Facing Big Challenges and Asking, “How Can I?” – Purity 1843
Purity 1843 12/18/2025 Purity 1843 Audio Podcast
Purity 1843 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of the sun shining through the trees, over a dead end snowplowed pathway comes to us from yours truly as I paused to capture this serene scene of not quite winter beauty yesterday on Phudd Hill in Hillsdale NY.
Well it’s Thursday and I share today’s snow plowed dead end pathway photo as a visual reminder to get on and to stay on the path of Christian Discipleship even if it leads you to realize that the some of the paths you have been traveling on aren’t going anywhere or have come to their end.
Last night I hosted the third annual Celebrate Freedom Christmas Gift Exchange at the final meeting of the Celebrate Freedom Support Group for 2025 and even though I know that not everyone who registered or who walked through our doors in 2025 walked away with their freedom, I know that there is hope for those who decided to trust in the Lord and ask for His help in 2026.
By end of our spirited gift exchange, everyone received a present and even though it may not have been what they hoped for, the real gift of the evening was the community that we have formed. We had all walked together in faith for some if not all of 2025 and the testimonies of the victories and changed lives that people brought last night tells me that God is working through Celebrate Freedom to set the captives free. The people at out meeting last night have learned or are learning how to live a new life, to do the impossible.
Speaking of learning how to live a new life, the Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah devotion for today talks about men who faced impossible challenges and I am sharing it on the blog to encourage us to ask the Lord the question that these men asked: How Can I? Dr. David Jeremiah writes:
“HOW CAN I…?
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” – Exodus 3:11
When we are given a difficult task, there is a fine line between “Glad to do it!” and “Do I really have to?” But one thing can make the difference: if the person giving the instruction says he will go with us.
It is human nature for us to resist a difficult task, especially one we have never done before. That was true in several instances in Scripture when God commissioned someone with a task. For example, when God directed Moses to go to Egypt to free the Hebrew slaves from bondage, Moses resisted the task. But God said to him, “I will certainly be with you” (Exodus 3:12). The same thing happened when God chose Gideon to defend Israel from the Midianites: “O my Lord, how can I save Israel?” And God’s answer to Gideon was the same as His answer to Moses: “Surely I will be with you” (Judges 6:14-16).
God asks us to do challenging things for Him every day: loving, forgiving, serving, encouraging, and more. Be assured that God is with you to make all things possible.” –David Jeremiah
[God’s] presence never diminishes. Our awareness of His presence may falter, but the reality of His presence never changes. – Max Lucado
Amen. So glad to be sharing the David Jeremiah devotional again. Twice in the last week, a glitch prevented me from sharing his messages – so each time I reported to that national ministry to let them know that people seeking their encouragement would be blocked from receiving it. To their credit – they fixed the problem within hours -but I had to go with Charles Stanley….
Anyway, I am so glad to share this message because it is HUGE – in terms of our relationship with the Lord.
Those new to faith or repentance often struggle with feelings of isolation and the incredible burden of having to life in a whole new way. Changing is not easy but today’s message tells us how we can do the “impossible”.
God’s real presence in our lives answers the question “How can I do this?”
The challenge living as a Christian, for real, is met through our connection – our relationship with God.
In my walk, I’ve had to ask;
- How can I walk away for a lifelong addiction to alcohol in drugs?
- How can I find a home and make a new life for my children and I after a nasty divorce?
- How can I lead this ministry when I am still a work in progress?
- How can I become sexually pure after a lifetime of being consumed by lust?
- How can I deal with the pain of rejection, loss, and failure?
- How can I see life as good when so many things are not good?
- How can I make my way?
- How can I do this?
Every one of those questions, was answered by the Lord “saying”: “WITH ME!, You can do this WITH ME.”
How can we overcome?
With the real presence of the Lord in our lives, that’s how.
This is not just philosophizing, this is not just positive thinking.
When we put our faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live with in us, making us spiritually alive.
Our follow Jesus opens the door to God’s real presence in our lives. We become God’s children and like any good Father, God helps His children.
So if you’re facing a difficult season and don’t know how you will carry on, let me assure you that the Lord is with you and He will go, and stay, with you through whatever valley you have to walk through.
The Lord goes with you wherever you are so keep on walking and talking with Him so you know that you are never alone.
——————————————————————
For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple encouragements provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/.
——————————————————————
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. (The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling By John G. Kruis on Amazon )
This morning’s meditation verse comes from the section on Prayer – Waiting On the Lord.
James 5:16 (NIV) Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Today’s verse falls under the eleventh point of our counseling reference guide resource section on Prayer.
11. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful.
Today’s Bible verse commands us to confess our sins to one another and to pray for one another, with the expectation of healing.
Confession is good for the soul but if we don’t have any assurance of our forgiveness and salvation in Christ, inventorying our wrongs to someone else only provides temporary relief.
But when we receive the healing of our salvation with Christ, the relief we receive through repentant prayer can lead to long lasting freedom and victory.
So confess your sins and prayer for one another because the Holy Spirit uses our willingness to seek God’s help to give us the healing that Holy Spirit repentance can bring.
———————————————————–
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 342
… after my departure fierce wolves will enter in among you … – Acts 20:29
Paul would see these elders of the church at Ephesus no more. His parting words contained not only a recital of past events, but also a warning for the future. As in almost every active congregation, there would be false “brothers” who would enter the flock and attempt to draw away members to gather a following for themselves. I have had it happen in one of my congregations, but by God’s grace we were able to confront it immediately, and only a few departed. That isn’t always the case. Remember Titus 3:10, which speaks of quickly confronting a schismatic person, so as not to allow him to disseminate his views widely. These warnings must not only be known but also followed. It is better to deal with a schismatic person before he has divided your congregation than after he has done so.[1]
The MT4Christ247 audio podcast is available on YouTube, Apple, Amazon, Spotify, iHeartradio, Podbean, Audible, and many more podcast platforms!
Subscribe to The MT4Christ247 Channel on YouTube!
Email me at m.t.clark@mt4christ.com with any questions, or comments, or to inquire about our Christian Life Coaching or Prayer Ministry Services.
“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
Support MT 4 Christ Community Freedom Ministry!
To Give via Pay Pal Go to the MT4Christ Donations Page
Or Give Via Venmo or the Cash App by scanning the QR Code below:
[1] Jay E. Adams, Day by Day along the Way (Cordova, TN: Institute for Nouthetic Studies, 2020), 350.
Leave a Reply