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Showing posts with label Victory Over the Darkness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Victory Over the Darkness. Show all posts

Monday, August 30, 2021

Things to Keep in Mind – God's Pathway to Peace - Purity 510


 Things to Keep in Mind  – God’s Pathway to Peace                                                                                          

Purity 510 08/30/2021   Purity 510 Podcast

Good morning

Today’s photo of blue skies over Lake Lanier comes to us from a friend who enjoyed a boating excursion over the weekend with friends near Cumming, Georgia. As someone who had the opportunity to go boating with friends earlier this summer I know what great fun and peace can be experienced when you get out upon the waters.   

Reflecting on this photo last night, I thought of Ray Charles’ version of “Georgia on my Mind” that “old sweet song” that tells of a man who can find “No peace” but keeps his beloved Georgia on His mind.  The song has been interpreted as either a man reflecting on His home state of Georgia or of a woman named Georgia.  I like to cover all the bases and think of the song being about a woman named Georgia, who also lives in Georgia, the singer’s home state. 

But seriously, the key to the song is that while the singer has “No peace”, he is comforted by his thoughts of, and his musical homage to, Georgia.  He has no peace but finds some through his remembrance of Georgia.

I think we all hope the singer of the song will see His beloved Georgia again. But those of us familiar with heartache, the consequences of the choices we make, or the circumstances we are forced to accept in life sometimes, know that returning to Georgia may not be in the cards. The overall tone of the song isn’t particularly hopeful, and the singer’s lyrics admit that its “just an old sweet song” that keeps Georgia on his mind.  

But the thing I wanted to point out is not how we can be separated from the things we love and left in a state of depression and nostalgia, I wanted to point out the power that God has given us to find a measure of peace by directing our thoughts to determine our emotions.   

While we can find some peace in remembering old loves, familiar haunts of yester year, or things we once had, scripture repeatedly directs us to look forward, not back, and to look at the Lord and not things of this earth. Why? 

We are to look forward because we can’t change the past.  One of the things I stress to people that I disciple is that “It’s not where you start that matters, it’s how you finish that counts.” Yeah, things may have gone wrong but how can we find peace in the days ahead? What can we do now to make a better tomorrow?  I advise to look forward, make plans, and take actions today that will bring you closer to where you want to go. 

Also we must be realists, we only have so much time to live our lives so our greatest concern should be the contemplation of eternity and finding peace with God.  The good news is that I have done a lot of spiritual legwork in my life, and I can assure you that what scripture says about Jesus being “the way, the truth, and the life” is true. John 14:6 is the verse if you want to look it up and see its implications.

Placing your faith in Christ is the key to eternity but it also is the answer to life here and now.  While thinking back to dear old Georgia may give us some peace, reflecting on and actively following and communing with God gives an infinite amount of peace because there are no limits to His wisdom and love for you to receive.  

So look ahead and look to the Lord, you will find that when you do that the depression you have over the tragedies of the past lifts.  As you begin to trust the Lord, you discover He has a purpose for your life and that no matter where your road takes you He will guide you along on your journey, will bring you to a good place, and will show you amazing things along the way.  

Well it’s Monday again, and its August 30th, I don’t mean to bum you out, but I hope you accomplished what you were hoping to accomplish this summer because September is a couple days away and the season is going fast. 

But guess what, you still have time. You can make plans and take action to create milestone moments for the summer of ’21.  Just turn your thoughts from the days gone by and look forward to the days ahead. Draw close to the Lord and find the peace and joy of life that He has for you.  He wants you find some happiness in this world and believe me when I tell you that your happiness is elevated to joy when you continually walk and talk with Him.


This morning’s meditation verse is:

2 Timothy 1:10 (NKJV)
10  but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

Today’s verse points to what has been revealed by Jesus Christ coming to earth, dying for our sins, being raised to life, and ascending to heaven.   

The context of the preceding verses in this passage refers to the gospel – the good news.  What’s the good news? What has been revealed by Christ’s appearing? 

Well, Jesus’ atoning work on the cross, and the confirmation of His deity through His resurrection has abolished death and revealed that immortality comes through the “gospel”, the amazing news about Jesus that tells us that “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” as Jesus said in John 3:16.     

As I often have stated, the most important question of life is “Who is Jesus to you?” 

While we are free to hold what ever opinions we want and can choose to believe or not,  the historicity of Christ can not be denied. He lived on earth and died on the cross. People testified that He was resurrected and ascended to heaven.  You can believe that or not. 

But whether we “believe” those reports to be true or not, it doesn’t matter unless you take the next step and personally put your faith in Christ as your Lord and Savior.  We must not only “swallow” the hard to believe reports that come to us from the pages of scripture, we also must come into a relationship with God by confessing the truth of those events and by asking for God’s mercy and grace and proclaiming that we belong to God by placing our faith in Jesus.

Immortality certainly is worth seriously investigating and contemplating putting your faith in Christ. For anyone unsure and who hasn’t made Christ their Lord, I would you to encourage you to honestly seek the truth concerning Christ.  Lee Strobel’s documentary “The Case for Christ” is good place to start (https://youtu.be/rbTSyqbUz1A) .   

But our faith in Christ isn’t about getting a “ticket to heaven” it is about coming into a relationship with the living God of all creation and discovering the new life and purpose that He has for you.  

So for those on the path of Christian discipleship already, rejoice over your salvation, share the good news, and keep walking to where the Lord leads you.    

For those not there yet,  open your eyes, minds, and hearts to the possibility that God is real, alive, and is calling you to Him. If you seek Him, you will find Him, and I pray that you find Him today. 

 

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  Chapter 13.

 

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:

Designs for Discipleship

Level II: Built Up in Christ (Colossians 2:7)

Building up people in Christ begins in the spiritual dimension by helping them distinguish between walking according to the flesh and walking according to the Spirit. The more they choose to walk according to the flesh, the longer they will remain immature. The more they choose to walk according to the Spirit, the faster they will grow. Fundamental to this truth is the believers' understanding that outside circumstances do not determine who they are, how they walk or what they will someday become. Only God and our response to Him determine that.

Rationally, when Christians buy into Satan's lies or worldly philosophies, they will not be able to grow (see Col. 2:8, 18, 19). The battle is for the mind, and we must learn to take "every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5). Discipleship requires mental discipline. People who will not assume responsibility for their thoughts cannot be discipled.

Emotions are a product of our thoughts. If our thoughts and beliefs are wrong, we will struggle with negative emotions. Persistent anger, anxiety and depression reveal a faulty belief system. The greatest determinants of mental and emotional health are a true knowledge of God, an acceptance of His ways and the assurance of His forgiveness.

Volitionally, Christians need to exercise the spiritual fruit of self-control instead of succumbing to the fleshly impulses.

Relationally, forgiveness is the key to freedom in Christ. It is the glue that holds families and churches together. Satan uses unforgiveness more than any other human deficiency to stop the growth of individuals and ministries. The unforgiving person is yoked to the past and is not free to move on in Christ.

The second goal of discipleship is to accept God's goal of sanctification and grow in the likeness of Christ. This entails the following:

  • Helping people learn to walk by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit
  • Guiding them to discipline their minds to believe the truth
  • Helping them get off the emotional roller coaster by focusing their thoughts on God instead of on their circumstances
  • Encouraging them to develop self-control
  • Challenging them to resolve personal problems by forgiving others and seeking forgiveness


Victory Over the Darkness: Realizing the Power of Your Identity in Christ.

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

Saturday, August 28, 2021

When the world has you feeling BLAH – The Power of Simple Faith - Purity 509


When the world has you feeling BLAH – The Power of Simple Faith                                                                              

Purity 509 08/28/2021 Purity 509 Podcast

Good morning

Today’s photo of a sunrise in Jacksonville Florida comes from a friend who enjoys rising early and watching their son ride the waves.  If you zoom in you I’m pretty sure you can see our friend’s son right under the rising sun.  Our friend shared this photo last week testifying to the fact that “when the world has you feeling BLAH! A good sunrise let’s you know today can be a better day.” In light of the chaos in certain parts of the world, they also prayed “God bless our troops.”

Surprisingly, three days later our friend announced that they have made the decision to pick up their stakes and pursue a career opportunity in Charleston, South Carolina. So while we will lament the fact that we may not get anymore sunrises shots from Jacksonville, we congratulate our friend on their new journey and look forward to what they may share in the future from Charleston.  

As we enjoy Saturday today and the weekend, I am glad for the contact that technology allows us to have with old friends and the way it allows us to make new friends who we would have never met otherwise.  

I’m not sure of the depths of my friend in Jacksonville’s faith but his comments and greetings to his friends reveal some biblical wisdom.  Their thoughts on how a sunrise can let you know that today can be a better day reminds me of one of my favorite passages in scripture. 

Lamentations 3:21-23 (NKJV)
21  This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope.
22  Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.
23  They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

 

The Lord’s mercies are new every morning and therefore we can have hope.  Because God is faithful, we can trust Him and call out to Him in times of need.  

Our friend’s simply prayer, God bless our troops, also shows that they recognize ,however simply, that God is above the things of this world and that He can offer protection and favor.  I thought of a few verses that could apply to our troops for protection, bravery, or the sacrifices that they make but couldn’t settle on one, so I am sharing a couple of links that I found on Guideposts, which is a Christian periodical that is big on simple devotions, that provide various verse for soldiers. (https://www.guideposts.org/how-we-help/military-outreach/10-bible-verses-to-encourage-a-military-loved-one) (https://www.guideposts.org/how-we-help/military-outreach-stories/8-bible-verses-for-soldiers).  

Little did my friend know that his simply thoughts of well-wishing from last week would inspire today’s post. We all don’t have to be Bible school graduates or to be in active ministry to encourage another or to point to the fact that there is a God above our lives who oversees the course of this world and who can be interacted with.   

I shared yesterday in the concluding comments on my podcast that someone who saw my blog on reddit reached out to thank me for my posts.  They confessed that they were struggling with suicidal ideation and that my posts were leading them to relying on the Lord to see them through.  

Our words of hope can impact other people and with today’s technology our words of encouragement can span the globe.  

So if “the world has you feeling BLAH”, look to the heavens, count the blessings you have, and know that there is a God cares about you and that “today can be a better day”.

Our lives are a journey. No matter what the new day brings or where we will go, we have the Lord, and each other, to help us to experience lives filled with peace, joy, and love,

 

This morning’s meditation verse is:

Mark 12:31 (NKJV)
31  And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."  

Today’s verse highlight’s what Christ calls the second commandment and His authority to change the game.

Some people pay lip service to Jesus Christ by saying He was a wise teacher but then either reveal their ignorance or blasphemy by ignoring His words or the implications of His words.  

In this passage of Scripture, Jesus is rewriting the law by proclaiming that there are essentially two commandments: to love God and to love people. In a couple of sentences He simultaneously simplifies and complicates the expectations of those who wish to be right with God.  

One may think that Jesus’s commandments make things “simple” because there are only to commandments now, right?  

But the thing is that if we truly love God, and our neighbors as ourselves, our actions and attitudes would not only conform to the principles highlighted in the precepts of the Old Testament law, we would surpass those requirements that were put forth in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.   

If loving God wasn’t complicated enough with the expectation to be holy as He is holy, Jesus tells us that we are to love the difficult people in the world just as we would love ourselves. 

God may be in heaven, but He is good so while we may struggle with how we are to love Him we aren’t too thrown off with the idea of loving God because He is certainly worthy of our love. 

People on the other hand are right here in our face and while we may have more practical ideas of how we could express our love to them, we may have some serious doubts about why we should because they may not be so good, and we may decide that they are not worthy of our love. 

Christ’s second commandment presents the harsh reality that we are not to just opt out of society and go worship God in a cave somewhere. We are supposed to be in the world and share the love of God with the difficult people around us!

How can we do this impossible feat of loving our neighbors as ourselves?

We can only do the second commandment successfully if we practice the first one.  Through our seeking, following, and loving the Lord with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength, we will be given the patience, joy, peace, love, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control that we will need to utilize to love our neighbors as ourselves.  

So we are to practice what we preach. We are to love God and love people. And there is a reason Christ put those two commandments in that order.  It is only through our relationship with God and the power of a life lived by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit that we will be able to experience the love of God.  

It is that love, the love of God, that we will use to love our neighbors as ourselves.  The earthly forms of romantic, friendly, or familial love just won’t transfer to our neighbors. It’s the love of God, that we are to share with them and in order to share it we first must receive it.   

So keep walking and talking with God. Seek His wisdom and love and when you receive it, obey Christ’s second commandment by sharing it with all the neighbors you encounter on your journey of 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 with Dr. Neil Anderson’s Victory Over the Darkness, continuing  Chapter 13.

 

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:

Designs for Discipleship

Paul refers to three levels of maturity in Col. 2:6-10:

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority.

According to Paul, believers are to be firmly rooted in Christ and then built up to walk, or to live, in Him. This defines three levels of maturity. Each level of maturity has specific conflicts that need to be resolved as illustrated in Figure 13-A. Figure 13-B illustrates the growth at the same three levels. Notice also the five dimensions of application for each level: spiritual, rational, emotional, volitional, and relational. Please understand that there are no clear boundaries separating the three levels of maturity or the five dimensions of application as the figures would seem to imply. We are not diced up into little squares.

Level I relates to being firmly rooted in Christ. These foundational issues are based on the fact that "in Him you have been made complete" (Col. 2:10).

Level II relates to being built up in Christ, which is how Paul describes our maturity in Christ (see Col. 2:7).

Level III relates to daily walking in Christ, which is based on our identity and maturity in Christ. Paul instructed, "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him" (Col. 2:6).

Each level of maturity is dependent on the previous level. Christians cannot have an effective walk (Level III) if they are not growing in Christ (Level II), and they cannot mature if they are not firmly rooted in Christ (Level I).

Level I: Rooted in Christ (Colossians 2:10)

The Level I spiritual conflict is the lack of salvation or the lack of assurance of salvation. God wants us to know that we "have eternal life" (1 John 5:13). To disciple people, we have to first lead them to Christ so the Holy Spirit can bear witness with their spirits that they "are children of God" (Romans 8:16).

The Level I rational conflict is intellectual pride. Prideful people are self-sufficient. They don't want anybody to tell them what to do or how to do it. Prideful people don't need God or anyone else. We have to come to the end of our resources to discover God's resources. We are ready to receive from God and others when our prideful spirits are broken.

The emotional conflicts at Level I are fear, guilt, and shame. Fear compels people to do what they should not do and inhibits them from doing what they should do. People who are motivated by fear are not experiencing their freedom in Christ. Fear of anyone or anything other than God is mutually exclusive to faith in God. Satan wants to be feared because he wants to be worshiped, but the fear of the Lord expels all other fears (see Psalm 34:4, 7). Guilt and shame also need to be overcome by the grace of God because, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).

The Level I volitional conflict is rebellion. It is very difficult to disciple rebels because they won't submit to authority. Growth at this level involves understanding biblical submission to God and others.

The Level I relational conflict to overcome is rejection. The discipleship process is based on God's unconditional love and acceptance (see Titus 3:5). Building up one another does not start with authoritarian rule that demands accountability; it begins with acceptance and affirmation. When people know they are accepted and affirmed, they will voluntarily be accountable to authority. When authority figures demand accountability without acceptance and affirmation, however, they will never get it.

The first goal of discipleship is to help those you disciple become firmly rooted in Christ. This entails the following:

  • Leading individuals to Christ and to the assurance of salvation
  • Guiding them to a true knowledge of God and who they are in Christ, and starting them down the path of knowing God's ways
  • Changing their basic motivation from irrational fears to the fear of God and helping them overcome guilt and shame
  • Helping them see the ways they are still playing God or rebelling against God's authority
  • Breaking down their defenses against rejection by accepting and affirming them


Victory Over the Darkness: Realizing the Power of Your Identity in Christ.

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

Friday, August 27, 2021

Joyful and Triumphant: O Let’s Go! - Purity 508


 
Joyful and Triumphant: O Let’s Go!                                          

Purity 508 08/27/2021   Purity 508 Podcast

Good morning

Today’s photo of a spectacular sunrise comes to us from a friend who has recently moved with their family to St. Croix and just wanted to share their view and their good morning greetings with their friends on social media.  There were many comments about the beauty of the view but the one I like best said: “Thank you for this, needed it”.  I absolutely love how we can touch one another’s lives simply by sharing our experiences.  We never know what is going on in the lives of our friends who are far away and what dark circumstances they may be walking through.  We can only speculate about why our friend’s commentor “needed” this photo but aren’t you glad they received it? 

So never underestimate your impact on someone else’s life.  I would encourage you to “put yourself out there” and share what’s going on in your life.  What may be simple and mundane for you may be special and meaningful to someone who is walking through hard times.    The things we have grown accustomed to and take for granted may be considered “really great” by somebody else.  When we share our experiences, we can bless others and in turn their response can wake us up to how good we have it! So share your hope because it may just turn out to inspire you as well.  

It's Friday, and I say thank God and rejoice.  I for one take great joy in the journey between places sometimes as much as I do in the final destination.  One of the activities that my generation took pleasure in as youths was “cruising”, just driving around somewhat aimlessly, enjoying the sights, each other’s company, and listening and singing along with music.  In the wake of my divorce, this is a joy that I have reconnected with.  

While I regularly use my drive time to and from work to worship the Lord by listening to and singing along with Christian music, and sometimes I am brought tears in the heights of joy as I reflect on God and what He has done and is doing in my life, it really wasn’t “cruising”.  Oh by the way, I highly recommend passionately worshipping the Lord in song. A regular practice of worship opens your heart, spirit, soul, and mind to the reality of Lord’s presence in your life and His great love for you. Worshipping the Lord in song is actually reaching out to Him with your spirit. When you do that, don’t be surprised when He reaches into your life and touches you.   

Anyway since I am single and independent again I have made new friends and often take advantage of opportunities to get together with them at various activities.  All my friends are at least 20 to 30 minutes away from me, some as far as an hour.  When I go on one of these “mini-road trips” to get together with them, I am positively filled with joy just at the fact that I am “free” and “going somewhere”.   I have compiled playlists of new music that isn’t necessarily Christian but  who’s content lifts my soul and spirit all the same. I love upbeat music that celebrates life, love, and freedom and I know that anything that points to these aspects of life are really just pointing to God.  

The sheer thrill of “going somewhere” on a “Friday or Saturday Night!” just runs through my spirit and I rejoice all along the commute to wherever I am going with a smile that goes from ear to ear.

While I suppose I could reflect on what is not perfect in my life, I instead just rejoice in the moment and anticipate what I will find when I finally get there.   Let me tell you, travelling with an attitude of contentment, joy, and expectancy is the only way to fly. 

And like I said when we rejoice over the blessings of our current situation we really are just acknowledging what God has given us.  When we realize that and bring Him in to our experience by thanking Him for it all, it just raises the joy all the more.  

O come all ye faithful. Joyful and Triumphant!  Are you joyful? Are you going through life triumphantly?  

Well, keep walking and talking with God, the joy and the triumph are there for the faithful to experience. Don’t look back into the past too much or too far ahead into the future. Joy and Triumph can’t be experienced yesterday, and we don’t know what’s coming tomorrow. So draw close to God by rejoicing over where you are and what you have, no matter the circumstances, and Let’s Go – O Ye Faithful! – and let the joy and triumph flow through our hearts, minds, and spirits.  


This morning’s meditation verses are:

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 (NKJV)
19  For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?
20  For you are our glory and joy.

Today’s verse speaks about the hope and joy that are inherent in the Christian’s life. 

Okay, while we don’t swear oaths and just let our “Yes’s by Yes and our No’s be No”,  I testify that I did not cleverly craft the first part of this morning’s message to fit in with today’s meditation verse.  When you walk in the spirit, it is utterly amazing how the events of your life will just flow into common themes or how appropriate Bible verse just seem to “come up”.   This phenomenon is called  “tracking with the Spirit” in some circles.   

So as referred to previously, what is our hope? What is our joy? What is our crown of rejoicing?  “Is it not even you in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?”  For Christ is our glory and joy.   

Okay, this verse is reflecting on the ultimate  “joy to the world” that will come to all Christians when Christ returns. Yes, all of “this” is leading to something. As mad as the world may seem and no matter how strange and dark the days may seem to be getting, we have the assurance that one day all things will be made right. The fact of Christ’s eventual return is the hope and the joy that we can glory over at all times and quite frankly should be something we continually remind ourselves of to motivate us to be faithful to serve and represent His kingdom in the hope that we will be used by Him to bring more into His grace.  

So yes, we look to the end and can be joyful and triumphant over what will come to pass.  

However, as we indicated before, God is omnipresent.  He is everywhere. That means He is with us now.   His presence is with us now.  So we can have hope now. We can have joy now. And we can even put on our “crowns of rejoicing” now.   

So count your blessings today. Share the hope of Christ today. And rejoice and be triumphant today. 

The war has been won and somehow wretches like you and me have been selected to be on the winning side.  Because of our victory and freedom in Christ, we have something to glory over every day.  So why not let the joy of the Lord be our strength and triumph today?

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  Chapter 13.

 

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:

Relationship: The Heartbeat of Growth and Maturity

The two most common questions I am asked about the ministry of discipling others to spiritual growth and maturity are, "What curriculum do you use?" and "What program do you follow?" If your curriculum isn't based on the Word of God and your program isn't relational, then what you are doing isn't discipleship.

The curriculum of discipleship is not the problem. Bible-based studies on spiritual growth abound. The missing link in discipleship is usually the personal interaction. It takes very little commitment to say, "This book will tell you what you need to do to grow in Christ." It takes a lot of commitment to say, "Let's share with each other what Christ is doing in our lives and help each other grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Discipleship is an intensely personal ministry between two or more persons who help each other experience a growing relationship with God. Discipleship is not "building my life into yours." Discipleship is a process of building the life of Christ in one another. The life of Christ does not refer to the 30-plus years Jesus physically lived on planet Earth 2,000 years ago. The life of Christ is the presence of God within us. Discipleship is practicing that presence.

Jesus said, "Come to Me" (Matthew 11:28) and "Follow Me" (Matthew 4:19). Mark records, "He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him, and that He might send them out to preach, and to have authority to cast out the demons" (Mark 3:14, 15). Notice that Jesus' relationship with His disciples preceded His assignment to them. Discipleship is being before doing, maturity before ministry, character before career.

Every Christian, including you, is both a disciple and a discipler in the context of his or her Christian relationships. You have the awesome privilege and responsibility both to be a teacher and a learner of what it means to be in Christ, walk by the Spirit and live by faith.

You may have a role in your family, church or Christian community that gives you specific responsibility for discipling others, such as husband, father, pastor, Sunday School teacher, discipleship group leader and so on. As a discipler, you are always a disciple who is learning and growing in Christ. You may not have an official responsibility to disciple anyone, but you have the opportunity to help your children, your friends and other believers grow in Christ through these caring and committed relationships.


In this final chapter, I want to roughly sketch the ministry of discipling one another which we in the Christian community all share. Keep in mind that a good discipler is a good counselor, and a good Christian counselor is a good discipler. Whether you are a professional discipler and/or counselor or are a growing Christian who is committed to helping others grow in Christ, the following designs for discipleship and concepts for counseling will give you some basic practical guidelines for your ministry.


Victory Over the Darkness: Realizing the Power of Your Identity in Christ.

---------------------------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, August 26, 2021

Fat and Happy: The Comforter Instead of Comfort Food - Purity 507


Fat and Happy: The Comforter instead of Comfort Food                                                                                             

Purity 507 08/26/2021  Purity 507 Podcast

Good morning

Today’s photo of a foot bridge over Cataract Gorge in Launceston, Tasmania in the Land Down Under comes to us from our friends at Dave Baun Photography as they have hit the road recently on holiday.  And yes that’s Laun CES ton -in Tasmania, whereas it is Laun (ce) ston in the UK according to a video on You Tube.

I love that my friends travel to places where I have to look up how to pronounce the names of the places.  From Gloucester (Glaw-stir), Massachusetts to Laun-CES-ton, Tasmania, wherever we go, it is best to do a little research, so we don’t look too much like a tourist. For instance if you visit NYC, you want to know the difference between a stoop, a schtup, and a schmear.  It could make quite a difference in what you receive or where somebody tells you to go.  

Anyway, its Thursday, and although a health condition is going to keep me close to home today, I still wanted to share a photo of a pathway as is my custom to encourage my friends to not only get out there and experience the world around us but to endeavor to take a spiritual journey by seeking the Lord’s wisdom and ways on the path of Christian Discipleship.  Living out our faith in the power of the Holy Spirit on a daily and continuous basis can lead us out of darkness of ignorance, negative mind states, and bad behavior and into the light of God’s love and truth that can result in experiencing the fruit of the Spirit and possibly optimal health.  

Yeah, this faith walk doesn’t necessary mean we are going to zone out in some transcendental state of prayer and only develop our minds and spirits and forsake and neglect our bodies. Scripture indicates we are to crucify the flesh, put it into submission to our spirit, and to care for our body because it is the temple of the Holy Spirit.     

I have testified to my struggles with food addiction, that’s real what it is, and how my research has revealed that processed foods are engineered to make us crave them like an addictive drug and go back for more. Does the phrase: “Bet you can’t eat just one” ring a bell?  

So my spiritual journey, has led me to see this truth and to see the effects that a lack of wisdom and discipline in terms of how I eat has negatively affected not only my physical health but also my mind, will, and emotions.  The phrase “fat and happy” was drawn from medieval days where it described those who had enough wealth not to fear starving and who were “prosperous, content, satisfied, and unconcerned”.  

“Fat and Happy” in that context doesn’t really seem to equal “morbidly obese”, does it?.   Unfortunately, “fat and happy” has been used as a slogan to lead people into unhealthy states that leads to pain and suffering.  The remorse, guilt, shame, and pain that is felt by someone who feels powerless to stop binging on “comfort foods” and struggles physically because of their body size doesn’t really fit in that picture of “fat and happy.”  

The world system is under the sway of the enemy who seeks to deceive and destroy us. The greed of men, the lust of the flesh, and demonic influences have combined to create an obesogenic society, a society that causes obesity.

The only way out is to see the truth. We all “know” what we should do for good health but somehow that “knowing” doesn’t translate into a belief that impacts our behaviors.  

Amazingly, I have discovered that my faith in Jesus Christ calls me to examine all the aspects of my experience and has led me to see the deceptions of the world system but has also given me the hope to change. My relationship with God has shown me that nothing is impossible and that one of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control. 

This flow of the fruit of the Spirit into my life through my faith in Christ and my relationship with God has given me victory over addictions for years and now I am trusting the Lord to lead me to optimal health through living according to the truth.  The truth in this area is that both exercise and controlling how much and what I eat, on a continuous basis with intentional goals can undo the damage that I have inflicted upon myself.  A change of mind about how I think about food, with the assurance of the Lord’s presence, has led me to make great strides in walking towards my health goals.

My good friend, Bob Griffin inspired me by his example and has become my “coach” on this journey and he checks in with me periodically to encourage and support my walk towards where I want to go.  

Unbelievably, my example has inspired a new friend to pursue the path of Christians Discipleship and caused them to take similar steps in pursuing optimal health!  Today marks the first week of their decision to join us on this journey of taming the flesh, while they also seek to strengthen their faith, and I can’t wait to hear about their progress. 

While we all seek to be “prosperous, content, satisfied, and unconcerned”, the Lord calls us to repentance. He loves us and wants what’s best for us. 

When I first got saved, I was a mess. He loved me anyway and invited me to be a part  of His family and kingdom with no strings attached.  His love for me wasn’t about my performance.  But the new life, and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, that He gave me encouraged me to leave my dark and broken ways behind. 

So, keep walking and talking with God. He has good things for you, and He can give you the power to let go of the things are dragging you down and causing you pain.  Instead of reaching for “comfort food”, we can let the Lord comfort us and lead us to be the version of ourselves we always wanted to be.


This morning’s meditation verse is:

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NKJV)
11  Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

Today’s verse speaks of our function as members of the body of Christ.  

I pray my previous comments regarding the flesh do not condemn anyone.  On the contrary, I only seek to encourage people to seek the Lord and to follow where He leads. 

As believers we are called to comfort one another and edify one another. 

To edify means to instruct or benefit someone morally or spiritually, to up lift. So I endeavor to teach to others what I have come to know through my trials and errors of my 49 years of life in general, the 11 years of being a born again Christian, and through my studies and application of the wisdom of the Word of God. While I learned a lot about what not to do before coming to Christ, my focused advice and instruction focuses on the word of God.  Our experiences are one thing, but truth and wisdom come from the Bible, and we need to know and do what it says.  

However, my experience tells me that this process of transformation through Christian Discipleship is not always an easy one and that we need to comfort each other as we surrender our old ways for the ways of God.  

We don’t just beat people up with the Bible and whip them or ourselves into shape through trying harder and rigorous discipline.  

Our faith walk is a relationship with God and our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to foster the loving comfort that the Lord gives us and apply it to ourselves and share it with our fellow Christians.  

Many say that churches should be a hospital for the broken, but I disagree. I think churches should be more like physical therapy.  Sure there is comfort and healing available here, but that process of comforting and healing must be accompanied by our participation to strengthen ourselves and walk on our own two feet.

We can lean on the Lord and our brothers and sisters in Christ, but our walk should be towards an increased level of maturity and sanctification that results in our ability to not only walk on our own but to become strong enough to help and comfort others in their walk.       

So receive the comfort and edification that is available to you at your local church but take steps to grow and to become stronger in your faith so that one day you can comfort and edify others as well.  

 

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, beginning  Chapter 13.

 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:

Chapter 13

People Grow Better Together

One January I had the privilege of taking 24 seminary students to the Julian Center near San Diego, California, where we lived and studied together for four weeks. My friend Dick Day founded the Julian Center with the vision to educate Christians in a relational context. In the past he had brought together groups for 12 weeks of live-in study, but that January he joined me in teaching seminary students for an abbreviated session.

To introduce the relational dimension of the retreat, I began the January session by dividing the students into groups of three for a relatively nonthreatening get-acquainted exercise. I concluded the exercise by asking students to identify one emotion they had experienced. The typical responses were "happy," "accepted," "peace," "anticipation" and so on, although a few admitted they were a little scared.

A young man named Danny surprised me when he responded, "bored." Danny had come to learn, not to relate. He wanted content, not community. He considered my attempts to build rapport and relationship among the students a waste of his time. Day by day the other students grew closer together, but Danny stayed cool and aloof.

After two weeks, Danny's resistance finally wore down. He began to see that spiritual growth and maturity happen best in a community of people who know and accept each other. When Danny finally opened himself to his fellow students, he really began to get something out of the content of the session.

Following his month at the Julian Center, Danny had a new vision when he went back to the small group of businessmen he was discipling. "Men," he told them, "we've been meeting for a year now, but I don't know what makes you tick, what turns you on or what your family life is like. And you don't know much about me either. We need to move beyond sharing information and start sharing our lives."

Danny had learned Paul's secret of discipleship: "Having thus a fond affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us" (1 Thes. 2:8).


Victory Over the Darkness: Realizing the Power of Your Identity in Christ.

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