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Thursday, November 18, 2021

Freedom in Christ Lesson 11 - What's Next?

 

Lesson 11 Podcast

Freedom in Christ Lesson 11: What’s Next  

 

Focus Verse:

1 Timothy 1:5 (NIV2011)
5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

Objective: To evaluate what we believe in the light of God's word and make adjustments where necessary so that we can stay on the path of becoming more like Jesus.

Focus Truth: Nothing and no one can keep us from being the person God created us to be, but if we want to be truly successful, fulfilled, satisfied, and so on, we need to uncover and throw out false beliefs about what those things mean and commit ourselves to believing the truth in the Bible.

Welcome

What would you like to do before the end of your life?

 

 

Worship – Suggested theme – He will be with us always.

Read aloud the following passages:

Hebrews 13:5-6 (NIV2011)
5 …God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me
?”

 

Psalm 94:14 (NIV2011)
14 For the LORD will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.

 

Matthew 28:20 (NIV2011) (Jesus Said)
20 …I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

We need to remind people, and ourselves, that we can never be alone or go anywhere at all without God being with us.

 

Make Freedom a Way of Life

Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and produce fruit, fruit that will last.” (John 15:16).

We don't want this to be one of those courses that you enjoy but then as time passes the principles you learn just fade away. Our objective is that these principles become a part of your everyday life so that you will bear fruit that will last. What we've taught is very straightforward. There are three main points:

1.     Know Who You are In Jesus

You are, of course, a holy one who can come boldly into God’s presence at any time.

2.    Resolve Your Personal and Spiritual Issues

This is about repenting and getting back on track if you fall into sin or have some other issue. Hopefully, you now know how to go about this. We recommend that you use the Steps to Freedom in Christ on a regular basis, like you have a regular service for your car.

3.    Be Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind

Stronghold-busting really works. As you keep building your spiritual muscles, remember it will feel like a complete waste of time, but you will see progress as long as you keep working.

The Road Ahead

In this session we want to consider where you're headed for the rest of your life. In your participants guide there is a questionnaire entitled “What do I believe?” on page 184. If you haven't completed it yet, do it quickly now.

This survey will help you identify what you actually believe right now. Assuming that your basic needs of food, shelter, and safety are met, we’re daily motivated by how we can be successful, significant, secure, and so on. How you answered these questions or the way you completed the sentences, “I would be more successful if”, or “I would be more significant if”, reflects what you really believe.

Would it be acceptable, do you think, for a Christian to answer every question with a 5? If you feel uncomfortable about that, the chances are you may not see yourself in the way God does. Does God want you to be successful? Does He want you to feel secure? Well, He certainly hasn't called you to be insecure, insignificant, or a failure!

We're going to look at each of those eight areas.

Success Comes from Having the Right Goals

We looked at life goals back in lesson 7. Success is all about whether you achieve your goals. So if you want to be successful in God's terms it's important to understand what His life goal is for you.

Before we do that, let me ask you a very important question. If God wants something done, can it be done?

To put it another way, would God ever say, “I have something for you to do. I know you won't be able to do it, but just give it your best shot.” That wouldn't be fair! It's like saying to a child, “I want you to mow the lawn. I know the mower doesn't work and there's no fuel. But try your best anyway.”

Whatever life goal God has for you, you can be sure that no circumstance and no person can stop you from achieving it. God loves you too much to give you something you couldn't do.

2 Peter 1:2- 8 will show us the life goal God has for each one of us.

Peter starts by telling us that we've already have everything we need for life and godliness. Then he reminds us that we share in God's nature, we are holy through and through. That's a great starting point!

The passage goes on to show us God's goal for our lives. Let me read it to you from verse 5:

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness, and to goodness, knowledge, and to knowledge, self-control, and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Peter wants us to start with faith. Then we are to make every effort to build on our faith and add to it these characteristics: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.

What we have here is a list of character qualities. This is where we begin to understand God's goal for our lives.

It's about building our character. His primary concern is not so much what we do but what we were like. Because what we do flows from who we are.

Who is the only person who has ever perfectly reflected the character qualities in that list? Jesus, of course.

The life goal that God has for you could be defined like this: To become more and more like Jesus in character.

The great news is nobody and nothing on earth can keep you from being the person God planned. Except... you!

We've looked in lesson seven at how our emotions and specifically anger, anxiety, and depression are like the big red light on the dashboard of your car. Your emotions are a warning that you may have some unhealthy life goals that depend on people or circumstances that you have no right or ability to control.

Think about the pastor whose life goal was to reach the community for Christ, which is something that could be blocked by every person in the community. In light of what we've just said, what if they made their life goal: “to become the best pastor I can be?” The irony is that, as the pastor learns to adopt God's goal, and gets rid of a lot of anger, anxiety, and depression, they will become more and more like Jesus, and people will follow them and trust them more. Paradoxically they may end up reaching the community for Christ.

Remember the parent whose life goal was to have a happy, harmonious Christian family? What if they made their goal, “to be the husband and dad or wife and mom that God wants me to be?” Wouldn't that greatly increase the chances of their having a happy, harmonious family?

Perhaps you think you don't have enough talents or intelligence to be the person God wants you to be. Or perhaps you think the circumstances you find yourself in prevent you from being the person God wants you to be. There is no mention in Peter's list of talents, intelligence, or positive circumstances.

The fact is all believers are not given the same amount of talents: some have one talent, others have ten. We don't all have the same intelligence, and our circumstances can be totally different.

You might be thinking, “That's not fair! How can God do that?” Well, God is not measuring you by those things! He's looking at your character, not your talent or your intelligence. It's equally possible for a Christian with one talent and a Christian with ten talents to see their character grow to reach the life goal that God has for each of us.

 

Pause for Thought 1

Objective:

Here we are looking for people to see that achieving God’s goal for our lives is all about our character and that it really is true that nothing can stop us achieving it except ourselves.

Questions:

Look at the questionnaire “What do I believe?” on page 184 of the participant’s guide. If you feel comfortable, share with the group where you put your lowest score and what you wrote for that question.

2 Peter 1:3 states that we have “everything we need for life and godliness”. Discuss the idea that, whatever life goal God has for you, no circumstance or person can prevent you from achieving it, except you.

There is no mention in Peter's list of talents, intelligence, or positive circumstances. How does that change your thinking?

 

Significance Comes from Proper Use of Time

How did you score yourself on significance?

What's forgotten in time is of little significance. What's remembered for eternity is of great significance. Significance is about time.

The tragedy is that often we don't realize our own significance. We read this in Isaiah 49:14-16:

But Zion said, “the Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.”

This is how God responded: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has born? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”

God uses a graphic illustration, engraving them on the palm of His hands. Now, people write things on their hands to make sure they won't forget something. God has placed us somewhere where no matter how much time passes, we will still be there. That's how significant we are!

You may say, “All I do is help with the children at church.” No, you are teaching truth to five-year-olds! What they choose to believe will have eternal consequences. That makes it very significant. That’s in addition to the significant service that you are doing for their parents, releasing them to worship God and learn about Him.

If you want to increase the significance of what you do, focus your time on things that will make an eternal difference.

Fulfillment Comes from Serving Others

What about the fulfillment? You've probably noticed that there is so much self-help advice out there in books, blogs, magazines, and the internet about how to live a fulfilled life. Yet not that many people actually seem to be fulfilled!

Jesus must have been the most fulfilled person that ever walked the earth. Where did He get his sense of fulfillment from? He said, “my food... is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work” (John 4:34). Interestingly, it didn't come from trying to be fulfilled. It came when He didn't focus on Himself but on serving God the Father. 

Peter wrote, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10). God has made each of us unique. and each one of us has different gifts. Yet we are to use them to serve others, and when we do, paradoxically we become fulfilled.

Fulfillment comes when we “grow where we're planted” instead of looking for better soil or a prettier pot by changing the circumstances or people in our lives.

It's not by accident at all that God has sovereignly placed you in your family, on your street, with your friends, at your job, or at your college. Of the nearly 8 billion people in the world I'm the only one who can be a father to my daughter, Haley, and my son, Brennan.

You have a unique role as a husband, wife, father, mother, or child in your family, no one can be that person better than you. God has specifically planted you to serve Him by serving your family. That's your first and foremost calling.

And you're the only one who knows your neighbors as you do. You have a unique role as an ambassador for Christ where you work. These are your mission fields, and you are the worker God has appointed for the harvest there.

God wants Christians who are becoming more and more like Jesus in every area of society. You're calling to business or industry or education or art or the health services, whatever it is, is a high and holy calling where you can make an eternal difference.

Don't try to be someone else. Be the unique person that God has made you to be.

God won't ask me why I wasn't Billy Graham or Mother Teresa. But he might ask me why I wasn't me!

Satisfaction Comes from Living a Quality Life

How did you rate yourself on your level of satisfaction? I wonder what you thought would make you more satisfied, that's a clue to what you've come to believe will bring satisfaction.

In Matthew 5:6, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled”, in other words, satisfied.

The truth is that nothing else really satisfies except living a righteous life. If you wrote something like, “I would be more satisfied if I worked harder for righteousness in my community”, you are on the right path.

Think about something you purchased that left you dissatisfied. What was the issue?

It generally has to do with quality. Satisfaction is an issue of quality. We achieve greater satisfaction from doing a few things well than from doing many things in a haphazard or hasty way. The key to personal satisfaction is not found in doing more things but in deepening our commitment to quality in the things that we are doing.

The same is true in relationships. If you are dissatisfied in your relationships, perhaps you have spread yourself too thin.

We can learn from Jesus, who taught thousands and equipped 70 for ministry, but invested most of his time in 12 disciples. Out of those 12, he selected three, Peter, James, and John, to be with him at crucial times: on the Mount of Transfiguration, on the Mount of Olives, and in the Garden of Gethsemane. We all need the satisfaction that quality relationships bring.

 

Happiness Comes from Wanting What We Have

What about happiness? The world's concept of happiness is having what we want. Advertisements tell us that we need a flashier car, a better phone, another pair of shoes, or any number of items that are better, faster, or easier to use than what we already have.  We become restless, (don't we?), and start to want all the latest fashions, fads, and gadgets.

I'm usually content with what I have, until I walk into the shopping mall. Then suddenly it's “I need, I need! I want, I want!”

Never has there been a society where people have so many things yet are so unhappy. Why? Because things don't make us happy!

In 1 Timothy 6:6-8, Paul wrote: “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”

In other words, happiness isn't about having what you want. It's about wanting what you have.

As long as you're focusing on what you don't have, or what you can't do, you'll be unhappy. But when you begin to appreciate what you already have, you'll be happy all your life.

Actually, you already have everything you need to make you happy forever. You have Jesus. You have eternal life. You are loved by a heavenly Father who has promised to supply all your needs. No wonder the Bible repeatedly commands us to be thankful!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)
18  in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

God brought the Israelites out of slavery with amazing miracles. He gave them clear guidance as to where to go. He used a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to direct them. He provided bread from heaven and water from rocks. And what did they do? They complained “That's not enough!”

We too are continually tempted to feel like we don't have enough. Christians change churches because the old one “wasn't meeting my needs”. And how often do we hear complaints that a sermon or worship time “didn't minister to me”.

Church isn't there to meet your needs! You are part of a church so that you can meet the needs of others and glorify God. In God's Kingdom, it's more blessed to give than to receive.

 

 

 

 

 

Pause for Thought 2

Objective: To consider some of the aspects of the “what do I believe” questionnaire.

Questions:

In what ways can we know significance by focusing our time on things that will make an eternal difference?

What causes us to want to be someone else, rather than growing as the unique person God has made us to be?

Christians can often feel overwhelmed by the many things that demand their time. Discuss the idea that greater satisfaction comes from doing a few things well, rather than from doing many things in a haphazard or hasty way.

 

Fun Comes from Enjoying Life Moment-by-Moment

You may think fun is a strange thing to include in this list. Yet of all people, a Christian who has been set free by Christ, and knows who they are and what they have in Him, should be having fun!

Often when you plan for fun, it leads to a let down because it doesn't turn out as expected. Most fun happens spontaneously. Maybe it was a pillow fight with the kids or a ridiculous conversation with a friend, it just happened. That spontaneous fun comes when we throw off our inhibitions and we stop worrying about what other people will think of us. Paul wrote, “If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10).

Do you still find yourself thinking, “What will people say?” Those walking in freedom will respond, “Who cares what people say? I'm not playing to the crowd any longer. I'm playing for God alone.”

When David got the ark of the covenant back which had been stolen by the Philistines, he was so happy that he leapt and danced before the Lord in celebration. His wife, Michal, was embarrassed by his behavior and told him so in no uncertain terms. David said, “I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this” (2 Samuel 6: 21-22).

I have realized that the same embarrassment that often keeps me from having fun also keeps me from telling others about Jesus if I do not make a constant effort to throw it off.

Steve Goss shares this testimony:

When Steve's father-in-law died, he had the privilege of doing the address at his funeral service. Steve started by telling his favorite joke. He was intrigued to see the looks on people's faces, especially those who were not regular churchgoers. They were, not unreasonably, expecting seriousness and religion. There was quite a pause before they realized it was OK to laugh in church.

How have we managed to give people the impression that our wonderful, loving, creative God is a killjoy? When we are free, we can laugh. We don't need to keep up appearances.

Security Comes from Focusing on Eternal Values

“I would be more secure if...” Actually, you can't possibly be more secure than you already are. Jesus said that no one can snatch us out of His hand (John 10:27- 29). Paul declared that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ (Romans 8: 35-39).

We can, however, feel insecure when we depend upon earthly things that we have no right or ability to control. It's all too easy to fall into the trap of working toward a goal of finding our security in money or some other worldly thing.

Everything we now have we shall someday lose. Jim Elliot, a missionary who was murdered, said, “He is no fool to give up that which he cannot keep in order to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Peace Comes from Quieting the Inner Storm

How can we have peace? Jesus is the Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6) and He said:

“My peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14: 27).

The peace of God is something we need to take hold of everyday in our inner person. A lot of things may disrupt our external world because we can't control all of our circumstances and relationships. But we can control the inner world of our thoughts and emotions by allowing the peace of God to rule in our hearts on a daily basis. There may be chaos all around us, but God is bigger than any storm. Nothing will happen to you today that God and you cannot handle.

Difficulties Help Us Toward the Goal

You may think that your past or present circumstances are so difficult that they stop you becoming the person God wants you to be, but actually the opposite is true.

Paul says that we can rejoice in our sufferings because “we know that that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5: 3-4).

James offered similar advice in James 1: 2-4:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Persevering through difficulties develops our character and helps us fulfill our life goal to become more and more like Jesus.

Steve Goss presents this testimony:

Steve remembers when his wife was really ill over a period of two years and couldn't really do much apart from sit in a chair. Their children were at a critical stage in their education and the ministry was growing. It was a tough time. One of Steve’s friends reminded him recently of something that he apparently said to him during that time: “If I don't come out of this changed for the better then it will have been a wasted opportunity.”

 Steve, and I, really believe that. It's in the tough times that our characters can really grow to become more like Jesus and in due course we'll see the fruit of that. I don't know anyone with any kind of significant ministry who hasn't persevered through great difficulties.

Defeated spouses say, “my marriage is hopeless”, then try to solve the problem by changing partners. Others feel their jobs or churches are hopeless. So they move, only to discover that their new job or church is just as hopeless. What should you do? Can I give it to you straight? Hang in there and grow up!

Those difficult situations may be helping you achieve God's goals for your life. There are legitimate times to change jobs or churches, but if we are just running from our own immaturity, it will follow us wherever we go.

We need occasional mountain top experiences, but the fertile soil of growth is always down in the valleys, not on the mountain tops.

It’s the First Day of the Rest of Your Life

We're all going to die. One day you will lose everything you have, including your closest relationships, your qualifications, your possessions, and your money.

Well, this is the last session of the course so I thought you might need cheering up!

Actually there is just one thing we won't lose: our relationship with Jesus and everything that comes with it.

That is why Paul can say, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

If you try putting anything else other than Christ in that verse, it doesn't work.

For me to live is my career, to die is... loss.

For me to live is my family, to die is... loss.

For me to live is a successful Christian ministry, to die is... loss.

But when the point of our life here and now is simply Jesus and becoming like Him, when we die it just gets better.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life! You can become everything God wants you to be. Regardless of your current circumstances.

Whether or not you feel you are very far along the path of becoming more like Jesus, you can leave here in this sure knowledge that you are God's holy child and that He delights in you.

He is intimately concerned with your life and has plans to give you a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Amazingly, you can leave here knowing that nothing and no one can prevent you from becoming the person God wants you to be.

Are you ready to adopt God's goal for your life, to become more and more like Jesus in character?

I want to finish by reading something written by someone, of unknown source, who decided to take God at his word:

“I am part of the “Fellowship of the Unashamed”. I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I've stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, miserly giving, and dwarfed goals!

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, top, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up, or burn up till I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops.

And when He comes to get His own, He'll have no problems recognizing me. My colors will be clear.”

 

The rest of your life is ahead of you. It's exciting. You can become the person God wants you to be. Nothing and no one can get in your way. Let's pray.

Lord God,

Thank You that we are saints, holy ones, because of what Jesus has done. Our goal is to become the people You have created us to be. Thank You that nothing and no one can stand in our way. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

We commit ourselves to truth, to being transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Please fill us with Your Holy Spirit and send us out In His power to become more and more like Jesus, to grow as disciples and to bear fruit.

Send us into the world to make disciples too, Lord.

Thank You that nothing can separate us from Your love. Thank You that You will always be with us.

We love you, Lord, and we choose to put You first. For me to live is Christ.  To die is gain.

Amen.

Reflection

 

Objective: To make a commitment to God's life goal and workout next steps.

Discuss the idea that God's goal for your life is that you become more and more like Jesus in character. What would it look like for you to embrace that?

Spend some time in prayer committing to God's goal for your life and thanking him that you can achieve it in His strength.

Spend some time thanking God for what He has shown and taught you through the course. Ask God what steps He wants you to take next.

Witness: Pick two or three of the eight areas we have considered. How would not-yet-Christians around you be affected if you were to put the principles into practice?

In the Coming Week: Work out which of the eight areas in the “What Do I Believe?” questionnaire are the most challenging for you. Spend some time reading the relevant passages for those areas in “God’s Guidelines for the Walk of Faith”.  You could use them to develop a stronghold buster for the ongoing renewing of your mind.

God’s Guidelines for The Walk Of Faith

Success comes from having the right goals

Success is accepting God’s goal for our lives and by His grace becoming what He has called us to be (Joshua 1:7, 8; 2 Peter 1:3–10; 3 John 2).

Significance comes from proper use of time

What is forgotten in time is of little significance. What is remembered for eternity is of greatest significance (1 Corinthians 3:13; Acts 5:33–40; 1 Timothy 4:7, 8).

Fulfilment comes from serving others

Fulfilment is discovering our own uniqueness in Christ and using our gifts to build others up and glorify the Lord (2 Timothy 4:5; Romans 12:1–18; Matthew 25:14–30).

Satisfaction comes from living a quality life

Satisfaction is living righteously and seeking to raise the quality of our relationships and the things we do (Matthew 5:5; Proverbs 18:24; 2 Timothy 4:7).

Happiness comes from wanting what we have

Happiness is being thankful for what we do have, rather than focusing on what we don’t have — because happy are the people who want what they have (Philippians 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; 1 Timothy 6:6–8)!

Fun comes from enjoying life moment by moment

The secret is to remove unbiblical hindrances such as keeping up appearances (2 Samuel 6:20–23; Galatians 1:10, 5:1; Romans 14:22).

Security comes from focusing on eternal values

Insecurity comes when we depend on things that will pass away rather than things that will last forever (John 10:27–30; Romans 8:31–39; Ephesians 1:13, 14).

Peace comes from quieting the inner storm

The peace of God is internal, not external (Jeremiah 6:14; John 14:27; Philippians 4:6, 7; Isaiah 32:17).

 

Anderson, Neil T.; Goss, Steve. Freedom in Christ Participant's Guide: A 10-Week Life-Changing Discipleship Course . Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

 


Like Fredo, I’m Smaart and I say that’s RIDICULOUS! – Answers in Christ - Purity 579


Like Fredo, I’m Smaart and I say that’s RIDICULOUS! – Answers in Christ - Purity 579

Purity 579 11/18/2021  Purity 579 Podcast

Good morning

Today’s photo of the front of a kayak gliding over the waters of Lake George with the sky and clouds above reflected on the surface of the lake and with the trees on the shoreline displaying early Autumn glory comes to us from a friend who shared a scene from a paddling excursion back in early October. 

As chance would have it my phone was turned back about a month in my photos section as I was searching for a particular photo last evening, so when I looked for a photo of a pathway or road to represent journeying down the path of Christian discipleship this morning I came across this one and immediately decided to share it today because it’s a great pic and it adequately portrays the idea of peacefully moving forward and making progress that is characteristic of “walking in the Spirit”. 

Today is Thursday and I am equally thrilled and saddened to announce that I will be facilitating the last class in the Freedom in Christ Discipleship Course this evening at Rock Solid Church and will be uploading the last podcast version installment of the class later today.  

When I developed the schedule for this year’s teaching back in the spring I purposely placed the Freedom in Christ Course to end the week before Thanksgiving because I thought presenting a class about establishing and maintaining our Freedom in Christ was a great way to transition from Labor Day to the holiday season.  And what a transition it has been! 

Not only has the material been impactful for the local students and podcast listeners, but it has also served to edify the facilitator as well as I have become comfortable enough to step out in faith and volunteer to facilitate zoom classes of the Freedom in Christ Course for Freedom in Christ Ministries in 2022.

 I haven’t gotten confirmation yet, but I have submitted a preferred timeline of classes to the FICM coordinators that will encompass 2 sessions, one in the winter from early January to March, and another in the spring from April to June.  My approval is pending so I cannot announce that this will come to pass but I have been asked about the possibility of leading a men’s group of the class and about my preferences for which day I would choose to teach, good signs that mean absolutely nothing. 

But you know what?  Whether or not I am chosen to facilitate classes next year for FICM, I know that I was faithful to what I perceive to be a call from God to step out and volunteer.   

As I stated my belief in the Sovereign God that is alive and well and described in the Bible yesterday, I know that the things that come to pass are His will, either His permissive will or His explicit will, and that He works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  

So whether or not I am called according to the purpose of teaching for FICM in 2022 will be a part of His plan, regardless of if my request is accepted or rejected.  

And this situation, my stepping out in faith and saying, “Send Me!” but not knowing the what the outcome will be, aka if it is the Lord’s will to send me or not, is what “walking in the Spirit” or living the life of a disciple of Christ is all about.  

Our knowledge of the Lord’s will for our lives is not perfect. But guess what? There is a whole lot about God that we do know and is not just a matter of preference or opinion.  

We know the truth of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ  alone.  

We know that the Bible is the inspired word of God and is living and valuable for our instruction and correction.   

When we know these two things and place our faith in Jesus Christ – Ha Ha – if you thought I was going to let you go with just knowing facts and not committing your life to Christ you got another thing coming! - 

When we know these things and make our Christ Lord and Savior and commit our lives to follow Him, we are made spiritually alive, assured of our place in the kingdom of God for all eternity, and  then we get to enter into the mystery of our faith in terms of knowing who God is, who we are as His adopted spiritually alive children, and what we are called to do with the lives that God gave us to live out here on the earth!

Our faith in Christ makes us alive forever and that life starts the moment we put our faith in Him.   

The journey of our faith lies in discovering who we are in Christ, experiencing our freedom in Christ - which encompasses our freedom over sin and death and our freedom to do His will, and our journey includes discovering our purpose for God and to live it out moment to moment as an expression of God’s wisdom and love.     

After my testimony yesterday I received a negative comment that told me that my “beliefs” were RIDICULOUS, all caps, and I was challenged to produce evidence for God that could somehow convince this angry commenter.  

But the thing is, while they spoke of how they “prefer” to “believe” a god (small g) who x,y, and z’s   - I KNOW (all caps) the living God – who made me and saved me. 

I don’t have to convince anybody because God convinced me, personally, by pulling me out of the darkness of my former life that included an extended period atheism and participation in Eastern Mysticism and the ways of the world.     No intellectual evidence ever convinced me because my heart was set on doing things according to my sinful desires and I was spiritually blind.  

The word says that the gospel of Jesus Christ is foolishness to those who are perishing.  So when someone tells me that my “beliefs” about God which are based on the Word of God are “RIDICULOUS”, all caps,  I know that like me in the past – they are also spiritually blind and, cue the really scary music, are perishing!  

So if what I write about regarding God and the Christian faith seems ridiculous to you,  I hear you. I used to be you.  But after 38 years of living according to my whims and ways, with so much intellectual wisdom of the ways of the world – like Fredo in the Godfather- I thought I was SMAAART,  I took a wallop of the world’s suffering and decided to seek the Truth to see if there was something more than this world that is slowly fading to black. 

And although I was “looking for love” and truth in all the wrong places, the Author of Truth, God Almighty, revealed the Truth to me in a simple gospel message that led me to put my faith in Christ and allowed me to have a personal relationship with God through Him.   

I know that might sound ridiculous, but I encourage you to not rely on someone else to convince you of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ or the existence of God, Really?, but to take personal responsibility for your spiritual destiny by seeking the Truth and by seeking God for yourself.  

The word says that if you seek God, you will find Him. And I for one can tell you that even though finding Him will undoubtedly disrupt your life, finding God and placing your faith in Jesus Christ to be a part of His royal family is a GOOD THING, all caps, and is worth the search and all the trouble that is promised to come to you when you come into His kingdom.  

The world hated Jesus so it undoubtedly will hate you too. But Christ overcame the world and gives those who place their faith in Him the power to overcome all our personal darkness and the adversity of the world and to peacefully move forward and make progress into the meaning and purpose that the Creator of the universe has planned for you.  

So either start or keep walking and talking with God. The going may be rough at first but when you come into harmony with God through placing your faith in Jesus and living according to His ways you will discover that peace and joy are possible no matter what circumstances you will have to face.


Today’s Bible verse is drawn from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”.  

This morning’s meditation verse is :

Psalm 18:30 (NLT2)
30  God’s way is perfect. All the LORD’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

 

Today’s verse assures us that God’s way is indeed perfect and His promises are true and protects those who look to Him.  

I love the Lord so much! Yesterday my testimony of being protected by Him when I made a mistake and almost got into an accident was met with ire and derision like you would not believe. Look on r/Christianity on Reddit for the specific comments on yesterday’s post to see the gems that I am referring to.

But I didn’t take offense by those comments that basically told me to be careful, and to ashamed of my human frailty?,  and that challenged my view of a Sovereign God that shapes the courses of events that could “work all things together for good for those who love Him” by protecting us through His providence.  

Those commenting seemed angry at the idea that God would choose to protect some one who made a mistake.  I mean come on guys I made a mistake but took the right action to correct it! My foot slipped off the brake! But God worked it for good by protecting me and If it didn’t there would have been no testimony of God’s providential goodness.

One commentor sought to challenge my assertion of protection by calling up doubts of God’s miraculous intervention.  But guess what?  I didn’t claim a miracle.  I didn’t claim supernatural intervention.  I claimed something that was not as dramatic as that but if considered is even far more amazing.  I claimed that ALL the things that happen in the universe fall under God’s will, either His explicit will or His permissive will.  

God’s in control and even though bad and evil things happen, and people suffer, evil will be put in its place and those who humbly and loyally align themselves with their  Creator by placing their faith in Christ will receive the ultimate protection of life eternal.

All the hard questions are answered in Christ. 

And as today’s verse assures us today: God’s ways are perfect. All His promises prove true. 

AND He is a WHAT? A SHEILD, all caps, for those who WHAT look to Him for WHAT? PROTECTION!!! All Caps and and three exclamation points.  

Oh and yesterday’s testimony did not include – my literal cry for the Lord’s help – which  was probably something like “Oh God! Help Me!” literally said by me before my near miss.   And God obviously answered that prayer. 

I know… Go ahead – send your negative comments about not believing in answered prayers – but the fact remains I follow the Lord and through His providential shaping of the events of time and space did receive grace (God’s favor) and mercy (not getting what I deserved) when I “looked” and called out to Him.  

And although I didn’t defend myself against the negative comments about my beliefs in God’s protection,  God providentially provided an evidence verse from His inspired word this morning that tells us that He does indeed act as a shield to those who look  to Him for protection.  

Goose bumps, man!

God is alive and working in the world but if you doubt and don’t believe or choose to not follow, you will not see it.   

If you think I hand craft these messages to push an agenda to “convince you” of the reality of God, you don’t know my schedule. I barely have time to get these messages out and honestly don’t know what I am going to write and say until its written and said.  

And if you think, I arranged today’s verse purposefully, again you don’t know me, but more tragically you don’t fully know who God is and how He can arrange things all by Himself.  

So Trust that His ways are perfect and that His promises are true. And follow Him and when you need that shield, brother and sister,  look to Him for protection. 

You may not always avoid heart ache, pain ,and suffering, but when you walk with God you might. And even if you don’t God will provide you with the strength to overcome what ever you do suffer.  

His ways are perfect. So go and follow Him into the purpose He has for your 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 sharing from June Hunt’s “Evil and Suffering… Why? Is God Fair?

 

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage all to purchase June Hunt’s books for your own private study and to support her work.

 

III. Causes For Evil And Suffering In The World

What part does God play in this pain-filled world? Does God bear all responsibility, some responsibility, or no responsibility? Many blame God for all the pain in this world, stating something like this: "An all-powerful God, responsible for creating the world, must also bear responsibility for causing all the pain in the world." Others jump to the defense of God: "An all-loving God would never cause suffering—much less condone it." Clearly, God does not cause all suffering. But those who try to "get God off the hook" for any pain and suffering have a mistaken mindset. Based on the sovereignty of God, our Almighty God even says about Himself...

"See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand." (Deuteronomy 32:39)

A. What Is the Cause of Evil and Suffering?

There is no single clear cause for the evil and suffering in the world ... many variables can be involved. Therefore, several factors have to be considered in answering this question. However, it is clear that evil and suffering are the result of at least 5 different elements that may occur independently or in conjunction with one another. Ultimately, evil and suffering are...

#1. The result of our choices

Because Adam and Eve made the choice not to obey God, they were expelled from their perfect environment to be subjected to suffering in an imperfect world.

"The Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken." (Genesis 3:23)

#2. The result of the choices of others

Because of Adam and Eve's choice to sin, all humanity is subjected to the consequences of their choice—suffering in an imperfect world.

"Just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men." (Romans 5:18)

#3. The result of some evil spirit beings

Because "the evil one," Satan, channeled himself into the serpent, he deceived Eve and enticed her to sin.

"'You will not surely die,' the serpent said to the woman. 'For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it." (Genesis 3:4-6)

#4. The result of natural order

Because of "the fall," there is natural pain and deterioration including natural disasters that impact all humanity.

"To the woman he said, 'I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.' To Adam he said, 'Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, "You must not eat of it," Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.'" (Genesis 3:16-17)

#5. The result of God's permissive will

Because God gave Adam and Eve free will—the choice to obey or disobey—God permitted them to go against His will, and they suffered for it.

"The Lord God commanded the man 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.'" (Genesis 2:16-17)

 

Question: "Why do people have to go through suffering in this life?"

Answer: Adam's choice to sin changed him from being innocent to being guilty and his nature from being sinless to being sinful. Therefore, all people have inherited a "sin nature." As a result, we are born spiritually dead in God's eyes, standing in need of spiritual life. Suffering is the by-product of both our sin nature and our subsequent sin.

"As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:22)

 

Question: "Why does God allow terrible diseases such as cancer and AIDS?"

Answer: Throughout history terrible diseases have afflicted people. What we can cling to in the midst of the suffering these diseases cause is that all suffering in this life is temporary and can drive us to God for comfort and strength.

  • In truth, all of creation suffers from disease and decay in one form or another due to the Fall. Disease is terrible because sin is terrible.
  • Were it not for the corruption of Adam's sin, passed on to all humanity, no one would experience disease.
  • And although all diseases are ultimately a result of our fallen world, were it not for some of our poor choices, we could avoid many diseases related to improper treatment of our bodies and improper use of our bodies.

In the final analysis, we are all destined to die—we just don't know when or how ... but God does ...

"Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath." (Psalm 39:4-5)

 

Question: "Why do some people die at an early age while others live to be more than 100 years old?"

Answer: The potter has power over the clay to form, to shape, and to break for his purposes ... and so does the Creator over His creation.

  • The Lord plans and carries out His plans for each of His people.
  • Some are designed and equipped for length of days and some for brevity of days.

It is not the time you have on earth that is critical, but how the time is lived out and who you allow to have control of your life: yourself, another person, the enemy (Satan)—or the Lord ...

"Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (Psalm 139:16)

 

Question: "Is a birth defect or the death of a baby the result of a parent's sin?"

Answer: Sometimes yes, sometimes no. In some situations, deformities and defects are the direct result of parents' destructive choices.

  • Parents who abuse their bodies with drugs or who carry diseases within their bodies cannot expect their offspring to be unaffected.
  • Sometimes moral sins, alcohol, and medications can permanently damage unborn babies.
  • Even the emotional and mental state of a pregnant woman affects the chemical makeup of her unborn child. In the case of King David and Bathsheba's firstborn child, the sin of the parents resulted not only in an illness, but also in the death of their baby (Read 2 Samuel chapter 12).
  • We live in a world broken by sin. That brokenness extends from the spiritual world to the physical world ... even to precious children, who are part of this broken world.

In other cases, deformities and defects are intended to glorify God ...

"His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.'" (John 9:2-3)

 

Question: "Since my life is in such a mess, could God be punishing me for something?"

Answer: If you are a Christian, He may be disciplining you. If you are not a Christian, He may be using circumstances to demonstrate your need for Him. Both Christians and non-Christians experience the consequences for poor choices. (Read Hebrews 12:5-11.)

  • —"Punishment" has implications of revenge. God's "revenge" for our sins has already been poured out on the person of Jesus at Calvary. God does not "punish" His children.
  • —"Discipline" is a loving action that is intended to change our direction so that we are headed in a way that is beneficial.

"In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: 'My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you.'" (Hebrews 12:4-5)


Biblical Counseling Keys: Evil and Suffering... Why?: Why God? Why?.

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

 

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