Purity 221

Purity 221 09/23/2020

Good morning!

Today’s photo comes from a friend who was out fishing this weekend and caught this picture of a trees who is bearing the evidence that Autumn, both meteorologically and astronomically now, is here!

Autumn reminds me of back to school and the fact that sometimes we have to relearn what we already “know” from what we learned last year!

As I advance in years, sometimes it seems that “all things are new” because I am relearning, reminding myself, or gaining deeper levels of understanding. Beyond that sometimes I am just learning things because I just plain forgot!

Also in this confusing thing called life, we are sometimes forced to learn something we were supposed to learn but actually never did and just faked our way through it!

When we do this we feel like we get away with something and sometimes we do. We go through the rest of our lives never having to know what we were supposed to learn because it never comes up. We are never tested so it doesn’t matter.

But sometimes we are!!!

The real life example of this for me was a concept in math that I didn’t quite grasp completely... that of factoring equations - that process of reducing things or changing them to a form that allows you to solve an equation, making all sides equal.

I might not be a math whiz but I could do it, but when the test started throwing fractions and parentheses and powers and negative signs and fractions on top of fractions in parentheses and etc.... I would just sort of fudge it and hope for the best...

This strategy got me C’s in precalculus in highschool but I figured I was not going to do any more math really and managed to graduate college with never having to open a calculus book or even do algebra again. I won. Sorry math, you’re not needed here! Hahaha!

But then....

As fate would have it, after years of doing things my way and avoiding challenges, I was faced with a dilemma.

I was on a path that was going to most likely lead to my being fired from my job... when you do things your way sometimes it rubs people the wrong way and what is acceptable or tolerated when you are performing above average is deemed highly unacceptable when your performance slips. And sure enough as soon as my performance slipped, my faults seemed to take center stage and I was under the gun.

I had two options - change or get out.

Well back in 2009 - when this went down - I was completely incapable of change! I was fully immersed in my double life of family man and worker by day and alcoholic/addict by night. I just went through life reacting to everything. I couldn’t slow down or concentrate consistently and would just let things slip in order to get to the next thing, leaving things left unsaid or undone. When you’re under scrutiny it’s suddenly about perfection and consistency, neither of which were strong suits for me.

But luckily there was a program at work to become an outside tech. But a requirement of the program was to go back to college and get an associates degree in telecommunications.

And guess what?

To get in the college I had to take an entrance exam and specifically pass the math portion of the test!

One test. One chance. Passing equals escape and a possibility of a future.

Failing most likely leads to a road to unemployment.

How would you like to stake your entire career’s future on a math test?

Well, I did. And luckily it wasn’t too difficult because my score was good enough to get in!

Later, I would actually have to do algebra and precalculus again in order to graduate! And I now I actually have a much better grasp on factoring equations but am not volunteering to do any equations any time soon.

So my point is, life is much easier when we learn what we are supposed to learn the first time.

In Christ, we have to learn we have been forgiven and set free.

When we don’t accept our forgiveness , we feel condemned - always guilty, always beating ourselves up. So learn it! You are forgiven. Those things are gone, let’s leave them behind!

We also have to know we have been set free from sin and death.

We have eternal life in Christ, when we learn this we don’t fear death or anything else...

We have been given the power to say no to sin. When we learn this we say no to the things that drag us down and make us feel guilty. So learn it and walk in it!

It’s amazing the joy we have when we don’t have anything to hide or feel guilty for.

So let’s learn what we were supposed to learn a long time ago.

It’s okay, sometimes we need to learn again. Sometimes we need to understand more. Sometimes we just need to remember what we forgot.

When we follow Christ, we can do all of the above with the assurance of His forgiveness and love.

God bless you all!

 

Purity 220

Purity 220 09/22/2020

Good morning,

Today’s photo of a Guatemalan sunset comes from a friend and brother in Christ that I met a year ago while on a mission trip in that Central American country where he was putting his multiple talents as a mechanic and handyman to work for an orphanage and the kingdom of God.

It’s a testament to the beauty of God’s creation and to the fact that even the most rugged and hardworking of us can appreciate it.

As I contemplate what it is to be In Christ, I am reflecting on the importance of accepting God’s forgiveness.

Those who have put their faith in Christ have it but often beat themselves up because of their past transgressions and fail to grasp it and live the new empowered life that is available to them because of it.

No matter how bad the things we have done, no matter how often we failed, and no matter how long we lived in darkness, when we put our faith in Jesus - we are forgiven of it all!

So what do we do now? Well we forgive ourselves and if possible we try to make amends to those we’ve harmed and forgive those who have harmed us. If you can’t do this on your own you should get help. If your local, come to Celebrate Freedom on Thursday nights and I will walk you through it. If not seek a Bible believing church and get connected to people who have overcome.

God forgives us so we can live an abundant life where we leave the guilt and the darkness we lived in behind us.

It might seem impossible but with God all things are possible.

I had walked in darkness for most of my life but 5 years ago I gave it all to God and He has forgiven me, healed me, and set me free.

I am dedicated to use the rest of my life to show others the way to a new life that is only possible with faith in Jesus Christ.

Seek Him and you’ll find Him. Follow Him and you will live.

God bless you all!

Purity 219

Purity 219 09/21/2020

Good morning,

Today’s photo comes from a friend who was hiking, presumably in the Adirondack region of upstate NY, recently and got this awesome shot of a forest stream strewn with huge boulders.

The boulders in this stream remind me of the obstacles we can face as we try to make our way through life. Sometimes the obstacles can seem bigger than the path we want to take!

After spending the past weekend dealing with the beasts of sloth, distraction, and procrastination, I too felt like my goals were hopelessly blocked by obstacles as another week has left us behind.

The thing is sometimes we know what we have to do and we can even know how to do it but the struggle comes in actually sitting down or standing up to do it!

So what do we do when we disappoint ourselves?

Well as Christians, we are to forgive those who disappoint us and encourage them to do what’s right.

That applies to ourselves as well! So instead of beating myself for wasting time and being lazy, I am choosing to forgive myself and encouraging myself to do the right thing today.

And you know what?

Instead of feeling condemned, I feel motivated to start again and see how much we can do now that we have gotten over the boulders that slowed me up this weekend.

Who knows? I could have needed the rest. Or I could have needed to fall down one more time to learn what getting up and walking was all about. Either way, I’m ready to press on and whether you did everything right this past weekend, or it was a complete disaster, or it fell somewhere in between, I encourage you to either congratulate yourself or forgive yourself and press in to all that God has for you to experience this week!

God bless you all!

Purity 218 09/19/2020

Good morning,

Today’s photo comes from a friend who braved the heights of the Hadley Mountain Fire Observation Station in the Adirondacks region of upstate NY and I think the view was worth the trip!

Sometimes in life we have to venture out and see things from a different perspective.

I recently had a friend have the Lord bring Bible verses to their attention that basically directed them to follow the Lord and a few of the verses used the phrase “Awake, awake!”

Some times in life we get trapped in the same routines or same ways of thinking. The Lord calls us to experience a new and abundant life. If we are stuck in a rut and not experiencing it, we need to seek Him by stepping out of the box we have put ourselves in.

To wake up, we can:

Go somewhere where we can appreciate His creation! I highlight all the scenes my friends are experiencing for a reason: to show the glory of God’s creation. Get out there and see it for yourself!

Seek Him in the Word - start reading the Bible, or read a different translation, or a different Bible reading plan, get a Christian self help book, or get a commentary that will increase your understanding and draw you closer to the Lord. His wisdom is infinite- we can never know enough about the One who gave us life and will welcome us into eternity.

Get out and do something new - test your limits, meet new people, join a class, join a group, volunteer. The Lord wants us to be engaged with the World around us. So try something new and when you do, you can thank God for giving you the ability and opportunity to pursue it!

Enjoy your weekend my friends but make it part of an abundant new life by welcoming in and acknowledging the God that provided it and made it possible.

Life is supposed to be a spiritual journey so open up your heart, your mind, and your eyes as you wake up to a whole new dimension of living!

God bless you all!

 

Purity 217 - Blog Purity #1

Purity 217 09/18/2020 - 1st Post of Purity Series on MT4Christ.org 

 Good morning and Thank God it’s Friday!

On this journey, we are all dealing with the struggles of life. That journey is better when we remember that there is a God above it all who cares for us and has made a way for a life of peace and a path to eternity through faith in Jesus Christ.

God’s presence is a reality that we can be blind to when we doubt or disbelieve. Seek God and you will find Him. Follow Him and you will know His presence and experience an abundant life that is not subject to material blessings or favorable circumstances.

All the answers to the meaning of life and our purpose for being here are found in Christ.

I pray that you draw close to Him and experience His grace, mercy, forgiveness, presence, and love.

God bless you all!

- Since I have been trying to encourage people to follow Christ on Facebook and via text messaging I have decided to resurrect the blog. IT will have the same messages I share and perhaps more as things progress...

2019: Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

2018 was a year of seismic changes in my life. The beginning of the end of my 20-year marriage has taken center stage but I would say that I have grown exponentially because of it and there were many good things that happened this year despite the turmoil. 

My daughter Haley graduated high school! Haley has overcome some trials of her own this year as she was diagnosed with diabetes and suffered the relocation of her long-term boyfriend to another state.  She is becoming the independent woman I raised her to be. She is learning to drive, going to college, and celebrating the new year in Atlanta!

My son, Brennan, has continued to flourish despite everything too.  He has continued to excel in chorus and drama in school and has really shined in both realms performing solos and being selected for all county, and all state in chorus and becoming one of the leading actors in drama in last spring’s musical, and this fall’s Shakespeare festival. This spring he secured the role of Rock Star: Conrad Birdy in THS’s upcoming “Bye-Bye Birdy!”

Through it all my kids have supported me completely. We have stuck together, committed to find a way to maintain our home as we look to the uncertain future of preparing for a new one.  

This morning as I was preparing for the future by packing boxes for the eventual move?  I discovered some notes from the Men’s Bible study group I go to on Sunday mornings.  The notes in question must have been from the heat of my filing for divorce because they revealed the sharp pains I was going through at the time.  

The notes were based on a teaching from one of the guys in our group, He presented the “3 needs of life”.    The three needs of life were:

1.    Love

2.    Significance

3.    Security

So, I had written those points out with the following personal reflections.

1.    Love – No Love.  My wife loves _______.

2.    Significance - Job re-assignment and transfer feels like a demotion.  My wife’s complete disrespect and betrayal.  Divorce will cost almost everything.

3.    Security – I have no idea where me and my kids will live and what we will live on.

   At the bottom of these delightful insights, I had scrawled: GOD help me! 

It may have been bright in August but those were some dark days. 

But you know what?  God did help me!

Back in the spring of this year, before this craziness, I signed up to take classes to get my master’s degree in Christian Counseling.  So, around the same time as I wrote this note, I got on with my studies. The class?   “How to Deal with Emotional Crisis”.  No kidding. 

One of the texts for this class was “How to Handle Your Emotions” by June Hunt.  The book leads Christians through the process of how people of the Christian faith are to determine their Self-worth and to deal with emotions like depression, grief, anger, fear, and rejection.   It was an invaluable resource in getting me to properly deal with everything I am going through.  The Lord has used it to bless me and I have taken it and taught lessons from it at Celebrate Freedom, our local Christian Recovery group.

It showed me that I had LOVE, SIGNIFICANCE, and SECURITY in God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. My worth is not based on my marriage, my job, or my performance.  I am priceless. God loved me so much that He sent His Son to die for me.  He has given me His Holy Spirit to live in and through me. I am never alone because He will never leave me nor forsake me.  I will never die. If this body gives out, I will find myself in the kingdom of heaven surrounded by loved ones and fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who cheering me on as I walk in faith.

My divorce isn’t over.  I still have to list and sell my house. I don’t know when it will be over or where I will live afterwards but I know that come what may I will overcome because of the blood of Jesus Christ that has washed me clean and given me life never ending.  

Thank You JESUS! Thank You GOD! Thank You HOLY SPIRIT!  

If you have had a bad year, say a simple prayer to make Jesus your Lord and Savior.  Put your faith in Him and you can walk through anything!

God bless you and yours!

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas! : 2018

With a pending divorce, an uncertain future that will include selling the house and moving, my daughter has decided to spend the Christmas holiday and New Year’s with her boyfriend in Atlanta leaving me and my son to celebrate the holidays “together alone” or “alone together”.  At 18 and 17 years old, my kids are learning there are some harsh realities to life that Santa and Rudolph didn’t plan for.

In preparation for that uncertain future and certain relocation, my kids recently cleaned out their rooms and many items that were gifts of Christmas past were throw in the trash.  What gave delight and joy one year, has been enjoyed, used, out grown and disposed of. 

The building that housed our family is going to be emptied out and sold.

The Christmas family gathering has been forever changed. 

However, the good news is Christmas isn’t about some jolly fat man flying through the skies dispensing material goods to provide happiness.  And much to the protest to the generic Christmas specials that fill the airwaves at this time of year, Christmas isn’t about family either. 

Christmas is about a kingdom.  Christmas is a story of a king who, out of love, made himself vulnerable and lowered himself to save his subjects.

Christmas is the dividing line of history. It’s the point in time and space where God entered the universe of His making to reach out to save those who couldn’t save themselves. It’s a rescue mission. 

Christ was born and grew into a man that proclaimed that entrance into the kingdom of heaven was only possible through faith in Him. 

From that point forward, while we have the freedom to choose whatever we wish, the only choice that leads to eternal life is Jesus Christ. 

Christ is the Christmas gift from God. You can accept Him as Lord and Savior or you can reject Him.  For those who surrender to Christ, freedom from sin and death is given.  To those who choose themselves or anything other than Christ, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in Hell.

The choice is simple. 

I believe my kids have made that choice but like so many concerned fathers at Christmas time, I want to make sure they are getting the most out of the gifts they received.  Sometimes we (myself included) have to be reminded of all we have received when we make Jesus our Lord and Savior. 

Gifts of Faith

·         Forgiveness – If you have put your faith in Christ as Lord and Savior, you have been forgiven of every sin you have done or will ever do (past, present, and future).

·         Assurance of Salvation – If you are in a covenant relationship with Jesus, there is no way you can be lost. You are a part of His kingdom family forever.

·         Freedom – You finally have the freedom to choose to not sin. You also have the freedom to enjoy your freedom. Many traditions of men are just that “traditions of men”.

·         Relationship – The Holy Spirit indwells you! You have a constant companion to turn to for communion, fellowship, and guidance.

·         No Condemnation –Don’t listen to the voices that lead you into sin or criticize you. God will guide you through His Word which way to go. You are now approved by God Himself! You are part of the Holy Royal Family. Don’t let anyone or your internal dialog tell you otherwise.

·         No fear – Death has lost its sting!  Knowing and being assured of our final destination, we are free from the fear of death and the fear of the opinions of men. 

·         Never Alone – No matter what our circumstances or location, the Lord is with us! He will never leave us nor forsake us. 

·         Eternal Family – Body of Christ – Upon accepting Christ as Lord and Savior, we have been grafted into an eternal body of believers, both here on earth and in eternity. Go to a local church and fellowship!

·         Fruit of the Spirit – Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, gentleness, and Self-Control. These fruits are established and are  increased the more you follow God.

·         Baptism of The Holy Spirit – The power source for living the Christian life comes through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Seek it, ask for it, receive it and be transformed.

Books could be (and have been) filled with descriptions of the benefits to faith in Christ. If you aren’t experiencing the benefits, you have to examine your knowledge, faith, and behavior and determine what to correct. God loves you and wants what is best for you, seek out His Will for your life and experience it!

The purpose of all human life on earth is to make Jesus Lord and Savior.  Once that purpose has been met, eternal life is gained and the freedom that comes from knowing God can be experienced continually. 

Accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior is the beginning of a relationship that lasts for eternity. So, take our time and get to know Him by reading His Word, honoring it by doing what it says, and talking to Him through prayer. 

Earthly riches, relationships, and euphoric experiences fade and pass away. They can be enjoyed right up to death, but after death comes the judgment and only those with a covenant relationship with Christ will live.

Choose life, Receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, and then seek what He has for you.

So yeah, life might have taken an unexpected turn this year but I have peace this Christmas knowing that no matter what happens or where I go, The Lord is with me, Always and Forever! 

Merry Christmas!!