Call Received - Freedom in the New Year - Purity 1159

To see today's photo, go to mt4christ.org or follow me, M.t. Clark, on Facebook or Twitter. Good morning! Today's photo of a long stretch of dirt and gravel roadway stretching into the distance to an almost ghostly fog-covered horizon comes to us from yours truly as I captured this photo, which includes my canine pal Harley with his nose to the ground, last Saturday morning as we took an extended stroll across the flat farmland fields just off of Waite Road in Easton, New York. Well, it's Friday. Let's thank the Lord, for he is good. And before yesterday, my plans for 2024 were as foggy as the horizon in today's photo. With my training, uh, with Deeper Walk International scheduled to conclude in December, I have pondered what's next, uh, at various times this year and didn't really have a definitive vision for the future. With that said, I have committed myself to leading the um, with leading the Accelerate Freedom Growth group into a second season, as we have made arrangements with the Starpoint Church leadership to have a space at the church to continue that good work into 2024. But as for what else there will be in 24, uh, 2024, I wasn't really sure. And frankly, I'm still not sure about the direction I will be walking in, in 2024 in terms of developing a life coach or prayer ministry practice. Uh, the goal of my life is to serve in a ministry full-time, um, uh, ministry role full-time, but I'm still discerning how, when, and where that will happen. With the latest financial pitfalls of auto repair expenses and now household water repairs, Uh, it appears my well's pump isn't working, as my household's water system has been acting strangely over the last 2 weeks, and I have been waiting for today for the calligan man to check it out. But last night I noticed the pump thingy was running nonstop, and when I tapped the water tank, it sounded like I was hitting a steel drum of a Jamaican reggae band. So with more financial chaos I am not ungrateful for the corporate job I have that makes these expenses not as dire as they could be. Anyway, one of the, one of the options for serving the Lord in ministry in 2024 has been to serve as an online discipleship course facilitator for Freedom in Christ Ministries. I loved serving in that ministry in 2022 and at the beginning of this year, but had to take a break from it to get equipped and hopefully certified with Deeper Walk International. As a prayer minister. Sue Huber, FICM's national online course director, supported me in that decision when I applied to enter Deeper Walk School of Ministry, but, but has made it clear that I would be welcome back if I felt called to return as a course facilitator for FICM. After the challenges of Deeper Walk's program and leading the Celebrate Freedom growth group in this current season, I was on the fence about whether or not I would go back to being a course facilitator for FICM because of Celebrate Freedom and the possibilities of starting some type of part-time discipling, coaching, or prayer ministry venture. But yesterday, after a long day's work, I rushed home to mow the lawn at River House, and while I mowed and listened to worship music, I got the call from the Lord that, that not only knocked me off the fence with my decision about serving FICM again, but filled me with a passion to proclaim that we're doing this. Uh, so I hereby announce that, Lord willing, I will be leading another Freedom in Christ course for Freedom in Christ Ministries online beginning in January of 2024. I was filled with the Spirit last night as I mowed and was just convicted to continue to tell my story and encourage the body of Christ to discover who they are in Christ and to experience the freedom As I worshiped and mowed, I was overcome with emotion as I felt the unction to serve. Sue Huber sent out an email stating to, to the current and previous facilitators yesterday indicating that for planning purposes she would like to know who's being called to serve by next week. When I saw it, I wasn't sure if I would— if that was going to be me or not. But after I received the call last night, I'm all in and looking forward to seeing what the Lord will do with another online Freedom in Christ course in 2024. The reason I blog, the reason I podcast, is because the Lord set me free in a very dramatic and progressive way. I have an experiential knowledge and understanding of who God is and what he can do in our lives when we surrender to him. Humbly, in faith, and decide to follow him with the way we live. And I believe that my purpose for living is to tell everyone I can about how faith in Jesus saves you and gives you the power to be the person God created you to be. Our faith in Christ gives us meaning and purpose, and only those who fail to walk by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit and to seek God's purpose for their lives could claim that God didn't help me or God didn't heal me. Physical conditions aside, faith in Christ gives us eternal life, and the joy of our salvation and new life in Christ should compel and propel us into a life of discipleship where we learn continuously and serve where we can— well, and where we're called. So If you are a depressed, angry, unforgiving, bored, or addicted/carnal Christian, repent and seek to come in line with the truth of what the Lord has done for you and start walking by faith to remove those burdens from your life and seek the purpose and call the Lord has put on your life. Our life in Christ changes everything. He makes us new. And if you don't feel new or haven't changed, you need to surrender, repent, and follow Him. The life God has for us when we follow Jesus is defined by love, peace, and joy, and includes a deep desire to share the freedom, victory, and new life that He has so graciously given us. So keep walking and talking with God, and what is foggy will become clear., as you progressively move out of the darkness of your former life in the world and step into His magnificent light. Today's Bible verse comes to us from the Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling by John G. Cruis. This morning's meditation verse comes from the section on anger, and today's verse is Proverbs 30:33, and the Word of God says: For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife. Today's verse falls under the 9th point of our Counseling Reference Guide's resource section on anger, and that 9th point is simply control yourself. Uh, today's verse is the 3rd of 3 verses of scripture that our resource provides to encourage us to control ourselves, and rather than pressing them presenting them all at once. We are doing them one day at a time, uh, one at a time, one day at a time. Today's verse presents some curious facts of life as a basis to warn us from pressing anger. Although my countryside home is in the heart of farmland and has a massive dairy operation up the road— they got lots of cows anyway— I have no earthly or divinely inspired idea about the process of pressing milk to make curds. I have enjoyed cheese curds deep fried, um, yeah, but how they are produced is a complete mystery to me. But I'm not a farmer, dairyman, or curd maker, so I don't need to know. And because I know that the Word of God is true, I can take it on faith that when done properly, pressing milk pressing milk leads to curds. If I doubted it, I am sure that because God's word is true, if I investigated the matter, I would find the evidence to support this claim: pressing milk makes curds. However, I have no curiosity about investigating the Bible's claim that pressing the nose produces blood. I've seen bloody noses in the violence of men enough to I can easily imagine that if I were to press a nose vigorously, it would produce blood. And frankly, I don't want to be on either side of that equation. But the claim— but the claim is true all the same. So, it follows that it is also true that if we press anger, strife will be produced. And while curds could be a good thing, bloody noses and strife are not good things. So, I won't be pressing my nose or anger because I don't want those negative consequences in my life. The Bible's wisdom can be simple or profound, but we should definitely know that it is true and it should be followed. So avoid strife and possibly a bloody nose by relenting, by not pressing our anger. God calls us to a life of peace, love, and joy, not of life, a life of anger, strife, and bloody noses. So don't press your anger, anger into strife. As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org 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 A.W. Pink's The Holy Spirit, and today we continue in chapter 27, The Spirit Transforming. And today's, today's Today's topic is, is a warning: The unregenerate see it not. So yeah, if you haven't seen the Spirit transforming you, you might be unregenerate. That's not good. You know, basically, whether, whether you're, you know, not following the Lord or you're not with the Lord, um, it's between you and God. Um, but yeah, you won't see the transforming of the Holy Spirit if you're unregenerate, if you're not born again. But if you want to see what A.W. Pink has to say about that, you should probably go to— you should go to mtforchrist.org and you'll see that resource at the end of today's blog post. Yeah, I grew up in a denominational church, but that didn't make me a Christian. I, I, I heard what was taught in church, and as a youth and a young man, I decided that, uh, yeah, the church says this or the church says that, but I say this. I, you know, I know what's good and right, but I'd rather do it my way, quite frankly. And, you know, You know, I suffered for it greatly. And coming to faith wasn't my decision, you know. Of course I made a decision for Christ, but that call, you know, that I got, that illumination of what the gospel meant, the fact that it meant that I didn't have to earn my salvation, that it was a free gift that was given to me the moment I put my faith in Jesus. That was an amazing revelation, and I jumped on it, and I made Jesus my Lord and Savior. After that, I had a great desire to read God's Word, to know Him more, and to, you know, I had a real pressing for learning more and just, you know, being a real Christian. And as I read the Word of God, I realized I couldn't just do it my way, that the Lord had had definite ideas about how we should live our lives and what's right and wrong, and that we should obey God's instruction in the Bible. So, so I grew and I repented, and the Lord, you know, I started to follow the Lord more and more after I learned about him, and I have no regrets. That's not saying I haven't lost anything, but whatever I have lost, I call, you know, it doesn't really compare with what I've gained in Christ. And so, you know, what else in 2024 when I'm given the opportunity to facilitate a class to encourage other Christians to discover who they are in Christ and to experience their freedom, I couldn't think of anything better to do. You know, I might have a busy schedule because of the added responsibility. But we're talking about people's lives and their freedom. We're talking about their peace and their joy. And if I can give it to one person, if I can give a part of what I've received to one person, or be instrumental, used by the Lord to deliver the truth and to guide them to resolve their personal and spiritual conflicts through the Steps to Freedom in Christ, I gotta do it. And with FICM, I have a reach that far expands my travels in upstate New York. That's a national ministry, and I've previously, you know, counseled people for as far away as California and Florida, all over the United States because of it. And it's such a rich opportunity that there's no way, you know, The fact that I was on the fence about it, I'm frankly ashamed of at this point. So for 10, 12 weeks approximately in 2024, I'll be saddling up again. And I indicated that there will be a class for men, but I'm open to whatever they say. But I've already said men, so I don't know, men's ministry. I'm a guy, and as much as I love my sisters in Christ, I think men need instruction. Uh, I think you would agree, ladies, uh, that men really need to know what it means to be a Christian, and they need to be encouraged when they decide to follow, um, just what that means. And how it means being a servant leader and being surrendered to the Lord and not so prideful. So I feel a deep need to, you know, encourage men to be men, but the men to be Christian men and to follow, because the world, you know, the world teaches your son entirely different about what it means to be a man. And You know, God's way for men and women is the best way. So that's why we do what we do. Uh, we also work to pay the bills, um, so we'll have to run out the door soon. Uh, so we should probably close up in prayer. Like I said, I have auto expenses, repairs, insurance, and now water fixing bills. Yikes. On the horizon. And, and I'm traveling out of town next week for the Deeper Walk International, so So travel expenses, which have already been absorbed if not paid off, um, you know, basically they've been added to my plate. So, um, gotta get to that day job until the Lord blesses me with a full-time ministry that, you know, far exceeds all my needs. Um, but, um, I, I've received plenty from the Lord, so I'm not discontented. I'm very happy about what I have in my life. And money is just money, and the Lord provides. So let's pray. Lord God, Heavenly Father, thank you for another day in your kingdom. Lord, we thank you so much for the freedom that you've given us and the opportunity that has been presented to us to, to lead others into freedom. Lord, we just pray for you to bless us that. in Um, and bless this message and bless our efforts at sharing the good news and encouraging people to follow you. Um, Lord, we also, um, pray for— well, we pray for our loved ones. We pray for Scott Salvador and my wife Tammy Lynn, who had, you know, recent medical issues and ongoing medical issues possibly. So We're just praying for you to be with them and to heal them and to make sure they get, get the treatments and, and, um, the help they need. But we know you're the healer, Lord, so we ask you more than we ask anyone else, uh, to move things in the way they should go, and we accept whatever that is. Um, Lord, we also pray for the people who might be listening or reading today's message, that you come alongside them and bless them. Lord, everyone needs your help, and so we pray for you to be with them in their prayer request and to, uh, to guide them in the way they should go. And of course, uh, we ask you to go before me personally, uh, today. Open my eyes to the things you want me to see. Lead me in the things I should do. I really help you— I really appreciate your help, Lord, and we're asking for it today. You gave it to me yesterday more than once, and so we would like to get some more today, please. Um, Lord, we thank you, we praise you, we love you, and we pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.