A New Day, Into the Light of Freedom – Purity 693
Purity 693 03/31/2022 Purity 693 Podcast
Good morning,
Today’s photo of sunrise on the horizon of a new day over the headlight
illuminated expanse of highway I-95 “somewhere in Florida” comes to us from a
friend who had closed on their house in another state the previous day and had
everything they owned packed in their truck as they drove into a new chapter of
their lives that would be defined by a spirit of exploration and wonder. It’s been a couple of months since our friend
took this “first day of the rest of your life” photo back in January and I have
been excited to share in their journey as they have shared scenes from their
travels on social media ever since.
But this photo was day 1, and I share it because a new friend, someone
I now consider my brother in Christ, has arranged to meet with me to be led through
the Steps to Freedom in Christ at a local church and it is my prayer that the Holy
spirit will guide us through this process of prayer and repentance to help my
friend resolve their personal and spiritual conflicts and to experience the peace
that comes when the Lord sets you free.
Yup, it’s Thursday and I thought today’s photo of a stretch of
highway that leads from darkness to the dawn of a new day was the perfect shot
t represent my friend’s upcoming walk through the Steps to Freedom in Christ (https://www.mt4christ.org/2022/02/the-steps-to-freedom-in-christ.html
) and to represent
the path of Christian Discipleship in general because the journey that starts
with faith in Christ and continues with a sincere intention to walk in His ways
truly is the road that will take you from the realm of darkness into the
kingdom of God’s goodness and light.
As happy as I am to serve as an encourager in my friend’s
freedom appointment today, I know that it will be the Lord who will the One to
help my friend to overcome the things that have prevented him from experiencing
the peace and freedom that Christians are supposed to know in their daily
lives.
Just like how the headlights and streetlight’s illumination in
today’s photo pale in comparison to the blazing break of day on the horizon,
the efforts and work of mankind can’t compare to the power that God has to help
us to overcome our struggles and to change our lives.
If the current times seem troubling it’s because you have forgotten
about the One who created the universe and the One who sent Christ to tell us
how to have peace with Him. In the midst of these “dark days” there is still
hope. When we decide to follow the Lord, we can know that He is with us and be
assured that no matter what happens, God is in control and is moving all things
together for His good purposes. .
God is the source of all that is good and His creative power is
infinite. When we acknowledge who God is, and make Christ our Lord and Savior,
we get to experience the goodness of God and we get to watch God’s power manifest
in our lives in ways we would never have even thought was possible.
My short walk with the Lord has shown me that God is real, that He
loves us, and that He wants us to know Him more. He calls us out of the
darkness to experience the joy of living in His light. So seek the Lord and His
righteousness. His ways are higher than our ways and the life He has for us
never ends, so keep walking and talking with God because He has new and
exciting things waiting for you to experience in that glorious light that is just
beyond the horizon. We just have to surrender to His will and keep walking toward
the light to get there.
______________________________________________________________
Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The NLT Bible Promise Book
for Men”.
This
morning’s meditation verse is :
Isaiah
1:18 (NLT2)
18
“Come
now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though
they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.
Today’s Bible verse speaks of the Lord’s desire for us to come to Him
and to have the scarlet stain of our sins to be washed away.
This verse from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah shows us that God has
always desired for man to be reconciled to Him and that He offers peace to those
who choose to repent and put their faith in Him. In the Old Testament times,
people had to put their faith in God and the promise of the coming of the Messiah.
People tried to show their faith by trying to live according to the law and had
to trust that the Lord would one day send a Savior to be “saved”.
But since Christ has come, now
we know specifically who we are to put our trust in: Jesus! His life, death,
and resurrection shows us that Jesus was the Son of God and God the Son. Christ
is the fulfillment of the promised Messiah and it is only through putting our
faith in Him that or sins, though they be like scarlet, and red like crimson, are
forgiven.
Our lives that were stained by the guilt of our sin have been made
clean and the crimson stain of guilt and shame has been washed away because of
our faith in Jesus. Through Christ we are made clean, we are new creations, and
we are made as white as snow.
This fact of our lives in Christ, as Christians, should be a source of unending
joy and peace.
I often quote Romans 8:1 or a portion of it to remind me of my accepted
status in Christ. It says:
Romans 8:1 (NKJV)
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.
The
reason we are not condemned is because we have been forgiven, we have been washed
as white as snow! Forever!
There
is no condemnation for those in Christ because we are approved and accepted by
God as His adopted children. We have been made right with God through our faith
in Jesus Christ alone. We are white as
snow and there is no sin that can stain us anymore.
1 John 1:9 (NKJV)
9 If we confess our sins, He
is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
Our new relationship with God affords us continuous forgiveness and the
power to overcome and say no to sin.
So rejoice, we are no longer scarlet or crimson from the stain of our
sin, we are as white as snow and if we should slip up, we can confess it to be
forgiven and to continue to walk into righteousness again and again.
Our walk is about progress, but God’s love and forgiveness for us is
perfect and He will stay with us and continue to perfectly encourage us to keep
walking in His ways even if we stumble.
We didn’t earn our salvation. It was a gift that came through faith in
Christ. So believe it, receive it, and live in the continuous peace that comes
from knowing that you are forgiven, you are as white as wool!
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 June Hunt’s Overeating: Freedom from Food
Fixation.
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 his work. This resource is available on many
websites for less than $5.00.
C. How to Have a Transformed Life
Reaching
the Target: Transformation!
Target #1—A New Purpose: God’s purpose for me is to be
conformed to the character of Christ.
“Those God foreknew he also
predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son …” (Romans 8:29).
— “I’ll
do whatever it takes to be conformed to the character of Christ.”
Target #2—A New Priority: God’s priority for me is to change
my thinking.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
— “I’ll
do whatever it takes to line up my thinking with God’s thinking.
Target #3—A New Plan: God’s plan for me is to rely on
Christ’s strength, not my strength, to be all He created me to be.
“I can do all things through him who
strengthens me”
(Philippians 4:13 ESV).
— “I’ll
do whatever it takes to fulfill His plan in His strength.”[1]
[1]
June Hunt, Biblical Counseling
Keys on Overeating: Freedom from Food Fixation (Dallas, TX: Hope
For The Heart, 2008), 29.
My Personalized Plan:
How to Think “Healthy”
Jesus
was preoccupied with food … but not the kind that lines cabinets and fills
refrigerators.
What consumed Him … what filled and
satisfied Him far more than the choicest meats and grains … pertained to
matters of the kingdom, namely, pleasing His Father above. “ ‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and
to finish his work’ ” (John 4:34).
Let’s follow Jesus’ example and focus
on pleasing our heavenly Father rather than our own desire for overeating.
Let’s discover God’s will for our lives and carry out the work He has called us
to do. When these are operating in sync—pleasing our heavenly Father and
carrying out the work we’re called to do—there is no greater satisfaction on
earth! Scripture reminds us of our very special calling.…
“We are God’s handiwork,
created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us
to do.”
(Ephesians 2:10)
Think of yourself as the person God
created you to be.
• God
has given me a new nature in Jesus Christ.
• God
has given me all I need to live a self-controlled life.
• God
has given me an escape from the corruption caused by ungodly eating desires.
“Through these he has given us his
very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in
the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil
desires” (2 Peter
1:4).
Have the correct motive for losing weight.
• I
want to take good care of my physical body, the “… temple of the Holy Spirit …” (1 Corinthians 6:19 ESV).
• I
want to be free from the bondage of self-indulgence.
• I
want to be healthy and live the life God has planned for me.
“We make it our goal to please him,
whether we are at home in the body or away from it” (2 Corinthians 5:9).
Identify the real reasons you overeat.
• Am
I responding to a lack of love because of ___________________?
• Am
I responding to feelings of insignificance because of ___________________?
• Am
I fearful and insecure because of ___________________?
“Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts”
(Psalm 139:23).
Make a personal commitment to obey God.
• Acknowledge
your need for change.
• Acknowledge
that you are powerless to change.
• Acknowledge
God’s power in you to change.
• Acknowledge
His constant presence within you.
“The one who keeps God’s commands
lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We
know it by the Spirit he gave us”
(1 John 3:24).
Know how to listen to the Lord.
• Listen
to God by reading His written Word.
• Listen
for His leading through the Holy Spirit.
• Learn
to identify Satan’s lies.
“I will instruct you and teach you in
the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you” (Psalm 32:8).
Develop an exercise plan that will
increase your metabolism. Vary the plan.
• Walk
or ride a bicycle for 30 minutes a day 4 or 5 times a week.
• Do
aerobics for 30 minutes, 3 days a week.
• Walk
up the stairs instead of using an elevator.
• Make
a commitment to join athletic activities with friends.
“Those who disregard discipline
despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding” (Proverbs 15:32).
Eat only when you are hungry and only
foods you should eat.
• Develop
a knowledge of good nutrition.
• Choose
to eat healthy foods.
• Don’t
give up if you blow it.
“Do not destroy the work of God for
the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat
anything that causes someone else to stumble” (Romans 14:20).
Allow for flexibility and include some
pleasure foods in your diet.
• Recognize
the value of variety and of occasionally having a special treat.
• Realize
the legitimate God-given enjoyment of tasty foods.
• Resist
the urge to binge.
“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires
of your heart” (Psalm
37:4).
Let the Holy Spirit direct your plans
and provide needed self-control.
• Pray
throughout the day that your choices will reflect the self-control of Christ.
• Meditate
on specific Scriptures (especially those about self-control).
• Ask
God to remind you of His protection and power over temptation.
“The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom
the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you
of everything I have said to you”
(John 14:26).
Turn your focus to the healthy foods
you need to eat.
• Keep
a small notebook with you.
• Write
down when and what you eat with its caloric or fat value.
• Choose
a Scripture to think about and memorize daily or weekly.
• Record
your thoughts and feelings.
“The wicked put up a bold front, but
the upright give thought to their ways” (Proverbs 21:29).
Have a thankful heart.
• Thank
God for His faithfulness to you.
• Thank
God for the unique person you are, including your body shape and size.
• Know
that God never gives up on you. (If you blow it, start again!) God is faithful!
“Being confident of this, that he who
began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ
Jesus” (Philippians
1:6).[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/channel/UCTxjSNstREpuGWuL0bF3U7w/featured
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 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)
Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship
[1]
June Hunt, Biblical Counseling
Keys on Overeating: Freedom from Food Fixation (Dallas, TX: Hope
For The Heart, 2008), 29–32.
Leave a Reply