Look Up – What to Do When Emotions Run Cold or Sin Comes In – Purity 1386
Purity 1386 06/27/2024 Purity 1386 Podcast
Purity 1386 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of a gravel walking trail bordered by rail fencing that stretches into the distance out of sight comes to us from yours truly as I capture this scene back on August 22, 2020 of my visit to Stuyvesant Falls Park and decided to explore the nearby Empire State Trail – aka the Albany Hudson Electric Trail – taking it to its first intersection -Sunny Side Rd before turning around and going back. The Empire State Trail will take you to Canada if you keep going north, but I didn’t have the time or energy to do that.
Well, It’s Thursday and while I will be able to conserve my energy a bit today because I have the day off from my day job, I will still busy myself by running some errands and attending to some office work for my Christian Life Coaching business. When your heart is surrendered to serve God’s kingdom in whatever way you can but still have a secular job to meet your financial needs it can feel like you never get a moment’s rest because if you are seeking to be edified and to serve God in some way, He will give you opportunities to do so. Although some may long for simpler times, the truth is that our modern technology gives us unprecedented access to Christian resources, and it gives us the capacity to fellowship and minister with people we otherwise never would have met or reached. The MT4Christ247 YouTube channel for instance now is up to 466 subscribers and typically has over 50 views a day. While I don’t care to examine the number too closely to determine the quality of those engagements with our content, I am encouraged all the same, because it’s more than 0 and as long as there is the potential that our messages are encouraging someone somewhere to follow the Lord and to seek there freedom and purpose in Christ, we will keep producing content.
Besides, the blog and podcast are more or less my journal. It’s a part of my daily spiritual practice, so unless the Lord moves me to stop, I will keep sharing encouraging words, my testimony, and advice on how to walk in the Spirit the best I can.
For today’s offering, I am going to share some great content from the “Get Used to Different Student Guide from the Team at the Chosen, which addresses the fact that sometimes our enthusiasm for our new life of faith will waver and we will stumble in our walk. Today’s edited message surrounds The Chosen Season 2 story line of Mary Magdalene and how she momentarily stepped off the path and fell back into the darkness of her former ways until Jesus restored her. The Chosen team writes:
“When you make the choice to follow Jesus, it is often accompanied by emotion – and lots of it. It feels good to know our sins are forgiven. There’s relief that comes from belonging to God and from knowing we’re no longer alone. Most of us are excited to begin our apprenticeship, ready and willing to do whatever it takes to be more like Jesus.
Inevitably, though, excitement fades. Sooner or later, life throws curveballs, and we wonder where our good feelings went. We may even question what we believed at the start of our walk with Jesus. If we’re not careful, He becomes more like a guy in our rearview mirror, instead of the One who never leaves us or forsakes us (Deuteronomy 31:8).
Truth is, any number of things can throw us off the path, but they all tend to fall into one of two categories. Incidentally, both reveal – once again – the importance of living as Jesus’ apprentice.
- Painful events. When bad things happen that are outside of our control, our tendency is to focus on rising waters. And those high waters (e.g. Stress, worry, fear, confusion, hurt) can cause us to doubt God and even pull away from Him.
- Self-focus. We often choose to get back on that hamster wheel; we return to our old way of life and all the self-centeredness that comes with it. Of course, as we have been discussing, self-focus and things we do to self-medicate are really just the “sin which clings so closely.” And none of it satisfies our soul.”
The authors then relate how Mary Magdalene fell into sin in season two of the Chosen and shares the dialog of her restoration, writing:
“When she finally did return to Jesus, she said, “I just can’t live up to it.”
“Well, that’s true,” He replied. “But you don’t have to. I just want your heart; the Father just wants your heart. Give us that, which you already have, and the rest will come in time. Did you really think you would never struggle or send again?”
“I’m just so sorry.”
“Look up.”
“I can’t.”
“You can. Look at me. I forgive you. It’s over.”
The same can be true for you. Jesus just wants your heart.
That’s it. He invites you to be his apprentice, not to enforce a strict regimen of rules and regulations, but to live in the freedom that comes from following him.
It’s not about being perfect none of us can be. It’s about following. And sometimes as we follow, we’re going to trip. Or even fall flat on our faces. But be encouraged, because “if we confess our sins, (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
When you experience doubt or fear, when you struggle with self-focus or even fall into sinful behavior, when you question where God is in the midst of hard things, there’s only one thing to do.
Look up.
“(Let us look) to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself so that you may not grow weary or faint-hearted. Hebrews 12:2-3”
And then the Chosen teams prompt us to:
Pray.
Jesus, sometimes it’s hard to follow You. Some days can be really discouraging, especially when I choose to sin. I know some of my habits are destructive – please help me follow you into the life of freedom you want for me. And when I feel ashamed and broken and unworthy of your love, please remind me to look up.”
(Get Used to Different Student Guide, The Chosen Team: Covington, Bennett, Hershberger, Claypool, Mallerna, Campbell, & Murdock, 2024).
Amen!
Is it any wonder that I love the show the Chosen and material they produce. The producers of The Chosen really highlight the person of Jesus and the fact that we are called to follow Him with everything we do. Jesus is the most important thing about us. He gives us life, meaning, purpose, and hope. And He is so gracious to call us to Him even though He knows very well that we will be imperfect in our attempts to be more like Him. But He doesn’t focus on our performance, He just wants our hearts and when we give them to Him, we realize that our relationship with God is love relationship and that its grounded in His love for us, not our performance. When we know that we can always come back home to Jesus, no matter where we may be led astray to, and that there is real peace and joy in His presence, we will learn not to wander away from our Good Shepherd.
So whether you are walking good or stumbling or crawling along, remember that God loves you and that it is through our love for Him that we find the freedom and new life of peace, joy, and purpose that He has for us.
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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 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 verses come from the section on Example (Good or Bad).
1 Corinthians 4:15-16 (NIV2011)
15 … in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.
16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me.
Today’s verse is the first of three passages of scripture that fall under the third point of our counseling reference guide resource’s section on Example (Good or Bad).
3. The apostle Paul set a godly example to teach others how a Christian ought to live.
Today’s verse encourages us to follow the example of faithful men and women of God. Discipleship is all about learning how to live as a Christian and frankly, we need guides to show us how to apply the truth of who we are in Christ and the wisdom of the Bible to our lives. We learn how to follow Jesus by those who have been walking with them for some time. Seasoned saints’ experience is valuable, and we should emulate those who show the fruit of the spirit in their lives. Follow the example of Christians who demonstrate their love for God and their skill in applying their faith to their lives.
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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.
MORNING READING: 1 CORINTHIANS 12
“Now concerning spiritual gifts …” – 1 Corinthians 12:1
“There are diversities of gifts” (v. 4). The apostle Paul enumerates seven of these gifts in verses 28 and 29. But there are many gifts. The believer’s responsibility, however, is to desire earnestly the greater gifts. The Holy Spirit is the direct source.
“There are differences of ministries” (v. 5). But just as the Holy Spirit is the direct source of these gifts, even so the Lord’s service is the only sphere in which those gifts can be exercised as ministries.
“There are diversities of activities” (v. 6). In the first thought, the Spirit’s work is preeminent. In the second thought, it is the Son. Here, it is the Father. He is the great Worker “who works all in all” (v. 6). He binds together the work of the Spirit, Son, and Himself into one purpose – the edifying of the Church.
Manifest Your purpose in my life, O Lord.[1]
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“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
[1] 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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