Happy New Year! – Reflecting and Looking Forward – Purity 1544
Purity 1544 01/01/2025 Purity 1544 Audio Podcast
Purity 1544 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of the sun shining over Franklin Falls Pond and some Adirondak Mountains in the distance comes to yours truly as I captured this scene yesterday when I decided to pause for a moment to enjoy the magnificent view outside of my two-day accommodations in Bloomingdale.
Happy New Year! Well, It’s the first of the year and as I was up late last evening to celebrate the arrival of 2025 with my wife TammyLyn, I will keep this message short and utilize most of the message I sent out to my friends and supporters in an email yesterday.
As we are now in 2025, I invite you to take some time today to reflect on the past year and to anticipate the year that is now under way.
While it is important to grieve what was lost and to remember the challenges of the past year to appreciate all that we have been through and to have a balanced view of the year that we are leaving behind, it is also important to celebrate the good things we experienced and to acknowledge the things we have accomplished.
Spiritually, personally, and professionally, 2024 was an amazing year of milestones and accomplishments.
Last year I am happy to report that:
- I continued to lead the Celebrate Freedom Support Group at Starpoint Church.
- I led Online Freedom in Christ Men’s Discipleship Courses for Freedom in Christ Ministries in the Spring and Fall.
- I continued to produce a semi-weekly Bible Study with Arthur and Suzanna Cincotti and my semi daily “Purity” series of Christian encouragements via my blog, The MT4Christ247 podcast, and the MT4Christ247 You Tube Channel.
- I was certified as a Certified Deeper Walk Prayer Minister by Deeper Walk International’s School of Ministry.
- I completed Starpoint Church’s “Wild At Heart” Men’s Course and attended the 2024 Pennsylvania Band of Brothers’ “Wild at Heart” Themed Bootcamp Weekend.
- I graduated from Light University with certificates in Mental Health Coaching and Professional Christian Life Coaching.
- I launched mt4christ.com and began my Christian Life Coaching Practice – MT 4 Christ Christian Life Coaching LLC. , and was blessed to see my clients thrive, make progress toward, and achieve their personal or spiritual goals.
- I completed my studies at Bob Larson University, successfully graduating from Larson’s.
- International School of Exorcism
- Advanced Academy of Deliverance
- College of Apologetics and Demonology
- Institute of Supernatural Studies
- I led MT 4 Christ Christian Life Coaching LLC’s first Online Men’s Discipleship Group Coaching – “Grace for the Holidays” in November/December to end the years’ ministry activities!
While I also suffered some significant injuries, illnesses, and losses, personally and through my community of friends and family in 2024, I choose to thank God for all that the past year taught me about life and faith and look forward to what the He will guide me to experience and learn this year.
The new year will be similar to last year in many ways. I am already scheduled to lead the Celebrate Freedom Support Group at Starpoint Church and will begin facilitating another Men’s Freedom for Christ Course for FICM in just a few days and have decided to record 25 weeks of “Celebrate Freedom Online” – something I always had a heart to do. So the year has just begun and many of my days are full of opportunities to serve and learn from the Lord and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
It is my prayer that this message finds all who read or hear it well and that all of my friends and supporters know how much I deeply appreciate you. I pray for the Lord to bless you and your families in 2025.
God bless you all and Happy New Year!
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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 Humility (Pride).
Matthew 18:1–4 (ESV) At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Today’s verses fall under the third point of our counseling reference guide resource’s section on Humility (Pride).
3. Jesus rebuked the disciples (office bearers) for their proud attitude and called them to humility.
Today’s Bible verse reminds us to not think too highly of ourselves when we decide to serve the Lord. The Apostles were pretty excited about their being used by God to do some pretty amazing things and to be one of the Messiah’s inner circle but when they started to boast and argue about which one of them was the greatest of Jesus’ disciples, their master used a child to illustrate that their power came through their dependence on God.
Likewise, we haven’t received, done, or produced anything that the Lord hasn’t provided so as much as we can be super proud of the fact that we are walking with the Lord, we should remember to walk humbly before our God and thank Him for His mercy, grace, and provision.
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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 “Day by Day Along the Way” By Jay E. Adams.
As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage you all to purchase Adams’ books for your own private study and to support the late author’s work. This resource is available online for less than $20 at many sites.
Day 43
I say this because I was delighted when the brothers came and testified about your truth, that you are walking in the truth. – 3 John 3
In this next letter concerning hospitality to teachers, Gaius is commended for housing and supplying true teachers. Indeed, he had even been thrown out of the church by a self-seeking pastor, named Diotrephes, for doing so! John commends Gaius and urges him to continue to support itinerant missionaries who needed lodging as they went about preaching the Gospel. Doing so made him a “fellow-worker for the truth” (v. 8). Doing good works, then, is not merely doing good, but doing good that furthers the faith. Do you understand the difference? Are you a “do-gooder” without regard for the truth? Liberals of all sorts are guilty of such activity. “Walking the walk” is always a matter of walking the true walk. To distinguish truth from error is essential. Are you capable of doing so? If not, it’s time to learn discernment from the Bible.[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] Jay E. Adams, Day by Day along the Way (Cordova, TN: Institute for Nouthetic Studies, 2020), 51.
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