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Showing posts with label Spiritual Warfare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spiritual Warfare. Show all posts

Monday, May 22, 2023

All You Need is Money. – Lies of the Enemy #37 – Purity 1049

 

All You Need is Money.  – Lies of the Enemy #37 – Purity 1049

Purity 1049 05/22/2023 Purity 1049 Podcast

Purity 1049 on YouTube: Coming Soon!

Good morning,

Today’s photo of the lush green landscape  in the “right of way” just off Waite Rd in Easton NY, under a magnificent cumulus cloud filled blue sky, comes to us from yours truly as I captured this simple yet beautiful scene while I was out walking the dog back on May 6th.    They say a picture is worth a thousand words but I’m not sure even a thousand words could express how many times I have received joy just from looking out over this particular section of landscape over the last two years.   This wide open space just stretches out to in the distance and is a wonderful canvas that displays the beauty of God’s creation throughout all the seasons of the year. The views are priceless but free to anyone fortunate enough to stop and take a look.   

Well, It’s Monday again and as we enter into a new work week I am thinking about how some of the best things in life are free but at the same time a lot of the things we “need” and want cost money.  Although the upcoming Memorial Day weekend will send me to the enjoy the simple pleasures of  “roughing it”  in the “wilderness” of the Merck Forest and Farmland for two days, in order to secure my spot in the rustic accommodations of the Nemorod Cabin, I had to put my money where my mouth was and book it! Although the pleasures of the great outdoors are free, my choice to enjoy them from the relative comfort and security of a cabin with wrap around porches, equipped with rocking chairs to “set a spell” cost $75.00 a night.  Also to be equipped for this weekend’s, and possibly future, backpacking excursions, my wife and I both have both gone shopping for supplies and “necessary equipment”.  Yesterday, thinking of sleeping on a hard wooden “bunk” this weekend, I purchased a “camping pad” to lie on and not one but two pillows to rest my head on – so I would have everything  I “need” to sleep relatively comfortably this weekend.  Whether I sleep where well or not, I paid the cost for these and other back packing supplies in hopes that they will give me what I need to enjoy my weekend “away from it all.”

Also yesterday, in the early morning hours, I heard what I hope to be the Lord’s call to take a fall pilgrimage of sorts to attend Deeper Walk International’s 35th Anniversary Conference – Going Deeper Together – during the Columbus Day Weekend in October at the new Deeper Walk Building in Hobart Indiana. Needless to say, the conference, flights, rental car, and hotel accommodations required to take this trip weren’t free either and could have bankrolled more than one camping trip.  But you go where you are “called” and you pay for it.

If you want to go, you pay for it. If you want something, you pay for it. If you need something, you pay for it.  As much as we can find peace and joy in the simple things in life, we still need money to pay the bills, buy our bare necessities,  and to pay for those “little extra” things and experiences, we need or want to bring into our lives.  

And that brings us to our current series the “Lies of the Enemy”, which is an examination of some of the common lies, sometimes sneakily whispered into our minds as “first person” statements, that the enemy tells us to cause us to doubt our faith, lose our peace, cause division, or influence us to not follow the Lord with the way we live our lives. 

So today’s big lie is:

Lie #37:  All You Need is Money.                   

While there is much truth to the “fact” that we “need money”, the enemy encourages us to push this need to the extreme to the point that we focus on getting enough of it to believe that we are totally self-sufficient and powerful to the point that we don’t need anything else.  The lie of “all you need is money” is alive and well in our world and it causes men to harden their hearts and to do just about anything to feed the needs that their greed tells them are absolutely necessary and that any means to get the cash they “need” are justifiable.  

Murder for hire, prostitution, human trafficking, and drug dealing are some extreme examples of the depths of depravity that some men and women will go to “get that money” but even “legitimate businessman” can fall into the trap the enemy by believing the lie that “all you need is money”  to lead them into sin and  destruction.  

In thinking of this lie, I thought of the old Motown hit “Money –(That’s what I want”) by Barret Strong and how it perfectly expresses the hardness of heart and single minded focus of those who believe the lie – that money is all you need.  

The lyrics unashamedly admit:  

“The best things in life are free

But you can give them to the birds and bees

I need money (that's what I want)”

And

“Your loving gives me such a thrill,

But your love don't pay my bills…

I need money (that's what I want)”

And finally…  

“Money don't get everything it's true

What it don't get I can't use

I need money (that's what I want)”

That’s one cold hearted, albeit cool Motown Jam and I am sharing a link to it on You Tube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU_ixZv9N-E) – but although we can enjoy that song it’s really an anthem for the enemy to entice us to choose personal wealth over love and a relationship with the Lord – as it is something that every one needs but would be declared to be something “I can’t use” by those blinded by this pervasive lie about money.   

Christ said that in the end we must choose God over money because:

Matthew 6:24 (NLT2)
24  “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

The Apostle Paul further warns us of the dangers of being overly concerned with cash. In  

1 Timothy 6:9-10 (NLT2) the word says:
9  But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.
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.

Instead the writer of Hebrews advises us to avoid the dangers of the love of money:

Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)
5  Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  

While we do have to pay our bills and can work for the good things in life, we should never do so to the point that we forsake the love of the Lord.  Focusing on money to the exclusion of our relationship with God and others is a trap laid by the enemy and actively encouraged in this world, so be diligent in enjoying the simple things in life and being content with what you haveand knowing who you will serve when its all been said and done.   

 

Money can’t buy you love, get you a ticket into heaven, and you can’t take it with you. So be sure to invest in your relationship with God, by putting your faith in Christ, and spending your resources into knowing Him more and serving His kingdom. 

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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple apologetic will provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .

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

This morning’s meditation verse are:

2 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT2)
7  We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

Today’s verse keeps us humble by reminding us that our lives are fragile, like jars of clay, and that we have been blessed with God’s illuminating truth about Jesus Christ, and that all the power we have has been given to us by God.   

 

No amount of money or list of accomplishments make us great or will secure our future in eternity. Only the light of the gospel will save us and only God provides us with the power to live.  So rejoice that we have been blessed and let your light shine for all the world to see because we didn’t earn it and it is supposed to be shared to light up the lives of others.

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

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  

2 - The Personality of the Holy Spirit

Figurative or Literal Personality

Some of our readers may be surprised to hear that there are men professing to be Christians who flatly deny the personality of the Spirit. We will not sully these pages by transcribing their blasphemies, but we will mention one detail to which appeal is made by the spiritual seducers, because some of our friends have possibly experienced a difficulty with it. In the second chapter of Acts the Holy Spirit was said to be “poured out” (v. 18) and “shed abroad” (v. 33). How could such terms be used of a Person? Very easily: that language is figurative, and not literal; literal it cannot be for that which is spiritual is incapable of being materially “poured out.” The figure is easily interpreted: as water “poured out” descends, so the Spirit has come from Heaven to earth; as a “pouring” rain is a heavy one, so the Spirit is freely given in the plentitude of His gifts.

Aspects of Personality

Having cleared up, we trust, what has given difficulty to some, the way is now open for us to set forth some of the positive evidence. Let us begin by pointing out that a “person” is an intelligent and voluntary entity, of whom personal properties may be truly predicated. A “person” is a living entity, endowed with understanding and will, being an intelligent and willing agent. Such is the Holy Spirit: all the elements which constitute personality are ascribed to and found in Him. “As the Father hath life in Himself, and the Son has life in Himself, so has the Holy Spirit: since He is the Author of natural and spiritual life to men, which He could not be unless He had life in Himself; and if He has life in Himself, He must subsist in Himself” (John Gill).

1. Personal properties are predicated of the Spirit. He is endowed with understanding or wisdom, which is the first inseparable property of an intelligent agent: “the Spirit searcheth all things, even the deep things of God” (1 Cor. 2:10). Now to “search” is an act of understanding, and the Spirit is said to “search” because He “knoweth” (v. 11). He is endowed with will, which is the most eminently distinguishing property of a person: “All these things worketh that one and selfsame Spirit, dividing unto every man as He will” (1 Cor. 12:11)—how utterly meaningless would be such language were the Spirit only an influence or energy! He loves: “I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit” (Rom. 15:30)—how absurd would it be to speak of the “love of the Spirit” if the Spirit were nothing but an impersonal breath or abstract quality!

2. Passive personal properties are ascribed to the Holy Spirit: that is to say, He is the Object of such actions of men as none but a person can be. “Ye agree together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord” (Acts 5:9)—rightly did John Owen say, “How can a quality, an accident, an emanation from God be tempted? None can possibly be so but he that hath an understanding to consider what is proposed unto him, and a will to determine upon the proposals made.” In like manner, Ananias is said to, “lie to the Holy Spirit” (Acts 5:3)—none can lie unto any other but such a one as is capable of hearing and receiving a testimony. In Ephesians 4:30 we are bidden not to “grieve the Holy Spirit”—how senseless would it be to talk about “grieving” an abstraction, like the law of gravity. Hebrews 10:29 warns us that He may be “done despite unto.”

3. Personal actions are attributed to Him. He speaks: “The Spirit speaketh expressly” (1 Tim. 4:1); “he that bath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Rev. 2:7). He teaches: “The Holy Spirit shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say” (Luke 12:12); “He shall teach you all things” (John 14:26). He commands or exercises authority: a striking proof of this is found in Acts 13:2, “The Holy Spirit said, Separate unto me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them”—how utterly misleading would such language be if the Spirit were not a real person! He intercedes: “The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us” (Rom. 8:26)—as the intercession of Christ proves Him to be a person, and a distinct one from the Father, unto whom He intercedes, so the intercession of the Spirit equally proves His personality, even His distinct personality.

4. Personal characters are ascribed to Him. Four times over the Lord Jesus referred to the Spirit as “The Comforter,” and not merely as “comfort;” inanimate things, such as clothes, may give us comfort, but only a living person can be a “comforter.” Again, He is the Witness: “The Holy Spirit also is a witness to us” (Heb. 10:15); “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God” (Rom. 8:16)—the term is a forensic one, denoting the supplying of valid evidence or legal proof; obviously, only an intelligent agent is capable of discharging such an office. He is Justifier and Sanctifier: “But ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 6:11).

5. Personal pronouns are used about Him. The word “pneuma” in the Greek, like “spirit” in the English, is neuter, nevertheless the Holy Spirit is frequently spoken of in the masculine gender: “The Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things” (John 14:26)—the personal pronoun could not, without violating grammar and propriety, be applied to any other but a person. Referring again to Him, Christ said, “If I depart, I will send Him unto you” (John 16:7)—there is no other alternative than to regard the Holy Spirit as a Person, or to be guilty of the frightful blasphemy of affirming that the Savior employed language which could only mislead His Apostles and bring them into fearful error. “I will pray the Father that he shall give another Comforter” (John 14:16)—no comparison would be possible between Christ (a Person) and an abstract influence.

Borrowing the language of the revered J. Owen, we may surely say, “By all these testimonies we have fully confirmed what was designed to be proved by them, namely, that the Holy Spirit is not a quality, as some speak, residing in the Divine nature; not a mere emanation of virtue and power from God; not the acting of the power of God in and unto our sanctification, but a holy, intelligent subsistent, or Person.” May it please the Eternal Spirit to add His blessings to the above, apply the same to our hearts, and make His adorable Person more real and precious to each of us. Amen.[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 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.).


Tuesday, May 16, 2023

I’m Better Off Alone. – Lies of the Enemy #32– Purity 1044


I’m Better Off Alone.  – Lies of the Enemy #32– Purity 1044

Purity 1044 05/15/2023 Purity 1044 Podcast

Purity 1044 on YouTube: Coming Soon!

Good morning,

Today’s photo of my wife approaching the Ridge Cabin at the Merck Forest and Farmland Center Grounds in Rupert Vermont comes to us from yours truly as the wife and I decided to “DO Something” this past Saturday and spent a few hours hiking along the Gallop Road until we lost our way.   For the life of me I don’t know which way we were supposed to go to stay on track because we were faithfully following the signs leading the way but at the intersection leading to the Ridge Cabin things didn’t appear as they seemed as the three forked path must have had a fourth path as we came down one, explored the other – to the Ridge Cabin – and left via what we thought was the “only other way” only to discover a short while later that the path we were on wasn’t the one we thought it was!

But the sign we followed that pointed us back to the Visitor’s Center didn’t necessarily lead us astray, it just didn’t take us back to the beginning we had planned on.  

Well, It’s Tuesday and I spontaneously did something a little unexpected. I booked a “camping” trip for Saturday and Sunday (– no I’m not doing three days – I know my limits!) of the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend to stay at the Nemorod Cabin at the Merck Forest and Farmland Center.  While it’s hardly going to be “roughing it” what with Nenorod Cabin’s wrap-around porch and rocking chairs, but  I will be without my beloved electricity and indoor plumbing, and there are grave doubts that I will be able to connect to the internet with my phone, but sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone and get away from it all.    Although, I imagine I won’t have to worry about solitude as I am inviting the wife and her kiddos along for the ride if they dare… I’m sure they will.  They are no strangers to camping and may even choose to forsake the comfort of the cabin to sleep in tents or just to lie on the ground for all I know…  

Anyway, although my Memorial Day Weekend won’t be spent in solitude, I am hopeful that I will find some peace and rest, in spite of the rugged conditions and the boisterous company of people who “love camping”.  Although family vacations can be a mix of fun and frustrations at times, I know that whenever I venture too far into solitude or silence the specter of loneliness will rear its ugly head causing me to want to reconnect with loved ones, my heavenly Father, or just in the company of strangers in public places.  

And that brings us to our current series the “Lies of the Enemy”, which is an examination of some of the common lies, sometimes sneakily whispered into our minds as “first person” statements, that the enemy tells us to cause us to doubt our faith, lose our peace, cause division, or influence us to not follow the Lord with the way we live our lives. 

So today’s big lie is:

Lie #32:  I’m better off alone.          

Today’s lie is whispered into our ears by the demonic forces of darkness usually when we are at our lowest or most vulnerable state. It usually comes after loss and can be born from the deep hurt and disappointment that follows the rejection of broken relationships or even the departure of loved ones into eternity. 

Our pain and depression of the things we lost or at the offense of how we have been mistreated or abused can give us the desire to become a hermit and distance ourselves from everyone.  The enemy offers the solution of unending solitude with the rationale that because other people have caused your pain, it only makes sense to protect ourselves from further pain by removing ourselves from the company of others.

However, this is usually a set up as the enemy will then take the peace of solitude and change it to the anxiety of loneliness but with the hopelessness that “You can’t” – or won’t reach out to others to alleviate the problem.  It is then that the enemy tries to convince you that you really are alone – that there is no God – and no meaning or purpose to this life – and thus Satan and his demonic associates will offer up the final solution of suicide to “end all your pain, forever.”   

From hurt to solitude to isolation to suicide, the enemy knows if he gets us alone we are more susceptible to his lies and schemes to destroy us.        

But God’s word tells us that it is not good for man to be alone and He commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves indicating that we are to have continuous relational contact with others.  The injunctions to not forsake the fellowship of the saints commands us to gather for worship and the guidelines for love, marriage, and raising children point to the flourishing that comes from God’s design for families.   Whether you decide to marry or not is up to you, but nowhere in scripture does good recommend a long term solitary existence as Christians are all called to go and make disciples.   God knows what we need and gives us His wisdom to lead us into a life that is filled with the fruit of the Spirit and all of those are best cultivated (especially patience) with others in mind.  

So yes I acknowledge the difficulties that our human relationships can cause but the trials are meant to mature us, to be wise and discerning with our hearts, and to choose the company and fellowship of those who respect and follow the Lord.  I

f someone isn’t following the Lord, are you surprised they are selfish or abusive? Those who don’t have a relationship with God through faith in Christ are worshipping false idols – usually themselves – and will invariably show the foul fruit that comes from following anything other  than the God who loved us enough to send His Son to die for us.    

SO don’t believe the lie that you are better off alone. It’s a trap from enemy! Instead choose to follow the Lord into the company of the saints and those who need the good news and the good works that you can give.  

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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple apologetic will provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .

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

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

This morning’s meditation verses are:

Colossians 3:12-13 (NLT2)
12  Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
13  Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Today’s verses encourage us to be kind, gentle, patient, and merciful with one another, to make allowances for each other’s faults and to forgive those who offend us – as we have been forgiven all things through Christ.  

I don’t set these messages up but the Lord sure seems to be Sovereign at times when our “random” Bible verse of the day flows with the first part of the message.  

So Instead of thinking you are better off alone – forgive the offenses of others and be  kind, gentle, humble, patient, and merciful in your dealing with others.  

Now if someone is toxic and refuses to follow the Lord and these basic instructions for human interaction, you may have to put up boundaries to limit or even end your interactions with them – thus “releasing them to Satan and possible repentance.  

When following the Lord we have to be uncompromising in our love for others but to remain in our company, we need to be clear that the others must also reciprocate the kindness and respect we provide. 

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

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  “Satan, Demons & Satanism: A Sinister Reality” By June Hunt.

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage you all to purchase June Hunt’s books for your own private study and to support her work.  This resource is available online for $7.99 (https://june-hunt.myshopify.com/collections/keys-for-living/products/keys-for-living-on-satan-demons-satanism_ ).

Satan, Demons & Satanism

A Sinister Reality

by June Hunt

IV.    Steps To Solution

G.  Prevention and Protection

Living in victory over Satan is possible when we realize that our victory is in Jesus Christ alone! We are engaged in a lifelong war with Satan, and often that struggle involves our family and friends. Therefore, we need to be prepared at all times so that we and those we love will not fall into the enemy’s hands.

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”

(Colossians 2:8)

     Be aware

Know that satanic influence can touch any family.

     Be knowledgeable

Know what the Bible says about Satan.

     Be alert

Be quick to recognize signs and symptoms of satanic involvement.

     Be loving

Listen for and hear feelings and emotions that are being communicated.

     Be respectful

Do not be accusing or condemning.

     Be involved

Attend a warm, Bible-believing, spiritually alert church.

     Be tough

Realistically present the consequences of satanic involvement.

     Be edifying

Plan activities and projects that build self-worth.

     Be in contact

Get support from ministers, youth leaders and police experts.

     Be in prayer

Ask God for a hedge of protection around your family.

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

(1 Peter 5:8)

Pray …

 

Thank You, Father, that I am Your child and that Christ, who is in me, is greater than Satan, who is in the world. I acknowledge that Satan is a defeated enemy. He was defeated when the blood of Christ was shed at Calvary. His blood paid for the guilt of my sins. I am a child of God, and Satan has no authority over me. I’ve been bought with a price. My body is not my own. It belongs to Christ. I refuse all thoughts that are not from God, and I resist Satan and his power. As I stand in the full armor of God, I ask You to bind Satan and his demonic realm from any influence over me. Just as You put a hedge of protection around Job, I ask that You put a hedge of protection completely around me for the glory of Christ. In the precious name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

 

Many a buddy has jumped into the lake with his friend. While they are joined at the wrists, the jump feels fun and free. But stop! This isn’t your buddy—he’s the enemy of your soul. In the end, Satan and all his followers will be thrown into the lake of fire—a lake of eternal torment day and night, for ever and ever. Don’t be deceived. Don’t dabble in the demonic. Turn around, turn away and never turn back! It’s a matter of life and death.

June Hunt[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 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] June Hunt, Biblical Counseling Keys on Satan, Demons & Satanism: A Sinister Reality (Dallas, TX: Hope For The Heart, 2008), 20–21.

Saturday, May 13, 2023

Happiness is Somewhere Out There! – Lies of the Enemy #30– Purity 1042

Happiness is Somewhere Out There!  – Lies of the Enemy #30– Purity 1042

Purity 1042 05/13/2023 Purity 1042 Podcast

Purity 1042 on YouTube:



Good morning,

Today’s photo of “Morning at Cherokee Lake” comes to us from Fred Dimmick who shared this scene on social media back on April 18th.  I love the boardwalk pathway and the perfect tranquil reflection of the surrounding landscape on the surface of the lake, and all under a cloudless blue sky! Fred’s photo makes me want to get out there and see something!

Well, it’s Saturday and while I have been working outdoors, digging ditches, literally, this week the tranquility of Fred’s photo encourages me to spend some time appreciating God’s creation, albeit with some balance.   We only have so many hours on the weekends, and we have to be wise when we plan things and count the costs. We have to ask ourselves what exactly it is we are looking for, or trying to accomplish, and to consider how much time and effort accomplishing it will take, and whether there is a simpler way to meet our needs that won’t cost us everything.   

For example, last year my wife and I and some friends went on a “white water rafting trip” on the Hudson River.  If you have never gone, I would highly recommend giving it a try. It was fun!  However, before you book your trip with a rafting company, you need to count the costs.  The rafting trip required financial costs, more or less 8 hours of you day, and some physical costs to your body (from rowing, being jostled around in the rapids, from swimming (you’ve got to get out of the boat – brothers and sister – as far as I am concerned -for the full experience), and from being out in the elements for most of the day. While you will have your evening free after the trip, you may be “spent” from the experience.   

Similarly, we, like Fred, can go to nearby nature trails, state parks, lakes, or mountains to get out in God’s creation to experience the glory of the great outdoors but we are wise to figure out the “drive time”  and assess the lay of the land to accurately determine the time and physical costs for our excursions – long hikes cost more than short hikes, mountain hikes cost more than hikes on relatively flat terrain.  

And all of these considerations are being mentioned today because each of us have different likes and dislikes and different capacities and as I seek to encourage people to “do something” to fully appreciate their lives, and to find peace and joy in the process, I also want people to be wise and discerning and to seek to know themselves and their limitations because if they aren’t their attempts to find peace and joy can turn into frustration, angst, and bitterness.  

The sense of peace we will experience will be within us no matter where we go, so it’s good to remember that wherever we go, we take ourselves with us and we should seek to accurately assess what we can handle and what we can’t.   If our journey of life turns into some desperate pursuit of finding peace “somewhere out there”, invariably we will come to the conclusion that “there is nothing out there” in some sense, unless we are also connected to the Creator.  There is nothing inherently meaningful or fulfilling out in the middle of the woods, next to a lake, or on the top of a mountain unless the experience brings you to a place where you thank God for what He has made and the life He has given us.  

Many times on solo nature hikes, I have reached “my limit” -where I get to the point that my appreciation for the “stillness” and the beauty of the great outdoors dissipates, and I begin to get frustrated and become more concerned with whether or not I should press on ahead or turn around and leave than with the “awe and wonder” of the wilderness.   When I get to that point, I know I have overextended myself and usually make a determined effort to just leave – I am no longer appreciating the woods so “times up” – it's time to go back to civilization and find rest somewhere else – usually back in the comforts of home.  

I  don’t know if I’m adequately expressing this experience of discovery and dissatisfaction, but this is where you come to the realization that – there is “nothing out there” – anywhere really – at home – on the road – anywhere that will fulfill us in and of themselves. This experience is simultaneously discovering our own limitations but also the limitations of “people, places, or things” to completely satisfy us. 

The “answers” to peace and joy don’t lie “out there” by themselves. The answers to peace and joy are found by relating all of our experiences to God. He is the only One with us – all the time – and when we aren’t relating to Him moment to moment – the world becomes lonely, disappointing, or even hostile to us.  God is our ever present companion and the only One who can give us the enduring experience of peace, safety, acceptance, security, and significance. 

U2’s Bono just turned 63 (we are all getting old – our rockers will increasingly be found in rockers – as in rocking chairs) and I remember U2’s 1987 song “I still haven’t found what I am looking for” where Bono sang about “climbing the highest mountains” and “running through the fields” and having other fleshly, and even spiritual experiences, only to find himself still searching.   Although the song’s lyric confesses to believing in “the Kingdom Come” and being set “free” and “believing it” – the fact that singer is “still running” makes believe that they are looking for “something out there” when they should stop and consider the fact that we are all invariably running to an eternal existence with or without God.

Our wilderness discontentment experiences, and desperate searching “out there” testifies to the inability of nature or other worthwhile experiences to provide meaning and purpose and to the fact that we have looked to created things rather than the Creator for guidance and peace.    

And this may be the longest meandering segway ever but, this brings us to our current series the “Lies of the Enemy”, which is an examination of some of the common lies, sometimes sneakily whispered into our minds as “first person” statements, that the enemy tells us to cause us to doubt our faith, lose our peace, cause division, or influence us to not follow the Lord with the way we live our lives. 

So today’s big lie is:

Lie #30:  Happiness is Somewhere Out There!     

This Lie is trumpeted everywhere! Happiness is something out there and many will offer that they have not only found “it” they have it for sale.  The travel industry will book you trips to all the “happy places” on the earth.  Restaurants promise to take you to a “happy place” with their culinary delights.   The sex industry will give you all kinds of options for finding the “happy place” of sexual release.   Dating apps even promise to bring you to the “happy place” of finding relationships.   Spas and salons will provide you with treatments that will give you “peace”.    The entertainment and sports industries will make you happy by giving you dramas to get lost in or to give you something to cheer for.  

 

But as I tried to express above, all the “things out there” – while admittedly they can provide us with pleasure and happy experiences – we were never meant to invest ourselves in them to find our ultimate fulfillment.  True fulfillment – peace and joy – come from a relationship with the Creator, not with temporary experiences or created things.  

 

Isaiah 26:3-4 (NLT2)  speaking of God, says
3  You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
4  Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock.

 

Our temporary experience will give us temporary peace. But the Lord offers perfect peace for eternity.  And the Way we can enter into a relationship to know God’s eternal peace is through Jesus.  He said in:  

 

John 14:27 (NLT2)
27  “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

 

His teaching and His very life were given to and for us so we would have peace.  Jesus acknowledges the difficulties of living in this world but assures us of that through Him we can over come it.   He said:

John 16:33 (NLT2)
33  I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

 

We are not to try to find our peace – or happy place – in the world. We are to find our peace in Him.  

 

So while I encourage you to enjoy your life and to get “out there:” this weekend to do something, make sure that you understand your limits and that the peace that endures forever is found in Christ alone.  So don’t believe the lie that “happiness is somewhere out there!” just waiting to be found because no matter how much you search in this world, unless you are looking towards the Creator and consider His Way for peace, you’ll will not only never find “what you are looking for” you will discover that you were running away from the only One that could give it to you.    

 

 

 

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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple apologetic will provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .

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

This morning’s meditation verse is :

1 Peter 3:7 (NLT2)
7  In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.

 

Today’s verse reminds husbands to treat their wives with honor and understanding that she is our equal partner in God’s gift of new life and that failure to do so may hinder our prayers.   

 

Well, just in time for Mother’s Day, the Lord provides us with a verse to honor our sisters in Christ. Women are our equal partners in our new lives in Christ and when we treat them as second class citizens of the kingdom of God, we apparently will disrupt the effectiveness of our prayer lives as a spiritual consequence.  

 

Men and women are different. They have different strengths and weaknesses, but the Lord loves them both and wants them to honor and respect one another as equal partners in God’s kingdom.  While men are given the spiritual authority in marriage, they are not to abuse it.   Instead the word of God instructs us to love our wives as ourselves and to give them honor.

 

 

 

  

 

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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  “Satan, Demons & Satanism: A Sinister Reality” By June Hunt.

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage you all to purchase June Hunt’s books for your own private study and to support her work.  This resource is available online for $7.99 (https://june-hunt.myshopify.com/collections/keys-for-living/products/keys-for-living-on-satan-demons-satanism_ ).

Satan, Demons & Satanism

A Sinister Reality

by June Hunt

IV.    Steps To Solution

E.  Claim Your Victory in Christ

Christ’s victory over Satan is complete, final and irrevocable. Because Christ lives in you, His victory has become your victory. There is no power over Satan apart from Christ because He is the only one who has been and can be victorious over your adversary. Claim and appropriate His victory as your own, and then walk in that victory on a daily basis.

     Commit your entire life to Christ as Lord.

 

Fully rely on Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, your will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

 

     Confess your involvement with Satan.

 

Recognize and renounce each evil practice.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

 

     Confront Satan as a liar.

 

Refuse to believe any thought that Satan puts into your mind.

“He [Satan] was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)

 

     Command Satan to leave you.

 

Base your command on the authority given you in Christ.

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

 

     Cleanse your home.

 

Destroy all satanic and occultic paraphernalia.

“Avoid every kind of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:22)

 

     Conform your thinking to God’s thinking.

 

Transform your mind by memorizing Scripture.

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)

 

     Concede your own weakness.

 

You cannot resist evil in your own strength … you must rely on the indwelling power of Christ.

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

 

     Clothe yourself with the armor of God.

 

Learn God’s way of protecting yourself against the devil’s schemes.

“Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.” (Ephesians 6:13)

 

Q “For several years, I have been having perverse sexual dreams. I feel dirty when I wake up, but I can’t seem to do anything about them. Although I recently became a Christian, our family was heavily involved in witchcraft and satanism. What can I do to stop having these nightmares?”

Recurring sexual nightmares can certainly be rooted in the occult or in satanic rituals. Because your family was heavily involved in witchcraft and satanism, your first line of defense is to enter into spiritual warfare against these powers. If satanic oppression is the cause of an involuntary, immoral dream invading your life, through prayer it can be overcome. Claim your position as a child of God by thanking Him for loving you and saving you. Speak audibly, for Satan cannot read your thoughts. Then, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and through the power of His blood, renounce and reject any influence of the occult or any evil presence attacking you.

“They overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb [Jesus] and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” (Revelation 12:11)

Pray …

 

Lord Jesus,

Thank You for saving me and adopting me into Your family. I acknowledge that Your blood was the payment price that purchased the full forgiveness of my sins. My testimony is that I truly am a child of God. Right now, I take the authority that is mine in Christ and renounce any satanic, demonic power that was or is coming against me. When I sleep, I ask that the helmet of salvation protect my mind. May the breastplate of righteousness deflect any flaming arrows from the evil one. Put a hedge of protection around my mind and purify my dreams, and may God get the glory. In the powerful name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.[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] June Hunt, Biblical Counseling Keys on Satan, Demons & Satanism: A Sinister Reality (Dallas, TX: Hope For The Heart, 2008), 16–18.