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

Thursday, July 8, 2021

Bondage Breaker Lesson 7


 Listen to Lesson 7 of the Bondage Breaker Discipleship Class

I mentioned a few other resources in tonight's lesson so I share their images here for those interested:  







The mt4christ247 podcast is also available on Google, Amazon, Spotify, iHeartradio, and Apple Podcasts and at Audible.com.    See Podcast Links and Subscribe! 

 
Thank you for listening - please share this information - people need to know the truth of who they are in Christ and the reality of the spiritual war we are faced with.   

If you would like our class materials sent to you at no cost, contact us at mt4christ247@gmail.com 

Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Shining Through: The Power of His Truth and Love - Purity 464

 

Shining Through: The Power of His Truth and Love

Purity 464 07/07/2021 Purity 464 Podcast

Good morning  

Today’s photo of the setting sun shining through an otherwise tall and impressive pine tree comes to us from a friend in Hudson NY who takes to the airwaves each week to discuss the problems and situations here on earth and in their local community but who also always keeps their eyes on the sky to rejoice over God’s creation and encourages others to find joy in the people and things that God has provided in their lives.     

I must admit the three-day weekend had some unexpected results. Yesterday I discovered that the peace of a three-day weekend can evaporate in a few seconds as we have to resume our normal work week lives.  As someone who teaches about walking in the Spirit, I was able to recognize old familiar patterns of frustration and dissatisfaction when my work tablet was also apparently a little sluggish from the extra time off.  

In the past, these first frustrations of morning would have undoubtedly escalated into a “bad day” of reactive emotions of depression and/or anger as the enemy would have peppered me with questions like: “Why doesn’t this stupid thing work?”, Why do I have to deal with this? or “Why do I have to work?”  If I were pressed for answers to these questions, the enemy would have provided some discouraging first person words like: “I hate my job!” or “I hate my life!”  

When we are not walking with the Lord, these little frustrations go can global and if they do, we see life as a big problem and we don’t see any meaning in our sufferings and the enemy will encourage us to do something impulsive or irresponsible.   The problems in our life become a big daunting obstacle, like a huge pine tree standing in our way.   

But if we have made peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ, we know the truth and love of God that transcends the problems here on earth.  Like today’s photo shows us that the brilliance of the sun can shine through a pine tree to the extent that the pine tree seems to disappear, the brilliance of the truth of who we are in Christ and the love of God can shine through the dark clouds of our problems. 

So instead of losing my cool over my sluggish work tablet, I took a breath, and I thanked the Lord for the job that provides for my family. I reminded myself how fortunate I was to be garaged at home. I reminded myself that I was fortunate to have my current job and its particular function.  I encouraged myself to be patient with my sputtering electronic device and reminded myself that a few extra minutes would not make a difference one way or another.   And sure enough, the issues with the tablet resolved themselves rather quickly when I let go of the expectation that it needed to work “NOW”.  

So as we ascend the hump of midweek, remember that no matter if you can see it or not the sun is shining, the world is turning, and things will carry on much like they have in the past.  God is in control, and nothing happens on His watch that He doesn’t know about. 

The state of the world may be beyond our control but when you make peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells you and He gives you the capacity to develop His fruit: which include peace, patience, and self-control.  

We may have to renew our minds according to God’s truth and we may fight off the enemy with his lies, temptations, accusations, and condemning thoughts but as long as we let the truth and love of God shine into our lives we can overcome even the largest obstacle and often we discover the shortest path to victory goes right through it.   

Trust in the Lord and think about who you are in Him, and He will see you through.  


This morning’s meditation verse is:

1 Thessalonians 1:5 (NKJV)
5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

Today’s verse speaks about the supernatural power inherent in the gospel of Jesus Christ and of the integrity that believers should display.  

When the gospel of Jesus Christ is received a supernatural event takes place as the non-believer comes to know the truth of God and is brought to spiritual life as their spirit is quickened by the entrance of the Holy Spirit into their being.  

Paul says that the gospel didn’t come to the believers in Thessalonica in word only. “In word only” indicates that although someone can hear the good news of Jesus Christ and may even be able to repeat it to others and have a claim to the intellectual knowledge of what the message is supposed to mean, they don’t feel any pull to make Jesus their Lord and Savior.  They “understand” what you are saying but they don’t receive it personally.   

On the contrary, the Thessalonian believers received the gospel with:

·       Power – The gospel made a major impact on their life. They knew in their hearts that the gospel was true and gladly accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. Power also indicates that their lives were transformed as they repented of their former ways to follow the Lord. 

·       The Holy Spirit - To receive the gospel “in the Holy Spirit” – indicates receiving spiritual life that is marked by His fruit.  Joy, Peace, and Love are often an overwhelming experience of those who receive the gospel.  The seeds of the other fruit of the Spirit, that of goodness, kindness, faithfulness, patience, and self-control are also planted and begin to grow in the new believer. 

·       Assurance – Receiving the gospel with assurance means that we experientially know that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the Life and that by placing our faith in Him we have been forgiven of our sins and brought into the kingdom of God.  We receive the assurance of God’s presence in our lives and our ultimate victory over death with God’s gift of eternal life.

The remaining phrase of this verse, which says “as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.”, shows us that Paul and his companions were men of integrity.  Their walk matched their talk. Their lives were an expression of their faith.   When you live a righteous life by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit you are beyond reproach as everything you do is motivated by the desire to represent and serve the kingdom of God.  Your life becomes an example of the gospel.  

So remember the power you have received and live your life as a shining example of God’s goodness, mercy, and grace.  Living by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit allows us to experience the benefits of the fruit of the Spirit but our lives can also be used by God to bring more people into the kingdom to give Him glory.  

 

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 with Dr. Neil Anderson’s Victory Over the Darkness, continuing in Chapter 6.

 

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage all to purchase Dr. Anderson’s books for your own private study and to support his work. If you need this title you can find it online at several sites for less than $15.00:

What Happens When I Stumble in My Walk of Faith?

Have you ever thought God is ready to give up on you because, instead of walking confidently in faith, you sometimes stumble and fall? Do you ever fear that there is a limit to God's tolerance for your failure and that you are walking dangerously near that outer barrier or have already crossed it? Many Christians are defeated by that kind of thinking. They believe God is upset with them, that He is ready to dump them or that He has already given up on them because their daily performance is less than perfect.

It is true that the walk of faith can sometimes be interrupted by moments of personal unbelief, rebellion or even satanic deception. During those moments, we think God has surely lost His patience with us and is ready to give up on us. We will probably give up if we think God has. We stop walking by faith in God, slump dejectedly by the side of the road and wonder, What's the use? We feel defeated, our purpose for being here is suspended and Satan is elated.

God Loves You Just the Way You Are

The primary truth you need to know about God for your faith to remain strong is that His love and acceptance are unconditional. When your walk of faith is strong, God loves you. When your walk of faith is weak, God loves you. When you are strong one moment and weak the next, God still loves you. God's love for you is the great eternal constant in the midst of all the inconsistencies of your daily walk.

When Mandy came to see me, she appeared to have her life all together. She was a Christian who was very active in her church. She had led her alcoholic father to Christ on her father's deathbed. She was an attractive lady who had a nice husband and two wonderful children, but she had attempted suicide at least three times.

"How can God love me?" Mandy sobbed. "I'm such a failure, such a mess."

"Mandy, God loves you, not because you are lovable, but because it is His nature to love you. God simply loves you—period, because God is love."

"But when I do bad I don't feel like God loves me," she argued.

"Don't trust those feelings. He loves all His children all the time, whether we do good or bad. That's the heart of God. When the 99 sheep were safe in the fold, the heart of the shepherd was with the one that was lost. When the prodigal son squandered his life and inheritance, the heart of his father was with him, and he lovingly welcomed his son home. Those parables reveal that God's heart is full of love for us even when we are lost."

"But I've tried to take my own life, Neil. How can God overlook that?"

"Just suppose, Mandy, that your son grew despondent and tried to take his own life. Would you love him any less? Would you kick him out of the family? Would you turn your back on him?"

"Of course not. If anything I'd feel sorry for him and try to love him more."

"Are you telling me that a perfect God isn't as good a parent to you as you, an imperfect person, are to your children?"

Mandy got the point. She began to realize that God, as a loving parent, loves and forgives His children.

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

 

God bless you all!

 

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


Thursday, July 1, 2021

Bondage Breaker Lesson 6


 Listen to Lesson 6 of the Bondage Breaker Discipleship Class

The mt4christ247 podcast is also available on Google, Amazon, Spotify, iHeartradio, and Apple Podcasts and at Audible.com.    See Podcast Links and Subscribe! 

 
Thank you for listening - please share this information - people need to know the truth of who they are in Christ and the reality of the spiritual war we are faced with.   

If you would like our class materials sent to you at no cost, contact us at mt4christ247@gmail.com 

Thursday, June 24, 2021

Bondage Breaker Lesson 5


  Listen to Lesson 5 of the Bondage Breaker Discipleship Class

The mt4christ247 podcast is also available on Google, Amazon, Spotify, iHeartradio, and Apple Podcasts and at Audible.com.    See Podcast Links and Subscribe! 

 
Thank you for listening - please share this information - people need to know the truth of who they are in Christ and the reality of the spiritual war we are faced with.   

If you would like our class materials sent to you at no cost, contact us at mt4christ247@gmail.com 

Friday, June 18, 2021

Bondage Breaker Lesson 4


Listen to Lesson 4 of the Bondage Breaker Discipleship Class


The mt4christ247 podcast is also available on Google, Amazon, Spotify, iHeartradio, and Apple Podcasts and at Audible.com.    See Podcast Links and Subscribe! 



Thank you for listening - please share this information - people need to know the truth of who they are in Christ and the reality of the spiritual war we are faced with.   

If you would like our class materials sent to you at no cost, contact us at mt4christ247@gmail.com 

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Bondage Breaker Lesson 3


Listen to Lesson 3 of the Bondage Breaker Discipleship Class

 The mt4christ247 podcast is also available on Google, Amazon, Spotify, iHeartradio, and Apple Podcasts and at Audible.com.    See Podcast Links and Subscribe! 

If you would like our class materials sent to you at no cost, contact us at mt4christ247@gmail.com 

Thursday, June 3, 2021

Bondage Breaker Lesson 2


 Listen to Lesson 2 of our Bondage Breaker Discipleship Class

 The mt4christ247 podcast is also available on Google, Amazon, Spotify, iHeartradio, and Apple Podcasts and at Audible.com.    See Podcast Links and Subscribe! 

If you would like our class materials sent to you at no cost, contact us at mt4christ247@gmail.com 

Thursday, May 27, 2021

Bondage Breaker Lesson 1

Listen to Lesson 1 of our Bondage Breaker Discipleship Class

 The mt4christ247 podcast is also available on Google, Amazon, Spotify, iHeartradio, and Apple Podcasts and at Audible.com.    See Podcast Links and Subscribe! 

If you would like our class materials sent to you at no cost, contact us at mt4christ247@gmail.com 

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Purity 226


Purity 226 09/29/2020
 
Good morning,

Today’s photo comes from a friend who was out on a hike in upstate NY and was wise enough to be aware of their surroundings and to look down where they discovered there was more in the Forrest than the Colorful displays of the fall foliage.
Our reptilian subject reminds us to always be careful when out in the wilderness. They don’t call it “the wild” for nothing!
This photo came to my attention just as I am writing a discipleship lesson on spiritual warfare and the tactics of the enemy.
The spiritual reality of the world is that Satan is real and demonic spirits are active. Scripture demonstrates that the enemy tempts us, accuses us, and condemns us. Scripture also highlights instances of when the enemy influenced or tempted believers to go astray.
This reality is often denied by modern society but may be supported by the evidence of people afflicted by negative mental states and addictive cycles of behavior.
What we think of as depression, low self esteem, or addiction could be assisted by the influence of demonic entities that speak temptation and condemnation into our thoughts.
So which is it: my mind or the enemy?
The good news is that it doesn’t really matter. The remedy is the same for both. Instead of agreeing with the thoughts that tell us that we are sick, abnormal, evil, or broken, we instead stand on the truth of who we are in Christ.
We are saved. We are forgiven. We have the power say no. We are righteous. We are loved.
And all of these facts of our identity have been given to us through our faith in Jesus Christ.
So if nagging voices or negative attitudes start to condemn you, you can tell them to shut up! You can declare that you have been given a new life in Christ and all those things about your past are no longer true.
Your new life in Christ is the truth and the more we agree with it and act on it the more our new life will be shown for all the world to see.
God bless you all!