Seeking to Reach More For Christ – Beyond Being Rich & Happy – Purity 1909
Purity 1909 03/12/2026 Purity 1909 Audio Podcast
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Good morning,
Today’s photo of an oil landscape painting by Matt A. Daly (1859-1937) featuring an autumn riverbank trail comes to us from yours truly, as I captured this work of art while visiting the American Paintings Salon Room in George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum in Springfield, Massachusetts, back on December 9th, 2023.
Well, it’s Thursday and I share today’s painting of a water pathway through an autumn forest as, part of my Lenten journey to recognize beauty in the things of the past, and to visually encourage everyone to seek the beauty of the Lord on the pathway of Christian Discipleship, where we will inevitably find our way to new adventures as we seek the Lord’s will for our lives.
The times, they are a-changing. I have increasingly felt the call of the Lord to stop hiding my light under a basket and will be trying new things to increase the reach of my ministry of encouragement. I am toying with the idea of changing the way I present the podcast and cutting my daily encouragement into tinier bits and pieces to make messages shorter and more accessible to the public at large.
I have also accepted the help of an “organic” YouTube SEO, channel branding specialist, and I’m not really sure how he has done it, but he increased my subscribers from 817 to 1035 in less than a week. I want to reach more people with the gospel of Jesus Christ and the message of the transforming power of authentic Christian discipleship and living in our Freedom in Christ each and every day, so I am going to consider new possibilities and strategies to increase my reach both as a content creator and a Christian Life Coach. I’m not looking to get rich, although I wouldn’t mind. I’m looking to build treasures in heaven by encouraging people to put their faith in Jesus and to experience their freedom in Christ, as I have. I want to share with others the peace, joy, love, and contentment that Jesus has given to me.
Speaking of contentment, the Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah devotion for today talks about that topic, so I am sharing it on the blog today to encourage others to find their happiness in the Lord’s presence. Dr. David Jeremiah writes:
“RICH AND HAPPY?
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
Television celebrity Simon Cowell doesn’t like most rich people. In The U.S. Sun, he said, “I think a lot of those people thought they were better than other people because they had money, which is ridiculous when you think about it.” He recalls asking his fiancée, “Do we actually know anyone who’s rich … and happy?” She said, “No,” and he replied, “Nor me.”
Yes, we need enough to meet our needs, along with enough to give back to the Lord. But our real comfort and cheerfulness are based on the sheer presence of God with us through thick and thin, through rain and sunshine. Because He will never leave or forsake us, we can be content with what we have.
As the worship of wealth and materialism accelerates, the Bible can keep us from yielding to these pressures. Nothing is sadder than someone whose pockets are full but whose heart is empty. Ask the Lord to make you content with His loving provision and spend time thanking Him for all His daily provisions. “ – David Jeremiah
Even if materialism brought happiness in this life (which is certainly does not), it would leave us woefully unprepared for the next. – Randy Alcorn
Amen. Hebrews 13:5 can seem a little disjointed if we are focusing on physical needs or material desires. “Be without covetousness” can be heard as “don’t be greedy!” And “be content… with things you have” can be heard as “stop striving or stop trying”. Without a relationship with God, these encouragements can be misread as “rules” or chastisements – that say “you shouldn’t want anything” and you should stop complaining and be happy with what you got!”
But that’s not the spirit of what is being said here. Because the following verse tells us that God has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you”, we should understand that the remedy for covetousness and the ability to be content does not lie in cutting off our desires or learning to live with less.
Our covetousness can stop, and our contentment can only begin when we realize that the Lord is with us. The Lord’s presence is what satisfies our desire for love, acceptance, significance, and security. When we have all these things, through a close, intimate relationship with the Lord, we can not only be content, but we can have a never-ending, abiding sense of peace and joy.
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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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The MT4Christ meditation verses of the day come from The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling by John G. Kruis. We are in the section on the Providence of God. Today’s verses are:
Deuteronomy 31:7–8 (NASB) Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Today’s verses fall under the thirteenth point of our counseling reference guide resource section on the Providence of God.
13. God promises to go with those to whom he gives a difficult task.
Today’s Bible verses encourage every believer in Christ with its inherent promise that God is not only with us, but He will go before us and will not fail or forsake us as we go to conquer new ground in our lives.
The Lord continually calls us to be brave, and Joshua’s example reminds us that God doesn’t expect us to stay on the outside of what He has for us. God invites us to boldly go where we haven’t before, and while the results will vary depending on our expectations, we can rest assured that God will be with us as we seek to move forward and to accomplish our purpose in His kingdom.
So be bold and courageous and seek what the Lord has for you with confidence, strength, and joy.
(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 )
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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.
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Welcome to Pause for Power with M.T. Clark,
Today, we continue sharing from “Pause for Power” By Warren W. Wiersbe.
Day 43 – Motives for Obedience- Read 1 John 2:1–6
If anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. – 1 John 2:5
Obedience to God’s Word is proof of our love for Him. There are three motives for obedience. We can obey because we have to, because we need to, or because we want to.
Slaves obey because they have to. If they don’t obey, they will be punished. Employees obey because they need to. They may not enjoy their work, but they do enjoy getting their paychecks! They need to obey because they have a family to feed and clothe. But Christians are to obey their heavenly Father because they want to—for the relationship between them and God is one of love: “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15).
This is the way we learned obedience when we were children. First, we obeyed because we had to. If we didn’t obey, we were spanked! But as we grew up, we discovered that obedience meant enjoyment and reward, so we started obeying because it met certain needs in our lives. And it was a mark of real maturity when we started obeying because of love.
“Baby Christians” must constantly be warned or rewarded. Mature Christians listen to God’s Word and obey it simply because they love Him.
Something to Ponder – What are some of God’s commands you obey primarily out of obligation? Which do you obey because of the benefits you receive? Are there any you obey out of sheer love?[1]
(We encourage you to purchase this resource to support the late author’s work and legacy: Pause for Power – Warren W. Wiersbe on Logos or wherever Christian books are sold.)
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[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, Pause for Power: A 365-Day Journey through the Scriptures, 2nd Ed., Year in the Word Series (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2010).
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