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Wednesday, May 3, 2023

I Know Who You Really Are – Lies of the Enemy #21– Purity 1033

I Know Who You Really Are – Lies of the Enemy #21– Purity 1033

Purity 1033 05/03/2023 Purity 1033 Podcast

Purity 1033 on YouTube: 

   
Hump day peaksbecome Pac Man on You Tube...

Good morning,

Today’s photo of a tree, blue skies, and the sun’s light shining just below peak of my place “down by the River” comes to us today from yours truly as I paused to look up and decided to capture this scene back on April 25th after another day at work.  

Well It’s Wednesday, and I thought that this photo of the “twin peaks” of my home’s roof was a good way to visually represent our arrival at the midpoint of another work week, although for me its just the beginning as my shifted schedule has me reporting to work for the next five days. But that’s no reason for me to have “a case of the Mondays”, as I intentionally begin each day with the practice of gratitude, prayer and Bible study to “get first things first” and to remind me of all the things I have been blessed with rather than focusing on the things I don’t have or would rather not do.   

Although Christians have more than just the hope of heaven, I fear that for many they view their faith as something that won’t have any value until the hour of their death and they are welcomed into heaven (they hope) and thus their faith sits on a shelf unutilized and underdeveloped as they go about their business in the “real world”.  These malnourished and weak Christians thus become consumed with managing the circumstances of the world in the pursuit of happiness and often have little or no patience for “spiritual things”. They have their “ticket to heaven” but in the meantime they have work to do building a circumstantial heaven on earth that they have to build with their own hands and have little patience with their “heavenly minded” brethren who seem to indicate they can have some sort of “relationship with God.”  

They had a one time experience of the joy of their salvation and consider themselves lucky, but don’t want to press their luck by pursuing God too closely. They are just a “sinner saved by grace” after all and they don’t want to have God change His mind, because they know who they “really are” and are thankful just to be in God’s kingdom. So they will sit in the back of the church and not speak too much about their faith, because they don’t know much and because they are not a “saint” like other more mature Christians.  

While I would encourage that we should “keep it real” as Christians by addressing the real life problems and responsibilities before us and by not have an attitude of being “holier than thou” as we walk through the world,  I would insist that we should get to know God better than when we first believed and to get to know ourselves better as “new creations in Christ.”   But the world, the flesh, and the enemy don’t want us to know God or what He has done for us.

And this brings us to our current series, the Lies of the Enemy, which is an examination of some of the common lies, sometimes sneakily whispered into our minds as “first person” statements, that the enemy tells us to cause us to doubt our faith, lose our peace, cause division, or influence us to not follow the Lord with the way we live our lives.  

Today’s big lie is:

Lie #21:  I Know Who You Really Are!   

Now this statement that is whispered or shouted in the confines of our minds, is also an accusation – a true red flag that the thought is demonic – Satan is the accuser of the brethren after all.  But this accusation is also a lie, or at least Satan is try to lead you away from the truth, in that Satan is trying to convince you that no matter what “prayer” you have said or what declaration of faith that you have made, you are still a no good low down sinner who will probably will be tossed out of God’s kingdom by the slightest provocation or if they discover what a mistake was made in “saving you”.

Satan tells this lie to accuse you of being a no good sinner who can’t serve the Lord, seek the Lord, or represent the Lord by sharing your faith.   Satan wants to keep you humble and silent and to be of no effect for the kingdom of God.  

I share this lie because I’ve heard it before.  I had a very sinful and selfish life before putting my faith in Jesus and the enemy loved to condemn me for my past attitudes and actions. As I decided to follow Jesus as authentically as I could, the enemy was there continually to remind me of my checkered past and to discourage me from trying to learn about my faith or to apply it to my life.  The implication of this lie – that Satan or others in the world know who I “really” am because of my past – is that I am not a Christian, I am not saved, or I haven’t changed.   

But it’s a lie.  Although Satan may know who we REALLY are in Christ, He seeks to deceive us by telling us that we are the same old sinner on the highway to hell as we always were and any behavioral or attitudinal bumps on the path of Christian Discipleship that we make proves it!      

Unfortunately, some pastors unwittingly support the enemy’s smear campaign by often quoting

Jeremiah 17:9 (NKJV) that says
9  "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

As former sinners we know our hearts could be lustful, proud, or hateful at times and on occasion we will have bad thoughts that remind us of those days before we were saved so we think nothing has changed.  

However, something did change since the time Jerimiah said these words. – His name is Jesus Christ – he came to pay for our sins, to give us new life, and to fulfill Ezekiel’s prophecy in

Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NKJV) where He speaking for the Lord said:
26  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
27  I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

 A new spirit in you? As in the Holy Spirit! And a new heart, guys! That old stone cold heart has been transplanted with a beating heart of flesh, and if we will walk with the Lord and “keep His judgements (know His word) and do them – we will know that we are no longer who we used to be and we are now, REALLY, children of God.   

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) tells us
17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

John 3:16 (NKJV) assures us
16  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Galatians 2:20 (NKJV) proclaims
20  I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Romans 8:1 (NKJV) encourages us
1  There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV) directs us
10  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

So don’t listen to the enemy’s lie that He knows who you really are – because you really are a born again child of the King, who has been given a new and eternal life that is rich in meaning and purpose.  

So rather than listening to the condemnation of the enemy, tell him and anyone else, that you are not who you used to be, you are now alive in Christ and have been washed clean of your former darkness and will never walk in those shadows again!  

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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple apologetic will provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .

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Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”.

This morning’s meditation verses are :

Romans 12:1-2 (NLT2)
1  And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
2  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Today’s verses go hand in hand with the new life in Christ. We fully experience the reality of our new life in Christ when we surrender our bodies and minds to the Lord’s will for our lives.  We are new creations and thus we are to reject  the world’s ways and wisdom for the wisdom that comes from God and we decide to live our new lives in Christ by renewing our minds with it and living according to it.   

 

We were saved and made new the instant we put our faith in Christ, but we have to repent – to change our minds and behaviors to reflect the new life that we have been given.  Otherwise we will be unstable in all our ways, double minded believing we are part Christian but mostly sinner when the truth is we have been made brand new and can demonstrate it on earth long before heaven by living according to our new nature as saints.

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As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.

Today we continue sharing from  “Satan, Demons & Satanism: A Sinister Reality” By June Hunt.

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.  This resource is available online for $7.99 (https://june-hunt.myshopify.com/collections/keys-for-living/products/keys-for-living-on-satan-demons-satanism_ ).

Satan, Demons & Satanism

A Sinister Reality

by June Hunt

D.  What Are Satanic Rituals?

A ritual is a prescribed form of religious ceremony that can be either traditional or self-styled. Although the Black Mass, based on the Roman Catholic Mass, does not represent the teachings of The Satanic Bible, many satanic groups consider it to be the ultimate allegiance to Satan. Almost all satanic rituals involve sex and sacrifice.

     Black Magic

   The use of objects and sayings in an attempt to control natural forces for evil purposes

   “The most violent and cruel of all pagan practices”

   The root of today’s satanism

     The Black Mass

   A point-by-point perversion of Catholic practices

   Begun in the eighth century

   The sacrifice of a baby is often required

“The sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.”

(1 Corinthians 10:20–21)[1]

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

Join our “Victory over the Darkness”, “The Bondage Breaker”, "Freedom in Christ" 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. 

These teachings are also available on the MT4Christ247 You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MT4Christ247

Email me at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive the class materials, share your progress, and to be encouraged.

My wife, TammyLyn, also offers Christian encouragement via her Ask Seek Knock blog (https://tammylynask.blogspot.com/ ),  her Facebook Group: Ask, Seek, Knock (https://www.facebook.com/groups/529047851449098 ) and her podcast Ask, Seek, and Knock on Podbean (https://feed.podbean.com/tammalyn78/feed.xml)

“The views, opinions, and commentary of this publication are those of the author, M.T. Clark, only, and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any of the photographers, artists, ministries, or other authors of the other works that may be included in this publication, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities the author may represent.”

Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship


[1] June Hunt, Biblical Counseling Keys on Satan, Demons & Satanism: A Sinister Reality (Dallas, TX: Hope For The Heart, 2008), 5–6.

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

It Just Doesn’t Matter – Lies of the Enemy #20– Purity 1032

 

It Just Doesn’t Matter  – Lies of the Enemy #20– Purity 1032

Purity 1032 05/02/2023 Purity 1032 Podcast

Purity 1032 on YouTube: 



Good morning,

Today’s photo of the silhouette of a couple, the roofs of some beachside cabanas, and palm trees underneath a Caribbean sunset sky comes to us from my niece, Megan, who shared this scene, among many other photos, from her recent vacation to Aruba, declaring that “Whoever said that Disney was the happiest place on earth, was wrong.” While I can agree that Disney is not it, I have never been to Aruba but after seeing my nieces’ photos I may have to investigate her claims!

Well, It’s Tuesday, and while I won’t be going to Aruba today, and as far as I know my wife doesn’t have a pass port so I resisted booking a trip there for my upcoming Memorial Day Week vacation, then again I guess I could do a solo trip… nah…

Although I am sure the weather and beaches are fabulous in Aruba, I know that they would be better appreciated in the company of my love, Tammy Lyn. So Tammy Lyn, if you are listening get that passport, you’re unwittingly limiting your possibilities for new adventures of joy because you don’t have your “walking papers”.   There could be lots of “happy places” out there for us to see together but going without a passport sure would limit the ways we could go and going illegally might put a damper on our peace and joy if we have to keep looking over our shoulders for border patrols or customs police!  

Anyway, while I won’t be going to Aruba any time soon, I am blessed with a One Day Weekend today as my shifted schedule has given me the day off in lieu of having the day off on Saturday.  So, although working Saturdays is somewhat of a drag, I focus on the positive and enjoy the day off here at my place “down by The River”.  I’m not completely sure what I will do today but I will be checking in to a Webinar for the release of Marcus Warner & Chris Coursey’s new book “The 4 Habits of Joy-filled People” to support the authors’ work and to maybe pose a question or two about applying these habits to the recovery ministry that I begin leading next week.  

In the book Coursey stated that these “habits” were effective in helping people to build joy and to overcome their Type A Traumas - traumas of neglect – not receiving the good things (love, support, guidance, and acceptance) they needed growing up.  Coursey stated that when people were able to grow their capacity for joy and overcome these types of trauma their recovery was more successful than if the focus was only on trying to process their Type B Trauma – the bad things that happen in life.  

Considering that I want to help people to overcome their hurts, habits, and hang ups, and to grow in their faith, the new book’s release may be a real God send as I seek to not only teach and encourage the people who come to the new recovery growth group, I also want to equip them with the tools that will help them to be successful in transitioning to a lifestyle of freedom, victory, and Christian Discipleship.  

Some of the people who come to the recovery ministry may have “been there and done that” in terms of recovery before, but I want to give them something that they may not have been able to find at traditional 12 step meetings – I want to teach them to walk in the Spirit, to encourage them to grow and apply their Christian faith to the way they think and the way they live their lives. I want to introduce them to God, to who they are in Christ, and to invite them to trust and to follow the Lord into the new life that He has for them and I want to show them that His is a pathway that is paved with hope, peace, and joy!

Rather than sending everyone to Aruba, or some other happy place, I seek to show them that the joy of the Lord is something they can experience right where they live.   

But there will be resistance… the world, the flesh, and the devil doesn’t want us to change or to experience the joy that comes from living with and for God.   

And this brings us to our current series, the Lies of the Enemy, which is an examination of some of the common lies, sometimes sneakily whispered into our minds as “first person” statements, that the enemy tells us to cause us to doubt our faith, lose our peace, cause division, or influence us to not follow the Lord with the way we live our lives.  

Today’s big lie is:

Lie #20:  It Just Doesn’t Matter!  

Not to be confused with Bill Murray’s inspirational pep talk in the 1979 summer camp classic movie, Meatballs, when the enemy tells us “It just doesn’t matter”, he wants to keep you right where you are, locked in addiction, sin, depression, frustration, fear, or anger.   

When you hear this lie, it’s actually a good sign – it means there is hope – but the enemy doesn’t want you to see it and seeks to steal it from  you by trying to convince you that no matter wat you do, what you say, or no matter what happens – It just doesn’t matter because of _(blank)___.  

Bill Murray said that even if his fledgling group of average summer campers should be blessed by God above to achieve victory over the “rich kids” camp, It just wouldn’t matter because – all the really good looking girls would still go out with the guys from the other camp because they “have all the money”.  His impassioned speech actually motivated the group to victory, by keeping it real, that somethings wouldn’t change – but they would be victorious all the same, implying that although they wouldn’t win everything – if they won, no one and nothing could take their moment of triumph away from them!   

So the enemy, tells the same thing – It just doesn’t matter – but instead of focusing on the benefits of a “limited victory”, Satan and his demons focus on the negative aspects of working for a victory that won’t – change or restore everything that was lost.  The enemy will point out how hard it will be to overcome and then play “devil’s advocate” by allowing you to imagine accomplishing something but then will gloat over how “even if you win somethings, you won’t win everything” stating that in effect your efforts and hard work will be for nothing because “it just doesn’t matter”.  

But that’s a lie! It does matter. Your efforts to live a better life matter! Your efforts to do what’s right matter! Your intention to follow the Lord really matters because if you decide to follow the Lord, while you won’t necessarily win everything or restore all that is lost, He will be with you to guide you into “good things” and a better life than what your living now, in some way – even if it’s just the peace you get from walking with Him and knowing that you are doing what is right according to your Heavenly Father.  

Peace regardless of circumstances, peace with God alone is a great victory. 

But I know from experience of walking with the Lord, that peace just the beginning – and something you never lose – when you decide to follow the Lord.  

So don’t believe the lie “that it just doesn’t matter” because it does matter. The decision to follow the path less traveled after Lord is the difference between life and death, between pain and peace, and defeat and victory.  

So make today count. Make today matter by simply turning to the Lord and declaring that you are His and you will follow where He leads.

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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple apologetic will provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .

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

Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”.

This morning’s meditation verse is  :

Micah 6:8 (NLT2)
8  No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Today’s verse is an Old testament Prophet’s marching orders from God on how to live our lives: 

To do what is right,

To love mercy

And to walk humbly with our God. 

Mic drop! This is walking in the Spirit! The Lord has told us what is good and this is what He requires of us: to humbly wall with Him in righteousness and love.  

This is the path of Christian Discipleship and the way we do it – doing what is right – loving the Lord for the mercy and grace He gives us and giving it away to others to show we “love mercy” by practicing it.  

So put this verse in your heart and keep walking and talking with God.

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

As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.

Today we begin sharing from  “Satan, Demons & Satanism: A Sinister Reality” By June Hunt.

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.  This resource is available online for $7.99 (https://june-hunt.myshopify.com/collections/keys-for-living/products/keys-for-living-on-satan-demons-satanism_ ).

Satan, Demons & Satanism

A Sinister Reality

by June Hunt

C.  What Is the Church of Satan?

Today’s organized worship of Satan is linked to the teachings of Aleister Crowley. Born in England in 1875, Crowley rebelled against his Christian upbringing by rejecting Christ and seeking supernatural guidance through the occult.9 He believed Satan to be more powerful than Christ and sowed the seeds of modern satanism in the United States, where religious freedom allowed his evil influence to flourish.

     A legal and highly organized religion that teaches that indulgence in sin is the path to freedom.

     Founded in the United States on April 30, 1966, by Anton LaVey (a former carnival member).

     The rituals mock Christianity.

     The initiation rituals are sexual.

     Teachings include the following:

   No supernatural being exists.

   Satan is only a symbol of self-indulgence.

   No personal devil exists.

   Man is the epitome of existence.

     Published The Satanic Bible in 1969.

“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”

(1 Timothy 4:1)

Basic Beliefs of Satanism from The Satanic Bible

The Satanic Bible perverts the truth about God and Satan by representing beliefs associated with God in a negative light and Satan in a positive light.

     Satan represents:

 

     God represents:

 

   indulgence

 

   abstinence

 

   vital existence

 

   spiritual pipe dreams

 

   undefiled wisdom

 

   hypocritical self-deceit

 

   kindness to those who deserve it

 

   love wasted on ingrates

 

   vengeance

 

   turning the other cheek

 

   responsibility to the responsible

 

   concern for “psychic vampires”

 

   man as just another animal

 

   becoming the most vicious animal of all

 

   all the so-called sins

 

   all leading to physical, mental or emotional gratification

 

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.”

(Isaiah 5:20–21)[1]

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

Join our “Victory over the Darkness”, “The Bondage Breaker”, "Freedom in Christ" 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. 

These teachings are also available on the MT4Christ247 You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MT4Christ247

Email me at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive the class materials, share your progress, and to be encouraged.

My wife, TammyLyn, also offers Christian encouragement via her Ask Seek Knock blog (https://tammylynask.blogspot.com/ ),  her Facebook Group: Ask, Seek, Knock (https://www.facebook.com/groups/529047851449098 ) and her podcast Ask, Seek, and Knock on Podbean (https://feed.podbean.com/tammalyn78/feed.xml)

“The views, opinions, and commentary of this publication are those of the author, M.T. Clark, only, and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any of the photographers, artists, ministries, or other authors of the other works that may be included in this publication, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities the author may represent.”

Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship


[1] June Hunt, Biblical Counseling Keys on Satan, Demons & Satanism: A Sinister Reality (Dallas, TX: Hope For The Heart, 2008), 4–5.


Monday, May 1, 2023

I am My Work – Lies of the Enemy #19– Purity 1031


I am My Work – Lies of the Enemy #19– Purity 1031

Purity 1031 05/01/2023  Purity 1031 Podcast

Purity 1031 on YouTube: Coming Soon!

Good morning,

Today’s photo of Arthur Parton’s oil on canvas painting “Scene on the Housatonic River” comes to us from yours truly as I captured this work of art on film while visiting the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield Massachusetts on Saturday. While the weather was rainy on and off all weekend, my wife and I decided to seize the day on Saturday and “do something” so we enjoyed each other’s company while exploring the modest exhibits that highlighted man’s innovative and artistic spirit but that was also tempered by the harsh reality of our physical impermanence.

While we can appreciate the beauty of Arthur Parton’s painting, the artist departed this mortal coil over 100 years ago, dying in 1914. Similarly while we could appreciate the unchanging beauty of an impressive display of rocks and minerals at the Berkshire, the collection of stuffed or mummified remains of the what used to be living and breathing animals or people reminded us that although preserved, the flesh didn’t fare so well over time, or after death.  Some of the displays were positively creepy but paradoxically they made me thankful for my faith in Christ, because regardless what happens to my physical remains after I die, I know that although I may die, because I believe in Jesus, I shall live. (John 11:25).  

Well, it’s Monday again, so its back to work for most of us but even though most of us have to make the ends meet and will spend a good deal of our lives at work, today our current series will challenge the common belief that our work defines who we are.  

While there is a fair amount of truth that our work lives will say a lot about us as people, we are here to contest the lie that “I am My Work.”  Although we could preserve some of our handiwork in a museum like Arthur Parton’s “Scene on the Housatonic River”, the thing that will endure forever is not the work of our hands or imaginations. And ironically, there is no amount of work we can do to secure our place in eternity.  

As a reminder we are currently “working on” a continuing series, the Lies of the Enemy, which is an examination of some of the common lies, sometimes sneakily whispered into our minds as “first person” statements, that the enemy tells us to cause us to doubt our faith, lose our peace, cause division, or influence us to not follow the Lord with the way we live our lives.  

Today’s big lie is:

Lie #19:  I am My Work.  

While our work can be a large part of our identity here on earth, we are not our work.  Many a retiree discovers just how valuable their hard work is after they are no longer doing it.  After they retire, they discover just how disposable they were as the next generation comes in to take their place.  Similarly shifts in economic and business trends over the passage of time has shown us how entire industries that once defined the “way of the world”, fade away as new technological innovations or new companies make the “big and mighty”, small and obsolete.   

This was highlighted to me more than once during our visit to the Berkshire Museum as the antiquities on display testified to the things that once were but that are now no longer.  There was a display on Children’s Literature and I marveled over how “Little Golden Books” which began in the 1940s was such a huge and impactful industry affecting the lives of generations of children in the decades since then and how are now, while they are still available, are not the cultural force they used to be. While “everybody” had those books when I was little, they are not as prevalent today as things have changed.  

While Golden books is still out there, other industries have gone the way of the dodo all together and I am sure there are retired people who are still alive today that can tell you all about how their jobs are “no longer”.   What used to define their working lives and a big part of who they were is now “gone with the wind.”  

I don’t mean to depress by the fact that we are not our jobs but only seek to encourage us to seek our identity according to the One who made us: God.  

All those displays at the museum testified to the fact that things don’t last, so in order to have peace we need to seek our meaning and purpose in the One who will last forever: God.  

While various cultures have different ideas about what happens when you die, the museum had a mummy on display to testify of this, the Lord sought to give us the Truth about life and death, meaning and purpose, by sending Jesus to tell us like it is and to show us that He is God incarnate by defeating death and the grave.  

And amazingly, Jesus came to tell us that we could be part of His eternal kingdom and we don’t even have to “work for it”.    In

John 11:25-26 (NKJV) Jesus said to Martha, all of us:
25   "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
26  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

While we could disagree with someone who just “said” things like this, Jesus proved He was the resurrection and the life – by rising from the dead, ascending to heaven, and giving new spiritual lives to those who put their faith in Him.   

And Jesus’ words tell us that we receive this new life by just believing in Him! The Apostle Paul seeks to make the way to life everlasting clear in:  

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)
8  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9  not of works, lest anyone should boast.

It’s not our work that will save us. Its by faith alone, in Christ alone that we will receive and enjoy eternal life.  

As faith in Christ in our society is becoming increasingly rare and disparaged, people increasingly seek to find their identity and purpose in their work.  I’m including a couple of links to articles on the blog today to testify to the failure of the  “gospel of workism” to save us (https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/02/religion-workism-making-americans-miserable/583441/ ) , and even modern psychology’s assurance that we are not our jobs ( https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/tracking-wonder/201903/you-are-not-your-work ) but no matter what insights or assertions those articles share about “buying free time” or “identifying your own personal purpose” I want to encourage you to look beyond yourself and to seek the Lord and His wisdom to discover who you are, what really matters, and what God’s purpose is for your life.   

So as we go into another week of work, do a good job and get those ends met and do your best to meet your professional goals but remember that you are not your work. You are a piece of God’s creative work and He made you for a purpose in His kingdom and in Christ you will never find yourself “out of a job” or declared to be “obsolete” as He has future and a hope for all who trust in Him and decide to follow where He is leading. 

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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple apologetic will provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .

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Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”.

This morning’s meditation verses  :

Isaiah 60:18, 22 (NLT2)
18  Violence will disappear from your land; the desolation and destruction of war will end. Salvation will surround you like city walls, and praise will be on the lips of all who enter there.
. At the right time, I, the LORD, will make it happen.”

Today’s verse assures us of the future and the hope that we have in Christ as Isaiah prophesied about life beyond the millennial kingdom as God will some day make a new heaven and a new earth.  

Yeah this passage of scripture is looking at the end times because although it sounds like these verses just point to the end of war – the intervening verses of 19,20, and 21 talk about cosmic changes as the Lord will somehow replace the sun and moon and become our “everlasting light”. This verbiage is reiterated by

Revelation 21:23 (NLT2)
23  And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.

So, when God brings “peace on earth” – He will be the light that shines upon us and illuminates our meaning and purpose, taking away all that is warped, evil, or broken. We won’t have to work to know who we are or to be accepted as the Lord will show us what to do and how to live in the new heaven and new earth and our praise of Him will never leave our lips.

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As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.

Today we begin sharing from  “Satan, Demons & Satanism: A Sinister Reality” By June Hunt.

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.  This resource is available online for $7.99 (https://june-hunt.myshopify.com/collections/keys-for-living/products/keys-for-living-on-satan-demons-satanism_ ).

Satan, Demons & Satanism

A Sinister Reality

by June Hunt

B.  What Is Satanism?

Satanism is not just a hodgepodge of occultic activity, but a religion that demands worship and allegiance to Satan. Devotion to the devil and his legion of demons can take the form of worshiping Satan himself, or it can be participation in various occultic activities that open doors to the demonic. Operating in this world since the Garden of Eden, Satan deceives and demands compliance with his desires. His ultimate goal is to replace God.

“The devil took him [Jesus] to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” ’ ”

(Matthew 4:8–10)

     Satanism is a religion that worships and declares allegiance to Satan.

   Ritualistic ceremonies promote a relationship with Satan and call on his power.

   Secret rituals may involve sacrificial killings, black magic and the black mass.

   It is illegal and underground.

     Satanism is also a religion based on the exaltation of evil with no belief in a personal devil.

   It consists of complete indulgence in orgies and other sexual obscenities.

   Rituals include the use of magic to achieve personal desires.

   It is legal and tax-exempt.

Q “If God is so powerful, why doesn’t He destroy Satan and Satanism?”

He will. The day will come when Satan is cast forever into the lake of fire. To face annihilation? No—that would be too tame! The destiny of the devil is never ending torment … eternal punishment … “day and night for ever and ever.”

“The devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10)[1]

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

Join our “Victory over the Darkness”, “The Bondage Breaker”, "Freedom in Christ" 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. 

These teachings are also available on the MT4Christ247 You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MT4Christ247

Email me at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive the class materials, share your progress, and to be encouraged.

My wife, TammyLyn, also offers Christian encouragement via her Ask Seek Knock blog (https://tammylynask.blogspot.com/ ),  her Facebook Group: Ask, Seek, Knock (https://www.facebook.com/groups/529047851449098 ) and her podcast Ask, Seek, and Knock on Podbean (https://feed.podbean.com/tammalyn78/feed.xml)

“The views, opinions, and commentary of this publication are those of the author, M.T. Clark, only, and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any of the photographers, artists, ministries, or other authors of the other works that may be included in this publication, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities the author may represent.”

Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship


[1] June Hunt, Biblical Counseling Keys on Satan, Demons & Satanism: A Sinister Reality (Dallas, TX: Hope For The Heart, 2008), 3–4.