith is the act of reminding ourselves of who God is and who we are in Christ because of our relationship with Him.  

The good people, places, and things that we experience in life will change from time to time, but He never will. God is our constant. He doesn’t change.  We can stand on His word, in His love, and with Him in our midst at all times.  

When the going gets tough, I don’t know who might “get going” but I know God will be there.  The Bible speaks of waiting on the Lord and Abiding in Christ and the only reason the word of God can advise us to do these things is because we can count on the Lord to never leave us or forsake us, and because of His infinite nature we can always draw upon His strength and stand in His presence.  

So be greatly encouraged because the Lord is with you.  If you remain strong in your faith in Him, He will give you peace and He will see you through all the troubles of this life and will welcome you into His kingdom forever more.

 

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 June Hunt’s Overeating: Freedom from Food Fixation.  

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 his work.  This resource is available on many websites for less than $5.00.

B. What Is Compulsive Eating?

The fanaticism for fatty foods in the 1980s didn’t just tip the scales—it set new world records. Manuel Uribe went on a saturated fat and sugar spree and earned a title that landed him in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “World’s Fattest Man.” At 1,230 pounds, Manuel was the embodiment of compulsive eating … a man completely out of control.

Compulsive eating triggered another catastrophic consequence for Manuel. He turned to liposuction to improve his appearance, but his damaged lymph nodes left giant tumors on his legs—so weighty that he couldn’t walk. Manuel readily pointed to one source for his sorrows: “It is all because of the junk food.”

Eventually Manuel became determined to no longer be the world’s heaviest man. With serious dietary changes, he dropped his weight to around 700 pounds and then set his sights on a new title: “World’s Greatest Loser of Weight.” What a change of focus!

Those like Manuel who need powerful help to control their compulsive eating can find invaluable strength from our powerful God.…

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”

(Isaiah 40:29)

     Compulsive eating is uncontrolled overeating based on satisfying emotional hunger, not physical hunger.

     Compulsive eating is a seemingly irresistible impulse to eat.

     Compulsive eating is a food addiction that can result in a physical disorder and even death.…

“For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.”

(Proverbs 5:23)

Overeating and Addictions

Question: “Spiritually, is there a difference between a food addiction and other addictions, such as smoking, gambling, or drinking?”

Answer: No, the Bible places them in the same category, although the physical ramifications can be more serious with certain addictions. The biblical book on wisdom states …

“Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.”

(Proverbs 23:20–21)

C. What Is Binge Eating?

“It’s like having a pair of arms around you.” That’s how Diana, Princess of Wales, described the comfort she felt after consuming large amounts of food. Before dying in a car crash in 1997, Princess Diana struggled for years with bulimia … and knew all too well how those “comforting arms” could quickly turn constrictive and smothering.

Although she was considered the most popular woman in the world, it was not unusual for Princess Diana to binge up to five times a day, gorging herself with food … and then purging. While this futile cycle consumed her life, her lack of self-control turned to self-loathing. At times, she surely could have identified with Job.…

“I despise my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone; my days have no meaning.”

(Job 7:16)

     Bingeing” is a period of unrestrained indulgence and most often refers to binge eating and drinking, but can also refer to binge shopping and gambling.

     Binge eating can easily become an addictive behavior.

   Binge eaters who don’t purge typically experience great weight gain.

   Binge eaters who do purge through vomiting or excessive laxative use are “bulimics” who often experience severe health hazards, including death.

     Bingeing in the Bible comes with a warning against overindulgence.

“If you find honey, eat just enough—too much of it, and you will vomit.”

(Proverbs 25:16)

Oh, that Princess Diana would have turned to the Lord’s “everlasting arms,” which would have forever embraced her in unconditional love as described in the Bible.…

“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”

(Deuteronomy 33:27)[1]

 

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

Join our “Victory over the Darkness”, “The Bondage Breaker”, "Freedom in Christ" 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. 

These teachings are also available on the MT4Christ247 You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTxjSNstREpuGWuL0bF3U7w/featured

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 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)

Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship



[1] June Hunt, Biblical Counseling Keys on Overeating: Freedom from Food Fixation (Dallas, TX: Hope For The Heart, 2008), 3–4.

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Forgiveness and the License to Love – Purity 584

Purity 584 Podcast


Forgiveness and the License to Love –  Purity 584

Purity 584 11/24/2021  Purity 584 Podcast

Good morning

Today’s photo of the surf and fading sun from the shores of Myrtle Beach comes to us from a friend’s late October trip there to get some R&R with some family which included “getting high” via a helicopter tour of the South Carolina shore area.   

Don’t freak out but it’s official Thanksgiving Eve!  Yep it’s that day when people all across the country will be taking planes, trains, and automobiles to reunite with family and friends to celebrate our national holiday of feasting in the spirit of gratitude.  As some will be travelling today, others will be cleaning the house and making deserts and other treats in preparation of tomorrow’s festivities.  

As we travel and meet up with friends and family tonight and prepare our homes for tomorrow’s day of thanks, I would encourage my friends to also prepare their hearts as we come together and will officially be entering the Holiday season as Santa will be coming to town as part of the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.  

Let’s be sure to prepare ourselves emotionally and mentally for tomorrow by reminding ourselves that the people we will be seeing and who may be testing our patience at times are our loved ones and that we will not have them in our lives forever.  

If we remember the brevity of life and all that we receive through our relationships, we can appreciate our family and friends and be thankful for them in our lives.

Let’s also be aware that some of the people in our circle may not be so thankful because of recent traumatic losses and other difficulties of life.   

Try to be compassionate with those who are suffering by being present with them and sensitive to their needs for patience, understanding, and love.   Reach out to those who have suffered losses in the last year to let them know you are thinking about them and offer to spend some time with them or to help them in whatever way you can. 

And finally let’s also endeavor to listen to the commands of Jesus in the Lord’s prayer to “forgive those who trespass against us”.   

A lot can happen in a year in our relationships and the changing circumstances of our lives.  Our relational interactions are not always smooth and by the time Thanksgiving rolls around we could be harboring a lot of bitterness, envy, or offense because of what people have said, done, or caused us to make us feel criticized, rejected, or unaccepted in some ways. 

This morning as I started to prepare for a holiday meal for me and my children and was gathering the documents I need in order to pick up the license for my upcoming marriage, I felt convicted in my spirit to “get right with God”.   

Through all the changes and twists in turns of my life in the past several months, there has been many instances where I have felt offense or sensed difficulties in several of my relationships. 

The Holy Spirit convicted me to get cleansed of any bitterness or animosity that I was holding on to that was subtly influencing how I was feeling about various people in my life.

So this morning I pulled out a copy of The Steps to Freedom in Christ and decided to recommit myself to following the Lord by doing a spiritual housecleaning that includes forgiving others from the heart.  

As I went through the various prayers I was amazed at how much I had to process with the Holy Spirit as the list of people I need to forgive was quite extensive! Any slight, offense, or less than harmonious feelings toward others came to the surface and regardless of whether I was sure of someone’s intentions or not, I put them on my list and forgave each and every one of them.   

People don’t always react the way we expect them to or support us in the ways we would like and while we may adjust to disappointments and overcome to move on, those offenses and disappointments that we experience can build up and cause us to make our view of the other people suffer. 

Instead of forgiving our friends and family that offend us, we re-categorize them as people who “don’t really love us” or as people we can’t trust.   It is one thing to protect ourselves and to be aware of other people’s limitations and it is another thing to draw away from them relationally and hold attitudes of contempt towards them.   As much as we may think we are protecting ourselves by keeping others at arm’s length, those feelings of bitterness or attitudes of rejection that we are holding onto towards others actually hurt us.  By not forgiving from the heart, we hurt ourselves. 

So to thoroughly enjoy tomorrow’s holiday of Thanksgiving and to walk into the holiday season beyond with joy, choose to forgive from the heart all those who have offended you in the past year by following this simple prayer drawn from the Steps to Freedom in Christ.  Make a list of all the people you need to forgive and then for each one pray:  

Dear Heavenly Father, 

I choose to forgive _(person’s name)____   for ___ (the offense)___ because it made me feel _(share the painful feelings – hurt, rejected, unaccepted, belittled, angry etc. )__.

After you have gone through everyone on your list, pray the following prayer:

Lord Jesus,

I choose to not hold on to my resentment. I relinquish my right to seek revenge and ask you to heal my damaged emotions. Thank You for setting me free from the bondage of unforgiveness. I now ask You to bless those who have hurt me. 

In Jesus’ name I pray,  Amen.  

When we forgive others and release them from our feelings of resentment, we set our selves free to live and love the way God wants us to.   We are never more like God when we choose to forgive. 

Forgiveness gives us a license to love. 

Chances are that you picked up some bitterness and resentments over the last year and the Lord can give you the power to unburden yourself of them and to experience a renewed sense of peace and freedom. So keep walking and talking with God, and you will continue to discover the new and abundant life is something we can progressively experience when we walk in His ways.  


Today’s Bible verse is drawn from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”.  

This morning’s meditation verse is:

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (NLT2)
23  Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.
24  God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.

 

Today’s verse speaks of the spiritual reality that the work done in us to make us holy is performed by God.  

One of the biggest spiritual misunderstandings that exists in the world and in some parts of Christendom is the idea that we have to work to be approved by God.   

Ephesians 2:8-9 make it clear that we are saved by grace and that our salvation is not a reward for the good things we do. Our salvation is a gift from God, a gift we don’t really deserve.   Our salvation is a work performed by God.  

Likewise the process of sanctification, where we become holy, is also a gift from God.   Today’s verse tells us that God will make us holy because He is faithful, not us.  

After coming to faith in Jesus Christ, we are made spiritually alive by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we are given eternal life and the power to say no to sin.  

As much as we may pride ourselves on our newfound abilities to overcome the sin that had entrapped us, we should realize that we are only exercising the gift that the Lord has given us and that we should thank Him for the power we now have.  

Our power of sanctification lies in faith.  We have an increased ability to overcome sin and negative mind states that is directly proportional to our belief that we have been given the victory. If we believe it, we receive the victory over anything that would entrap us or hold us back.  

While we must agree with what God has said about us in His word as His adopted children, and we must act according to that truth, it is still God who is the One who gave us the power to be sanctified.

God will make our sanctification happen because He is faithful. If you are His, He will perform your sanctification even if it isn’t realized until your glorification.  Your sanctification is going to happen one way or another, whether you resist it or not. 

But the thing is that our faith is not a religion, our faith is a relationship. So because God has already given us the victory and promise of sanctification, we can choose to cooperate with God and experience our sanctification sooner rather than later.  While we won’t necessarily be sinlessly perfect, we can enjoy an increasing measure of sanctification if we decide to live according to God’s word.  

So thank the Lord for the gift of our ultimate sanctification. Rejoice! But while your rejoicing, make the decision to accept your gift of sanctification now by turning from the world’s ways and by living for God and His kingdom by believing what God’s word says and by choosing to live by it.  

The gift of sanctification is ours.  So let’s open it up by believing God’s word and walking in the way we should go.    

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 sharing from June Hunt’s “Evil and Suffering… Why? Is God Fair?

 

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.

 

C. Key Questions and Answers about Salvation

Question: "Since the greatest good for mankind is that all people be saved, how can a good God send anyone to hell?"

Answer: God does want everyone to be saved. However, for people to be saved, they must freely choose to put their faith in Christ.

  • Because God has given you free will, it would be impossible for Him to force you to place your faith in Him.
  • People cannot be free and forced at the same time because that is a contradiction, making it an absolute or intrinsic impossibility.

While God desires that no one should perish, God has given you the free choice to repent of sinful ways and yield your life to Him. The Lord Jesus lamented ...

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." (Matthew 23:37)

 

Question: "Why are some people saved and others lost?"

Answer: God's desire is that everyone would come to salvation through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This point is made plain in 1 Timothy 2:3-4, "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." Yet God will not force Himself on anyone. Everyone has the opportunity to accept or reject His free gift of eternal life. God clearly states ...

"You will seek me [God] and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)

 

Question: "Would God send someone to hell who never heard of Jesus Christ?"

Answer: All human beings receive "a candle of light" from God.

  • If you refuse to respond to the natural revelation of creation made by a God of intelligent design, your heart could become darkened and you may not be receptive to more light.
  • If you respond to general/natural revelation of creation, He will illumine the revelation of Himself. Light rejected brings darkness and judgment. Light received brings the promise of more light. (Read Psalm 9:10; Psalm 19:1-6; Jeremiah 29:13; Luke 12:47-48; John 3:19-20; Romans 1:18-20; 10:14-15.)

"The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men ... The Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever." (Titus 2:11; 1 Chronicles 28:9)

 

Question: "How can a good God send people to hell who do not want to go there?"

Answer: Those who go to hell choose to go there by the decisions they make regarding God and their relationship to Him. God then honors those choices because He cannot do otherwise. C.S. Lewis wrote, "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, 'Thy will be done.' All that are in hell, choose it."

"The Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment." (2 Peter 2:9)

Question: "Wouldn't a fair God give people a second chance to believe in Him after death?"

Answer: God gives second and third chances—in fact, He gives many opportunities in this lifetime. But realize...

  • Salvation is based on faith—choosing what is unseen, not what is seen.
  • After death, you immediately see the consequence of your choice because the Bible says when Christians are "absent from the body," we are "present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8 KJV). Death eliminates the need for faith.
  • "Saving faith" willingly bows the knee to Christ when the option is available to do otherwise.
  • Even up to the last minute on earth, everyone has the option to receive Christ. However, at death, every knee will bow, without an option to do anything else. In order be totally fair, God plainly communicated His plan in the Bible. There are no first or second chances in the next life. Hebrews 9:27 says ... "Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment."

Question: "How can I escape suffering throughout eternity?"

Answer: No one can escape evil and suffering in this life (John 16:33). You can and should expect trials and tribulations, problems, and pain. Yet God, because of His compassion, promises to be your "ever-present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).

But make no mistake: Your suffering is designed to be temporary—to come to an end. While there is a suffering that lasts throughout eternity, He has a plan to save you from that suffering. Eternal suffering takes place in the "eternal fire"—a place called hell (Matthew 25:41).

  • Those who never want to be with God in this life have, in fact, already chosen to live without God in the next life. And those who choose not to live God's way in this life have, in fact, already chosen not to accept God's way into the next life.

His perfect plan, however, is that we all escape such suffering.

"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)

Biblical Counseling Keys: Evil and Suffering... Why?: Why God? Why?.

---------------------------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