“No Brainers” &
The Cost of Complicating Simple Decisions - Purity 1151
Purity 1151 09/20/2023 Purity 1151 Podcast
Purity 1151 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of mountains surrounded by a sea of
clouds at sunrise comes to us from Fred Dimmick who shared this mountain
morning scene on social media this past Monday from his visit to Wayah Bald in
Franklin NC.
Well, it’s Wednesday and Fred’s mountain photo is spectacular
and was a “no-brainer” of a selection to visually represent our arrival to yet
another “hump day”. As easy a selection as picking Fred’s photo to represent
our arrival at the midpoint of another week of our lives, unfortunately all our
decisions don’t always seem so clear.
Life is complicated and sometimes the things we
think will help us disappoint us or the things we thought are what we thought
they were and because of our mistakes and disappointments, we can become a
little gun shy about pulling the trigger on making decisions and taking
action. When we add in the elements of:
· financial considerations (can I afford it – do I
have the money for it? -Do I really want to spend the money on this?),
· The days of our lives (I don’t have time for that! I
have to work. I have to go to ____!”
· And Our relationships – Maybe “they” won’t like it?
I can’t because I have to take care of _________. I would but ______ has to
__________.
So our past experiences of mistakes and
disappointments and all these other factors can really muddy the water and we
can become even more uncertain about making decisions and taking action.
A simple “no
brainer” like “When you’re sick, you go to the doctor” can become a matter of debate. If you have ever gone to a doctor and been
sent home with no treatment other than what you were already doing, you know how
hesitant you can seek out the assistance of a profession that admits they are
just “practicing medicine.”
However, failing to seek medication or going to the
doctor sooner rather than later can have severe if not fatal consequences. I was reminded of this as we got the news
about my wife, TammyLyn’s diagnosis yesterday.
The infection that stemmed from TammyLyn’s gums and spread to her ear
and sinuses over the weekend is a serious one. The dentist told TammyLyn that
if she didn’t get treatment when she did that it could have been fatal. Fatal as in dead! If she had ignored her
worsening pain and swelling or even just gone to sleep on Sunday evening the
dentist stated that she could have gone into a sepsis condition and died.
Fortunately, TammyLyn realized the seriousness of
her situation and despite her initial hesitations asked me to take her to the
emergency room, She admitted to me yesterday that at the time she had the
feeling in her spirit that something was wrong and feared that if she fell
asleep she would die. But of course, she
didn’t voice that concern because she thought she was overreacting.
From her symptoms, I surmised that she had a pretty
serious ear infection caused by the “germy kids” at school. But guess what, I
am not a doctor and even though I have quite a bit of experience with ear
infections and can tell you that if your ear starts making “crackling noises”, like it did with TammyLyn, to get to the
doctor ASAP – there are some that would say to just let it take its course, and possibly die apparently.
You the see the “ear infection” and “sinus infection”
was a symptom of a more serious problem with wife’s gums and teeth that had no symptoms,
and we are both thanking God for His mercy in moving us to get TammyLyn the
medical attention she needed.
Woo Hoo, that was a close one, but all’s well that
ends well, right? TammyLyn got the help she needed and all is good right? You ever notice that when you tell people
about serious medical conditions, they always push to the “comfortable happy
ending”. “So, everything’s good now?” is
the assumption we all make before we suffer a serious loss or tragedy. “All things work out. Everything is going to
be fine.” Is an urban legend of those who have not suffered unexpected losses
because, praise the Lord, most of the tragic bad things that could happen don’t
come to pass, leaving us somewhat naïve about life.
Yes, TammyLyn got her meds and is scheduled for
dental surgery on Thursday, and we are trusting the Lord to use her dentist to rid
her of the infection and help her to be healed. “So everything is going to be good now, good –
Jeez you had me worried” –
Well, not so fast, because even though I have
suffered unexpected tragedy in the past I am still predisposed to believe “everything’s
gonna be all right” - but yesterday to
fully grasp the severity of TammyLyn’s situation – her dentist advised her NOT
to use a warm or hot compress to alleviate the pain or swelling to her
face.
Gee, why is that?
Well, apparently TammyLyn’s infection is so toxic that the dentist
warned her not to use a warm or hot compress on her face because it could cause
the infection to come out of the pores of her skin – and the toxicity of the
infected material would cause burning or scarring to the point that she would need
plastic surgery!
So obviously, I am asking for prayers today for my
wife and her healing. We trust the Lord
to help us, and we will face whatever comes in faith, with the expectation that
all will be well after the surgery – but we are staying in prayer until
TammyLyn is cleansed of this infection.
In life, we can’t let the circumstances of our past
experiences, finances, time, or relationships and responsibilities get in the
way of making those “no brainer” decisions.
Often when we fall into calamities or conditions of suffering, we fail
to do some simple things that could have prevented disaster, and we are
invariably asked “Why didn’t you do what was right?”
Heck, my whole testimony of brokenness could have
been avoided if I had only done “what was right”, according to God’s word, time
and time again. So much pain and suffering, could have been avoided in my life
if I had only done the “no brainer” of believing God’s word and doing what it
says.
So whether it affects your physical, mental,
emotional, financial, or spiritual health, let me encourage you that it is better
to make those hard but simple decisions to take corrective action sooner rather
than later. Those decisions to “take
care of yourself” or to “repent and follow the Lord” just may save your life if
not your soul.
So listen to that still quiet voice – that’s God
calling you to do what’s right and follow Him into the healing He has for you.
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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 verse comes 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 Anger, Hot Temper.
1 Peter 4:8 (ESV)
8 Above all, keep loving one
another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
Today’s
verses fall under the third point of our counseling reference guide resource’s
section on Anger,
Hot Temper
3. Love covers a multitude of sins and overlooks many offenses.
Today’s verse is the fifth of five passages of scripture that our resource provides to demonstrate love's power over anger. And rather than presenting them all at once, we are doing them “one at a time, one day at a time.
Today’s verse highlights the
first clause of our resources’ third point by “pointing to love’s power to
cover a multitude of sins. This is it guys – the “love covers a multitude of
sins” verse is 1 Peter 4:8 – put that in your mental rolodex for quick Bible verse dropping – Love covers
a multitude of sins- 1 Peter 4:8 – impress your friends.
But seriously, what does that mean?
Well the verses that precede it encourage repentance from sin and the verses that follow it indicate that we are to stop complaining and serve others. And the reason we behave in these ways is because of the love that was shown to us – that we will willingly face suffering, insults, and trials because we have “entrusted our souls to a faithful Creator” while doing good.
God’s love for us sent Jesus to die for us. It was the only thing that covered our sin. This isn’t a hallmark moment of some nebulous lovey dovey feeling making everything all right. This is the hard love of God that cost the life of His Son and causes us to do the hard things – like repenting and forgiving and being patient and choosing to put others above ourselves – and we do them because the One who loved us did it for us and we reflect His light by living like Jesus.
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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 The Holy Spirit By A.W. Pink.
As always, I share this information for educational
purposes and encourage you all to purchase A.W. Pink’s books for your own
private study and to support his work. This resource is available online
for $0.99 (https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Spirit-Arthur-Pink-Collection-ebook/dp/B008CM5292/ref=sr_1_3?crid=AHKAQOM39CTN&keywords=a.w.+pink+the+holy+spirit&qid=1684376225&sprefix=a.w.+pink+the+holy+spirit+%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-3)
A.W. Pink’s The Holy Spirit
25 -The Spirit Assisting
Help in
Intercessory Prayer
It is a great infirmity or weakness for the
Christian to faint in the day of adversity, yet such is often the case. It is a
sad thing when, like Rachel of old weeping for her children, he “refuses to be
comforted” (Jer. 31:15). It is most deplorable for all when he so gives way to
unbelief that the Lord has to say to him, “How is it that ye have no faith?”
(Mark 4:40). Terrible indeed would be his end if God were to leave him entirely
to himself. This is clear from what is said in Mark 4:17, “when affliction or
persecution ariseth for the Word’s sake, immediately they are offended,” or as
Luke says, “Which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away”
(8:13). And why does the stony-ground
hearer apostatize? Because he is without
the assistance of the Holy Spirit! Writer and reader would do the same if no
Divine aid were forthcoming!
But thank God, the
feeble and fickle believer is not left to himself: “the Spirit also helpeth our
infirmities” (Rom. 8:26). That “help” is as manifold as our varied needs; but
the Apostle singles out one particular “infirmity” which besets all Christians,
and which the blessed Spirit graciously helps: “for we know not what we should
pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us.” How
this Divine declaration should humble us into the dust: so depraved is the
saint that in the hour of need he is incapable of asking God aright to minister
unto him. Sin has so corrupted his heart and darkened his understanding that,
left to himself, he cannot even discern what
he should ask God for. Alas, that pride should so blind us to our real
condition and our deep, deep need.
In nothing do the
saints more need the Spirit’s presence and His gracious assistance than in
their addresses of the Throne of Grace. They know that God in His Persons and
perfections is the Object of their worship; they know that they cannot come
unto the Father but by Christ, the alone Mediator; and they know that their
access to Him must be by the Spirit (Eph. 2:18). Yet such are their varying
circumstances, temptations, and wanderings, so often are they shut up in their
frames and cold in their affections, such deadness of heart is there toward God
and spiritual things, that at times they know not what to pray for as they
ought. But it is here that the
Spirit’s love and grace is most Divinely displayed: He helps their infirmities
and makes intercession for them!
One had thought that
if ever there were a time when the Christian would really pray, earnestly and perseveringly, and would know what to ask for,
it should be when he is sorely tried and oppressed. Alas, how little we really
know ourselves. Even a beast will cry out when suffering severe pain, and it is
natural (not spiritual!) that we
should do the same. Of degenerate Israel of old God said, “they have not cried
unto Me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds” (Hosea 7:14):
no, relief from their sufferings was
all they thought about. And by nature our
hearts are just the same! So long as we are left to ourselves (to try us and
manifest what we are: 2 Chron. 32:31), when the pressure of sore trial comes
upon us, we are concerned only with deliverance
from it, and not that God may be glorified or that the trial may be sanctified
to our souls.
Left for himself, man
asks God for what would be curses rather than blessings, for what would prove
to be snares rather than helps to him spiritually. Have we not read of Israel
that, “They tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust” (Ps. 78:18);
and again, “He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul” (Ps.
106:15)! Perhaps someone replies, But they were not regenerate souls. Then have
we not read in James, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (4:3)? Ah, my
reader, this is a truth which is very unpalatable to our proud hearts. Did not
Moses “ask” the Lord that he might be permitted to enter Canaan (Deut. 3:26,
27)? Did not the Apostle Paul thrice beseech the Lord for the removal of his
thorn in the flesh? What proofs are
these that “we know not what we
should pray for as we ought!”
“The Spirit also
helpeth our infirmities.” This being so, surely the least that we can do is to seek His aid, to definitely ask Him to undertake for us. Alas, how rarely we
do so. As intimated above, when the pressure of trouble first presses upon us,
usually it is nature which cries out
for relief At other times the soul is so cast down that even the voice of
natural “prayer” is stifled. Often there is so much rebellion at work in our
hearts against the providential dispensations of God toward us that we feel it
would be mockery to seek His face;
yea, we are ashamed to do so. Such at least has been the experience of the
writer more than once, and that not long ago, though he blushes to acknowledge
it. O the infinite patience and forbearance of our gracious God![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)
For those who require the assistance of a Deeper
Walk International Prayer Minister to experience healing or your freedom in
Christ, I highly recommend Christy Edge’s Life on the Edge Freedom Prayer
Ministry. You can schedule a session by going to : https://cedge216.wixsite.com/life-on-the-edge
“The views, opinions, and commentary of this
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reflect the opinions or views of any of the photographers, artists, ministries,
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and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities the
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Encouragement
for the Path of Christian Discipleship
