Nothing Between You and God – Purity 672

 Nothing Between You and God – Purity 672

Purity 672 03/07/2022  Purity 672 Podcast

Good morning,

Today’s photo of my canine friend, Harley, looking into the distance underneath blue skies and a blazing sun comes to us from yours truly as man and beast both decided to take a moment to pause and look around while we were taking a late afternoon stroll down Waite Rd in Easton NY yesterday.  I would say that I was talking Harley for a walk yesterday but in truth it could be said that he takes me for a walk as he knows the routine enough that he enthusiastically takes the lead and the only guidance I provide in our journey is when and where we will turn back and make the return trek back to our countryside home.     

Well, it’s Monday again and even though most of us are technically free agents that have been blessed with free will most of us will decide to exercise our freedom to direct us to our jobs today that will provide us with the income to keep us free from homelessness and want.  Yup, we might be free, but our needs and the word of God indicate that we should be responsible and be stewards of what God has provided us with.    

Our immediate needs of food, water, and shelter can be met in a variety of ways, but human experience and our societies have taught us that the establishment of ordered communities with various options for homes and different means to gain the income to pay for our place in those homes give us a way to meet those needs.  

There are all kinds of different homes we can live in, and all kinds of different occupations that we can have to provide us with the income to meet our physical needs. And we have the freedom to choose where we will live and what we will do. But after we decide those things, we are led by  the consequences of our decisions and in order to remain in our homes we have to relinquish our freedom to do whatever we want to some degree and be responsible and consistent to maintain our homes and keep our needs met.

Beyond our physical needs, the choices of where we will live and how we will pay for our place there also form the basis for our lifestyle and they also give us a sense of purpose. The regular routines and the schedules of meeting our needs by working give us the direction and course of our lives both for today and possibly to guide us for years to come.  Our basic purpose becomes to maintain and to possibly improve our lifestyle through the choices of our work.

When we make wise choices, the struggle to meet those basic needs can become less and less and we can see things improve to the point that we might think that we have it “all figured out”. We get home and the means to pay for it all and life is good. 

But as good as life can be because we are able to meet our physical needs through work, and we can have our emotional needs fulfilled through our relationships with family and friends, as we move through time and space we realize that the regular routine we establish will not go on forever.  

As we have seen those who have gone before us age and go into eternity, we should become concerned with the big questions of life that go beyond just preparing for our golden years.  No matter how wise our shrewd we are in planning to meet our physical and emotional needs for now and years ahead, the reality that our physical lives will end should cause us to consider the mystery of life to seek us to meet our spiritual needs that will give us the assurance of a good place in eternity.  

So in our desperation to find a good place in eternity we may seek the security of someone to lead us.

Just like the world is filled with different means to pay for the places we live physically, there are various religious systems and philosophies that suggest how it is you can be assured of a good place beyond this life. 

Fortunately, God showed His love for us and sent Jesus Christ as the messenger of and the means to our eternal salvation. The Bible documents the life, death, and resurrection of Christ and clearly indicates that it is through faith in Christ alone that man can be reconciled to God. Eternal life comes through faith in Jesus Christ alone and it is our personal responsibility to make the decision to put our faith in Him.   We come directly to God and His kingdom through Jesus Christ.   

We don’t have to go to or through anyone else but Jesus to be made right with God.  Christ is our advocate, and we can come boldly to the Father directly after we put our faith in Jesus because we receive peace with Him.    

As the heading of mt4christ.org testifies, I am a former Catholic and unfortunately some of the things I was taught through the Catholic church indicated to me that I had to go through other people in order for God to hear me. I was taught to prayer to Mary to pray for me “now and at the hour of my death”.  Why would I have to pray to Mary, or anyone, if I am saved by faith in Christ alone?

I was also told of various saints that I should pray for specific needs. For instance I should pray to St. Christopher if I l was traveling, or I should pray to St. Anthony if I lost something.  Why, would I have to do that?  Doesn’t God hear my prayers and protect me like the Bible indicates that He does?  

I don’t know if you are familiar with these things, but it may cause you to ask, like I did: who makes this stuff up?  The answer is fallible men that were deemed infallible by Roman Catholic church tradition. The abuse of power and corruption of the Roman Catholic system is detailed throughout history and caused the Protestant Reformation which was integral to bringing the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ that is taught in the Bible to light after it was obscured and hidden from the common man because of ignorance of the scriptures and the sinfulness of men. 

The subject of the problem is the Roman Catholic system is vast but you can get a brief education about the depth of the problem by reviewing John MacArthur’s message “Usurping the Seat of Christ” (https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/80-405/usurping-the-seat-of-christ).

MacArthur takes a hard line against the system of Roman Catholicism and presents a plethora of evidence of just why it is that Christians should not assume that their friends or relatives that are members of the Catholic Church have an understanding of gospel of Jesus Christ or covenant relationship with God the Father through faith in Christ alone.  The work of the Protestant Reformation to expose the truth of fallacies of the Romans Catholic Church system and to educate the masses of the truth of the gospel of grace through faith in Christ alone is not finished.  

As a former Catholic I can testify to the ignorance that I lived in under that Roman Catholic system and how I felt condemned and had no hope for salvation because I thought I had to earn it in some way.

The unbiblical doctrines of indulgences and purgatory which are still “on the books” in the Catholic system are small examples of the truth of a system of spiritual materialism where man has to earn his way to God.  The veneration of the virgin Mary and of the other saints reinforce the impression of our unacceptable status and the need to have someone else, other than Jesus, reconcile us to God.

Christ didn’t come to earth to die for our sins so we would have to go through Mary, other saints, a priest, or a church system to be saved.

Unlike our homes on earth that have to be paid for and maintained through constant payments of mortgages, rent, or taxes, our place in God’s kingdom has been paid for and prepared for us by Jesus Christ alone. We don’t have to pay for our place in God’s kingdom nor do we need to continue to pay for our place there through our financial contributions or behavioral efforts.

No can lead us to God, but Jesus Christ and we should not put anything or anyone else between us and God after we have put our faith in Jesus.  Our faith in Christ makes us new creations and brothers and sisters to Jesus as we become the adopted children of God the Father. 

So no matter if you have been a part of the Catholic church or not, I would encourage you to know the peace, love, and joy that is possible when you are made right with God by placing your faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  

Jesus paid the cost and welcomes us to be a part of His family.  We don’t have to pay or earn our way into the family. We are adopted through faith in Jesus and can come directly to God the Father with all our requests.   

So as I say keep walking and talking with God.  We don’t have to walk and talk with anyone else to get our messages to Him. because when we are reconciled to Him through Jesus, He is with us and available to talk to us directly.  

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

This morning’s meditation verse is :

Matthew 21:21-22 (NLT2)
²¹  Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.
²²  You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”

Today’s verses are the testimony of Jesus Christ that encourages us to pray.

Jesus doesn’t instruct us to pray to his mother or anyone else. When the disciples ask Christ how they should pray in Matthew 6, Jesus directs them to pray to “our Father”. 

So Christ made it clear who we should pray to our heavenly Father.

And today’s verses indicate that if we have faith and don’t doubt we can receive amazing things through our prayers.  

Since church history has no evidence for mountains being thrown literally in the seas, as far as I know,  we have to assume that Christ was speaking figuratively here but His hyperbolic words are intended to cause us to trust God to answer our prayers for situations that we may deem impossible.   

The figurative mountains in our lives can be financial problems, disease, relationship problems, and the mountains of besetting sin that can drive us to despair and fear. But Jesus words encourage our relationship with God to Father to ask and receive His assistance. 

 

There are testimonies upon testimonies of answered prayers throughout church history and happening in the world today. So even though the situations we face in life can seem unmovable, trust the words of Jesus and pray to the Father and be confident that He will help you.  No matter how big the mountain, obey the words of Jesus and pray.

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 Codependency: Balancing an Unbalanced Relationship.

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.

G. Help for an Unhealthy Relationship

Releasing You

Releasing is not to stop loving you,

but is to love enough to stop leaning on you.

Releasing is not to stop caring for you,

but is to care enough to stop controlling you.

Releasing is not to turn away from you,

but is to turn to Christ, trusting His control over you.

Releasing is not to harm you,

but is to realize "my help" has been harmful.

Releasing is not to hurt you,

but is to be willing to be hurt for healing.

Releasing is not to judge you,

but is to let the divine Judge judge me.

Releasing is not to restrict you,

but is to restrict my demands of you.

Releasing is not to refuse you,

but is to refuse to keep reality from you.

Releasing is not to cut myself off from you,

but is to prune the unfruitful away from you.

Releasing is not to prove my power over you,

but is to admit I am powerless to change you.

Releasing is not to stop believing in you,

but is to believe the Lord alone will build character in you.

Releasing you is not to condemn the past,

but is to cherish the present and commit our future to God.

—June Hunt

My Commitment because of Christ in Me

Because Jesus lives in me

... I will conquer codependency.

Because Christ was not a "people-pleaser"

... I will not be a "people-pleaser."

Because Christ refused to compromise

... I will not yield to compromise.

Because Christ kept healthy boundaries

... I will keep healthy boundaries.

Because Christ stood up to pressure

... I will not cave in to pressure.

Because Jesus lives in me

... I will conquer codependency!

—June Hunt

"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: Codependency: Balancing an Unbalanced Relationship.

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

Close to Knowing Christ, Near Christ, By Christ, or In Christ? – Purity 671

Close to Knowing Christ, Near Christ, By Christ, or In Christ?  – Purity 671

Purity 671 03/04/2022  Purity 671 Podcast

Good morning,

Today’s photo of the setting sun being reflected on the frozen surface of the Schodack Creek from the vantage point of my front porch comes to us from yours truly as I was motivated to get out of my car and go around to the front of my house to capture this sight at the end of the work day yesterday.  

Even though the temperatures were chilly yesterday, I found myself rejoicing over the sunshine and my relationship with the Lord as I reminded myself once again of how He has blessed me with my home “down by the River”. 

Now wait a minute, you may say, didn’t he just say it that the sun was reflecting on the frozen surface of the “Schodack Creek”?

Yes I did.  Although the waters directly in front of my home are declared on Google Maps to be that of the Schodack Creek, they are fed by the Hudson River just down the road a piece.  When I look to the left from my porch, I can see the waters of the Hudson River and the point where the River splits to become the Schodack Creek.

So even though there is a “creek”, ( and a state highway, and some Amtrack train tracks for that matter), directly in front of my house, I know and can see that these are the waters of the Hudson River. So when I refer to my house, I have always, I’m pretty sure for the most part, called it my house “down by the River”.

Now when people ask where I live I have said that I live on State Route 9J in Stuyvesant which is “right on the Hudson River”, south of Albany, because State Route 9J, the road on which I live, runs parallel to the Hudson River all the way from Columbiaville to Rensselaer NY.

When I tell people “I live on the Hudson River” I am always clear that I don’t have river access because the property across the highway, where the train tracks run is not deeded to me. But as other photos I have taken in the past from the front of my property, that pan left, show, I do have a wonderful view of the Hudson River.   

Since my wife has come to affectionately call my place “River House” and we both call it that now, and as today’s photo was focusing straight towards the creek in this photo, my heart is convicted this morning to confess all the truth regarding the location of my home, short of providing everyone with my exact address, which I guess is “out there to be discovered” and, available on a need to know basis.  I also will not be giving a tour of the interior of my home or at least, not today anyway.

Well, with all that said, I am happy to report that we have made it to the weekend, and it is my prayer that all my friends take some time to thank the Lord for all He has done in their lives and how He made a way for us all to be reconciled to Him through His Son Jesus Christ.   

You know, one term for being a follower of Jesus is being “in Christ”. And that designation can be a little confusing, 

Being in Christ is a little like my house “down by the River”  or my address being “on” or near the Hudson River.  

Obviously, Jesus came to earth as the Word made flesh over two thousand years ago when He lived a perfect sinless life, preached the gospel of the kingdom of God, performed miracles, was persecuted, tried, crucified, died, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. Try saying that three times fast….

Anyway, to be literally “in Christ” in some weird physical sense like being “in the heart of Jesus”, is a physical impossibility.   Being in the “body of Christ”, does not mean being in His physical body next to His spleen and near His liver. 

The physical body of Christ has been glorified and Christ is still using it as He is seated in the heavenlies where He is interceding in prayer for all His followers until the day He will return in glory to judge the living and the dead as the Bible, and the Nicene Creed, affirms.  So being “in Christ” or in the body of Christ, obviously doesn’t literally mean being “in” Christ!

Being “In Christ” is a term that describes our relationship with Jesus. Christians place their faith “in Christ” – meaning we surrender to His Lordship; we believe that He was the Son of God and that His death on the cross was meaningful.  Being “in Christ” includes believing that Christ’s death was God’s redemptive plan for man and that we believe it and participate in that plan by putting our faith in, or trusting in, Jesus to save us.

So in terms of justification (being declared righteous), when we are “in Christ” we make the decision that when we come before God we will not try to defend ourselves based on our own merits.  When we are “in Christ”, we are putting all of “our chips” on Jesus and we are “all in”.   When we are in Christ, we admit that we are sinners that have no hope of being declared righteous based on our good works or nice attitudes.  When we are “in Christ”, we have admitted that there is nothing that can save us and that there is nothing that we are trusting in other than Jesus.  

When we put our faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, spiritually we are united with Christ’s death and resurrection. The person we were before we put our faith in Christ dies, and we are made new creations as we are raised to life “with Christ” “in His resurrection. Putting our faith in Christ, gives us a new spiritual life that will go on for all eternity in God’s kingdom, in heaven and then on the new earth.

So this is one reason why Christ said we must be “born again” in John 3. We receive new life when we are “in Christ”.   

As I have tried to express, being in Christ is more than mentally agreeing that there was a man named Jesus who was a wise teacher or a worker of miracles. I can admit that other men have done good things and said wise things but that doesn’t necessarily mean I have a relationship with them.

Being “in Christ”, is even more than agreeing that Christ was the Son of God.  Again, we can recognize that someone is special or has great authority,  but our recognition of that fact doesn’t mean that we trust in them or submit to their authority.   

Doing these things, acknowledging what Christ did or even who Christ is, could be described as being “close to knowing Christ”,  or being “by Christ” or “near Christ”, but not “in Christ”.  

Just like my house is “down by the River” or my address is “near the River”,  my house and my address are not “in the River”.

So even though you may admit to who Christ is that acknowledgement only makes you “close” to Christ.  And as the saying goes "Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades” which generally means that close doesn't count.  A close loss is still a loss. And when you are only “by Christ”, “near Christ” or “close to Christ”, if you don’t get “in Christ”, you will be lost.   

The difference between being in or out of the kingdom of God will be based on your relationship with Jesus. 

Knowing about Him is one thing, putting your faith in Jesus and following Him is quite another.  

When we put our faith in Christ, we become members of God’s royal family and membership has it’s privileges: like eternal life and the fruit of the Spirit growing in our lives. 

But you have to be “in it to win it”, so as we continue in the season of Lent before us I encourage you to draw close to God and confirm that you are “in Christ” by following the Lord’s will for your life. 

And if you know the Truth, the Way, and the Life already, be sure to share Him with those who may be “close” to knowing Jesus but whose selfish hearts may keep them out of that number when the saints go marching in. 

 

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

This morning’s meditation verse is :

Mark 9:23 (NLT2)
²³  “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

Today’s Bible verse comes directly from the words of Jesus and is part chastisement and part encouragement for those who doubt the ability of God to help them.   

This section of scripture details one of Christ’s miracles where Jesus heals a boy who is afflicted with by an evil spirit which causes him to foam from the mouth and to be violently thrown about. The boy’s father asks for Jesus’ help but adds the phrase ‘if you can” to his request. 

Jesus responds with today’s verse, chastising the father’s lack of faith, but encourages the man by assuring Him that anything is possible to a person who believes. Christ’s words are proven true as this man decides to proclaim his small measure of faith, and although he requests help with his unbelief,  is rewarded t with a big miracle, as the evil spirit is cast out of his son at the command of Jesus.

The operative lesson that we can draw from this testimony from the life and times of Jesus Christ is that we are to have faith in Jesus to help us and that because of who Christ is and because of what God can do, we should never declare anything as impossible.  

The biggest lie the enemy tells us is that somethings are impossible.  The enemy will tell us that it will be impossible to get out of certain situations or that it will be impossible for us to change. 

But when we get that discouraging and demonic message, we have to remember that anything is possible with God and that our faith in Christ gives us power to do things that simply were impossible before coming to Christ.  

So don’t proclaim your unbelief, instead trust that all things are possible with God if we believe and it is in accordance to His purposes.   

Remember, we don’t know God’s plan perfectly, so we might not always get what we want but when we are in Christ we always get what we need.

And if you need something that seems impossible, go to the Lord and He will either work out a positive solution through a miracle, but more likely though His providence, or He will give you the strength, love, and guidance that you will need to carry you through.

 

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 Codependency: Balancing an Unbalanced Relationship.

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.

F. Recovery Step #4: Find the Road to Freedom

When you are behaving in a codependent way, you are trying to get your needs met through a drive to "do it all" or to be another person's "all-in-all." However, you can "travel the road to recovery" by releasing your desire to control or to change the person you love.

RELEASE

Recognize that you are overly dependent on a person and instead place your dependency on God.

Admit that your codependency is a sin.

• Pray that God will give you the desire to put Him first and to please Him in all your relationships.
• Determine to look to the Lord to meet your needs for love, for significance, and for security.
• Realize that God did not create you to meet all the needs of another person.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (Deuteronomy 6:5)

Examine your patterns of codependent thinking.

Don't believe that pleasing people is always Christlike.

• Don't think that you should always assume the role of peacemaker.
• Don't fear losing the love of others when you allow them to suffer the consequences of their negative actions.
• Don't say yes when you really believe you should say no.

"Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place." (Psalm 51:6)

Let go of your "super responsible" mentality.

Confess that you are trying to be like God in the life of another person.

• Trust God to be actively working in the life of your loved one.
• Realize that you cannot make another person be dependable or responsible.
• Rest in God's sovereign control over all people, events, and circumstances.

"What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone." (Exodus 18:17-18)

Extend forgiveness to those who have caused you pain.

Reflect on any type of abuse you have experienced in the past—verbal, emotional, physical, or sexual.

• What has been unjust and painful in your life?
• Whom do you need to forgive?
• Would you be willing to release this person and your pain to God?
• Choose to forgive again whenever your angry feelings resurface.

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." (Colossians 3:13)

Prayer of Forgiveness

"God, You know the pain I experienced in my past. I don't want to keep

carrying all this pain for the rest of my life. I release (list hurts) into Your

hands, and I ask You to heal my emotional pain. Lord, You know what

(name of person) has done to hurt me. As an act of my will, I choose to

forgive (name). I take (name) off my emotional hook and put (name)

onto Your emotional hook. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for setting me FREE.

In Your holy name I pray. Amen."

Appropriate your identity in Christ.

Learn to live out of your resources in Christ Jesus.

• Know the truth: "I can be emotionally set free because Christ lives in me."
  "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36)
• Believe the truth: "I can change my dependency on people through the power of Christ in me."
  "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13)
• Appropriate the truth: "I will nurture only healthy, godly relationships because I have been given Christ's divine nature."
  "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." (2 Peter 1:3-4)

Set healthy boundaries.

Communicate the necessity for change.

"I realize that I have not been responding to you in a healthy way. I have been far too dependent on you to meet my needs. And I have sought to meet all of your needs. I am committed to having healthy relationships and to putting God first in my life. I know that I have had negative responses to you, and I intend to begin having positive responses by making decisions based on what is right in the eyes of God."

• Establish what you need to ask forgiveness for.
  "I realize I was wrong for _____ (not speaking up when I should have, not being the person I should have been in this relationship...). Will you forgive me?
• Establish what your limits of responsibility will be.
  "I feel responsible for _____. But I am not responsible for _____ (making you happy, making you feel significant...). I want you to be happy, but I don't have the power to make you happy."
• Establish your limits of involvement.
  "I want to do _____ with/for you, but I don't feel led by God to do _____."

"The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it." (Proverbs 27:12)

Exchange your emotional focus for spiritual focus.

Make God and your spiritual growth your first priority.

• Attend an in-depth Bible study in order to learn the heart of God and to grow spiritually with the people of God.
• Memorize sections of Scripture in order to put God's Word in your heart and to learn the ways of God.
• Redirect your thoughts to the Lord and take "prayer walks" (talking out loud to the Lord as you walk regularly in your neighborhood or on a trail).

"Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word." (Psalm 119:35-37)

The cure for codependency is rooted in developing an ever-deepening relationship with the Lord. Your increased intimacy with Him will naturally conform you to His character. When you let the Lord live inside you, you can live in His power. This means that because Christ was not codependent you have His power to overcome codependency.

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

CODEPENDENCY PRAYER

"Lord Jesus, I renounce as a lie the thought that I could ever be truly abandoned or alone.

—Thank You that You will never abandon me or leave me without support.

—Thank You that no matter what I do or what my circumstances, no matter who is in my life or not in my life, You will be with me and provide for my needs.

—Thank You that Your plans for me are for my good and that You will carry them out.

—Thank You that You are not dependent on anything or anyone other than Yourself to bring about Your good intentions toward me.

I trust in You and You alone to give me meaning and purpose and fulfillment in life.

In Your holy name I pray, Amen."

 

Biblical Counseling Keys: Codependency: Balancing an Unbalanced Relationship..

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

Seeing the Love and Wisdom of God in Our Experience – Purity 670

 Seeing the Love and Wisdom of God in Our Experience – Purity 670

Purity 670 03/04/2022  Purity 670 Podcast

Good morning,

Today’s photo of a simply magical sunset at Hallet Cove Beach in South Adelaide, Australia comes to us from Dave Baun Photography as Dave shared this wonder a day ago with the insight that “There isn’t much that compares to that feeling when you just stop and take in a good sunset, Even better when it’s an awesome sunset! This one was epic and very close to home too – beat that!”  

Dave is a transplanted American who was led to find the love of his life on the other side of the world in Australia. His work in photography and his personal story is an endearing and enduring testimony of the goodness of God.   His wife Liisa Grace shared their story with me last year and if you want to read it for yourself and to see the video of Dave’s proposal and their wedding I am sharing the link to the post from last year that tells it all on today’s blog entry (https://www.mt4christ.org/2021/04/this-is-testimony-of-my-australian.html). 

I’m sharing it all today because it is Friday and I am extremely thankful for all that God has done in my life and because I am in the midst of living out my own providential love story as I truly believe that God brought TammyLyn and I together and we are being reunited again this evening.  

Romantic stories and epic sunsets aside, no matter what your current relationship status is I want to remind you of the greatest love of all, the love that God has for us that was demonstrated by Christ coming to earth and paying for our sins so we could be reconciled to and have peace with God. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the love story that just keep on going as those who believe and choose to follow the Lord discover that God is with them wherever they go and that He invites them to experience the fruit of the Spirit in their lives.  

Last night, I heard more testimony about the love of God as the participants of the Freedom in Christ course I facilitate spoke about how the Lord was moving in their lives as they have made the decision to learn more about their relationship with God and to apply the lessons they are learning to their experience. 

One man, who had taken the course independently a year ago, marveled over how he stepped out in faith and led a men’s Bible study at his local church this week and how the man he was before going through the course wouldn’t have even been at a Bible study, let alone leading one.

The regular leader of the group was out of town this week and my friend boldly filled in their stead and used one of the resources from the Freedom in Christ course in his teaching to encourage the other men to have a true Biblical view of who God is.  

Often Christians can have a distorted view of their heavenly Father because of how their earthly fathers treated them. The “My Father God” list from the Freedom in Christ Course is a series of renunciations of the lies that are believed about God and the accompanying proclamations of who God really is based on the truth of God’s word. For example, the first couplet says:

I renounce the lie that you, Father God, are distant and uninterested in me.

I choose to believe the truth that You, Father God, are always personally present with me, have plans to give me a hope and a future, and have prepared works in advance specifically for me to do.

One of the men in the Bible study had apparently had a negative view of God, stating that he felt that sometimes “God had given him a snake, when he had asked for a fish”.  

So with this man in mind, my friend handed out copies of the “My Father God” list to all the men at the Bible study and had each man read one of the couplets out loud until the list was completed.

My friend reported that He could see the Holy Spirit at work in the process, as many of the men seemed visibly affected as they felt the power of the truth of who their heavenly Father is being proclaimed.  Our friend reported feeling great joy at the results and stands in awe of what the Lord has done in his life and what He did at the Bible study this week.   

If anyone would like that “My Father God” list, I am sharing a link to a blog post I shared that contains it (https://www.mt4christ.org/2021/10/freedom-in-christ-lesson-7-handling.html).  We invite you to review it or to share it to help yourself or others draw closer to your heavenly Father.

 Another man in the Freedom in Christ course, shared how this week’s lesson on forgiveness hit close to home and how he too got to apply what he had learned in the course to his experience.  

This man shared how he and a family member had been separated in their relationship because of their personal differences of opinion regarding the Covid-19 vaccine. One party was vaccinated, and the other wasn’t. The vaccinated party refused to let the unvaccinated party visit them or their family.

This disagreement kept them divided and as time progressed the relationship was becoming defined by bitterness as neither wanted to budge. The division even permeated to other family members who weighed in with their opinions about how the two parties had been divided!  

But by the grace of God, my friend, who still believes in his stance on vaccinations, was motivated by the lesson on forgiveness to seek it and to reconcile their relationship. Both parties agreed to meet and they both offered their apologies and proclaimed their desires to re-establish the relationship that this rift has caused.  Both parties still hold their respective opinions, but they have made the decision to forgive and to move forward cautiously to mend the many broken fences and hurt feelings that this episode has caused. 

I could see that my friend is still dealing with the fall out from what has happened and encouraged him to keep going to where God would lead Him in love and I offered my prayers for a complete resolution to the problems that still exist in the various relationships that were affected by this problem.   

As I teach and encourage people in pursuing their freedom in Christ, I remind them often that our walk of faith is not about perfection its about progress. Perfect resolutions and instant fixes can happen but often the peace that the Lord has for us is experienced more often after a process of growth and maturity.  

But I know the benefits that come from exchanging our worldly ways of pride for the humble ways of a Christian disciple that are instructed by the word of God. And I know that when we take a step towards God, He takes two steps toward us with open arms and if we keep walking and taking with God, we will discover that wonders of His loving embrace as we realize that we are finally with Him and that He has always been with us.

So as we walk into this last day of the work week thank God it is Friday and draw closer to the things He has for you by making the decision to walk with Him, every day.  

This morning’s meditation verses are :

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT2)
²²  But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³  gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Today’s Bible verses define the fruit of the Spirit that can grow and flourish in our lives when we decide to walk in the Spirit.  

As my testimony of the two men in the Freedom in Christ course shows us, when we decide to apply the wisdom of God’s word to our lives it can have dramatic results.   

Our first friend got to experience goodness and joy as He was faithful to share the truth about our Father God at his men’s Bible Study.  

Our second friend got to experience a measure of peace, and probably an increase in patience, as he gently reached out to reestablish a relationship that was divided by the bitterness of unforgiveness.

“Walking in the Spirit” is the process of living according to God’s ways.  It is a process where we challenge the way we think and behave as the world has taught us “that it’s a jungle out there” and that there are “ways that seem right to a man” but the word of God reveals that the ways of the world are in opposition to Lord and lead to death.   

Rome wasn’t built in a day and the process of adapting our minds and behaviors to follow the wisdom in the book of Romans, and the other 65 books of the Bible, takes some time.  In order to truly walk in the Spirit, we have to open our hearts to develop our emotions and our love for God as well as renew our minds and change our behaviors.

But when we make the counterintuitive choice to actually believe and practice what the word of God teaches us, we discover that these fruit of the Spirit will grow in our lives.  

I recently came across a teaching that clarified that the “fruit” that we are to produce in our lives isn’t just the good works that we will perform. As Christians we are supposed to be confirmed to the image of Christ and that indicates that our character is to be transformed.   The fruit we need to produce is a character that reflects the fruit of the Spirit. The process is know as sanctification and when we are in Christ, we are in that process.  

So keep walking in the Spirit. Challenge and reject the ways of the world and instead choose to follow the Lord and see how love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self-control will naturally grow in your life.

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 Codependency: Balancing an Unbalanced Relationship.

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.

E. Recovery Step #3: Get on the Road to Interdependent Relationships

We all love to see pictures of babies and then to see their stairstep growth into young adulthood. Built within little, immature children is the ability to grow to maturity. Why should it be any less for immature adults? They too can move from their immaturity and develop mature relationships.

Once we understand the goal of each developmental stage for reestablishing healthy relationships, we can set out to accomplish those goals—without the aid of earthly parents. Many have done this by "taking the hand" of the heavenly Father and allowing Him to "re-parent" them. You too can do this by having a plan and then working your plan with the caring support of others. It is an enormously important journey with enormously gratifying rewards. This is the journey God intended for you to take from the beginning.

"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)

• Make it your goal to develop an intimate relationship with God and to form interdependent relationships with significant people in your life.
• —Commit to becoming actively involved in a group Bible study and in group prayer.
• —Commit to reading God's Word on a daily basis and memorizing Scripture.
• —Commit to finding an accountability group and a Christian "relationship mentor" who will be available to you, spend time with you on a regular basis, be honest with you, and coach you in your relationships.

"Let us not give up meeting together... but let us encourage one another." (Hebrews 10:25)

• Make a plan to move toward maturity in your relationships.
• —Ask God to help you discern where you are stuck in the relationship developmental stages.
• —Ask your mentor or another wise person to help you identity your relationship needs (for example, sharing, problem-solving, listening, negotiating).
• —Ask your accountability group to hold you accountable to establish appropriate goals in order to meet each of your relationship needs.

"Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:4)

• Make your relationship with your parents complete.
• —Choose to resolve any unhealthy patterns with your parents. Break any unhealthy bond and, if possible, establish mature, adult bonds with each parent.
• —Choose to not be emotionally enmeshed, needy, or controlled by your parents. If necessary, separate yourself emotionally until you can respond in a healthy way with "no strings attached."
• —Choose to identify and process your "family of origin" problems, forgive your offenders, and grieve your losses. Say, "That was then; this is now."

"Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord." (Romans 12:19)

• Make a vow to be a person of integrity in thought, word, and deed.
• —Learn to free yourself of any family secrets—refuse to carry them any longer.
• —Learn to listen, to say no, to set boundaries, to give and receive, and to ask for what you need from people.... Then practice, practice, practice these new, healthy patterns.
• —Learn to feel your feelings, to express hurt, and to withdraw and think about what you need to do or say. Write out your action plan; rehearse it; then do it.

"Prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do." (1 Peter 1:13-15)

• Make a new job description.
• —My job is to discern the character of a person and to respond accordingly with maturity.
• —My job is to be a safe person for my friends and family and to be present and attentive in my relationships.
• —My job is to take care of myself and to be responsible for myself without hurting, punishing, attacking, getting even, or lying to myself or to others.

"I will maintain my righteousness and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live." (Job 27:6)

• Make a new commitment to yourself.
• —I will let go of the "old," self-centered me because I am growing into a "new," Christ-centered me.
• —I will exchange the lies I've believed about myself for God's truth about me according to His Word.
• —I will no longer betray myself by making immature choices, and I will redeem my past, bad choices by making good, mature choices.

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)

• Make maturity, not emotional relationships, your highest goal.
• —Focus on forming friendships in which you are free to learn, grow, and mature, not emotional attachments that lead to roller-coaster relationships.
• —Focus on any potential relationships that might trigger your codependent tendencies and guard your heart from the emotional highs and lows.
• —Focus on building relationships with trustworthy, mature Christians whose goal is Christlikeness.
• —During a severe time of trial, David's dear friend, Jonathan...

"... helped him find strength in God" (1 Samuel 23:16)

Biblical Counseling Keys: Codependency: Balancing an Unbalanced Relationship.

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