Purity 403 04/27/2021 Purity 403 Podcast
Good morning.
There’s nothing quite
like taking off in a plane. When you are
fresh to the experience you have a mix of excitement and fear, knowing that you
are no longer in control and are at the mercy of a combination of the plane,
the weather, the skill of the pilot, and the laws of gravity and aviation. There are a few tense moments as the plane
climbs to the proper altitude for flight but a great sense of relief and wonder
when it gets there, and we can get an idea of how relatively small we are, how
big the world is, and how amazing the God is who stands above it all.
I love this photo for
two reasons: for the view and the One who made it possible. I love it because of the blue sky, the
clouds, the tiny buildings below, and the blue line on the distant horizon that
I suspect is Lake Michigan. When we get
up that high we get a new perspective on the beauty of the world and how we are
small compared it.
When I consider the
world’s beauty and our relative smallness, it makes me so happy to know that
the Creator of this world knows me and loves me. Seeing this view and knowing Him and what He
has done for me just fills me with wonder and gratitude.
As exciting as traveling
solo can be, at times like this when I’m looking out on God’s creation and
contemplating the fact that He has brought me through everything that has come
before this moment, I realize that no matter where I decide to go in life I
will never be alone.
God is with me and the
true joy of life is not forgetting that fact and lies in finding moments like
these to thank Him for what He has made, for what He has done in my life, and
for whatever lies before me in the future.
We might not always know
what is coming around the next corner but when we keep God in our experience,
it doesn’t really matter. His presence in our lives provides us with wisdom,
peace, and joy. So keep walking and
talking with God, the journey of life is so much better when we take Him along
for the ride.
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This morning’s meditation
verse is:
Acts 13:49
(NKJV)
49 And the word of the Lord was
being spread throughout all the region.
Today’s verse
comes to us from the devotional “365 days with Spurgeon. Yesterday’s devotional
was going to keep us in Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones with Ezekiel 37:2, but I
decided to leave that valley behind and pick up a new text and why not one that
comes from Charles Spurgeon.
Spurgeon’s
commentary highlights how other non-Christian religious leaders have claimed to
have received a word from God, provided no evidence that it was, and merely
stood on their own authority that what they spoke was a word from heaven. Amazingly, these ministers of lies were
believed by some and their religions grew on the force of their personalities and
or by the force of the promise of violence and death to those who refused to
believe.
Acts 13:49 is
in the context of the Apostle Paul’s ministry in the city of Antioch and a
significant turning point in the Christian religion. Paul had brought the message of the gospel of
Jesus Christ to the Jews at the synagogue, but they refused to believe and when
they did the Lord directed Paul to bring the good news of salvation through
faith in Jesus Christ to the gentiles.
The gentiles heard the word, were glad, and glorified the word of
God.
They saw the
truth of gospel, were filled with joy, and immediately began sharing it
throughout all the region. They had discovered the answer to life and death and
felt compelled to share it.
One of the
evidences for the truth of the word of God is the transformation that happens
in people’s lives when they receive it and the fruit that follows.
God’s word
teaches us about His holiness, but it also reveals His love for us in the
redemptive plan that was worked out in Jesus Christ. When we understand that our salvation comes
through faith in Jesus Christ and is not something that we can earn by our own
efforts, that truth fills us with joy and causes us to lovingly obey God and
attempt to follow His ways for our lives. The freedom that comes from this
understanding naturally leads us to share this good news with others.
Instead of
forcing people to convert or die, we only speak the truth of God’s word and
allow the Holy Spirit to open the minds and hearts of those who are spiritually
blind and to receive the truth with gladness.
As much as I
would like to convince people that Jesus is the truth, the way, and the life, I
know that the Lord must show them the way into His kingdom. So, I just point to Jesus, tell people what
faith in Him has done, and is still doing, for me, and encourage them to seek
the Lord.
I walked down
many blind paths in a search for meaning and truth and don’t think I would have
ever found life everlasting from the way I was looking, but the Lord saw that I
was genuinely searching for truth and when He was ready, He revealed the truth
to me in a simple radio gospel message that used the word of God to open my
eyes and to welcome me into His kingdom.
Since then I
have been learning and growing in my faith and I have answered the call to try
to spread the word of God, and the good news of Jesus Christ, throughout
whatever region I can reach.
A line from the
movie Schindler’s list referred to the fact that Oscar Schindler’s list of Jewish
factory workers meant that they would be saved from the Nazi Death camps, with
the character of Mr. Stern saying: “The list is an absolute good. The list is
life.”
Well, the word
of God is absolute truth. And while Schindler’s list may have saved some from
the Nazi concentration camps, God’s word has the power to save us from death
itself.
So let those
around you know the truth of God’s word. It has the power of life and death and
the evidence of its truth will clearly be seen by the joy in the eyes of the
ones who receive it with gladness.
I invite all 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 to share from Dr. H. Norman Wright’s “Experiencing
Grief
As always, I share this information for educational purposes
and encourage all to purchase Dr. Wright’s books for your own private study and
to support his work. If you need this title you can find it online at several
sites for less than $5.00:
Chapter 18.
Handling Special Occasions
SHAPE \* MERGEFORMAT
Grief is difficult. But there is something you need to
be aware of that will make it even harder—holidays and special dates such as
birthdays and anniversaries. These are predictable times when your grief hurts
more. These are grief attacks. All of these special days activate a flood of
memories of the way it used to be but won’t be again. There will be a vacant
place this year and in the future. Many have expressed the desire to bypass
these special days or holidays. Unfortunately, they can’t be avoided, and even
if they could, the pain won’t leave. Some prefer to have special occasions stay
as they were.
What can be done? Keep in mind that holidays are emotional times for
everyone. The past memories and traditions of this day and the sights and
sounds will activate a sense of sadness.
Think about how much of this special day you can handle. What has been your
role during this day? How might it be different? What are you capable of doing?
Let others know you will feel and be different and will be making some changes
this year. If you accept invitations to go somewhere, make sure you want to and
avoid accepting out of obligation or guilt. Sometimes those in grief are talked
into buying, eating, and attending and end up regretting every decision. It’s
easy to get pressured into pleasing others on these special occasions. What
will be best for you is the question to consider. What do you want to do this
year?
You will need to make decisions about parties, gifts, cards, etc. Sometimes
it helps to write about the upcoming special occasion. Answer questions like,
“What should I do about…?” or “What bothers me about this day
is…” “What I miss most about the one I lost is…” “I
wish you were here at this time to help me with…” You don’t have to be
concerned about what people will think if you don’t attend something, change
tradition, or don’t send cards. Perhaps one of the best ways to handle this
special time will be thinking through what you would prefer doing and then
discussing this with other family members to hear their thoughts and share
yours. Let extended family know what you will be doing as well. If children are
involved, keep their needs in mind since some holidays or occasions may mean
more to them than to you.
Two difficult days are birthdays. Will you still do something special on the
birthday of the deceased, get together with others, write a letter, or ignore
the day? Also consider your own birthday. It could feel especially empty
because of the absence. How would you like to spend it? This is something for
you to decide.
Experiencing Grief.
—————————-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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