The Science of Discipleship – Statements of Truth – 1 – Purity 1125

The Science of Discipleship – Statements of Truth – 1  – Purity 1125

Purity 1125 08/19/2023 Purity 1125 Podcast

Purity 1125 on YouTube: 

Good morning,

Today’s photo of upward facing view of a palm tree and
a magnificent cloud filled blue sky comes to us from my cousin, Kevin Zempko,
who captured this backyard barbecue moment in the San Elijos Hills in San
Marcos, CA back on August 9^th. 

Well, It’s Saturday and something about Kevin’s
photo just says “the weekend” to me but a quick check of the calendar shows
that our cousin didn’t have to wait for the weekend to appreciate the beauty
around him, as the 9^th was a Wednesday.  Let that be a lesson to all of us that we don’t
have to wait for a particular time, day, or season to appreciate the good
things in our life. We don’t live in the past and we don’t live in the future.
We live right now and the way we experience peace and joy in life is to stop
ourselves, right now, and remind ourselves that there is much good in our
lives, happening right now, and to appreciate it and to thank God for it.  

While we should have goals and dreams that we are
working to accomplish, and we should be doing things to help us grow and to be
healthy, we shouldn’t be so future focused and goal-oriented that we forget the
many blessings we have in the present moment and that “the process” the fact
that we are actively seeking to accomplish something and experience more peace,
more joy, and more freedom, in and of itself, is a good thing too.   

I have had a serious wake-up call in regard to my health
goal recently that made me realize that even though my goal has an established
milestone to meet, I allowed myself to lose focus on what in reality is a definite,
concrete goal and ended up turning what is clear into something fuzzy because I
set no definite deadline on when I wished to accomplish it, or more accurately didn’t
set a new deadline on it when I failed to accomplish it.  

In the late winter months, I made an appointment for
a physical in June and had set the goal to be closer to my goal weight of 200
pounds but when I failed to even get to the milestone mark of 215 (which I had
accomplished a couple of times in my YO-YO existence), I gave myself “grace”
and instead of going back to the drawing board and pressing in with a renewed
commitment and new deadline, I let it slide and have just been floundering in
compromise, by “cheating” on my “food plan” (Do you even have a plan when you “cheat”
every weekend?).  Instead of setting a
new deadline and redoubling my efforts, I just “let it be” and continued to
mindlessly eat things I shouldn’t and too much in general.   I had fallen into a state of self-deception
where I told myself I was “working” on my health goal but in reality had more
or less given up on it because I had allowed myself to do things that would
prevent me from accomplishing it.  Talk
about self-sabotage!    

After my two-week vacation and a solid week of inactivity,
the truth became painfully obvious and I committed myself again to fight the
good fight, again with no deadline, or noticeable plan to measure my
progress.  On Wednesday, I mindlessly
consumed some sugar-laden snacks as a “reward”, I guess, after a long day at
work and a good night at the ministry. 
But the morning after came with the shame of failure and the realization
that I had made some big mistakes in how I had decided to reach “my health goal”,
which was, in fact, part of the larger battle of defeating my food
addiction.   The health goal language was
actually sugarcoating the true issue – food addiction – and because I didn’t
call it for what it is, I was living in denial and not fighting it the way I
should.  

So I enlisted, okay more like “drafted” a brother in
Christ to be my accountability partner, as in “you’re it, I need it, We’re
doing this,”.  As someone who has victory
over addictions in other areas, I knew how to overcome and now I am going back
to basics for my food addiction and am learning just how deceived I was in the
way I was seeking to accomplish what I wanted to accomplish.  

Yesterday, I reacquainted myself with the My Fitness
Pal app and started tracking my food intake after logging everything for the
day I can report that I was successful for the day but was a big failure in the
past.  After I documented everything for
the day, I realized that I had been assuming that “I was good” when I wasn’t.  I knew the general guidelines for what I
should and shouldn’t eat and had made the big assumption that if I stayed within
those guidelines, I didn’t really have to worry about how much I ate!  Wrong.  After
yesterday’s documenting every morsel that went into my system I realized that I
had been eating too much, periodically, quite often – even with just the “good
food” but I had made matters worse by eating the “bad stuff” too.  

The truth of how unaware I was of what I was doing
has hit me like a ton of bricks and I now realize that I really have to be
diligent to stay in the present moment and observe and record everything I am
doing.  My victory over food addiction
demands that I pay attention to what I am doing from moment to moment. I need
to live in truth by seeing things how they truly are and by being true to the
goals I have set.

So we set the goal to check in and watch ourselves every
day, to report to our accountability partner once a day, to weigh in once a
week, and set the realistic goal of getting to 200 by May 11^th, 2024.   That’s 38 weeks from today. I am hopeful I
can get there, with the expectation that 1 pound per week is a balanced and
realistic pace to set.  Of course, I will
try to crush that goal before then, I’m sure, but I at least have put something
concrete before me to stand on, be accountable to, and to walk towards.  This is a short, long-termed goal that will help
to keep me focused, to keep my eye on the prize.  

Being aware of what we are doing, setting goals, and
living in truth also applies to our faith life and thought life too of
course.  The science of discipleship is
to know the truth of God’s word, to realize it applies directly to us, and to
increasingly live by it to be a “real Christian” – a disciple of Jesus Christ.
To reap a harvest of the fruit of Spirit in our lives, we need to plant the
seed of the truth of God’s word in our hearts and minds and to set the conditions,
with how we think and act, to allow it to grow and change us from the inside
out. 

We have to know what we believe and know why we
believe it. We have to know who we are in Christ and live like it.   We have to know the truth, experientially, and
to decide to keep living by it, continuously and progressively, to allow it to
set us free.     

And thus we transition to our new series –
Statements of Truth – that comes right on the heels of our series on Self-Deception
because it springs from the same resource, Step # 2, Deception Vs. Truth, of
the Steps to Freedom in Christ by Dr. Neil Anderson          

Yesterday we presented the second part of Anderson’s
“concluding instructions” from Step 2, and because that Step deals with
Deception, the good doctor prescribes a healthy dose of truth for us, now that
we have examined, confessed, and renounced all of the ways we have been
deceived. 

Anderson introduces the Statements of Truth by
stating: 

“For two thousand years Christians have known the
importance of verbally and publicly declaring truth. Read aloud the following
statements of truth, and carefully consider what you are professing. You may
find it helpful to read them aloud every day for at least six weeks, which will
help you renew your mind to the truth.”

So for our new series, we will present each of the
11 Statements of Truth from Step 2 of the Steps to Freedom in Christ. We will
declare them verbally and publicly, because we, like the Christians who have
gone before us over the last two thousand years.  know the importance of doing so. 

We will share their associated Bible verses and
share our thoughts about what each Statement of Truth is telling us, why they
are important, and how they apply to our lives as Christians.  

So today’s Statement of Truth is:

1.    I recognize that there is only one true and living
God who exists as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is worthy of all honor,
praise, and glory as the one who made all things and holds all things together.

And the Bible verses listed with this statement
are: 

Exodus 20:2-3 (NKJV)
²  “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of
the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. ³
 You shall have no other gods before Me.

Colossians
1:16-17 (NKJV)
¹⁶  For by Him all things were
created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were
created through Him and for Him.
¹⁷  And He is before all
things, and in Him all things consist.

From
these verses we can see that there is One God, we are to have no other gods
(small g) before Him, and that He is the Creator of all things, and He is
preeminent over them and literally holds them together.  What is not clear is that Colossians 1 is
talking about Jesus!  That passage in
Colossians presents Jesus as the Creator and the Sustainer of all things,
making it clear that He is God. 

The
Trinity is a mystery of course but it is a doctrine that presents the truth of
ultimate reality. There is One God in three distinct persons – a paradox for
sure.  But remember a paradox is something
that is seemingly contradictory but is in fact true. I was going to write more
about the Trinity, but I have learned that the more one seeks to explain it the
more you run into the risk of falling into theological error.  However, I am providing a link to Open Bible Info’s “100 Bible Verses about
the Trinity” to show the verses where the trinitarian nature of God is clearly
supported by scripture (https://www.openbible.info/topics/the_trinity) 

So what does that mean for us? 

Well The Only God is God the Father, Jesus, and the
Holy Spirit – anything else is not God – so any other religion or philosophy that
is lifted up as something to be admired, worshiped or followed is a false god
that seeks to draw us away from the One True God. By presenting an alternative
to Christ, they are by definition Anti-Christ and should be avoided and
condemned as a clever scheme of the spiritual forces of darkness to lead us
astray. 

Also any pseudo-Christian faith system, that denies
the deity of Jesus or The Holy Spirit, is also Anti-Christ. Judaism, Islam,
Jehovah Witnesses, and Mormons and many others pay lip service to belief in the
God of the Bible, but all deny Jesus as God and the doctrine of the Trinity.  Walter Martin’s The Kingdom of Cults is
perhaps the best resource for exposing all other faith systems as false and I
highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in knowing the truth about
false religions and who have a heart to save those who have been deceived by
other religions.   

But beyond these concerns, this first statement of
truth advises us to honor and praise the Lord. 
What are we supposed to do with this truth?  We are to worship the Lord and give Him glory
for what He has done and by the way we live our lives.  

What do I do with this truth? Seek the One True God’s
will for your life, put your faith in Jesus, and Follow Him.

——————————————————————————————–

Today’s
Bible verse comes to us from “The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling” By
John G. Kruis.

(
While Bible verses on various topics of Counseling can be found with a quick
google search, we encourage you to purchase this resource to support the late
author’s work. (https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Scripture-Reference-Counseling-Kruis-ebook/dp/B00CIUJZT2?ref_=ast_author_dp )

This
morning’s meditation verse comes from the section on Affliction, Discipline,
Chastisement, & Trials.

Psalm
27:5-6 (ESV)
⁵  For he will hide me in his
shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.
⁶  And now my head shall be
lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.

Today’s
verse fall under the twenty-second point of our counseling reference guide
resource’s section on Affliction, Discipline, Chastisement, & Trials

 22. In the time of trouble you can
experience God’s protective care and, even through the tears, sing praises to
God.

Today’s verses speak of
the Lord’s protection and how the realization of it should move us to worship
Him and sing praises to His name.  

When we realize the gift of our salvation and the ever-present
hope that we experience with God’s continual presence and provision for our
lives, the natural response is to worship Him and to rejoice!

To think on my journey of faith, I am humbled and joyful because
of the victory I have experienced and because I remember that in those dark and
lonely days of walking toward my freedom, the Lord was with me, and He will always
be there for those who put their faith in Jesus and follow Him. 

God was there in my days of trouble. He lifted me out of the
muck and mire of my former life and lifted me above my enemies all around me
and so like the psalmist I will offer Him the sacrifice of my love and
obedience, as much as I can, and will praise Him with shouts of joy and I will
sing and make as much melody as I can muster to the Lord.   

God delivers us! So let’s worship and sing His praises always
and forever!

——————————————————————–

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  The Holy Spirit By A.W. Pink.

As always, I share this information for educational
purposes and encourage you all to purchase A.W. Pink’s books for your own
private study and to support his work.  This resource is available online
for $0.99 (https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Spirit-Arthur-Pink-Collection-ebook/dp/B008CM5292/ref=sr_1_3?crid=AHKAQOM39CTN&keywords=a.w.+pink+the+holy+spirit&qid=1684376225&sprefix=a.w.+pink+the+holy+spirit+%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-3) 

A.W. Pink’s The Holy Spirit

20 – The Spirit Cleansing

Our
Helper

Though grace be wrought in the hearts of the
regenerate, it is not in their power to act it: He who implanted it must renew,
excite, and marshal it. “If ye through
the Spirit do mortify” (Rom. 8:13). First, He it is who discovers the sin
that is to be mortified, opening it to the view of the soul, stripping it of
its deceits, exposing its deformity. Second, He it is who gradually weakens
sin’s power, acting as “the Spirit of burning” (Isa. 4:4), consuming the dross.
Third, He it is who reveals and applies the efficacy of the Cross of Christ, in
which there is contained a sin-mortifying virtue, whereby we are “made
conformable unto His death” (Phil. 3:10). Fourth, He it is who strengthens us
with might in the inner man, so that our graces—the opposites of the lusts of
the flesh—are invigorated and called into exercise.

The Holy Spirit is
the effective Helper. Men may employ the aids of inward rigor and outward
severity, and they may for a time stifle and suppress their evil habits; but
unless the Spirit of God work in us, nothing can amount to true mortification.
Yet note well it is not, “If the Spirit do mortify,” nor even, “If the Spirit
through you do mortify,” but, “If ye
through the Spirit do mortify!” The Christian is not passive, but active in
this work. We are bidden to “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh
and spirit” (2 Cor. 7:1). We are exhorted to “build up yourselves on your most
holy faith” and “keep ourselves in the love of God” (Jude 20, 21). Paul could
say, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection” (1 Cor. 9:27). It is
by yielding to the Spirit’s impulses, heeding His strivings, submitting
ourselves unto His government, that any measure of success is granted us in
this most important work.

The believer is not a
cipher in this work. The gracious operations of the Spirit were never designed
to be a substitute for the Christian’s discharge of his duty. True, His
influence is indispensable, though it relaxes us not from our individual
responsibility. “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21)
emphasizes our obligation, and plainly intimates that God requires from His
people something more than a passive waiting for Him to stir them into action.
O my reader, beware of cloaking a spirit of slothful indolence under an
apparent jealous regard for the honor of the Spirit. Is no self-effort required
to escape the snares of Satan by refusing to walk in those paths which God has
forbidden? Is no self-effort to be made in breaking away from the evil
influence of godless companions? Is no self-effort called for to dethrone an
unlawful habit? Mortification is a task to which every Christian must address
himself with prayerful and resolute earnestness. Nevertheless it is a task far
transcending our feeble powers.

It is only “through
the Spirit” that any of us can acceptably and effectually (in any degree)
“mortify the deeds of the body.” He it is who works in us a loathing of sin, a
mourning over it, a turning away from it. He it is who presses upon us the
claims of Christ, reminding us that inasmuch as He died for sin, we must spare no efforts to die to sin—“striving against sin” (Heb. 12:4), confessing it (1 John
1:9), forsaking it (Prov. 28:13). He it is who preserves us from giving way to
despair, and encourages us to renew the conflict, assuring us that ultimately
we shall be more than conquerors through Him that loved us. He it is who
deepens our aspirations after holiness, causing us to cry, “Create in me a
clean heart, O God” (Ps. 51:10), and moving us to “forget those things which
are behind, and reach forth unto those things which are before” (Phil. 3:13).^[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

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These teachings are also available on the
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Email me at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive the class materials, share your progress, and
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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)

For those who require the assistance of a Deeper
Walk International Prayer Minister to experience healing or your freedom in
Christ, I highly recommend Christy Edge’s Life on the Edge Freedom Prayer
Ministry. You can schedule a session by going to : https://cedge216.wixsite.com/life-on-the-edge     

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Encouragement
for the Path of Christian Discipleship