Ask the Question, Open the Door – Purity 1356 – I Can Do All Things #1
Purity 1356 05/22/2024 Purity 1356 Podcast
Purity 1356 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of the rising sun over what appears to be violent crashing waves on a rocky seashore comes to us from Fred Dimmick who captured what is actually a sea of clouds over the peaks of mountains as he rose early and got high on top of Brasstown Bald just south of Hiawassee to say good morning and share his view with his friends on social media on Monday.
Well, it is Wednesday and Fred’s photo gives us a small idea of the wonders that are available for us to experience when we are intentional about being bold about overcoming obstacles and rising to new heights in our lives. Just the other day, I shared a sunrise scene that I experienced on Saturday at High Point Camp in Hillsboro PA and even though there was nearly 200 men at the Band of Brothers Bootcamp, I was the only one there who rose early enough and was in the right place at the right time to see it. It seems that the world holds beauty for man to see in the early morning hours but just like the wonders of God’s love and presence, we must be willing to seek them to find them.
I am particularly inspired this Hump Day morning because even though I am still sore from the stress of yesterday’s upper body work out, because I am carrying the extra weight that unbridled mindless feasting can pack on in a few days’ time, I am on Day-3 of being back on track with my food plan, and I know, from experience, that if I just continue to stay the course, the negative consequences of abandoning my sanity and health goals over the weekend can and will be overcome. Knowing and doing, of course, can be two different things but because of the pain I am experiencing to my body and mind, I am hopeful that this latest intentional relapse will result in genuine heartfelt repentance that fuels the fire for change and cements my resolve not to step off the path anytime soon, if not, ever again.
Walking in the Spirit is an exercise of the will and an experiential experimental process where we not only test “the spirits” by examining the content of our thought life to make sure we are not being influenced by the spiritual forces of darkness but where we also test “our spirit” or soul as we give ourselves the freedom to choose what we wish and learn from our mistakes when we choose poorly. The Freedom to fail is what grace is all about but it’s a freedom that we should be careful in exercising as it can give ground to the world, the flesh, and the devil to lead us back into the darkness of denial or the insanity of living independently from God’s will and best plan for our lives.
One of the biggest obstacles we have to overcome when we try to change our lives and live according to God’s wisdom is simply in “knowing” it’s possible to do so. This morning I read the last chapter of Neil Anderson’s Who I am in Christ: A Devotional and I found it to be so jammed pack of wisdom and inspiration that I am going to share all of its contents over the next few days as part of a new series – I Can Do All Things – to encourage myself and those who read or listen to this message that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, and to take a close look at how that is possible. So our first portion from chapter 36 of Neil Anderson’s book tells us:
“I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me
“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
PHILIPPIANS 4:11–13
If God wants it done, can it be done? Does the Bible say, “With God most things are possible?” No, it says, “Everything is possible for him who believes” (Mark 9:23). If God tells us to do something, can we do it? I can’t imagine God issuing a command that cannot be carried out. That would be like God saying, “Son, this is what I want you to do. You won’t really be able to do it but give it your best shot anyway!” That’s ludicrous! Even secular research and theory has ascertained that authority will be undermined if an order is given that cannot be obeyed.[1]
Here Anderson presents the word of God and asks the simple questions:
If God wants it done, can it be done?
If God tells us to do something, can we do it?
Anderson rightly indicates that it would be ludicrous to think that God would command us to do something that we were incapable of doing. And thus we begin to ponder how we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Do you believe this? Do you really? I’ll tell you that I know that the word of God is true because I have experienced God’s power working through me and operating through my faith in His word. But I can’t believe for you, but you can believe for you and if you do you can see the impossible done in your life through your faith in God.
But it starts with a question – DO I believe this? Will God help me to do the impossible in my life? When we ask the question it opens the door to possibilities we never imagined before and when we say Yes to God and His word amazing things can happen. So step out in faith and seek God to help you to believe and to achieve what you never dreamed would be possible because all things – yes all things – are possible to those who believe.
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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple encouragements provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .
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Today’s Bible verses 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 verses come from the section on Decision Making.
Joshua 24:19-27 (NIV2011)
19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.
20 If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”
21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the LORD.”
22 Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.” “Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied.
23 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.”
24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and obey him.”
25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws.
26 And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the LORD.
27 “See!” he said to all the people. “This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the LORD has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.”
Today’s verses fall under the second point of our counseling reference guide resource’s section on Decision Making.
2. God’s people make a covenantal commitment.
Today’s verses show us the initial commitment that the nation of Israel makes when challenged by Joshua to serve the Lord and to obey Him. God’s people had an impossible challenge before them to go and to take the promised land from wicked pagan nations but when they obeyed and believed the Lord, they were able to make their dreams come true. They rose out of the wilderness and with the Lord’s help were able to win the battles before them and to establish a nation. As long as they believed and obeyed God they would prosper, and as soon as they compromised their faith and commitment to Him they would fall away, suffer, and reap the consequences for their disobedience. So let’s learn from their faith and their failures, by making a commitment to believe and serve the Lord and to not turn away from His wisdom and ways and the safety of living in His presence.
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As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.com 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: ACTS 27
“I believe God.” – Acts 27:25
This amazing statement of Paul’s was no mere platitude. Neither was it said when circumstances around were particularly congenial. On the contrary, Paul gave utterance to these words when everything spoke of utter hopelessness, desperation, and despondency. Having not eaten for a fortnight, Paul was now faced, humanly speaking, with death – through sheer weakness, death by the sword, or death by drowning. But He who never fails nor forsakes had stood by Paul in this dark hour, strengthening and inspiring him with hope so that Paul could say in the light of utter hopelessness, “I believe God.”
O Lord, I know that I belong to You. Moreover, I find my
greatest delight in serving You. Therefore, Lord, I believe
You. The waves of conflict are rolling over me. It seems
almost as if there is no hope. And yet this morning You
told me that You had sent me to turn men from the power
of Satan unto God. As You did for Paul of old, You can do
today, even now in my peculiar predicament. Therefore,
I believe You. O Lord, help my unbelief. Amen.[2]
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Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship
[1] Neil T. Anderson, Who I Am in Christ (Ventura, CA: Regal, 2001), 269.
[2] Stephen Olford and Heather Olford, According to Your Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament, A Collection of Devotional Journals 1940-1941 (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2008).
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