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Showing posts with label Money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Money. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Wishing You Had Never Been Born – 40 Day Journey with Martin Luther – Day 12 - Purity 1285


Wishing You Had Never Been Born – 40 Day Journey with Martin Luther – Day 12 - Purity 1285

Purity 1285 02/27/2024 Purity 1285 Podcast

Purity 1285 on YouTube: 



Good morning,

Today’s photo of a palm tree’s leaves,  a lighthouse in the distance, and a pink sunset sky comes to us from a currently unknown Facebook friend who posted this scene on social media on or around August 6, 2020. If this is your fond remembrance photo, let me know and I will give photo credit where photo credit is due by updating the blog after the fact.  

Well, It’s Tuesday and I share this photo feeling a bit forlorn and down this morning as I have decided to take the next step in a campaign of “tough love” with my son, Brennan, giving him 30 days notice to get a job and to resume paying me towards his debts or to vacate my premises. Oh joy.

Brennan inexplicably stopped going to work in January and has been lethargic ever since. While I could wait and just watch him eventually suffer from being penniless to the point where he couldn’t pay for his car insurance or cell phone or purchase food, I decided to advise him that he needs to start working again and paying his debts within the next 30 days or he could find another place to live. You can choose to suffer from being depressed, lazy, or whatever but it doesn’t mean you have a right to make me watch it.  

Brennan wasn’t happy with this notice that would cause him to get a job or get out and lamented that he wished he had never been born and that he never asked to be in a world where his value is based on the money he brings to the table.  I get it… the world sticks, and I wish I never had to work and I wish my value was never determined by the home I provide but that’s the way of the world and while you can run from it, you can’t hide and as the Lord told us way back in Genesis that man has to work ( Genesis 1:28, 3:17-19) and our emotions and quality of life will be dictated by our decision to do what is right (Genesis 4:6-7) according to God.   

As much as we must work and eke out a living here on earth, our value is not determined by the money we make or the things we can provide others with.  Our value is determined by God, our creator. He made us above all other creatures by making us in His image but for our true value to be realized we must be “redeemed” through the blood of Jesus and our faith in Him as Lord and Savior.  Our lives on earth are only so long and unless we are redeemed by our faith in Jesus, our lives will be a waste as we are consigned to hell. 

One of those verses in Genesis that tells us that we must work also tells us about the end of our lives on earth:

Genesis 3:19 (NLT2)
19  By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”

That last phrase is used on Ash Wednesday, to draw us into repentance with the not-too-subtle message – you will die – but in Christ you can live – so “repent and believe in the gospel” . 

The suffering of this world may cause us to wish we were never born, but we were and unless we want to suffer more in this world – we will need to do what’s right – to work and be responsible for ourselves – and unless we want to suffer for all eternity – we need to draw close to God, repent, and put our faith in Jesus.  So in the season of Lent – let’s draw close – repent – and live.

It’s the twelfth day of Lent and so we continue my personal walkthrough of Gracia Grindal’s 40 Day Journey with Martin Luther to observe and celebrate the Lenten season.   In this walk through Grindal’s devotional,  it is our hope that we will get to know Martin Luther a little better as we seek to draw closer to the Lord on our journey to Resurrection Sunday – Easter.  

And so we continue.

“Journey Day 12

YOU ARE NOT TO STEAL

What is this?

Answer: We are to fear and love God, so that we neither take our neighbor's money or property nor acquire them by using shoddy merchandise or crooked deals, but instead help them to improve and protect their property and income.

We are forbidden to do our neighbors any injury or wrong in any way imaginable, whether by damaging, withholding, or interfering with their possessions or property. We are not even to consent to or permit such a thing but are rather to avert and prevent it. In addition, we are commanded to promote and further our neighbor's interests, and when they suffer any want, we are to help, share, and lend to both friends and foes. Anyone who seeks and desires good works will find here more than enough things to do that are heartily acceptable and pleasing to God.

Biblical Wisdom

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6: 19-21.

Silence for Meditation.

Pause the podcast, or stop reading, and sit quietly for 60 seconds or 1, 5, 10, 15 minutes or however long you feel comfortable with and have time for. Focus on your breath and the calm stillness in the present moment that is always available to us in God’s creation. Meditate on Martin Luther’s comments for the day, and the content of today’s Biblical wisdom.

Questions to Ponder

·       What is the relationship between the commandment not to steal and the Christian's attitude toward possessions? Toward poverty?

The commandment shows us that possessions have value and that we are not to obtain possessions through crooked means and by implication it puts poverty in a negative light. The subtle message in the commandment is that it is good to have possessions – they have value – we are not to take them from others – that would be wrong and thus we should respect other’s rights to their property and work to earn our own.

·       According to Luther, how are we to consider our neighbor's property, and how are we to use our own wealth and possessions with respect to the neighbor? How would the world change if Christians followed Luther's advice?

Luther indicates that we are to help our neighbors to protect and to increase their interests to help them flourish.  The world would be a better place if we followed Luther’s advice.

·       How can a faith community help people to have a healthy relationship with money and possessions?

A faith community can help people to have a healthy relationship with money and possessions by teaching about good stewardship, the focus on helping others, and the brevity of life on earth. Sharing Jesus’s teaching on investing in the kingdom of God and the folly of amassing worldly treasure and teaching good financial habits could cause people to have a proper understanding of what their relationship to money will be.  

Psalm Fragment

Put no confidence in extortion, and set no vain hopes on robbery; If riches increase, do not set your heart on them. Psalm 62: 10

Journal Reflections

·       Write about how your attitude toward money and possessions influences (and is influenced by) your spiritual life.

Money can’t buy you love or happiness but it does pay the bills – so work for what you need and what you want in life and don’t hold on too tightly to anything. Our life of faith matter more. 

·       How does your attitude toward money and possessions influence your relationships with others?

It makes it difficult because I expect others to be responsible.

·       Reflect on both your earthly and heavenly treasures. Write about how well you balance your life between the material and the spiritual.

I try to keep a balance. I do like my things and to be somewhat secure financially.  But I place a great value on my faith and would sacrifice all my earthly possessions to follow the Lord. I am currently trying to be a good father by giving my adult children a safe and affordable place to live but that has its difficulties and I am trying to be a good steward to what I have been given.

Prayers for the Life of Faith

Pray that you will balance your own life and your use of what you own so that you will be able to help others with what you have.

Pray for Today

Lord Jesus, teach me to use what you have given me wisely; Give me a good sense for what is best both for my neighbor and my own life.

 

(Gracia M. Grindal. 40-day Journey With Martin Luther. Kindle Edition.)

 

(We encourage you to purchase Grindal’s book and take the 40 Day Journey with Martin Luther for yourself by purchasing Grindal’s book wherever books are sold. You can find it online at many different sites and purchase it new, used – paper or electronic for less than $15.00).

 

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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 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 Conscience.

Hebrews 9:14 (NIV2011)
14  How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

Today’s verse falls under the sixth point of our counseling reference guide resource’s section on Conscience.

6. Christ will give you a clear conscience.

Today’s verse points to the fact that our faith cleanses us from the sin that leads to death, but it indicates that we are to be committed to following and serving him.  We can’t live in sin with a clean conscience. We have to repent.

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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: LUKE 1

“He will turn many of the children of Israel
to the Lord their God.” – Luke 1:16

What a blessed mission for a Son of Adam! Truly, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” (Rom. 10:15).

Because of such a mission, John the Baptist was to be “great in the sight of the Lord” (Luke 1:15). As to John himself, he was to touch no strong drink and he was to be filled with the Spirit from his very birth.

The application of these few thoughts is obvious. The Lord has said, “He that wins souls is wise” (Prov. 11:30), that is, great in His sight. But in order to be qualified to “turn many to righteousness” (Daniel 12:3), the message to be worked out in practical experience is “Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18, emphasis mine).

 

May I be filled with Your spirit, Lord,
in order to bear witness to Your grace and truth.[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 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MT4Christ247

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

Monday, November 27, 2023

Declaring War on Yourself - Purity 1208


 Declaring War on Yourself  - Purity 1208

Purity 1208 11/27/2023 Purity 1208 Podcast

Purity 1208 on YouTube: Coming Soon!

Good morning,

Today’s photo of the sun at mid-day in a cumulous cloud-filled blue sky over the unnamed dirt and gravel road, which from this point forward I have decided to call “Freedom Road”,  comes to us from your truly as I captured this scene just after noon on Thanksgiving Day last Thursday.  

Well, It’s Monday – and I for one am very thankful for the extended staycation I enjoyed at my countryside home with my wife TammyLyn since Tuesday of last week, but now it’s back to life and back to reality and I have to warn you all that today’s “return to normal” will be laden with blessings and curses from the business world as we not only return to work but will be assaulted today by ads for “Cyber Monday” as the whole idea behind “Black Friday” is the fourth quarter push for revenue to get businesses out of the “red” and into the land of holiday profits.   

I warn you because I have already treated myself to a very Merry Christmas already as I have recently bought myself plenty to make sure I wouldn’t be able to say, “I didn’t get anything for Christmas this year!” – which is never really a concern.  On the contrary – my “clickbait clicker: has been more or less freely clicking away for weeks now and I have come into the holiday season with a real concern over my lack of self-control over my spending.  I will not incriminate myself any further by disclosing the long list of purchases that I have made over the last few months but I will say that some of the purchases I made were needed – I need clothes that fit the smaller body I have now as I cut 5 inches or more from my waist and my printer did die at my fumbling hands – but most of them were not needed nor appreciated, as the act of buying them didn’t prevent me from buying more. 

As I have utilized my self-control in the area of my food addiction and have made great strides in accomplishing my health goals, my neglected stronghold buster – regarding the purchase of media, specifically books, has resulted in a veritable avalanche of new items in my physical or digital libraries.   While I was utilizing self-control in what I consumed physically in terms of food, my finances have been consumed by regular impulse shopping. 

Ironically, one of my latest purchases is Levi Lusko’s book “I Declare War” which I became familiar with over the last week as James Dobson’s Focus on The Family Ministry was offering it as a resource to help people change their bad habits.  They sent out an email campaign of 8 mini lessons based on Lusko’s book and I consumed the “free material” enthusiastically as Lusko was speaking my language, in encouraging people to overcome and change the habits and attitudes that they didn’t like about themselves.  I was so enthused by Lusko’s encouraging message that I broke down last night and purchased a copy of the book, the study guide, and the audiobook, with the excuse that I needed it in all three forms because of my busy “on the road” schedule and because I might utilize the materials for ministry, as I resume leading the Celebrate Freedom Growth Group at Starpoint Church on Wednesday and will be leading an online Freedom in Christ Course for Men come January of 2024 and you can never have enough knowledge or encouraging words to share when you are helping people to find their Freedom in Christ and to overcome those persistent hurts, habits, and hangups.

Of course, I also have learned that there is more freedom and victories to be won on this journey of faith where we are becoming more and more like Jesus and hope to declare war on my penchant for impulse buying.  When you get free in one area you become more and more aware of the issues you have in other areas, so as I continue to fight the good fight over my food addiction and am on the cusp of possibly being set free from my sleep apnea machine, I am aware that the next war to be one is in the area of finances.   So I am starting today, other than what I need to purchase for OTHERS for Christmas, I hereby solemnly vow NOT to purchase anything other than groceries for the 3 head monster, and my own worst enemy, known as ME, MYSELF, and I, so help me GOD!

And seriously God, I need your help. 

One of the things Lusko writes about in his book, I Declare War, is the need to declare war on what we think, say, and do and so I have thought about this and know I need to stop the insanity with the impulse buying, and now I have said that I will stop it, but I know in order for it to carry over into the things I “do” or don’t do, I need to call in my most powerful ally, the Lord, to help me in prayer.  

So Lord God, help me to resist the world’s call on my heart and mind to purchase items for myself. I declare the truth that I have more than enough personal property to satisfy me for the foreseeable future and I renounce the lie that I “need more”.  Help me to be wise and discerning with my finances and to say no to impulse buying things for myself.   I announce the truth that you have given me self-control through your Holy Spirit, and I ask for your help in exercising it throughout the next month and into the new year.  In Jesus’ name, Amen, 

So what about you? Even though it is the season of peace on earth and good will toward men, it is also a season of wild impulses and the temptation to satisfy ourselves with things from the world rather than resting in God’s presence.  So let me encourage you to keep walking and talking with God in peace, but also to be brave enough to declare war on the attitudes and behaviors in yourself that are out of control and need to stop.  

 

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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 verses come from the section on Church, Communion of the Saints.

“The book of Philemon (Paul writes the letter to his “dear friend and fellow worker” on behalf of Onesimus, urging Philemon to receive him back as a “dear brother.”)

Philemon 1:1-25 (NIV2011)
1  Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker—
2  also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home:
3  Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4  I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers,
5  because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus.
6  I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ.
7  Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.
8  Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do,
9  yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus—
10  that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains.
11  Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
12  I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you.
13  I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel.
14  But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary.
15  Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever—
16  no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.
17  So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.
18  If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.
19  I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self.
20  I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.
21  Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
22  And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.
23  Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings.
24  And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.
25  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Today’s verses fall under the eleventh point of our counseling reference guide resource’s section on Church, Communion of the Saints.

 11. The meaning of the communion of the saints is beautifully taught in Paul’s letter to Philemon.

Today’s verses tell the story of Philemon and Onesimus and how the apostle Paul encourages Philemon to give Onesimus mercy and grace because although they are master and slave, they are also brothers in Christ.  

It is a wonderful example of living together as Christians and I hope it inspires you to be humble and act in love toward one another.

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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 are sharing from “God is in the Manger- Reflections on Advent and Christmas” – By Dietrich Bonhoeffer.   

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage you all to purchase Bonhoeffer’s books for your own private study and to support his work.  This resource is available online for less than $10 at many sites.

God is in the Manger – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

ADVENT WEEK ONE -  WAITING

DAY FOUR

An Un-Christmas-Like Idea

When the old Christendom spoke of the coming again of the Lord Jesus, it always thought first of all of a great day of judgment. And as un-Christmas-like as this idea may appear to us, it comes from early Christianity and must be taken with utter seriousness.… The coming of God is truly not only a joyous message, but is, first, frightful news for anyone who has a conscience. And only when we have felt the frightfulness of the matter can we know the incomparable favor. God comes in the midst of evil, in the midst of death, and judges the evil in us and in the world. And in judging it, he loves us, he purifies us, he sanctifies us, he comes to us with his grace and love. He makes us happy as only children can be happy.

We have become so accustomed to the idea of divine love and of God’s coming at Christmas that we no longer feel the shiver of fear that God’s coming should arouse in us. We are indifferent to the message, taking only the pleasant and agreeable out of it and forgetting the serious aspect, that the God of the world draws near to the people of our little earth and lays claim to us.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “The Coming of Jesus in Our Midst”

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

Luke 2:8–14[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 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MT4Christ247

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] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas, ed. Jana Riess, trans. O. C. Dean Jr., First edition. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010), 8–9.

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Money Can’t Buy You Love or Happiness - Self-Deception Series 2 – Purity 1091

 

Money Can’t Buy You Love or Happiness - Self-Deception Series 2 – Purity 1091

Purity 1091 07/11/2023 Purity 1091 Podcast

Purity 1091 on YouTube: 



Good morning,

Today’s photo of a magnificent view from The Bluff at Victor Harbor comes from Dave Baun Photography as Dave shared this scene from his visit to the Fleurieu Peninsula on social media back on June 23rd.   I love the way Dave’s photo captures the different shades of blue in the water and the way that the sky seems to have the same colors. It’s truly breathtaking. 

On Sunday, my wife and I took a somewhat spontaneous trip to the Clark Institute where I captured a vast amount of the paintings on display with my phone. As impressed as I was with the paintings with my naked eyes, I couldn’t help but notice how my phone’s camera seemed to make the colors in the paintings really pop. My wife later explained to me that the camera captures things as they really are in a moment of time and how the differences in our individual visions corrupt or distort what is right before us. Although my wife and I were looking at the same painting, because of the differences in our vision and focus, we weren’t necessarily seeing the same thing!

Likewise our individual experiences, desires, preferences, and our overall worldview affects how we see ourselves and the world around us and thus we could be operating with a false view of our situations and our individual beliefs and desires could cause us to deceive ourselves.   Personally, I have discovered some blind spots along the path of Christian Discipleship that were caused by and obscured by my pride and self-reliance and so I have decided to dedicate the blog to revealing the ways we may be led astray with this current series on Self-Deception.  

When it comes to the whole truth and nothing but the truth, we use the Bible, the SOURCE of Truth, to guide us and one Christian resource, that is based on the word of God, that I am very familiar with that seeks to lead us to resolve personal and spiritual conflicts by revealing the ways we may be deceived is the Steps to Freedom in Christ by Dr. Neil Anderson.

Step Two of the Steps to Freedom in Christ is “Deception Vs. Truth”, so I have decided to take a slow walk through this step by highlighting each point that this step presents as a possible source of deception in our lives.   This Steps’ first section is “The Ways You Can be Deceived By the World” but even though the lie’s source may be external to us, we still have to believe it, and in some case’s we’ll discover that we have really bought into these lies to the point we will question whether or not they should be classified as lies, because we believe them as true! 

So, while this first section, is classified as “the ways the world deceives us”, I am including them in our current series on self-deception because we, personally, believe them.  Some of these points won’t convict you because you know they are a lie, but some will and that is why we are presenting them all, to lead us to understand the depth of the lies that permeate our society and that can affect us individually, leading us to sin or to not walk in the fruit of the Spirit.

The first item under the “ways you can be deceived by the world is”:

1.    Believing that having an abundance of money and possessions will make me happy.

The scriptures our resource offers for this point are:

Matthew 13:22 (NLT2)
22  The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.

And

1 Timothy 6:10 (NLT2)
10  For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

There are so many things we could say about this first point! The truth of scripture points out that love of money is the root of all kinds of evil and the lure of wealth can crowd out the message of the gospel and lead to unfruitful lives (or lost lives) as material concerns override any spiritual concerns.  

As much as money can provide security and pleasure in this world, it does nothing to secure our place in eternity. Also in this world broken by sin and death, our human fleshly hungers are insatiable, things lose their luster, things fall apart, and ultimately fail to satisfy us.   Many a hard charging ambitious person has risen to the heights of material success only to discover that satisfaction and peace were not included in their prize package.   Many people work hard amassing wealth all their lives for a blissful retirement and die with millions in the bank.  Many underestimate what it will cost to live and blow through fortunes with nothing to show for them when the money is gone.  

Money can’t buy you love, and it can’t buy you peace that lasts because when death comes calling no amount of money will save you.   So we recommend investing in a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ for your salvation and heavenly rewards.   So that should be the first thing secure: your relationship with God and your place in His kingdom.  

But even Christians, can fall prey to today’s lie – that money and possessions will make you happy – and cause you to focus on that rather than your relationship with God or the people He put in your life. 

Money and possessions won’t make you happy, that is the truth. A life of walking in the spirit on the other hand produces joy, peace, love, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, patience, and self-control which sounds like a recipe, based on truth, which brings contentment regardless of the happenstances of life. 

So look at that lie, and know it’s a lie, and pursue to know the Truth that will set you free.

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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 verses come from the section on Adultery:

Psalm 51:1-19 (ESV)
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
2  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
3  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4  Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.
5  Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6  Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8  Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9  Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
10  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
11  Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12  Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13  Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
14  Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15  O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16  For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18  Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19  then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

 

Today’s verses fall under the 11th point of our counseling reference guide resource’s section on adultery, 11. “David confessed his adultery and God graciously forgave him”. 

The joy of being forgiven of our sins should not be taken for granted or forgotten. We all sin and rightly deserve death but Christ paid the cost to save us and when put our trust in Him we are forgiven, once and for all.  And we walk through this world and invariably sin, we can reestablish our peace with God through confessing our wrongs as we go.  Repentance is turning from our sin and when we make it a habit of reporting our wrongs to the Lord and pursue His righteousness, God will help us to change and will give us the peace that goes beyond all understanding when we realize we are forgiven. 

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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

13- The Spirit Convicting

Through man in his natural estate is spiritually dead, that is, entirely destitute of any spark of true holiness, yet is he still a rational being and has a conscience by which he is capable of perceiving the difference between good and evil, and of discerning and feeling the force of moral obligation (Rom. 1:32; 2:15). By having his sins clearly brought to his mind and conscience, he can be made to realize what his true condition is as a transgressor of the holy Law of God. This sight and sense of sin, when aroused from moral stupor, under the common operations of the Holy Spirit, is usually termed “conviction of sin;” and there can be no doubt that the views and feelings of men may be very clear and strong even while they are in an unregenerate state. Indeed, they do not differ in kind (though they do in degree), from what men will experience in the Day of Judgment, when their own consciences shall condemn them, and they shall stand guilty before God (Rom. 3:19).[1]

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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/@MT4Christ247

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 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] Arthur Walkington Pink, The Holy Spirit (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, n.d.).