A Christian Life Should Never Be Boring – Purity 1318

 A Christian Life Should Never Be Boring – Purity 1318

Purity 1318 04/5/2024 Purity 1318 Podcast

Purity 1318 on YouTube: Coming Soon!

Good morning,

Today’s photo of an outcropping of rock, green treetops,
and blue skies comes to us from an unknown FB friend who shared this scene on social
media on or around June 5^th, 2021. If this emerging photo is yours,
give me a heads up and I will update the blog to photo credit you after the
fact. 

Well, It’s Friday – thank God – and there is nothing
quite like hiking up a mountain or hilly trail and reaching the place where you
can finally see that you have made it to the top – you have arrived and that’s
how I feel this morning as I completed the last scheduled freedom appointment for
the Online Freedom in Christ course that had its last meeting last week.  I was blessed to lead eight men through the Steps
to Freedom in Christ in individual appointment this season and I am humbled by the
opportunity to serve the body of Christ in this ministry of reconciliation.
There is nothing quite like coming alongside others as they seek to be set free
of the burdens of the past and to experience their freedom in Christ and as
demanding as my schedule can be during “Freedom Season”, I can’t think of a
better use of my time. But with that said, part of the joy I have this morning
also comes from being able to say “It is finished” as I can take a moment to
relish a job well done and go into my vacation this week to rest and to spend
some quiet time with the Lord.  

However, I should be clear that I’m not “done”. This
path of Christian Discipleship doesn’t end and my ministry will continue – as the
Celebrate Freedom Support Group at Starpoint Church is continuous – meeting on
Wednesday nights, I am attending Peter Markavage’s – Way of Escape – Freedom in
Christ Course on Tuesday evenings through June (https://www.mt4christ.org/2024/03/way-of-escape-freedom-in-christ-course.html),
I am attending an online Advanced Encourager’s Practicum tonight and tomorrow,
and I have agreed to attend and support Scott Salvadore’s new men’s ministry at
Starpoint Church that will be starting in May on Monday nights!  And somewhere in the next few weeks or months,
I have plans on finishing my training with Deeper Walk’s School of Prayer Ministry.  My cup is full and running over with
opportunities to serve and to be further equipped to serve God’s kingdom and I
will be on the lookout for whatever other opportunities that the Holy Spirit
guides me into. 

A Christian life should never be boring as we are
called to live in God’s presence and to do the good works that He has prepared
for us to walk into.  What good
works?  That’s for us to find out and to
walk into when we walk in the Spirit.  So
as happy as I am to have a measure of rest this weekend, and next week “on
vacation”, let me encourage you to “DO SOMETHING” that will bring you closer to
God as you seek to grow into the person He created you to be and to fulfill His
purpose for your life.   A life of
walking in the Spirit is a thrilling adventure but you have to be intentional
about picking up your cross and following Jesus – where the work is just as
likely to be about changing you as it is to be about helping others as we serve
the Lord.   We call that a win-win-win
situation because we are victorious in Christ. So celebrate the weekend after
work today, but also celebrate the relationship you have with the living God,
through your faith in Jesus Christ, and rejoice in the freedom and purpose that
God freely gives to those who seek Him.  

——————————————————————————————–

Today’s
Bible verse come 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 Death and Eternal Life

Psalm 23:4 (NKJV)
⁴  Yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with
me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Today’s
verse falls under the first point of our counseling reference guide resource’s
section on Death
and Eternal Life.  

1. You can face death without fear.

Today’s
verse is the call to courage and faith that has been spoken and prayed by many Christians
who have faced challenges, trials, and tribulations, and who have suffered
loss.  Though we walk through times of
darkness and death, we are given courage and peace when we remember that the
Lord is there to comfort, guide, protect, and correct us as we seek His way
through the pain and fear.  When we draw
close to God, He draws close to us for He is near to the brokenhearted and
gives strength to the weary.  So keep on
walking and talking with God, brothers and sisters, for He is with us, and He
will see us through, even through the valley of the shadow of death.

———————————————————–

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 “According to Your
Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament” By Stephen F. Olford – A
Collection of Devotional Journals: 1940-1941.

As always, I share this information for educational
purposes and encourage you all to purchase Olford’s books for your own
private study and to support his work.  This resource is available online
for less than $10 at many sites.

EVENING READING: JOHN 10

“John performed no sign, but all the
things that John
spoke about this Man were true.” – John 10:41

What a testimony to covet! In the light of this one verse,
it is clear that John the Baptist was not known:

By the Miracles. That which can be seen with the natural
eye or superhuman outward manifestations.

By the Supremacy of Self. For he spoke of another, but he
was known by his testimony concerning the Lord Jesus.

Notice, “All the things that John spoke about this Man
were true.” He “shunned not to declare … the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27,
emphasis mine). He was a true and faithful witness.

May I be known only by what I have to
say
concerning You, O Lord. Amen.^[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 YouTube 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