Also Starring Satan as Himself – The Killing of a Sacred Deer - Purity 1467

Welcome to the MT4Christ 24/7 podcast. I'm M.t. Clark, and this is today's photo. To see today's photo, go to mt4christ.com or follow me, M.t. Clark, on Facebook or Twitter, or watch us on YouTube. Um, good— well, good morning. Today's photo of the two asphalt lanes of State Highway 378 shrouded by dense fog in the distance as the morning sun rises on the right through the tops of the border of stirring trees comes to us from yours truly as I captured this scene back on October 21st— October 1st of 2021. Well, it's Thursday, and I share today's highway pathway photo as a visual reminder to get on or to stay on the pathway of Christian discipleship, which could put you on the road to recovery and becoming a shining example of a life transformed by the power of Christ in you. Last night I was blessed to lead the Celebrate Freedom support group meeting at Starpoint Church, where a small group of Christians confessed of how the Lord helped them to get set free, uh, from other— from some of their hurts, habits, and hang-ups, and how they were committed to following Jesus to maintain that freedom and to allow him to make other changes in their lives to make them into the people that God created them to be. Our meetings keep it real by allowing our participants to share the good, the bad, and the ugly of their experiences as they seek to live a clean, sober, and Christ-filled righteous life. As much as we all have grown and moved away from the darkness of our past, we all admit that there is more work to be done because life goes on, and even when we are free, The enemy doesn't let up in trying to kill, steal, and destroy the peace we have. So he tries all the old tricks in the book to tempt, deceive, accuse, and condemn us. And sometimes those attacks work and cause us to stumble. And at other times, the Lord reveals to us that we have been suffering from the devil's deceptions and didn't even know it. So to combat the enemy and to grow more into our new life in Christ, I try to encourage everyone at our meeting to closely examine their lives, to think about what they're thinking about, and to try to see the truth, to compare what they are thinking and doing, and to see how that aligns with God's word and their desires for a better life. When we see how our actions and internal beliefs are sabotaging our efforts at sanctification and growth, we can wake up and make changes. We have to know what lies we are believing or how we are deceiving ourselves to be able to be free of them. The Steps to Freedom in Christ reveals that one way we deceive— one way we are deceived is by believing that I can read, see, or listen to anything and not be corrupted. The devil rules the world until Christ comes back, and unfortunately his influence permeates the world system and most of what passes for entertainment. I had the day off from my secular day job yesterday, and I was tempted by an email I received from the online streaming service Max, formerly HBO Max, to check out their No Sleep October collection. Uh, it is the month of Halloween, and so they are offering their subscribers an easy way to find horror movies to get into the macabre spirit of the season. All month long. Uh, my past was partially defined by my interest in the macabre, as I sought to be, uh, not to be afraid of scary movies since my earliest childhood, and paradoxically became a fan of the horror genre. I was a big fan of horror novels, uh, TV shows, and movies. And even though I have now switched sides and have become a spiritual warfare fighter for good, I still can be tempted to check out the occasional horror movie under the guise of research and staying relevant. So yesterday, after I finished my Christian podcast, I decided to see what the enemy was up to and tuned into A24's 2017 The Killing of a Sacred Deer, which Google describes as being about Dr. Stephen Murphy, is a renowned cardiovascular surgeon who presides over a spotless household with his wife and two children. Lurking at the margins of his idyllic suburban existence is Martin, a fatherless teen who insinuates himself into the doctor's life in gradually unsettling ways. Soon the full scope of Martin's intent becomes menacingly clear when he confronts Stephen with a long-forgotten transgression that will shatter his domestic bliss forever. What'll happen anyway, uh, you know, starring the big names of Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman. I thought that The Killing of a Sacred Deer would be a psychological thriller involving human obsessions or brokenness that led to something creepy or violent, and that it might provide insights into the human condition, right? Talk about a rationalization. Anyway, unbeknownst to me at the time, and probably to most of the film's audience even after watching the movie. This fi— this film, uh, featured an uncredited actor and director who crafted the bizarre events that would befall the characters, leading to their doom, and that would cause the viewers to walk away confused, dazed, disturbed, or depressed over what they just saw. Essentially, it's a revenge curse movie, and while the source of the power that is unleashed on this unsuspecting family is never revealed, Uh, never revealed. Those familiar with the occult and the principles of Christian spiritual warfare understand that a supernatural power isn't glorifying Jesus or God. It's coming from Satan, the father of lies, the one who seeks to literally steal, kill, and destroy everything that is good. If it's not Christ, it's Antichrist. So even though the teenage character Martin seems to have strength and insights beyond his years and to have self-willed, unexplained psychosomatic suffering into the lives of Colin Firth's not-so-good doctor's family. The easiest explanation for the horror that unfolds is that Martin got his hands on some form of witchcraft material and knowingly or unknowingly came in league with Satan by putting, uh, by putting a spell, uh, you know, casting a spell, for revenge. Martin's behavior could also indicate, uh, the indwelling presence of a demon behind the scenes. So while there is no mention of the supernatural in the film's description, believe me when I say that this movie also stars Satan as himself, even though he was unseen. I shouldn't be surprised. Some of A24's studio offerings over the years, like Hereditary, The Witch, and Midsommar, Midsommar, um, are some of the most disturbing and best movies in the horror genre, as they seem to, uh, to, you know, not to try to take the edge off of their horror by going for laughs and show some actual truth about the many forms and expressions of the kingdom of darkness. As insightful as these movies can be in seeing into the dark, they also cause you to feel hopeless, as if they— as if you've been punched in the gut because the endings of these movies are bad. Evil wins because none of the characters in these films know how to fight and defeat the enemy. None of the characters in these films know Jesus. But the good news is that these films are just that— movies. Their horror isn't real, and their effects can be shaken off when we focus on the good things of God. The bad news is that they do point to the very real kingdom of darkness, and that we can be negatively impacted acted by it if we don't discern the spirits out there and stand in defense with God and defeat them through his power. So I was a little corrupted yesterday, but luckily I knew what lay behind the seemingly pointless and unexplained violence and death— Satan— and was able to change my depressed and disturbed mood eventually when I focused on being a good steward to what God had given me and when I remembered what he has done in my life and gave him praise. It's October, and there will be lots of darkness out there this month, so let's be ready to fight back by standing in our faith in Jesus and spreading his light that dispels all darkness. Today's Bible verses come to us from the Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling by John G. Cruis. This morning's meditation verses come from the section on forgiving others, and today's verses are Matthew 23: Luke 18:23-25, and the word of God says, therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents, and since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment, and payment to be made Today's verses fall under the fourth point of our Counseling Reference Guide's resource section on forgiving others. And the fourth point is: The parable of the unmerciful servant shows how sinful it is not to forgive. God sends judgment on this sin. Today's verses, uh, set up the story that compels us to forgive. In the parable, there was no hope for this servant who was in debt more than he could ever pay back. But he asked for mercy and he receives it. He is released of his debt and allowed to go free. But the story reveals that the servant doesn't appreciate what was done for him because he immediately fails to pay the mercy forward to someone who owes him far less. When the master discovers his ungratefulness and his failure to forgive others as he was forgiven, he is given to the torturers and made to pay for his debt with his life in agony. So we best forgive as we have been forgiven, or our faith will be shown to be shallow or non-existent, and we will suffer from bitterness and possibly in the fires of hell if our trust in Jesus isn't true. As always, we encourage everyone to go to mtforchrist.com, where we always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist our 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. Alford. And in the— and part of, uh, Alford's devotional is he prompts us to read a chapter of scripture. Today's chapter is 1 Peter, uh, chapter 4, and from that chapter he shares a portion of verse 11, which says that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. And Stephen Alford writes This paragraph is most instructive. It gives in a concise form just what the duty of the believer is and with, and with what objective all should be done. After exhorting to be to soberness, love, soundness of mind, and prayerfulness, Peter goes on to enumerate the following responsibilities. Number 1: using hospitality. Number 2, ministering gifts. Number 3, speaking the oracles of God. Number 4, ministering as the strength is supplied. And all this for the glory of God through Jesus Christ. And Stephen Alford ends by praying, so Lord, make these 4 necessary things living in my experience that I may glorify you. Amen. Amen. So let's review those 4 things. Using hospitality— we should be, you know, hospitable, a good guest, you know, a good host. Uh, we should minister our gifts. Whatever gifts God's given us, we should use them for his glory. Uh, speaking the oracles of God— that's, you know, basically speaking the word of God, telling people what, what Christianity is all about and how they can be saved and transformed by Jesus. And ministering as the strength is supplied. And, um, you know, we minister to one another, we encourage people, we help them in what ways we can, we do good works. And, uh, we do all of that. Why? Because we're supposed to. Um, yeah, I guess good works is sort of commanded. Um, but, you know, we do it for God's glory. Um, we do it because God saved us and gave us a new life in Christ. And he made us, you know, he saved us for good works. So we do these things for good works and, you know, to give God the glory. Why are you doing these things? Well, let me tell you about it. It's because Jesus saved me and he changed my life. And, you know, he can save you too. So there you go. And we've discovered that when you surrender, you know, you find freedom. And hope and purpose. And so we ask the question every day, have you fully surrendered to God? You know, we've discovered that getting on the path of Christian discipleship leads to healing, wholeness, and joy. And we recommend it highly to anybody, because it'll, it'll transform your life, it'll give your life meaning and purpose. And, you know, that goes and stretches from here to eternity. So it's not just for today, tomorrow, and yesterday. It's forever and ever. Amen. So we encourage you to follow the Lord earnestly and make Jesus your Lord and Savior. When you do that, all kinds of things happen. As I stated before, I've been blessed with the opportunity to lead the Celebrate Freedom support group at Starpoint Church, which meets on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM. So if you want to get set free from your hurts, habits, and hangups, or just grow in your faith, we welcome you to come. Uh, anyone in the Upstate New York area of Clifton Park who can get there on a Wednesday night is welcome. You can even go to, uh, Starpoint Church's website to register for the group so we'll know you're coming. Um, and speaking of Starpoint Church, this Friday, if you're in the Capital District, uh, they're hosting a, a Man Up Ministry, uh, event for men only, um, that will feature, uh, country western recording artist Granger Smith and inflatable bull riding. There's also going to be free barbecue. So go to Starpoint Church's site and register today, men. Uh, basically where we'll, uh, we'll have some good times and some fellowship, uh, this Friday, 2 days from now. Um, so, and if you're not in the Capital District and you're not a man and you can't get to any of these events, there's hope. We offer— we believe that you can find or increase your freedom in Christ by joining one of our podcast classes on YouTube. We have playlists for the Bondage Breaker, Victor Over the Darkness, Freedom in Christ, and our very own Celebrate Freedom discipleship course. We invite you to check them out and, uh, to let them increase your, your faith and understanding about what it is to walk out your faith every day. Well, that's it for today. And we always ask the question, are you empty for Christ too? Being empty for Christ just means being made available, making yourself available for God's use and letting the Holy Spirit come in to fill you, encourage you, fill you with joy and, you know, energy and strength to live the Christian life. So if you're empty, we say great, keep on walking in talking with, with God. And if not, we, we tell you to pray and ask God to reveal himself and lead you in the way you should go. And that's, and that's why we pray every day. So let's pray for guidance. Lord God, Heavenly Father, thank you for another day in your kingdom. Lord, we thank you so much for all that you've done for us. Lord, today we just pray for you to guide us in the way we should go. We also pray for anyone who's reading or watching or listening to these this message, uh, that you would encourage them in their faith and, um, that you'd come alongside them and their prayer requests and their, their walk of faith, Lord. So we just pray for you to go before us today, open our eyes to the things you want us to see, lead us in the way we should go, because all we want to do is represent you in your kingdom, and we need your help with that. So, Lord, we pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.