Triggered by Doublemindedness & God’s Gift of
Peace – a Mindful of Christ Encouragement - Purity 1269
Purity 1269 02/08/2024 Purity 1269 Podcast
Purity 1269 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of a boardwalk pathway to Treasure
Island’s Sunset Beach comes to us from yours truly as I reached back into my phone's
photo archive this morning to share this scene from my honeymoon trip to Tampa
back on February 21st, 2022.
Well, it’s Thursday and I share this as a visual
reminder to my friends to get on or to stay on the path of Christian
Discipleship, as is my fairly regular habit on Thursdays, but I also share it
because I have Florida on the mind this morning because I am a week and a
wake-up away from getting on a plane to Orlando and Disney World. As excited as
I am for the trip I have to admit that I have some anxiety about the trip
because some of the details of my reservations have me wondering what exactly
is included in my vacation package and just how much I will have to pay in
addition to what I have paid already to meet my family’s needs while in the Magic
Kingdom. I am a simple guy and I just prefer to pay one cost for everything. The
“all-inclusive” option is preferred but upon examining the details of my
reservation and Disney dining plan, I am thoroughly confused about whether or
not how things will work and that causes me to lament “Why do things have to be
so complicated – or why do things have to be this way?
But I back off on asking that question because it
leads to discontentment and complaining – the antithesis to a life in the Spirit
– So I plan on being the “annoying guest” and calling later today to unapologetically
ask all my questions so I can know what I have signed myself up for in Orlando
for 6 nights and 7days. We perish for a
lack of knowledge and at this point, I need to know what the deal is. I want to know what the deal is and to
arrange my plans in a way that will meet my family’s needs or to prepare me for
those “extras” that are not included.
Once I know what I am in for, I can deal with it and be content.
Speaking of knowing what we signed up for and what
the deal is and being content, I will try not to come across as too angry in my
inquiries because I don’t want to complain. Last night, I got a stark example
of what being angry and discontented looks like and I realize that those
emotions are grounded in irrationality or selfishness as one of the participants
of Celebrate Freedom seemed to be having a bad day and seemed to be back to
square one of their recovery journey because they were being
double-minded.
After hearing about how they were angry about the
fact that they had to work and support their family and how life got to bedifficult
after having children and how they loved booze and how they couldn’t live in
alcoholic bliss was troubling and revealed that this person might be coming to
a recovery meeting but their heart and mind is torn in two as they are holding
onto a life they can’t have anymore. This person was angry about life in general.
For those who hate work or don’t like their jobs, let
me console you by saying “suck it up buttercup”. God’s plan for us was always to work.
Genesis 1:28 (NASB) tells us
28 God blessed them; and God
said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue
it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over
every living thing that moves on the earth."
Adam was given a job, before The
Fall, okay. Responsible people work, and
benefit from it – so focus on the positive, plan to get a different job if you
must, but know this : work no matter what you do will always be a challenge and
our peace comes not from what we do but how we perceive it – how we think about
it. IF we focus on the negative aspects
of work we will be unhappy, if we are thankful for the pay, benefits,
opportunities, and people we encounter at work – we can be content. So change your mind, because you are going to
have to work anyway and we can do it bitter, or we can do it better, by having
peace about our lot in life, knowing God approves of us working and it provides
for ourselves and our families.
And as for drunkenness, I like the
way the NLT puts it.
Ephesians 5:18 (NLT2) where it says
18 Don’t be drunk with wine,
because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy
Spirit,
Drunkenness will ruin your life and
in this person’s life that Biblical truth has come to pass because their
drunkenness has caused disharmony in their marriage to the point where they
have a choice to sober up or to find themselves divorced and separated from
their children.
This person is still holding on to
the lie that drunkenness is okay or a good thing that they are being denied
when in fact it is poison that causes pain to themselves and their family.
Our group shows people the pathway to
peace, but we can’t make you believe it and we can’t make you walk it out. Our friend is living a double-minded life and
hasn’t committed to changing his relationship to booze. They love it when they
should hate it. They want to keep it when they should let it go. They say they believe what God’s word says but
deny it with what they say and do. They believe but don’t follow.
In trying to encourage this person,
we were all thoroughly frustrated, not only at what was said, what they were
saying was irrational and selfish, but it wasn’t the first time we heard it. We
covered this ground before and they cycled back to it – because they obviously
dismissed what we have said, and still believe they can have life both ways
when they can’t.
In their parting words, they spoke
disdainfully regarding whether or not they could have peace in following the
Lord which is sad because it betrays their lack of faith and their failure to
see that their current actions and attitudes are what are stealing their peace
and that staying the same isn’t an option anymore. Things will get better, or
things will get worse, but they won’t to stay the same. I know that following
the Lord might be tough at first, but I know that God is the one who gives us
the gift of peace. Which brings me to
sharing Mindful of Christ’s Lauren Roskilly’s “Word for Wednesday” from this
week – which is based on:
John
14:27 (NLT2) which says:
27 “I
am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a
gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
Lauren’s short message is “God’s gift of peace is
for you” and she writes:
“Do you experience an almighty
sense of peace whatever trouble you go through?
Do you know that it is possible?
Jesus himself, in this verse, says
that we can.
It is through Jesus and the gift of
the Holy Spirit that you can.
Whatever trouble, stressful
situations, anxiety, worry or fear you go through, if you turn your attention,
focus and thoughts over to Jesus and Gods presence, ask the Holy Spirit to fill
you, you can know and be filled with this awesome gift of peace.
Regularly turn to Jesus and
meditate on him and his word and discover for yourself your stress levels drop
and this awesome peace increases.”
It’s a simple instruction, meditate on Jesus and God’s word and
you will discover peace. So if you are
angry and discontented, stop being double-minded and agree with and live by the
truth of God’s word and the peace that goes beyond all understanding will be
yours.
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For
those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple encouragements provide,
I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .
Today’s
Bible verses come to us from “The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling” By
John G. Kruis.
(
While Bible verses on various topics of Counseling can be found with a quick
Google search, we encourage you to purchase this resource to support the late
author’s work. (https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Scripture-Reference-Counseling-Kruis-ebook/dp/B00CIUJZT2?ref_=ast_author_dp )
This
morning’s meditation verse comes from the section on Communication, Gossip, and
Lying.
Proverbs 19:9 (NIV2011)
9 A false witness will not go
unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish.
Today’s
verse falls under the tenth point of our counseling reference guide resource’s
section on Communication,
Gossip, and Lying.
10. Lying will be
punished.
Today’s
verse tells us that the liar will perish.
And because I am short on time I will cut to the chase by sharing:
Revelation 21:8 (NLT2) that tells us
8 “But cowards, unbelievers,
the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol
worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
This is the second death.”
All
liars, whose sins have not been covered by the blood of Jesus are fated to go
into the lake of fire with Satan.
So repent, tell the truth, and make sure you put your faith Jesus, so your lies will be forgiven, and you won’t perish because of them.
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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 “According to Your
Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament” By Stephen F. Olford – A
Collection of Devotional Journals: 1940-1941.
As always, I share this information for educational
purposes and encourage you all to purchase Olford’s books for your own
private study and to support his work. This resource is available online
for less than $10 at many sites.
MORNING READING: MARK 1
“There comes One after me who is
mightier than I,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down
and loose.” – Mark 1:7
The stooping to unloose the strap of a sandal was the
meanest job for the lowest servant. Yet John the Baptist says, “I am not worthy
even to do that.” He says that he was not worthy even to stoop down. Stooping
down was humility itself, but John says that he was not worthy to take such a
high place (though humanly speaking it was the lowest place).
Here, surely, was real humility. And because of it, the
Lord exalted John the Baptist to the highest place of honor. For He said
concerning him that John was the greatest born of women (Matt. 11:11).
Notice also, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and
he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Matt. 23:12).
“Humble yourselves in the sight of
the Lord,
and He will lift you up.”
–James 4:10[1]
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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)
“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]
Stephen Olford and Heather Olford, According to Your
Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament, A Collection of Devotional
Journals 1940-1941 (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2008).