In Christ, I Am Alive! Listen to God. – Purity 1434
Purity 1434 08/23/2024 Purity 1434 Audio Podcast
Purity 1434 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of a roaring fire, a rustic barn, and a prodigious pine tree with a spectacular sunset sky in the background comes to us from yours truly as was moved to capture the Lord’s blessings on my life while burning up branches in my backyard back on August 29, 2023.
Well, Let’s Thank God it’s Friday and rejoice together as we choose to face the last day of the workweek with enthusiasm and enter the gates of the weekend with praise! Part of my daily spiritual practice includes physical exercise and this morning I was delighted to be encouraged by Beartooth’s secular life-affirming alternative anthem: “I was Alive.” Video Link shared on the blog. https://youtu.be/USIO8dwWLtA?si=EOE-U6TDJcSkA6FU.
Its chorus boldly declares:
“When I die, I’ll know I didn’t just live
I was alive, I’ll know I didn’t just live
I was a person that you were proud of
Took chances, didn’t doubt ’em
No need to fear the end
‘Cause I’ll know I didn’t just live
I was alive, live” (https://lyrics.lyricfind.com/lyrics/beartooth-i-was-alive)
You have to keep your ears open to the “new music” out there because every once in a while you can find something that will touch your heart or speak of some basic about life and love – and if it’s true in a general sense about all of us – how much more true is it about us who are in Christ!
Through Christ alone, when I die, I’ll know I just didn’t just live – I was, am, and will be alive! With Him, forever. In Him, I’ll know I didn’t just live – I am alive!
Through Christ alone, I became, and am still becoming, the person He could be proud of.
Through Christ alone, I took chances and didn’t doubt them.
Through Christ alone, there is no need to fear the end – because there isn’t one. If I shall pass before He returns, when I die, I’ll know I didn’t just live I was alive! I am alive in Christ.
This is a reminder we need to remember and to rejoice in. We are alive in Christ and God is with us through the indwelling person of The Holy Spirit. And God is alive and talks to us through His Spirit and His word.
The only question is: will we live for Him, and will we listen to His voice to guide us?
The In Touch devotional from today speaks about listening to God and I am sharing it on the blog today because) it’s that straight truth we need to remember to live in. Dr. Charles Stanley (https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions) writes:
How to Listen to God
“Most of us are better at talking than listening, but communicating with God involves both. The Lord intends for His children to hear His voice.
Scripture is one of the main instruments our Father uses to speak to us. For this reason, studying the Bible is incredibly important. When we regularly spend time in God’s Word, we’ll develop a discerning spirit.
Regardless of how loudly God speaks, we won’t hear unless listening is a priority. We must ask the Lord to teach us to hear and then practice having a quiet attitude. An internal “receiver” tuned to the Father develops only through committed prayer, meditation, and practice at listening. In addition, we need a spirit of submission to obey His commands.
God’s goal for us is a lifestyle of sensitivity so we can hear Him in both noisy and calm situations. Listening is a critical skill for ensuring that our hearts are open to divine guidance in every circumstance. Regularly spending time reading and meditating on Scripture has many blessings, including that we more readily recognize our Father’s voice (John 10:27).- Charles Stanley
Amen.
Let’s remember to turn our attention to the Lord today and listen to what He is trying to tell us.
His word and the Holy Spirit will guide us. So seek His voice, and His ways, and listen to His advice and instructions. If you follow Him, you’ll know that you aren’t just living, you are alive in Christ.
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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 the Forgiveness of Sins (God’s Forgiveness). Our resource references Luke 15: 11-32, The Parable of the Prodigal Son, but for brevity’s sake, we share:
Luke 15:20-24 (NKJV)
20 And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.
23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;
24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
Today’s verses fall under the thirteenth point of our counseling reference guide resource’s section on the Forgiveness of Sins (God’s Forgiveness).
13. Sinners are forgiven when they repent and believe in Jesus.
Today’s verses are the “moment of truth” in the prodigal’s story. At this point in the story, he has lost it all and has hit rock bottom. He saw the error of his ways and sought to humble himself and to be made a servant in his Father’s house, not daring to hope for anything better. But the Father welcomes His son back with open arms and fully restores Him – with all benefits and privileges – and with celebratory joy. This is how our Heavenly Father responds when we repent and place our faith in Jesus – we are made spiritually alive and adopted as God’s children. We become alive in Christ and not only get a hope and a future, but we also receive a family and kingdom to live in forever. This life in Christ is very good – let’s experience the joy of our salvation continually by living with and for God every day.
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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 TIMOTHY 3
“A good work.” – 1 Timothy 3:1
Paul calls the office of a bishop (or overseer) “a good work.” The qualifications for this office are interesting and important to note.
Positive
• Without reproach • The husband of one wife
• Temperate • Sober-minded
• Orderly • Given to hospitality
• Able to teach • Ruling his house well
• Having a good testimony from those without
• Gentle
Negative
• Not given to wine • Not violent
• Not quarrelsome • Not a lover of money
• Not a novice
There are then ten positive qualifications and five negative. Truly, a high standard, yet it is God’s standard. The secret of a well-behaved church lies in the moral qualities as well as spiritual qualities of the oversight. God calls this work “a good work.”
No matter my role in the church, Lord, let me always
demonstrate these godly characteristics.[1]
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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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