Purity 364 03/12/2021 Purity 364 Podcast
Good morning and Thank God It’s Friday!
That’s what is great
about life: that God gives us a free will that allows us to change our
circumstances. If you’re discontented
with New York winters, you can take steps to leave them behind for good. This is just one example of course of the fact
that we can make goals and work towards them to move into something new.
Believe me, in the not
so distant past, I was faced with what seemed like insurmountable problems that
included addiction, financial debt, and broken relationships. But through out
it all I trusted in the Lord and communed with Him daily in prayer speaking my
heart’s desires and frustrations.
I didn’t even know what
the specifics of the plan was to be honest, but I did everything that I could
do on a daily basis towards a better life, leaning on the Lord every step of
the way. The Lord gave me His wisdom,
strength, and love when I desperately need it and He guided me to deliverance.
Today, those problems
are in the past and I am dedicated to encouraging others to seek the Lord and
to follow where He leads because I know that when you do, He will lead you to
better places and give you the strength, wisdom, and love you need while you
get there. And that’s why I will
share:
Psalm
113:3 (NKJV)
3 From the rising of the sun to its
going down The LORD'S name is
to be praised.
Praise the Lord in good times and bad. If you are in a dark place, make a plan and follow that small glimmer of hope. Trust the Lord and He will see you through.
We made
it to the end of another week, so rejoice and enjoy your weekend to the fullest!
(An Audio version of this message is available
at https://mt4christ247.podbean.com, you
can also find it on Apple podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mt4christ247s-podcast/id1551615154) and
Google podcasts (https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL210NGNocmlzdDI0Ny9mZWVkLnhtbA%3D%3D).)
There is more content at the restricted blog. Follow me on Twitter or MeWe for
easy access. Blog M T 4 Christ dot org –
This is where the Facebook post ends.)
This morning’s meditation
verse is:
Hebrews 11:6
(NKJV)
6 But without faith it is
impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He
is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Today’s verse was used in last night’s discipleship class as we were discussing faith and three aspects of faith. Those aspects were that:
1.
Faith
must have an object – You must have faith in someone or something. You can’t
just have faith in faith. Of course, God
and His Word are the perfect faith object because He is the creator of the
universe and the author of all truth.
2.
The level
of your faith is dependent upon how well you know your faith object. So to have
a stronger or deeper faith in God we should endeavor to know more about Him and
His ways through studying His word. The
more you know the more you grow.
3. Faith is an action word. Our faith is proven by the way we act. Faith in Christ should be acted upon with a changed life being the result. Good works are also way to act out our fait
All three of these points are evident in Hebrews
11:6, as it tells us that:
· “he who comes to God must believe that He is” –
which points to us taking our faith and placing it in Him through Jesus Christ –
Making God/Jesus Christ the object of our faith.
· And then “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” which points to our both our “taking action with our faith” and our efforts to know Him more to grow in our faith.
This verse also assures us that our faith pleases God, which not only indicates that faith is the means to our salvation, but also suggests that God is calling us to continuously grow our faith by seeking Him. If we do so, this verse promises that we will be rewarded. And believe me, I have diligently sought the Lord over the past 10 years, and I can tell you that I have been rewarded in countless ways.
So let me encourage you to walk in the Spirit, by setting the intention to grow your faith by seeking to know God more, not by just studying the Bible, although you should definitely do that, like continuously, but also by looking at your everyday life and seeing where you could benefit from changing your ways to God’s way.
Life transformation comes from practicing what we preach. It comes from not only renewing our mind but also from giving our hearts to God. When you do that you are placing your faith in God and living through the power of the Holy Spirit.
I invite all to mt4chritst.org where I always share
insights from prominent Christian counselors to assist my brothers and sisters
in Christ with their walk.
Today we will share from Dr. June Hunt’s Biblical Counseling Keys on “Anger:
Facing the Fire Within”
As always, I share this information for educational purposes
and encourage all to purchase Dr. Hunt’s books for your own private study and
to support her work:
J. How to Communicate Your Anger to Another
A fire extinguisher is an effective tool for putting out small fires, but
proper procedures must be followed. Remembering the acronym PASS will ensure
that you are operating the extinguisher appropriately with maximum firefighting
results:
P—Pull the pin.
A—Aim the extinguisher nozzle at the base of the flames.
S—Squeeze the trigger while holding the extinguisher upright.
S—Sweep the extinguisher from side to side, covering the area
of the fire with the extinguishing spray.
Learning how to convey anger appropriately will better help you put out the
fires of your inflammatory relationships.
Before communicating your anger toward someone, take time to evaluate
whether addressing it is necessary and appropriate and whether you think it
will prove beneficial. Some people simply do not know how to handle anger
directed toward them. They become either hostile and defensive, or weak and
placating. Neither response solves anything. In fact, the result can be as if
someone has pumped oxygen into your anger, enflaming it all the more.
If you want merely to vent your feelings and to release some pent-up steam,
then pour out your heart to God and maybe to another trusted person, but not to
the person with whom you are angry. If you decide to arrange a meeting, you will
need to do certain things in preparation....
"Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his
steps." (Psalm
85:13)
- Choose
to be proactive....
- —Examine
your motivation.
- —Be
realistic in your expectations.
- —Know
what you want to accomplish.
- —Assess
the legitimacy of your request.
- —Rehearse
how you will approach the subject.
- —Anticipate
possible reactions from the other person.
- —Think
through how you might respond to those reactions.
- —Decide
whether you are willing to live with any negative repercussions.
- —Talk
with a wise and trusted person if you are uncertain what to do.
- Choose
a time and place to talk....
- —Select
a time and place convenient for both of you in an atmosphere conducive
for listening and sharing.
- —Meet
on "neutral turf" so that both of you are likely to feel equal
in power and importance.
- —Allot
sufficient time to address the concerns both of you have.
- —Commit
the time to God and seek His wisdom and understanding.
- Choose
to communicate your desires for open and honest communication and
resolution....
- —Express
your pain and anger in a loving, non-accusatory way without criticizing
the person's character... utilizing the "Sandwich Technique."
- —Evaluate
the willingness of the other person to receive your rebuke without
becoming angry or defensive. Are they willing to understand your hurt,
fear, frustration, or indignation over an injustice?
- —Give
opportunity for a response without interruption or defensiveness on your
part.
- —Affirm
what is being said by repeating and clarifying spoken statements.
- —Request
any desired changes in behavior that you believe will resolve the present
problem and prevent future problems.
- —Agree
to change any problematic behavior on your part.
- —Promote
fairness and objectivity, openness, and optimism.
- —Extend
total forgiveness unreservedly and willingly.
- —Value
differences in goals, desires, and priorities.
- —Applaud
the person's willingness to listen to you, to resolve the problem, and to
work toward improving your relationship.
Always keep in mind...
"A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of
silver." (Proverbs
25:11)
Control When Confronting
Question: "How
can I spiritually control my temper when confronting?"
Answer: The Bible
says you are to... "Let your conversation be always full of grace,
seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone" (Colossians 4:6).
Demonstrate the grace of God by saying to yourself...
- —"I
placed my anger on the cross with Christ."
- —"I
am no longer controlled by anger."
- —"I
am alive with Christ living inside me."
- —"I
will let Christ forgive through me."
- —"I
will let Christ love through me."
- —"I
will let Christ reveal truth through me. "Make this your reality... "I
have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in
me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who
loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).
Biblical Counseling Keys - Biblical Counseling Keys – Biblical Counseling Keys:
Anger: Facing the Fire Within.
----------------------------more
tomorrow-------------------------
God bless
you all!
Join our
Victory over the Darkness Discipleship Class 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) and Google podcasts (https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL210NGNocmlzdDI0Ny9mZWVkLnhtbA%3D%3D
Email me
at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive the class materials, share your progress, and to be
encouraged.