Purity 363 03/11/2021 Purity 363 Podcast
Good morning!
Expectation is another
way of saying hope and when our hopes are fulfilled the result is joy!
This photo also reminds
me of Psalm 18:19 which says:
Psalm
18:19 (CEB)
19 He brought me out to wide-open
spaces; he pulled me out safe because he is pleased with me.
When we answer the
call of the Lord to be His, we walk out of the quagmire of a life of confusion
and into the wide-open spaces of His grace that gives us the power to overcome
the darkness and fear of our pasts as we are assured that He has brought us to
a new life that is defined by love, joy, and peace.
Of course, its
Thursday and I love sharing pathway photos because I teach a class that attempts
to show others how to walk on the pathway to discipleship. Our text is Dr. Neil Anderson’s “Victory over
the Darkness” and I invite all who read this to join us via the mt4christ247
podcast. No matter where you may be today,
you can start with Lesson 1 and receive all the class materials by emailing me
at mt4christ247@gmail.com. The class is free.
I have been increasingly enjoying my freedom in Christ and feel compelled
to help others discover theirs too.
Whether you join
our class or not, I encourage you to keep walking and talking with God. Through a living relationship with Him
through faith in Jesus Christ we can over come any hurt, habit or hang up that
is preventing us from living the abundant life that He has already provided for
us.
(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).) There is more content at the restricted
blog. Follow me on Twitter or MeWe for easy access. Blog M T 4 Christ dot org – This is where the
Facebook post ends.)
This morning’s meditation
verse is:
Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)
10 For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we
should walk in them.
Today’s verse follows verse 8 & 9, that tell us
that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ and not by our works. That’s a huge point about our Christian faith
that many people don’t understand. In my
childhood liturgical tradition, I understood I was a sinner and that I had to “be
good” in order to go to heaven.
After decades of condemnation, confusion, and
seeking truth in all the wrong places, I finally heard the message of grace by
faith that made me realize that the gospel of Christ wasn’t about me earning my
salvation through works. The gospel was about me choosing to place my faith in
Jesus Christ and immediately becoming declared righteous by God. The works come after salvation, not before
it!
That’s what this verse is telling us. Only when we
are His can we accomplish anything. Jesus Himself tells us this in:
John 15:5
(NKJV)
5 I am the
vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears
much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
This verse reflects the truth that we can’t save
ourselves. It also points out that we are to live our lives by faith because if
we try to do good works for the kingdom of God in our own strength we will
fail.
Today’s verse Ephesians 2:10, tells us that we are God’s
workmanship created in Christ through our faith in Him for good works. We weren’t just saved by Christ to go to
heaven when we die. We were created in Christ to do good works.
Not only that but this verse tells us that God who
knows all of human history before it happens, for He can see the end from the beginning,
has already prepared good works for us to do.
Of course we have free will, but our purpose in life is to look for and
accomplish the good works that God puts in our path.
Our Christian faith therefore dispels the world’s
lament that life is meaningless because God who sees it all has made our lives
full of meaning as we are meant to accomplish all that he has prepared for us.
That should give us the blessing of assurance.
Not only are we assured that we have eternal life
with God, but it assures us that the life we have now has a plan that we can
choose to search out and walk in. It assures us that no matter what calamities
we face in life, God is aware of it, is with us through them all, and is
encouraging us to keep going because we have good works to walk in on the other
side of our current troubles. So keep going and keep your eyes open for what God
has prepared for you.
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 “Anger:
Facing the Fire Within”
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:
I. How to Alleviate Your Present Anger
Like a firefighter’s hose spraying water on a fire, working through the
following eight “As” can do much to douse the potentially dangerous
effects of anger in your life. Firefighters are always equipped with a variety
of hoses, each designed to handle different sized fires, with one goal in
mind—alleviating threatening flames.
- Handlines
are small hoses 1.5 to 1.75 inches in diameter. - Booster
lines are larger, rubber-jacketed hoses stored on reels. - LDH
(large-diameter hose), measuring about 5 inches in diameter and useful for
supplying water from hydrants to pumper trucks, is the largest hose used
by firefighters.
Because “anger is one letter short of danger” (this
saying is more than a catchy phrase), these words reflect a painful truth. Too
many times the tongue has not been tamed, conversations have escalated out of
control, and people and relationships have been damaged, if not destroyed.
Proverbs tells us…
“As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man
for kindling strife.” (Proverbs 26:21)
Acknowledge Your Anger.
- Be
willing to admit you have anger. - Be
aware of when you feel angry. - Become
aware of how you suppress or repress your anger either because of fear
or pride. - Be
willing to take responsibility for any inappropriate anger. Realize…
“He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses
and renounces them finds mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).
Ascertain Your Style.
- How
often do you feel angry? (Often? Sometimes? Seldom? Never?) - How do
you know when you are angry? - How do
others know when you are angry? - How do
you release your anger? (Do you explode? Do you criticize? Do you joke
or tease? Do you become sarcastic… defensive… teary-eyed?)As you seek
to identify the way you express your anger, pray… “Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart
and my mind” (Psalm 26:2).
Assess the Source.
- Hurt:
Is the source of your anger hurt feelings from the words or actions of
others? - Injustice:
Is the source of your anger the unjust actions of someone toward you or
another person? - Fear:
Is the source of your anger fear due to a recent or anticipated loss? - Frustration:
Is the source of your anger frustration over blocked plans, hopes, or dreams?
Commit to total honesty before God…. “I know, my God, that you
test the heart and are pleased with integrity” (1 Chronicles
29:17).
Appraise Your Thinking.
- Are you
expecting others to meet your standards? - —”She
should take better care of her children.” - —”He
ought to notice what I do for him.” - —”He
must be here before 7:00 p.m.” - —”She’d
better not call during dinner!” - Are you
guilty of distorted thinking? - —Exaggerating
the situation - —Assuming
the worst - —Labeling
one action based on other actions - —Generalizing
by saying, “you never” or “you always” - Are you
believing lies? - —”God
is punishing me for my past.” - —”I
don’t deserve to be loved or successful.” - —”My
future depends on my ability to keep this job.” - —”God
isn’t really interested in whether I’m fulfilled or not.” - Are you
blaming God or others? - —”This
situation is someone else’s fault, not mine.” - —”He
is responsible for this mess.” - —”She
let this happen.” - —”God
let me down. “Remember… “A wicked man puts up a bold front, but
an upright man gives thought to his ways” (Proverbs 21:29).
Admit Your Needs.
- Do you
use manipulative anger as a ploy in an attempt to feel loved? - Do you
use explosive anger, insisting on certain conditions in order to feel significant? - Do you
use controlling anger to demand your way in order to feel secure? - Do you
know that only Christ can ultimately meet all of your inner needs for
love, significance, and security? Rest assured… “My God will
meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus”
(Philippians
4:19).
Abandon Your Demands.
Instead of demanding that others meet your inner needs for love,
significance, and security, learn to look to the Lord to meet your needs.
- —Look
to the Lord to meet your need for love. “Lord, though I would like to
feel more love from others, I know You love me unconditionally, and you
will love me forever….”“I have loved you with an
everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness” (Jeremiah 31:3). - —Look
to the Lord to meet your need for significance. “Lord, though I would
like to feel more significant to those around me, I know I am significant
in Your eyes….”“‘I know the plans I have for you,’ declares
the Lord, ‘plans to prosper
you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11). - —Look
to the Lord to meet your need for security. “Lord, though I wish I
felt more secure in my relationships, I know I am secure in my
relationship with You….”“The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do
to me?” (Psalm 118:6). - —Look
to the Lord to meet all of your needs for life and godliness. “Lord,
though I wish others would be more responsive to my needs, I know You have
promised to meet all of my needs….”“His divine power has
given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge
of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3).Constantly
remind yourself…“God is able to make all grace abound to you, so
that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound
in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).
Address Your Anger.
- Determine
whether your anger is really justified. - —Has
a wrong been committed? - —Has
anyone suffered hurt or injury? - —Has
an injustice occurred? Consider… “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Give careful
thought to your ways’” (Haggai 1:5). - Decide
on the appropriate response. - —How
important is the issue? - —Would
a good purpose be served if I mention it? - —Should
I acknowledge my anger only to the Lord? Remember… “[There is]
a time to be silent and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7). - Depend
on the Holy Spirit for guidance. - —Ask
for counsel about your anger. - —Ask
for insight about your anger. - —Ask
for wisdom about your anger. Feel confident about the role of the Holy
Spirit in your life…. “The Spirit of truth… will guide you
into all truth…. and he will tell you what is yet to come” (John 16:13). - Develop
constructive dialogue if you need to confront an offender. - —Don’t
speak rashly with a heart of unforgiveness. Do… Think carefully or
“care fully” before you speak cautiously. - —Don’t
use “you” phrases such as: “How could you?” or
“Why can’t you? “Do… Use personal statements such as “I
feel….” or “I need….” - —Don’t
bring up past grievances. Do… Stay focused on the present issue. - —Don’t
assume the other person is wrong. Do… Listen for feedback from another
point of view. - —Don’t
expect instant understanding. Do… Be patient and keep responding with a
gentle tone of voice.
“Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can
break a bone.” (Proverbs 25:15)
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Alter Your Attitudes. (Read Philippians 2:2-8.) |
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—Have the goal to be like-minded with Christ |
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“Make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, |
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—Do not think of yourself first |
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“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit…” |
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—Give the other person preferential treatment |
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“… but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” |
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—Consider the interests of the other person |
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“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also |
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—Have the attitude of Jesus Christ |
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“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…” |
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—Do not emphasize your position or rights |
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“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God |
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—Look for ways to serve with a servant’s heart |
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“… but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a |
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—Speak and act with a humble spirit |
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“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled |
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—Obey the Word of God, and submit your will to His will |
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“… and became obedient…” |
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—Be willing to die to your own desires |
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“to death—even death on a cross!” |
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Anger and Regaining Trust
Question: “How can I regain the trust of my wife when
I’ve pushed her around and then blamed her for provoking me to anger?”
Answer: She needs
to hear you take full responsibility for your wrong choices and to hear how
your wrong choices are going to become right choices.
- Verbalize
that you were totally wrong for reacting to her in anger. Admit your
harshness is totally your fault. - Confess
your harshness as selfishness and an attempt to control her. - Ask if she
would be willing to truly forgive you. (This may take time, so do not be
demanding of her.) - Demonstrate
the depth of your remorse by the strength of your resolve to change.
(Promises and tears won’t build trust, but actions will.) Develop a plan
to act differently when you are angry. - Share your
plan with her and then be consistent in carrying it out.
The
way to gain trust is to prove, over time, that you are trustworthy—not just
when the relationship is easy, but when it is hard… when you feel frustrated,
when getting your way has failed. Consistency is the key.
Consistently
responding without any harshness can, over time, change her heart and regain
her trust….
“Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.”
(Colossians 3:19)
Biblical Counseling Keys – Biblical Counseling Keys – Biblical Counseling Keys:
Anger: Facing the Fire Within.
—————————-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.
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