What Does Jesus Charge Per Hour? - Purity 1376

To see today's photo, go to mt4christ.com or follow me, M.t. Clark, on Facebook or Twitter. Good afternoon. Today's photo of a redwood forest pathway comes to us from the Redwood National and State Park and Christopher Oswald, who shared this photo on social media yesterday displaying the poems that the park had chosen to display along the Simpson Reed Trail. The poem in the photo is Chris's, and he writes a poem entitled "You Dream, We All Dream" by Christopher Oswald. And Christopher writes: The sun's warmth melts as winter ebbs, and tiny green buds emerge from branches so high. I'm sure they're dreaming of what they'll be. Soon the canopy spreads, and captures all the sun has to offer. Do they still dream of what they might become? Weeks turn to months, autumn cools, and they start to change color. As they watch themselves fall, do they dream of life after like we do? How cool is that? My childhood friend from the neighborhood joined the military and ended up way out west where God's creation has caused him to reflect on the bigger things and offer up some prose while people walk along the trail of life. Well, it's Saturday, and as I have found my rest at my countryside home already, I am rejoicing this morning and this afternoon because I'm back in the company of my beloved and experienced a wonderful walk halfway down Freedom Road last night, where the Lord's sunset light lit up the clouds like heaven was on fire. Thankfully, however, I am not dependent on the company of others or favorable atmospheric conditions to give me peace of mind, because if I was, I could easily be taken out of my serenity now when insults, accusations, condemnations, and dare I say, some mild persecution come my way. Yesterday, one of my YouTube videos received a comment seemingly asking a question about my rates as a Christian life coach, but upon further review, after I read the question a second time, I realized it was an insult, as this person also wondered what Jesus would charge for life coaching. And just so I got the point, this, this commenter couldn't be just be sarcastic, Probably a good idea in hindsight, considering my initial confusion. And they left a second comment stating, "Aka grifter." He's saying you're a con man, M.t. Clark. Oh, okay, thanks for clarifying. It's okay because I have learned something from Jesus' teaching and do my best to obey his commandments, so I forgive you. That feels better. I can feel all the bitterness leave my soul. Thank you, Jesus. And you know what? Because this particular comment is underneath a video whose title is "The Most Practical Advice for Demonic Attacks/Obsessive Thoughts," I can only assume that these mocking comments are coming from a place of pain. Hurt people hurt people, after all, so I honestly forgive them from my heart. I hope the content of my message was encouraging to them and provided them with some practical advice to help with their affliction, even if it was given free of charge. Uh, I wasn't ready to forgive them when I first saw these comments yesterday, and although I didn't respond with any harsh words, I did respond with the link to my life coaching page that gives the basic rates for my life coaching services. I share it there just in case they are curious, and I share it on the blog today in case anyone else is. While I am not a non-for-profit ministry like Jesus, I, I know that the things I have experienced and learned in my life and through my walk of faith and freedom have been valuable to me, and I offer my assistance in teaching, encouraging, and advising, aka life coaching, to others who don't have the freedom from addiction, pain, shame, guilt, and suffering, and and the peace of mind that I have experienced and consider it worth their time, money, and effort to learn how to overcome their hurts, habits, hangups, and spiritual, emotional, or mental afflictions from someone who will be invested in their well-being and progress. Anyway, while I can't speculate what Jesus would have charged for an hour of life coaching, from what I understand, Scripture indicates that Jesus was supported financially. By what this person may have thought as deceived or unsuspecting women, such as Mary Magdalene, Jona, and Susanna in Luke 8:1-3. Also, it is quite possible that Jesus' ministry received financial support from well-respected and wealthy community members, such as Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. Plus, I think Jesus' ministry received some highly favored miraculous support from his Father. Who art in heaven. Jesus more or less confirms that he was supported and worked for his dad in John 6:37-38, where he said, all that the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven to do— not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. Yeah, his dad, uh, sounds like a trust fund kid to me. But seriously, I'm not going to hold Jesus' advantages against him because despite the financial or miraculous support he received from others, he worked tirelessly and perfectly and ended up giving back so much more than he received. He paid the cost for everyone's freedom, but sadly only a few, a few will see the immense value of being in his kingdom and will pay Oh yes, pay by counting the cost, denying themselves, possibly selling their possessions and giving to the poor, etc., and receive what, what he has won for us by following him. Jesus doesn't ask you for an hourly rate to be coached by him. He expects you to surrender to him as Lord and to become a servant to his kingdom. Me, I'm more like the Apostle Paul, the tentmaker. As I support myself with my day job and only wish to teach and encourage others to become Jesus's disciple. I do so, uh, I do so for, for free through the blog, podcast, and ministry work I, I do gratis for my church's local recovery support group and Freedom in Christ Ministries, that's the CFMA. As for me and my decision to become a professional life coach, Christian life coach. The time I spend on that is out of my personal time, and while I am willing to freely work for God's kingdom in other areas of my, my life, I value my, my own time enough and feel that what I have to give to a client is valuable enough to charge for my time. Also, I have learned that what is freely given is often disparaged and undervalued. That's one thing I learned from my experiences at FICM. When the ministry started their online discipleship classes, they offered them for free, free of charge. Uh, while that was awesome, the data suggested that a certain portion of the students weren't invested, and the dropout rates indicated that they didn't really value the free gift. So the ministry now charges a fee for their online courses, and not surprisingly, the dropout rates have decreased significantly. It turns out people have to buy into their own freedom, and thus I have decided not only to charge a fee for my coaching services, but demand a fee even for an initial consultation. Because if I'm going to listen to you for 45 minutes, I will certainly be ministering to you in one way or in some way. That's who I am. That's what I do. And while you you may demur over establishing a client-coach relationship with me when you consider the cost, at least you'll compensate me for my time. With my spare time, it's not show friends, it's show business. And as much as I would love to help everyone for free, upon further review, I don't think anything is for free. Everything costs you something, and I know I would have paid whatever I could have whatever I could have to be free a whole lot sooner. If you feel the same way and want, and want someone to help you achieve your life goals, overcome addictions, or receive practical coaching or prayer ministry to help in spiritual, emotional, and mental challenges, pay the cost of initial consultation and book an appointment to possibly begin a client-coach relationship that prayerfully will help you to accomplish what you want to accomplish and develop a stronger relationship with the Lord along the way. I'm not a grifter. Anyway, I have wasted enough of my free time defending myself and being silly this morning and this afternoon. The initial recording that I made of this podcast this morning had technical difficulties, so I had to rebroadcast it, but I thought the message was important enough, to do. So I hope you enjoy it. Uh, I pray, I pray you have, you all have a wonderful rest of the weekend and a happy Father's Day tomorrow. For those, uh, let's see, um, today's Bible verse comes to us from the Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling by John G. Cruis. This morning's meditation verses come from the section on divorce, and today's verses are Romans 7:1-3 from the NLT. And the Word of God says, now, dear brothers and sisters, you who are familiar with the law, don't you know that the Lord— that the law applies only while a person is living? For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the law of marriage no longer— the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from the law and does not commit adultery when she remarries. Today's verses fall under the fifth point of our Counseling Reference Guide's resource section on divorce, and that fifth point is: A husband and wife are bound together until death separates them. Today's verses establish the biblical basis for until 'Until death do you part' portion of the traditional marriage vows. Yep, marriage is supposed to be for a lifetime. The Bible says it and I believe it. So unless there is an abandonment or sexual immorality in your circumstances, divorce should not be in the vocabulary of a Christian marriage. Instead, learn to forgive, love, and serve one another and stay together to honor your vows and the Lord. As always, I invite all to go to mtforchrist.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 According to Your Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament by Stephen F. Alford. And today's— well, Alford always directs people to— directs us to read a chapter of the New Testament, and today's chapter is 1 Corinthians chapter 3, and from that chapter he quotes a portion of verse 21 which says, "All things are yours." And Stephen Alford writes, "He who did not spare his own Son but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Romans 8:32. How wonderful to think and know that Through Christ, I personally am entitled to all things, whether they be human, material, living, dead, present things, or things to come. No man of the world can make this assertion. Uh, he may assume that all things are his, and because of God's loving kindness, he may in a measure enjoy them. But actually, all things belong only to Christians. But what time is mine is Christ's, and Christ's God's. I am not my own, I am Christ's, for he has bought me. Take myself— and he ends by, by praying— take myself, and I will be, be ever only all for thee. Amen. And yeah, um, we don't pay Jesus for his life coaching services, um, The economy is a little bit different with our Lord and Savior. He buys us. He redeems us. We don't pay Jesus. He purchases us. That's a little bit different. And the cost is everything, our lives. And we become servants to Him. We don't hire Him. Yeah, anyway, um, it's been— today I've been driving around doing errands with my wife and stepdaughter, and it's been a long day. And of course, while I was on the road, I discovered that the podcast was— had technical difficulties, and so I had to rebroadcast it. I'm hoping this will work, and I pray that everyone has a wonderful weekend and a happy Father's Day tomorrow. And I pray that sincerely, in, in, in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.