Purity 381 04/01/2021 Purity 381 Podcast
Good morning.
Today’s photo was captured by yours truly right
in front of my quaint homestead “Down by the River”. I do not have a green thumb by any means,
but the previous owners of my home had a real passion for flowers, and I am
happy to see that these trumpeting daffodils were secretly waiting beneath the
earth to make a reappearance when spring decide to come to life. I love that these daffodils just sprang up
through no effort of my own. They are a
truly a gift of delight from the Lord Himself and it makes me appreciate my
home even more, which at I didn’t think was possible. My home is truly a gift
that keeps on giving as I rejoice in the peace that God has brought me to.
With Resurrection Sunday,
aka Easter, this weekend, it is easy to see why the symbolism of the spring
season that is represented by flowers, eggs, and baby animals have been used to
express the new life that is found in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In the past, I was highly
annoyed by those cute generic springtime symbols because they only confused and
bewildered me in my angsty youth when I was not in a covenant relationship with
the Lord but now I can appreciate them because I know that the life-giving Spirit
of God is equally displayed in creation as well as in the Resurrection.
With a proper
understanding of God as The Sovereign King and Creator, I know now that you can’t
take away God’s glory because He is responsible for the flourishing of the springtime
fauna, the birth of the next generation of life, and the miraculous gift of
redemption to those who place their faith in Jesus Christ.
He is also responsible
for the new life that is possible to experience for those who make Jesus their
Lord and Savior and decide to follow Him with the way they live their
lives.
Its Thursday, and I teach
the discipleship class tonight that is intended to help others walk in the
Spirit, leave their darkness and personal conflicts in the past, and to come to
realize their freedom in Christ.
When we place our faith
in Jesus and dedicate our lives to Him, we spring forth in newness of life like
a daffodil coming out of the ground. Our
new lives in Christ are beautiful and declare His glory.
So keep walking and
talking with God because, man, you are beautiful, and people need to see that!
(An Audio version of this message is available
at https://mt4christ247.podbean.com, you
can also find it on Apple podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mt4christ247s-podcast/id1551615154) and
Google podcasts (https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL210NGNocmlzdDI0Ny9mZWVkLnhtbA%3D%3D).)
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This morning’s meditation
verse is:
2 Chronicles
7:14 (NKJV)
14 if My people who are called by
My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their
wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal
their land.
Today’s verse
really shows the heart of God for the people of the earth. This verse comes from the Old Testament and
the context of this inspiring verse might surprise you like it did me.
As I always
say: context is king when it comes to biblical interpretation and I was
prepared to just discuss the highlights of this verse such as:
·
Humbling ourselves – We should definitely do that,
·
Praying to God - Do that every day, several
times a day if you can.
·
Seek God – That is like my Christian mantra –
all the blessings I have experienced and all the growth I have enjoyed is
rooted in my continually seeking the Lord’s presence, strength, and
wisdom.
·
Turning from our wicked ways -Hello, repentance
is the process of changing our worldly ways and exchanging them for God’s ways
of living that lead to peace and wholeness
·
He will hear us from Heaven – God hears us! He
cares. He loves us. He is present and available for us.
·
God will forgive our sin! – All our sins are
forgiven through our faith in Jesus Christ.
As you can see
this verse is filled with some awesome things about God and our relationship
with Him!
It even says
that God will “heal their land”.
Not
surprisingly, I have seen this verse thrown out there on social media as a
prayer asking our those in our country to turn to God as a remedy to Covid-19
and the social and political unrest that we have all witnessed during the past
year.
While I fully
agree with the sentiment that everyone should come to faith in Jesus Christ and
that God’s answer for mankind is truly the only solution to man’s problems, there
is something we must understand about God that is clearly revealed by the
context of this verse.
God is sovereign. That means God’s in charge. God is also Omniscient. That means God knows everything. Covid-19 and all the unrest didn’t surprise
God and He is not struggling to combat the problems of man. He knew what was coming and He knows where it
is going.
The verse before
this inspiring verse in 2 Chronicles 7, demonstrates just why God would have to
“heal their land”.
2 Chronicles
7:13 (NKJV)
13 When I shut up heaven and there
is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among
My people,
God needs to
heal their land in these verses, because He is the One who sent the judgement
in the forms of draught, locusts, and pestilence among His people in the first place!
So as our world
seeks a proven cure to Covid-19 and to all the division among us, we need to
realize that God stands above it all and that the only safety that we can expect
is within a covenant relationship with Him through our faith in Jesus Christ.
Human history
is the tale of generations of humanity rising and falling through wars, famine,
and disease. Our earth is the testing
ground of suffering caused by our sinful disobedience and can only be remedied by
God.
So find your
peace in your relationship with God, share the hope that He brings, and rejoice
knowing that your faith in Christ will one day deliver you from this world of
suffering into His kingdom where there will be no disease, death, or
discord.
There is
suffering in the world, but God has overcome the world and He will deliver us
from all our sufferings.
Trust the Lord
for He is good. He knows it all and controls it all. He has saved us and will
bring us through it all for His glory.
I invite all to mt4chritst.org where I always share
insights from prominent Christian counselors to assist my brothers and sisters
in Christ with their walk.
Today we will share from Dr. June Hunt’s Biblical Counseling Keys on “Alcohol
& Drug Abuse: Breaking Free & Staying Free.
As always, I share this information for educational purposes
and encourage all to purchase Dr. Hunt’s books for your own private study and
to support her work:
D. How to Recognize the 7 Don'ts for Deliverance
"It's hard to look back. But you learn from it. ... I want to make a
difference, not because I hit home runs, but because I changed my life. If I
can, anyone can. It is never too late."
Reading Mickey Mantle's words, there is no doubt they were uttered by a man
whose life had experienced deliverance through the power of Christ. And the
message Mickey sent to struggling addicts was a very important
"don't"... "don't ever give up."
Bobby Richardson's life also modeled the concept "don't ever give
up." Bobby never gave up on his former fellow Yankee. How blessed
"the Mick" was to have a faithful friend who consistently shared the
hope of Christ with him. Bobby represented the heart of this passage ... "My
brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone
should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the
error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of
sins" (James
5:19-20).
At Mickey's funeral, Bobby told 2,000 mourners and a national TV audience
that there are only two groups of people: those who say "yes" to
Christ and those who say "no." He added that since none of us knows
when we will face our own final inning, death, saying "maybe" is
really saying "no."
Bobby knew that in the final inning of his friend's life, Mickey said
"yes," and crossed over from death to life. As Jesus said ...
"Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who
sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death
to life."
(John 5:24)
As you go through the process of deliverance from dependency, knowing what not
to do can be just as helpful as knowing what to do. So, as you practice
living in the truth of God's Word ...
- Don't
fight addiction on your own. Participate in a legitimate recovery program.
"Two
are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either
of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and
has no one to help them up" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).
- Don't
be blind about your ability to lie to yourself and to others!
"The
heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand
it?" (Jeremiah 17:9).
- Don't
socialize with those who encourage your habit.
"Do
not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character'" (1 Corinthians 15:33).
- Don't
worry about the future. Walk with God one day at a time.
"Do
not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has
enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34).
- Don't
give up if you relapse. It is never too late for you to get back on track.
"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).
- Don't
become prideful as you succeed in the recovery process.
"Pride
goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18).
- Don't
be surprised at temptation!
"No
temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is
faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you
are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Overcoming
the Habit
Question: "When I became a Christian a year ago, I kicked
cocaine and marijuana for eight months. But now I'm back on marijuana with no motivation
to quit. How can I overcome this habit?"
Answer: Motivation is a vital factor in overcoming any
addiction. The more you realize that you are not only causing great harm to
yourself, but also grieving the heart of God, the more you will have "good
guilt," which can produce the motivation you lack. The Bible says we are
transformed by the renewing of our minds, which is another key to overcoming a
destructive habit. You previously relied on the power of Christ within you, but
along the way your focus changed, and you left your power source.
Rather
than focusing on what you shouldn't do, focus on being conformed to the
character of Christ.
Repent
from doing what merely pleases you and do the things you did when you were
first saved. ...
"I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love [Jesus] you
had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you
did at first."
(Revelation 2:4-5)
Biblical Counseling Keys - Biblical Counseling Keys – Biblical Counseling Keys:
Alcohol & Drug Abuse: Breaking Free & Staying Free.
----------------------------more
tomorrow-------------------------
God bless
you all!
Join our
Victory over the Darkness Discipleship Class 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) and Google podcasts (https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL210NGNocmlzdDI0Ny9mZWVkLnhtbA%3D%3D
Email me
at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive the class materials, share your progress, and to be
encouraged.
