The Way I Am versus What He says I am – Purity 615

 The Way I Am versus What He says I am – Purity 615

Purity 615 12/30/2021  Purity 615 Podcast

Good morning,

Today’s photo of “a brother and a friend” facing the setting sun on one of the beaches in Sandy Hook NJ comes to us as they recently made this epic photo their profile pic earlier this week.  His identity is obscured as he was looking in the opposite direction of the camera and his name is being withheld because even though we are brothers, from our college days, and friends, he may or may not be in agreement with everything I have to say. I would like to think we can be friends even when we don’t agree on everything.  

I hope he won’t take offense at my using his photo, like some ex-friends, to highlight the natural beauty of God’s creation that is all around him and the fact that our identities are likewise a part of God’s all surrounding kingdom.   To my friend, if you do take offense, I ask for your forgiveness, sir.  Like the Blues Brothers, I am on a mission from God and I got the indication that the Lord had need of it. 

In perhaps what is one of his signature songs, “The Way I Am”, the rapper Eminem, instead of defending himself or trying to deny the media reports about him, decided to embrace the chaos, proclaiming: 

I am whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news, every day I am, huh
I don't know, it's just the way I am

Eminem wasn’t really agree with the media reports of course and was making his own report of how the media tried to classify him in a certain light, how people were out to profit from him, and how he had no privacy because he realized his dream of fame and fortune but had to suffer the insults of the mainstream music industry who didn’t embrace him at the time as  he states that “Radio won’t even play my jam”.

When I listened to Eminem back in the day, I used to pump that song to the max and angrily sing along with Marshal Mathers because after the loss of my infant son I had become disillusioned with the American Dream and life in general and idolized the Detroit rapper and the way he angrily proclaimed how he didn’t care what anyone thought about him, he was who he was and that was just the way he was.    

As we go through life, we grow from children to adults having to decide who we will be in life through our choices. The things we like, the things we do, our tastes, our talents, our personality, and our relationships all come together to paint a picture of who we are, and our thoughts and actions are directed by who we perceive ourselves to be. 

If the world tells you are an angry person, and you agree with it, you will behave in a way that is consistent with that perception. When offended, you will lash out because that’s “just the way I am.”  

In Hamlet, Polonius advises his son Laertes: “to thine own self be true”, but as we can see who that “own self” is can be shaped by the world around us and what we decide to be.     

The world will judge you on your performance. If you don’t have riches, beauty, or accomplishments you won’t be much in the world’s eyes.  

Satan and his demonic minions will encourage a spirit of rebellion in you and will insist that you are your own boss and like to do things your way and that no one is going to tell you what you can and can’t do. 

You may unwittingly have sympathy for the devil and agree with him, as our American culture stresses individual freedom and has increasingly redefined the standards of morality to accept things that were once considered perverse, shameful, or illegal as normal.  

Who we are is influenced by what we believe and how we choose to live according to those beliefs.

So as much as some of us like to think of ourselves as “self-made men”, we should recognize that we are influenced by the world, but we should also consider the Creator of the world, God.  

There are no “self-made men as God created the heavens and the earth and all the living beings that inhabit it.  

Part of our conflicts in choosing “who I am” comes from the fact that God made us in His image and gave us all a conscience, writing His law on our hearts.

Even though we may know in our hearts when we do wrong as children, we can harden our hearts and change our minds to accept our sins as normal and acceptable as we grow into adults.  

And for most of us, who aren’t completely hardened in our own concepts of morality by sin, if we are honest, we know we are doing wrong and we are not right with God but feel utterly hopeless to change it because it’s “just the way I am”, right?  

Well, the word of God tells us you can have a new and eternal life when you put your faith in Christ. So although you may feel set in your ways, God makes a new way when you come into relationship with Him.   

No matter what you define your self as or what you have “made” yourself into, you don’t have any power to forge your own path into eternity. Those who don’t put their faith in Christ will have to face Him one day to be judged and suffer eternal separation from God in a place described as outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

Not a pleasant thought, I know, but I have to share it because Jesus warned of it, and I have come to know that God is real, and people are only saved from His wrath by making peace with Him by putting your faith in Christ. 

Just as our friend’s photo would be pretty lame, without the beauty of God’s creation surrounding Him,  we don’t live in a vacuum. We live in the world and will be subject to the Creator of it.  We have to come into harmony with that Creator as our purpose in life and the only way we do that is by aligning ourselves with Him by accepting His plan for our redemption and making Christ our Lord and Savior.  

The world is a maelstrom of changing ideas, fashions, and philosophies but God’s word stands forever and what it says about us should be considered.  

Without Christ, we are sinners waiting for judgement. 

With Christ, we are saints that have been forgiven and provided with life eternal and power over sin.      

So consider the big picture and the fact that you are living in the context of God.   Instead of embracing the lies of the world that pass away, choose to believe the word of God that will stand forever.  

Instead of being “just the way I am”, listen to the Great I AM and inherit all of the promises of God and a new identity based on what He says about you by putting your faith in Jesus Christ.   

Our struggles to find an identity in this world come from the fact that we choose to ignore the big picture and deny the fact that the Creator made us and has a plan for our lives.  

The struggles with our identity stop and peace, love, and joy come when we stop worrying about “whatever they say I am”,  and we choose to agree with and own our identity of who we are in Christ. In Christ, we are accepted, secure, and significant.  

Hey, we all make our own choices of who we will be in life, but I just want to encourage you to consider who you will be when this life ends and the possibility for living out a new life in Christ where you can know and experience progressive goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, patience, self-control, peace, love and joy.  

 

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

This morning’s meditation verse is:

Philippians 2:13 (NLT2)
¹³ For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Today’s verse teaches us that the power in our Christian walk of faith comes through God working in us.   

Every person who puts their faith in Christ receives the Holy Spirit. After salvation, the Spirit of God encourages us to live according to God’s ways by making us more sensitive to the “wrongness” of our sins and by drawing us to pursue the things of God and to turn from our old ways of doing things.  

As stated above, we, even people who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, can harden our hearts to the Holy Spirit’s promptings and continue in our lifestyles of sin.  

But as today’s verse indicates, when we choose to follow the Lord’s will for our lives to be sanctified and listen to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we receive “the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”  

So if you are wondering why you haven’t changed much from when you said “Yes” to Jesus as your Lord and Savior, it is because you are not choosing to follow Him consistently and you are not letting God work within you because of your choosing your ways rather than His.  

So let go and let God work within you to give you the desire and power to do what pleases Him by simply praying to God that His will be done on earth, and in your life, as it is in heaven. 

Keep walking and talking with God and you will be amazed as your desires change and you see Him working 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 to share from Dr. Neil Anderson’s . “Restored: Experience Life with Jesus”. Today, we begin sharing from Chapter 2.    

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage all to purchase Dr. Neil Anderson’s books for your own private study and to support his work.

Chapter 2

OVERCOMING FALSE GUIDANCE

If you really want to experience your freedom in Christ, the first step is to renounce previous or current involvement with any activity or group that denies Jesus Christ, offers guidance through sources contrary to the Word of God, or requires secret ceremonies or covenants. The Bible teaches that “he who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” ₄₄ Renounce means to forsake or say no to something or someone. Renounce is the first step toward repentance, which means to turn away from something and towards something else. Repentance literally means a change of mind, but it is much more comprehensive in its application.

When the Pharisees and the Sadducees came to be baptized by John, “He said to them, ‘You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance.’”₄₅ Jesus knew their repentance was incomplete. They wanted the blessing of God but didn’t want to give up their traditions, practices, and religious positions.

THE NEED TO RENOUNCE

The public declaration: “I renounce you Satan and all your works and all your ways” has historically been a part of the Church’s profession of faith since its earliest days. To this day members of most liturgical churches are encouraged to make that public profession at salvation or confirmation. In the Early Church, believers would literally face west and make that declaration. Then they would face east and declare their belief in God. The statement is only generic, however. Every work of Satan and every way of Satan had to be renounced in order for repentance to be complete.

To be free from the past, it is necessary to specifically renounce every false religion, false teacher, false practice, and every means of false guidance you have participated in. Many people come to Christ and make a profession of faith, but continue in their old ways of seeking guidance and participation in false religious practices. That is not complete repentance. If we declare something as true, then it is just as important to declare the counterfeit as false. You cannot believe the truth and believe a lie at the same time and experience your freedom in Christ.

The Cross dealt with the forgiveness of our sins. The Resurrection provided us with new life in Christ, and the Ascension of Christ to the right hand of the Father assured us of the authority and power to live a victorious life in Christ. But the moment we are born again, our minds are not totally renewed. That is why Paul said, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”₄₆ The Cross, the Resurrection, and the Ascension make all that possible. Now we can repent and renew our minds. We can renounce the lies, the false guidance, and the false teachers. And we can choose the truth as led by the Holy Spirit.

DEMONIC FORCES AT WORK

The Apostle Paul warned us what we can expect in this world: “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.”₄₇ Concerning the last days, Jesus said, “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.”₄₈ These deceptive belief systems and false teachings are counterfeits. They may appear to mimic the truth, but they are in fact satanically inspired lies. They are taught by false teachers who often represent themselves as followers of Christ.₄₉

When assessing counterfeits of Christianity, no criterion is more important than the doctrine of Jesus Christ. If any person or group will not or cannot say that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the King of kings, and the great I AM, then they should be considered suspect.₅₀ Many people under the influence of Satan can say that Jesus is Lord, but when asked to say Jesus is their Lord, they simply repeat, “Jesus is Lord.” The Devil knows that Jesus is the Lord of the universe, but will not profess Jesus as his Lord, nor will his followers.

A second identifiable trait of false religions and the occult is an offer of salvation or enlightenment through something other than faith in the finished work of Christ. Satan blinds the minds of people to the gospel of Jesus Christ.₅₁ New Age proponents teach that we are not separated from God by our sin and therefore have no need to repent. They say we are God and only need to be enlightened. What a lie!

Third, psychics, gurus, shamans, and false prophets offer a special quality of life, esoteric knowledge, or special power that is available by connecting with cosmic energy sources, secret rituals, ceremonies, or covenants. Occult means hidden, concealed or secret, which is in total contrast to the nature of God, who does everything in the light. What is really hidden from view, however, is Satan, the puppet master. His goal is to keep humanity in bondage by drawing us away from the truth that would set us free. Genuine repentance is the means by which we experience our freedom, as we renounce the lies and choose the truth.

TAKING A VERBAL STAND

The believer has a responsibility to submit to God and resist the devil.52 In doing so they are recognizing God’s authority over their lives and His authority over the demonic realm.53 They are taking their rightful position at Christ’s right hand and standing against the devil, using the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. They are exercising dependence upon God and the authority they have in Christ.

The Bible relates the story of unregenerate men who tried to exert authority over the demonic realm by using rituals and incantations. Such futility will bring disastrous results. The seven sons of Sceva were unbelievers trying to cast out demons in Jesus’ name without an authentic relationship with Him.54 They were stripped of their clothes, beaten up, and kicked out. Their efforts were similar to occultic practices that try to manipulate the spirit world to do their will, but not God’s will.

The biblical example of breaking counterfeit religious ties with the past is found in Acts 19:18-20. Many of the new Christians in Ephesus had been deeply involved in false religions and the occult through worship at the Temple of Artemis. Luke writes in verse 18, “Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.” The open disclosure of occult practices was followed by the positive action of ridding themselves of anything associated with that darkness. “And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of all.”

---------------------------more tomorrow------------------------

 

Join our “Victory over the Darkness” or “The Bondage Breaker” 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. 

Email me at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive the class materials, share your progress, and to be encouraged.

 

Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship

 

Hello, Darkness My Old Friend – A New Day, A New Life - Purity 576

Hello, Darkness My Old Friend – A New Day, A New Life - Purity 576

 Purity 576 Podcast

Purity 576 11/15/2021

Good morning

Today’s photo of a raccoon peaking over the horizon of the tree line at the rear of a property in Picayune, Mississippi comes to us from friend who referred to this visitor as their “backyard friend”.  As cute as they may be raccoons are also known as “trash pandas” in some circles because of their penchant for knocking over trash cans  and making a mess as they seek to satisfy their appetites for table scraps.  This little “backyard friend”  may not be a welcome site to those who have experienced the results of their nocturnal adventures and have decided that their cute looks don’t outweigh the trouble they cause.  

In recovery circles, those who have overcome undoubtedly have some “friends in low places” that they had to leave behind because no matter how cute and friendly they were their friendship wasn’t worth the trouble they caused.   Likewise abusive relationships, which began in love, have to be abandoned when it is clear that the abuser refuses to change and to come under the authority of an accountability system that will end their abusive ways.  

People locked in addictive cycles or patterns of abuse may refuse help or attempts to change, and that is their decision, but those who have suffered because of their associations with them can also decide that their relationship with their abuser or fellow addict will end and that their new lives without them will be free of the “trash” that their old addicted or abusing friends continually brought into their lives.

It's Monday, so it’s the beginning to another work week and quite possibly the beginning of a new life for each of us as we may have grown sick and tired of being sick and tired.  When we go around the merry go round of this world long enough, we may begin to see that the things the world promises to make us happy or to ease our pains are a lie.

When we have suffered long enough with addictions to alcohol, drugs, sex, or food, we see that these things were never intended to fulfill us and that something is missing in our lives. 

Likewise, no matter how healthy or unhealthy as our interpersonal relationships are, we may come to a point where we see that our relationships also fail to completely fulfill us. 

When the things and people of this earth fail to satisfy us, we should realize that the thing that is missing in our lives is God.  

God has given us life and made us in His image to enjoy the gift He has given us and to represent Him.  When we ignore God and do things according to our ways and desires, we will eventually suffer loss and pain and question why things have to be this way.  

Instead of seeking for meaning and truth with our lives, we only sought to avoid pain and seek pleasure not realizing that our temporary nature would never allow us to find lasting satisfaction. 

Our plans to avoid pain and suffering and only have pleasure through our best efforts were short sighted because they ignored our fundamental nature and the higher meaning behind our existence. In our attempts to “build ourselves up” or have a “good life” or a “good time”, we failed to consider the Creator’s plans and intentions for us.    

Of course we are often not alone in our search for happiness and will surround ourselves with people who agree with our philosophies of life but just because we get someone to agree with us doesn’t mean that our ways are the right way. 

At one point in a previous relationship, I realized that I had made some very wrong assumptions about life and felt like I had led myself and the people I was with into a dead end. Like a group of survivalists in a zombie apocalypse movie, we had decided to ignore the signs of danger or got caught up in meeting our desires and foolishly had chosen a path that would lead to our death and destruction.   

Having seen the light and a way out, I had turned to tell the others in my party that I had found a way out but discovered that they were either unwilling or incapable of going with me.

At that point, I had a decision to make. I could stay with my friends in the darkness and continue to ignore the danger we were in and enjoy meeting our desires until our eventual demise or I could choose the hard path of escape where I would have to not only leave my friends behind but also choose to leave behind some things that I considered to be a part of me as a person: some tangible personal possessions and some intangible things, like the ways I thought about life, about myself, and about the roles I had within relationships that would have to end.  

The One who showed me the light was God and I could choose to go with Him and live or choose to stay where I was and eventually die.  He assured me that His was the way that was right and that lead to life more abundantly, but I was still free to choose which way I would go.  

I chose to put my trust in Jesus Christ and have followed Him ever since.  The going hasn’t always been easy, and I have had to suffer many loses on the path to a new life, but He has never left me in my struggles, and He has brought me continually out of the darkness that I was in.  

My old friends who live in the shadows beckon me to come back sometimes and I may find myself occasionally listening to their siren song and may even slip up and make a misstep or two as I walk but God has won my soul and my love and when I fall down, I get back up and keep walking in His direction.  

The meaning of life is to make peace with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ and then endeavoring to discover what God’s will and purpose for our life is.

His will is clear in scripture: our sanctification: to be more like Him, to walk in His ways for living. 

His purpose for us is also clear: to love Him and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Scripture also states that He has prepared good works for us to walk into. 

So although the specifics of our lives here on earth aren’t spelled out for us, we have the freedom to grow in the things that are clear in scripture and to discover what God has for us on the journey of our lives. 

Our current physical location should clue us in because we can only do and walk into the path that is before us.  So walk in the Lord’s way for your life where you are and if you feel that you aren’t where you should be, ask the Lord to guide you in the way you should go and get moving in that direction.  

It’s a new week, it’s a new day, and when you keep walking and talking to God it can be a whole new life.  So take the steps today to draw closer to Him into the life He has for you.

You may have to leave your personal darkness and your friends in the shadows behind but the only life you will have in the future will be in the Lord’s presence.

So choose to live and start walking towards that One that works everything for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Today’s Bible verse is drawn from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”.  

This morning’s meditation verse is :

Psalm 119:50 (NLT2)
⁵⁰  Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.

Today’s verse reminds us that God’s promise can revive us and give us comfort.  

There are many conditional promises in the word of God, like:

Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)
¹⁹  And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

And

John 3:16 (NKJV)
¹⁶  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Well there are two good ones: That God will supply all you need and that you will not perish and have everlasting life.  

If you notice these promises are conditional on having a relationship with Jesus Christ.  So you have to believe that Jesus is Lord and Savior and put your faith in Him but when you do you are forgiven of all your sins, made spiritually alive, and adopted into God’s royal family. In Christ, we receive everlasting life, and all our needs are met.   

So as today’s verse tells us, God’s promise can revive us and give us comfort in all our troubles.

 

The assurance of our salvation, eternal life, and our unbreakable relationship with God should give us joy and hope to fuel our life’s journey.  If we remember God’s promises, and there are lots more to discover in His word,  we can be revived daily and be comforted if trouble comes our way.   

God is with us. He loves us. He will never leave us or forsake us. So be revived by these truths and by His presence and keep walking and talking with the One who will comfort you all the days of your life.

 

As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I always share insights from prominent Christian counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. 

 

Today we continue sharing from June Hunt’s “Evil and Suffering… Why? Is God Fair?

 

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 her work.

G. What Is the Problem of Good?

The Bible says, "Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil" (Romans 14:16). If the problem of evil is an argument for atheism, then the problem of good is an argument for theism. Simply stated, the problem of good is that God must exist in order for ideas such as goodness, fairness, love, and equality to have any meaning. The problem has 5 parts:

1. If there is no God, then nature is supreme.

God is by definition the "supernatural creator of the universe." If there is no supernatural creator of the universe, then nothing is left except nature. Thus the laws of nature are supreme.

2. If there is no God, then nature operates by the principle of "survival of the fittest."

Nature is therefore, cold, harsh, and indifferent. The "fit" creatures that adapt to their environment survive. Those that don't adapt, perish. Thus, that which is smarter, stronger, prettier, quicker, or in any other way more fit to survive are more valuable.

3. If there is no God, self-preservation is the only ethic in "survival of the fittest."

In "survival of the fittest," self-preservation is the law of the land. If one can flourish by deception, then deception makes him "fitter" than others. If one flourishes by violence and brute strength, then strength makes him "fitter" than others. If murder, rape, theft, genocide, betrayal, or hatred contribute to survival and prosperity, then the act becomes "good."

4. If there is no God, concepts such as goodness, fairness, love, and equality are irrelevant to self-preservation.

Self-sacrifice toward others plays no part in self-preservation. Under this model, self sacrifice—or being "nice" to others—is not "good" since it will not benefit oneself. Because all acts of self-preservation are "good," there is no such thing as a crime. Love is an illusion, unless it is the kind of love that is self-seeking. Equality is meaningless unless it refers to making oneself equal to those who otherwise would be "fitter" than oneself.

5. Conclusion: If there is no God, then concepts such as goodness, fairness, love, and equality are illusions.

People search in vain for any basis for goodness, fairness, love, and equality apart from God. "Survival of the fittest" has been used to justify everything from slavery to genocide. Naturally, these practices are abhorrent to most people. This innate sense of goodness, fairness, and love is a powerful argument for the existence of God. Because we personally desire the virtue of goodness and because it is desired around the world, such goodness reflects the image of God.

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21)

 

Argument: "A God of love cannot be at the same time a God of wrath. These 2 attributes are incompatible."

Answer: Love and wrath are not incompatible and can certainly exist at the same time within the same person.

• A mother who intensely loves her baby will, at the same time, have wrath against a child molester who intends to harm her baby.
  —She might even have wrath against her own beloved child for being disobedient and for being disrespectful to her.
• When you read that "God is love," the Greek word for "love" used here is agape, which means an unconditional commitment to seek another's highest good.
  —God is never without His love for you.
• God's wrath is in response to sin and is expressed against anything that seeks to harm you or any other object of His love.
  —This truth was illustrated in the Lord's defeat of the Egyptian army as they pursued the Israelites in order to destroy them.

Recorded in Exodus ...

"The enemy boasted, 'I will pursue, I will overtake them. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.' But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.... In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling." (Exodus 15:9-10, 13)

 

Question: "Did God know that Adam and Eve would sin?"

Answer: Because God is all-knowing and all-present, He is not bound by time. He knew that Adam and Eve would disobey Him. Yet He chose to create them and to give them free will so that they too could make choices. They would not be His pre-programmed robots. Scripture is clear that God's plan for the salvation of mankind was in His mind even before the creation of the world. (Robots would not need salvation.) The Bible says ...

"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (Revelation 5:12)

 

Question: "Couldn't God have made a world without evil?"

Answer: Yes... however, He also knew that a world of limited moral freedom would actually be an inferior world because virtues are defined by their opposites.

For example, a person can be selfless only if selfishness stands in opposition to it.

• —Being selfless implies the possibility of being selfish.
• —It is in overcoming self-centeredness that character is developed and virtue attained.

Although creating a world that became corrupted by evil required God's sacrificing His Son in order to defeat that evil, in His omniscience God knew that such a world would be the best world in which to prepare people for the best of all worlds—heaven itself ...

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.... And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.'" (Revelation 21:1, 3)

Biblical Counseling Keys - Biblical Counseling Keys – Biblical Counseling Keys: Evil and Suffering... Why?: Why God? Why?.

---------------------------more tomorrow------------------------

 

Join our “Victory over the Darkness” or “The Bondage Breaker” 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. 

Email me at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive the class materials, share your progress, and to be encouraged.

 

Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship

A Real Pain in the Assumption – A Fall, Truth, and Consequences - Purity 574

A Real Pain in the Assumption – A Fall, Truth, and Consequences - Purity 574

Purity 574 11/12/2021 Purity 574 Podcast

Good morning

Today’s photo of sunrise, or is it sunset, at Sunny Isles Beach in Florida comes to us from a friend named Grace who enjoyed a “quick weekend” getaway there last weekend.

Unlike, my friend’s surname that describes God’s unmerited favor and his “quick weekend” vacation, I find myself on an extended weekend that has been “blessed” to me as part of a measure of discipline for failing to report an incident at work in a timely fashion. 

On October 1, 2021, I suffered a trip and fall at work because of my failure to stay aware of my surroundings. I had just gotten off the phone to report the damage on the scene of a pole break and was distracted when I tripped over a guy wire which was still attached to the downed telephone pole and drawn tight over a guardrail on the side of the road causing me to go “boom” on my bottom in a jarring fashion.  Although I fell hard, I sprang up immediately and hoped that I would “walk off the pain” which was significant. Because I was embarrassed by my clumsiness, had plans for the weekend, and didn’t want anything to keep me from them, I left work that day without telling anyone of the injury I had suffered in an official capacity, again, with the hopes that I would just “walk it off”. 

Weeks passed and the pain in my rear, hip, and knee, which occurs mostly while seated and particularly when driving,  hadn’t gone away and actually seemed to be getting worse. So fearing I may need surgery and wanting to be honest, I confessed to my employer about my on the job injury just in case my fall had unforeseen and far reaching effects on my health.  My report was received with compassion and understanding by my local manager but there was also concern over my failure to make the report in a timely fashion. 

Apparently, there was reason for the concern as our corporation has a safety compliance plan for its associates and there are negative consequences for failing to report an incident when it happens.  I found out Wednesday evening that I was being placed on the safety compliance plan for 6 months and was receiving a one day suspension from work without pay for not reporting the incident immediately.  

In the world we can assume that if we do the right thing eventually or tell someone we are sorry that all will be forgiven. But that is an assumption that assumes a measure of mercy and a suspension of justice on your behalf that might not be forthcoming.   

So while we may receive grace and mercy from God because of our faith in Jesus, the institutions to ensure justice on the earth may make you pay a cost for what you have done or failed to do.  

So the bottom line is that I am not going to work today and will miss a day’s pay for my sin of not telling the truth in a timely fashion.  

Although I have been forgiven of all my sins because I have placed my faith in Jesus Christ, I am still not free from the consequences of my sins and because I “withheld the truth of my fall from the local authorities” because of my pride and selfishness I will suffer financially and get a day off and 6 months on a safety compliance plan to think about what I have done and to endeavor to “be safe”.     

Although my local manager showed compassion and concern for my well-being, the corporate policies that govern this situation seems to put the emphasis on my irresponsibility, making me accountable for my failure to utilize my training that has taught me to perform a “pre-job survey” whenever I am in the field, to be diligent to be aware of the dangers of slips, trips, and falls”, and to report incidents immediately.  

As heartless as the consequence may seem to some, the corporate policies here actually point to the truth that “accidents don’t just happen”. Much of the pain and suffering that befall us here on earth is a direct result of our failure to utilize the gifts of perception and wisdom that God has given us. 

The basic tenants of “ always look where you are going” and “always tell the truth” were violated here and frankly I consider myself fortunate that I didn’t suffer a worse fate for my errors in judgement. 

However, as bad as I may feel in my rear and in my conscience for my failures, I also know that my failure doesn’t define who I am as a person and although I made some mistakes it doesn’t change who I am in Christ.  

I will suffer the consequences and will pay the cost for my mistakes here on earth, but I know that I am still loved and accepted by God and that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus meaning that while I should learn from my mistakes in this latest life lesson, I need not feel condemned by it. 

My mistakes can have some real life consequences to my body, wallet, and relationships here on earth, but they cannot and will not affect my self-worth, my identity in Christ, and my relationship with God.  

God doesn’t expect us to walk perfectly throughout this life. He knows we will make mistakes. He knows that our failures to walk in wisdom will cause ourselves and others to suffer negative consequences and pain. 

But God offers us forgiveness for all our errors in judgement, mistakes, and even our blatant violations to His principles of living, our sins,  when we put our faith in Jesus Christ. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross covers a multitude of sins and when we put our faith in Him we are not only forgiven but made righteous and accepted unconditionally into God’s kingdom for all of eternity.  

So if you fall into sin or make some mistakes, do the right thing, and confess them immediately so you can possibly receive mercy, pay the costs, and most importantly represent the kingdom of God by being honest, responsible, and accountable for what you have done. 

You may suffer negative consequences for “missing the mark” here on earth but because of your relationship with God through your faith in Jesus Christ, you never have to feel condemned for them after you have confessed and repented.

Our standing as sons and daughters of God are never in question with God after we put our faith in Jesus, but the harmony of our relationship to our heavenly Father does need to be maintained by confessing and repenting of our mistakes when we mess up. 

After we confess and repent, our harmony with God reestablished and although we may face the condemnation of our fellow man and the authorities on the earth, we can have peace in our hearts because we are assured of our forgiveness and relationship with God.    

So even though I am out of a day’s pay, I will enjoy the consequence of a long weekend by not dwelling on my mistake or fall but focusing on the God who loves me and accepts me with open arms when I confess and turn from my errors and endeavor to walk with Him.

Thank God it is Friday and Thank God for His Love, Mercy and Grace that saved a wretch like me and who continues to encourages us to pick ourselves up and walk with Him even after we fall.

Today’s Bible verse is drawn from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”.  

This morning’s meditation verse is :

Philippians 1:6 (NLT2)
⁶  And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Today’s verse assures us that we are a work in progress and that the Lord will see to it that we will be “finally finished” someday.  

If you are anything like me, you were far from perfect on the day that the Lord revealed the truth of the gospel to you, and you made Jesus your Lord and Savior. 

After 38 years of doing things my way, I had made a lot of decisions and lifestyle choices that disregarded many tenants of common sense and especially biblical morality. 

But God showed me His grace and accepted me for who I was, warts and all by welcoming me into His kingdom on a spring day back in March of 2010 when I placed my faith in Jesus Christ.  

However, just because God found me in a sinful lifestyle, didn’t mean He wanted me to stay there. The word of God tells us that His will for our lives is our sanctification. We are to be holy as God is holy, but God understands that although we are made spiritually alive and given the victory over sin and death the moment we are saved, it will take some time for us to show the fruits of our repentance with tangible signs of our sanctification. 

And ultimately the work of our glorification, in which we will receive glorified, perfect bodies and souls, that are sinless and Christlike, is a work that won’t be finished until Christ returns.  

So today’s verse encourages us to keep walking and talking with God because the good work the Lord has begun in us can continue and is guaranteed to be completed when Jesus comes back. 

When we understand this plan for our lives, we can have relief and hope. We can simultaneously take hope and relief in the fact that we don’t have to stay in the loathsome state that the Lord found us in at salvation and that we are not expected to become perfect by our own efforts.  

We can make progress in our sanctification by turning from our sinful ways and adopting the Lord’s wisdom to our lives, but we can also rest in the fact that we are never expected to be perfect, because that is a work that Christ must complete in us. 

So we can enjoy the fruits of the Spirit that come with our efforts at progressive sanctification but also rest assured that we can always rely on the Lord’s forgiveness and grace when we stumble and that He will never leave us or forsake us and will eventually transform us into glorified saints when He ushers in the new heaven and new earth at the end of this age.  

So enjoy the journey of washing off the muck and mire of your former life through your cooperative efforts of sanctification with God where every day becomes another day where we draw closer to Him but at the same time we can have peace in knowing He will do the final work of making us perfect as He is perfect, making us glorified to give Him glory.

When we keep walking and talking with God we become all the more certain that the good work He has begun in us will be completed by Him.   

 

As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I always share insights from prominent Christian counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. 

 

Today we continue sharing from June Hunt’s “Evil and Suffering… Why? Is God Fair?

 

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 her work.

E. What Is the Problem of Evil?

The very presence of evil in our world presents a major problem to many people who acknowledge God and His involvement in the world ... people who know the claims about God—that He is morally perfect, all-powerful, and all-knowing. The premise is that evil cannot coexist alongside a good, all-powerful, and all-knowing God because they are mutually exclusive of one another. Therefore, skeptics conclude that the presence of evil in the world negates the presence of a good, all-powerful, and all-knowing God. The problem involves 3 components and 3 assumptions:

If God is all-good and all-powerful, why does He allow evil?

• There are 3 components contained in answering this classic question.
• #1 God is all-good.
• #2 God is all-powerful.
• #3 Evil is present in the world.
• The 3 assumptions are...
• #1 If God is all-good—He would want to prevent evil.
• #2 If God is all-powerful—He could prevent evil.
• #3 If God is all-knowing—He could anticipate evil and therefore stop it!
• If any one component is missing, then you don't have a problem.
• #1 If God is not all-good, the problem vanishes. God is a "cosmic demon" who causes evil.
• #2 If God is not all-powerful, the problem disappears. God is too weak and powerless to stop evil.
• #3 If no evil is present in the world, the problem evaporates. Evil (sin and suffering) is mere illusion.
• However, all 3 components are true, based on the Bible...
• #1 God is good... and He gave people free will, which is good.
      "The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him." (Psalm 92:15)
• #2 God is all-powerful... and He can do anything that is logical, but it is illogical for Him to both grant free will and constrain it.
      "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do." (Isaiah 46:10-11)
• #3 Evil and its effects (sin and suffering) are present in the world... because people chose to exert their God-given free will and disobey God.
      "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

Biblical Counseling Keys - Biblical Counseling Keys – Biblical Counseling Keys: Evil and Suffering... Why?: Why God? Why?.

---------------------------more tomorrow------------------------

 

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Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship