Labels

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Community - Receiving What God Has Given – Lent with Bonhoeffer Day 23– Purity 996


Community - Receiving What God Has Given – Lent with Bonhoeffer Day 23– Purity 996    

Purity 996 03/21/2023 Purity 996 Podcast

Purity 996 on YouTube: Coming Soon!

Good morning,

Today’s photo of the sun shining through the tree and over the narrow stretch of land that borders my property “down by The River” comes to us from yours truly as I had the presence of mind to peak around the corner to check out the view from my back yard on the first day of Spring 2023, yesterday.  I not only was blessed in the moment when I decided to “go there”, I was also reminded of just how much God has blessed me with this little house and of the amazing the journey I went through to get here.   My house and the property on the side of State Route 9J in Stuyvesant truly is a gift that keeps on giving but I have to remember that I have it, I have received it, I continue to live in it, and,  as long as the Lord is willing, I will have it tomorrow and for many days in the future.   But I can’t appreciate it yesterday, or tomorrow, I can only appreciate the gifts God has given me today.  

Well, it is Tuesday, and I am happy to report that I successfully encouraged another man through the Steps to Freedom in Christ last night and was blessed to see the Lord work in his life as he confessed and repented of sins of the past, released bitterness through forgiveness, and took back any ground given to the enemy through sin, pride, rebellion, or generational curses. This man’s past was laid at the foot of the cross and now he has the opportunity to continue in freedom.

What? Isn’t it a done deal when someone goes through the Steps?  

It is, or at least it can be. The work that is done in the Steps is prayer, renunciation and making a commitment to follow the Lord. It is “faith work” meaning that it is dependent on faith and its lasting effects require one to continue in faith. 

Just like my house down by the River, we have to believe that we have received it, that we have it, and that we will walk in a manner that believes we have it for good and that we will progressively align ourselves with God’s will in any areas of our lives that still need “work”.   And when I say work I have to point out that any “remaining issues” will also be resolved by faith – the victory we have is accomplished to a very large degree by simply believing that God has already given it to us, in believing that even the thing we struggle with “is finished”.  

The work of breaking strongholds that remain after a freedom appointment is faith work, and is accomplished not so much from the sweat of our brow as much as it is accomplished by the moves of the mind, heart, and spirit within us.  And its also volitional, we must choose to believe it every day and shape our lives according to who we are in Christ to reflect the work that the Lord has done in us. 

Just like me deciding to look around the corner of my house, we must choose to “go there” spiritually – and physically- by choosing to seek the Lord everywhere we go – through prayer, through Bible study and reading Christ books, through listening to podcasts and sermons, and through looking for God in the beauty of His creation.  And we must reach out with our heart and minds to connect with God, relationally. We must not only believe that He is there, we must know Him, love Him, and ask Him to reveal Himself to us and to help us. 

So if you haven’t had the experiential contact with the Lord that erases all your doubts of the reality of His presence and love in your life, reach out and search for Him, seek Him, because when you do that with all your heart, you will find Him and you will be forever changed.  Don’t look to have someone else give Him to you, finding the Lord and deciding the follow Him is your responsibility and it depends on your ”faith work”.  

Speaking of “faith work” or perhaps “spiritual effort” (is that a better term?),  let’s put forth some effort to draw close to the Lord by continuing our current series as we take another step closer to Resurrection Sunday as today is the 24th day of Lent and the 24th day of our 40 Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  

As a reminder, and as we will say each day of this journey, we take this path to mark the season of Lent and to draw closer to God in anticipation of the celebration of Easter, knowing that if we take this journey of repentance seriously, we will not only see the days and seasons change, the Lord will use it to change us too. 

You can sign up to get this devotional yourself by going to the Biblegateway link on the blog ((https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/40-Day-Journey-Dietrich-Bonhoeffer/today)) . 

Day 24

Bonhoeffer writes:

“Every human idealized image that is brought into the Christian community is a hindrance to genuine community and must be broken up so that genuine community can survive.

Those who love their dream of a Christian community more than the Christian community itself become destroyers of that Christian community even though their personal intentions may be ever so honest, earnest, and sacrificial…

Those who dream of this idealized community demand that it be fulfilled by God, by others, and by themselves. They enter the community of Christians with their demands, set up their own law, and judge one another and even God accordingly…

Because God already has laid the only foundation of our community, because God has united us in one body with other Christians in Jesus Christ long before we entered into common life with them, we enter into that life together with other Christians, not as those who make demands, but as those who thankfully receive.

We thank God for what God has done for us.

We thank God for giving us other Christians who live by God’s call, forgiveness, and promise.

We do not complain about what God does not give us; rather we are thankful for what God does give us daily.”

Biblical Wisdom

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:1-6

Questions to Ponder

  • What does it mean to love the “dream of Christian community more than the community itself”?

M.T. Clark:  Loving the dream of Christian community is to hold an ideal of the “perfect Christian Fellowship” and to allow your expectations to cause you to be discontented with the reality of what you have at your local church.  Hoping for better messages, better worship music, better facilities, or better friendships are all subtle ways that we can fall into the trap of creating a religious ideal that won’t be realized and that will cause you to blame God, your neighbors, or yourself. Instead we should be content and thankful that we can gather together to worship in community at all, and enjoy what we do have rather than focusing on what is lacking.

  • If “we enter community not as those who make demands, but as those who thankfully receive,” what should our attitude and action toward the community be?

M.T. Clark: If “we enter community, without demands, we would enter into community with an attitude of thankfulness, appreciation, contentment, and joy. Our actions would be to celebrate our faith with enthusiasm and to consider serving the community in whatever way we could.

  • Is it easier to “complain about what God does not give us” or to be “thankful for what God does give us”? Why?

M.T. Clark: Unfortunately, the tendency for the flesh is to complain about what God has not given us, but it is just as easy to be thankful for what God does give us as it is to complain.  We will have to be intentional to give thanks and remember to appreciate what we have, but when we make that choice the fruit that grows in our lives is joy and peace. And that is a harvest that is worth the mental and spiritual effort that it takes to receive it. Psalm 23 tells us that “The Lord is my Shepard” and “I shall not want” – so instead of complaining about the things we don’t have, let’s remember to thank the Lord for what He has provided, because if we do that we can experience what it is like to experience the “goodness and mercy that will follow us all the days of our lives, and to know the joy that comes from dwelling in the house of the Lord, forever.  

Psalm Fragment

The Lord is my strength and my shield;
   in him my heart trusts;
   so I am helped, and my heart exults,
   and with my song I give thanks to him.
The Lord is the strength of his people;
   he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
O save your people, and bless your heritage;
   be their shepherd, and carry them forever. 
Psalm 28:7-9

Journal Reflections

  • Write about your response to Bonhoeffer’s ideas about Christian community.

M.T. Clark: Bonhoeffer’s good advice is to appreciate what we have in our Christian communities: to receive what God has given us and to thank Him for it. This is  to be our attitude for all the areas of our lives.

  • Does reading Bonhoeffer on Christian community change the way you feel about your faith community? How? Or why not?

M.T. Clark: Yes it does. Things are not perfect at my church but there is more things that are good than that are not. So Bonhoeffer’s writings remind me to thank God for the church that I have found and the people who work together each week to give us a spiritual home where we can worship.

  • Does it suggest any practical changes in the way you relate to your faith community? If so, what are they?

M.T. Clark:  Yes, the practical changes that it suggests in the way that I relate to my faith community is to cease any critical thoughts about the church leadership or staff and to silence petty complaints about the corporate gathering. It causes me to repent in dust and ashes over the negative things I have said or thought about my church and instead to focus on how good a fellowship it is that I am currently blessed with.

Intercessions

Think about your faith community and spiritual friends (name them) and thank God for the support you get from them in living your life of faith.

M.T. Clark:

Lord God,

I pray for and thank you Lord for Pastor Roscoe Lily and all of the volunteers at Starpoint church for creating an environment in which we can come together in harmony to worship You and grow in our relationship with You and with one another.  I repent of any negative thoughts or complaints that I may have harbored since coming into the fellowship of Starpoint Church and ask that You help me to be content, to be thankful, and to serve our faith community in ways that will give glory to You, Lord. 

In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

 

Prayer for Today

Lord Jesus, I will be as important to my spiritual community as my spiritual community is to me.

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. 

 

(40-Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Copyright © 2007 Augsburg Books, imprint of Augsburg Fortress.)

***As we are being provided with Bible verses from the 40 Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, we will are taking a break from sharing a verse of the day from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”. We plan on resuming that normal installment of the blog following Easter.*** 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 Sovereignty of God.”

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage all to purchase A.W. Pink’s books for your own private study and to support his work.  This resource is available on many websites for less than $20.00.

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

By  ARTHUR W. PINK

CHAPTER TEN

OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD HIS SOVEREIGNTY

 

What then ought to be our attitude toward the Supreme Sovereign? We reply,

4. One of deep thankfulness and joy

The heart’s apprehension of this most blessed truth of the sovereignty of God produces something far different than a sullen bowing to the inevitable. The philosophy of this perishing world knows nothing better than to “make the best of a bad job.” But with the Christian it should be far otherwise. Not only should the recognition of God’s supremacy beget within us godly fear, implicit obedience, and entire resignation, but it should cause us to say with the Psalmist, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.” Does not the apostle say, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:20)? Ah! it is at this point the state of our souls is so often put to the test. Alas, there is so much self-will in each of us. When things go as we wish them we appear to be very grateful to God; but what of those occasions when things go contrary to our plans and desires?

We take it for granted when the real Christian takes a train-journey that, upon reaching his destination, he devoutly returns thanks into God—which, of course, argues that He controls everything; otherwise, we ought to thank the engine-driver, the stoker, the signalmen, etc. Or, if in business, at the close of a good week, gratitude is expressed unto the Giver of every good (temporal) and of every perfect (spiritual) gift—which again, argues that He directs all customers to your shop. So far, so good. Such examples occasion no difficulty. But imagine the opposites. Suppose my train was delayed for hours, did I fret and fume; suppose another train ran into it and I am injured! Or, suppose I have had a poor week in business, or that lightning struck my shop and set it on fire, or that burglars broke in and rifled it, then what: do I see the hand of God in these things?

Take the case of Job once more. When loss after loss came his way what did he do? Bemoan his “bad luck”? Curse the robbers? Murmur against God? No; he bowed before Him in worship. Ah! dear reader, there is no real rest for your poor heart until you learn to see the hand of God in everything. But for that, faith must be in constant exercise. And what is faith? A blind credulity? A fatalistic acquiescence? No, far from it. Faith is a resting on the sure Word of the living God, and therefore says “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28); and therefore faith will give thanks “always for all things.” Operative faith will “Rejoice in the Lord alway” (Phil. 4:4).

We turn now to mark how this recognition of God’s sovereignty which is expressed in godly fear, implicit obedience, entire resignation, and deep thankfulness and joy was supremely and perfectly exemplified by the Lord Jesus Christ.

In all things the Lord Jesus has left us an example that we should follow His steps. But is this true in connection with the first point made above? Are the words “godly fear” ever linked with His peerless name? Remembering that ‘godly fear’ signifies not a servile terror, but rather a filial subjection and reverence, and remembering too that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” would it not rather be strange if no mention at all were made of ‘godly fear’ in connection with the One who was wisdom incarnate! What a wonderful and precious word is that of Heb. 5:7—“Who in the days of His flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and having been heard for His godly fear” (R. V.). What was it but ‘godly fear’ which caused the Lord Jesus to be “subject” unto Mary and Joseph in the days of His childhood? Was it ‘godly fear’—a filial subjection to and reverence for God—that we see displayed when we read “And He came to Nazareth where He had been brought up: and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day” (Luke 4:16)? Was it not ‘godly fear’ which caused the incarnate Son to say, when tempted by Satan to fall down and worship him, “It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve”? Was it not ‘godly fear’ which moved Him to say to the cleansed leper, “Go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded” (Matt. 8:4)? But why multiply illustrations?

How perfect was the obedience that the Lord Jesus offered to God the Father! And in reflecting upon this let us not lose sight of that wondrous grace which caused Him, who was in the very form of God, to stoop so low as to take upon Him the form of a Servant and thus be brought into the place where obedience was becoming. As the perfect Servant He yielded complete obedience to His Father. How absolute and entire that obedience was we may learn from the words He “became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross” (Phil. 2:8). That this was a conscious and intelligent obedience is clear from His own language: “Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received from My Father” (John 10:17, 18).

And what shall we say of the absolute resignation of the Son to the Father’s will? what, but, between Them there was entire oneness of accord. Said He, “For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me” (John 6:38), and how fully He substantiated that claim all know who have attentively followed His path as marked out in the Scriptures. Behold Him in Gethsemane! The bitter ‘cup,’ held in the Father’s hand, is presented to His view. Mark well His attitude. Learn of Him who was meek and lowly in heart. Remember that there in the Garden we see the Word become flesh, a perfect Man. His body is quivering at every nerve in contemplation of the physical sufferings which await Him; His holy and sensitive nature is shrinking from the horrible indignities which shall be heaped upon Him; His heart is breaking at the awful “reproach” which is before Him; His spirit is greatly troubled as He foresees the terrible conflict with the Power of Darkness; and above all, and supremely, His soul is filled with horror at the thought of being separated from God Himself—thus and there He pours out His soul to the Father, and with strong crying and tears He sheds, as it were, great drops of blood. And now observe and listen. Still the beating of thy heart and hearken to the words which fall from His blessed lips—“Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless, not My will, but Thine be done” (Luke 22:42). Here is submission personified. Here is resignation to the pleasure of a sovereign God superlatively exemplified. And He has left us an example that we should follow His steps. He who was God became man, and was tempted in all points like as we are, sin apart, to show us how to wear our creature nature!

Above we asked, What shall we say of Christ’s absolute resignation to the Father’s will? We answer further, This, that here, as everywhere, He was unique, peerless. In all things He has the preeminence. In the Lord Jesus there was no rebellious will to be broken. In His heart there was nothing to be subdued. Was not this one reason why, in the language of prophecy, He said, “I am a worm, and no man” (Psa. 22:6)—a worm has no power of resistance! It was because in Him there was no resistance that He could say, “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me” (John 4:34). Yea, it was because He was in perfect accord with the Father in all things that He said, “I delight to do Thy will, O God; vea, Thy law is within My heart” (Psa. 40:8). Note the last clause here and behold His matchless excellency. God has to put His laws into our minds, and write them in our hearts (see Heb. 8:10), but His law was already in Christ’s heart!

What a beautiful and striking illustration of Christ’s thankfulness and joy is found in Matt. 11. There we behold, first, the failure of the faith of His forerunner (vv. 22, 23). Next, we learn of the discontent of the people: satisfied neither with Christ’s joyous message, nor with John’s solemn one (vv. 16–20). Third, we have the non-repentance of those favored cities in which our Lord’s mightiest works were done (vv. 21–24). And then we read, “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes” (v. 25)! Note the parallel passage in Luke 11 opens by saying, “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank Thee,” etc. Ah! here was submission in its purest form. Here was One by whom the worlds were made, yet, in the days of His humiliation and in the face of His rejection, thankfully and joyously bowing to the will of the “Lord of heaven and earth.”

What ought to be our attitude toward God’s Sovereignty? Finally,[1]

---------------------------more tomorrow------------------------

Join our “Victory over the Darkness”, “The Bondage Breaker”, "Freedom in Christ" series of Discipleship Classes via the mt4christ247 podcast!

at https://mt4christ247.podbean.com, You can also find it on Apple podcasts

(https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mt4christ247s-podcast/id1551615154). The mt4christ247 podcast is also available on Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartradio, and Audible.com. 

These teachings are also available on the MT4Christ247 You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MT4Christ247

Email me at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive the class materials, share your progress, and to be encouraged.

My wife, TammyLyn, also offers Christian encouragement via her Ask Seek Knock blog (https://tammylynask.blogspot.com/ ),  her Facebook Group: Ask, Seek, Knock (https://www.facebook.com/groups/529047851449098 ) and her podcast Ask, Seek, and Knock on Podbean (https://feed.podbean.com/tammalyn78/feed.xml)

“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



[1] Arthur W. Pink, The Sovereignty of God (Swengel, PA: Bible Truth Depot, 1949), 196–200.

Monday, March 20, 2023

The Experience of Christian Community– Lent with Bonhoeffer Day 23– Purity 995

 


The Experience of Christian Community– Lent with Bonhoeffer Day 23– Purity 995 

Purity 995 03/20/2023 Purity 995 Podcast

Purity 995 on YouTube: 





Good morning,

Today’s photo of a winding wooden pathway through a field of green comes to us from yours truly as I captured this scene back on May 28th of 2019. It somewhere in upstate NY but you have to forgive me for not remembering where.  I work all over the capital district and frequented many a park and hiking trail in Columbia County as well in the last several years so I don’t recall where this is, but it was and is cool.  Also that year, 2019, was probably one of the most tumultuous years of my life because I was in the limbo of the time between filing for divorce and waiting for the lawyers to do their jobs, something they didn’t decided to do until the judge threatened us with trial, so you will have to forgive me if I don’t remember where this pathway is. But boy, can I rejoice over the fact that even in the most tumultuous times in my life, I still took some time to enjoy my life by “getting away from it all” with a simple walk through the beauty of God’s creation.  

Well, It’s Monday and it is officially the first day of spring, and I don’t care what the weather is like outside, let me encourage you with the fact that spring has sprung and eventually the evidence of the season will be seen and all our doubts about whether or not spring would ever get here will fade away.  It may not “feel” like spring, but our feelings don’t always tell us the truth.

Likewise, there will undoubtedly be times in our walk of faith where we will have to stand on the truth of what God’s word says rather than how we feel.  Once we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are new creations and we are given everything we need for life and godliness.   But we still have all our pre-Christ memories and habits with us, and it may take a little time to see the evidence of our new spiritual life manifesting in our daily lives.  Add to this the spiritual forces of darkness who are angry that they have lost you to the kingdom of God and who will do anything to kill, steal, and destroy us and the joy of our salvation, and it is no wonder why we may struggle to full accept that “It is finished” – that we are forgiven, adopted, children of God who have power over sin and death.  

But the truth is the truth, and the sooner we accept it the sooner we will start to display the evidence of our new life in Christ.  You may not feel holy but you are holy. You may not see “brand new” but you are. You may not feel free but God has set you free. So believe it, receive it, and live it!

One way we can live this thing called the Christian faith is by doing the spiritual practices that will both grow our capacity to live a life of faith and that will simultaneously be evidence of our changed life.  Prayer, Bible study, simply believing we are new, worshiping the Lord, praising the Lord, thanking the Lord, singing to the Lord,  and showing God’s love to others through kindness and good works are all ways that we can show the world and ourselves that we are indeed Christians and have been forever changed by the new life God has poured into us through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.   

So let’s take one more step into our new lives in Christ by walking into the 23rd Day of Lent (they do skip the Sundays- in case you were wondering) by continuing our current series and the 23rd Day of the 40 Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer.   

As a reminder, and as we will say each day of this journey, we take this path to mark the season of Lent and to draw closer to God in anticipation of the celebration of Easter, knowing that if we take this journey of repentance seriously, we will not only see the days and seasons change, the Lord will use it to change us too. 

You can sign up to get this devotional yourself by going to the Biblegateway link on the blog ((https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/40-Day-Journey-Dietrich-Bonhoeffer/today)) . 

Day 23

Bonhoeffer writes:

“There is probably no Christian to whom God has not given the uplifting and blissful experience of genuine Christian community at least once in her or his life.

But in this world such experiences remain nothing but a gracious extra beyond the daily bread of Christian community life.

We have no claim to such experiences, and we do not live with other Christians for the sake of gaining such experiences.

It is not the experience of Christian community, but firm and certain faith within Christian community that holds us together.

We hold fast in faith to God’s greatest gift, that God has acted for us all and wants to act for us all.

This makes us joyful and happy, but it also makes us ready to forget all such experiences if at times God does not grant them. We are bound together by faith, not by experience.”

Biblical Wisdom

Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were calledthat you might inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:8-9

Questions to Ponder

  • Why is “the uplifting and blissful experience of genuine Christian community” somewhat rare?

M.T. Clark: It is rare because Christianity is so rare today and because the world, the flesh, and the devil do everything to pull us away from experiencing it.  Although we are Christians, we are still imperfect people who have to work and find our way in this world, to provided for ourselves and our families and to endure the various trials that come from walking through life in a world broken by sin.  We can be distracted. We can be offended. And our neighbors can be those things too. So when we have a uplifting and blissful experience of genuine Christian community we should rejoice because we can truly know that God is with us and has guided us all to be together in harmonious commune that overcomes the world, the flesh, and the devil. 

  • What is the “firm and certain faith” that holds Christians together even when there is conflict and tension between them?

M.T. Clark: The firm and certain faith that holds Christians together even when there is conflict and tension between them is our common faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and the belief that God is still in charge and is moving all thing together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. The reason we can have a firm and certain faith is because God doesn’t change and His word will endure forever. Regardless of our feeling or our current circumstances, we can stand firm and certain with the Lord.

  • What does it mean to say: “We are bound together by faith, not by experience”?

M.T. Clark: The statement: “We are bound together by our faith, not by experiences” points to the fact of God’s immutability – He doesn’t change. The work of Christ has been performed. It is finished. And when we put our faith in Him as Lord and Savior, we stand firm and certain on what has already been done for us. We are bound together by our relationship to God through Jesus, not on our experiences of harmony here on earth, which are subject to change.  Our faith is based on facts, not on feelings.  So even though we may have moments of blissful harmony in the body of Christ, our common bound is not based on them, it is based on the unchanging, trustworthy God who made us and called us to have peace with Him through Jesus.  

Psalm Fragment

How very good and pleasant it is
   when kindred live together in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
   running down upon the beard,
   on the beard of Aaron,
   running down over the collar of his robes. 
Psalm 133:1-2

Journal Reflections

  • Write about an “uplifting and blissful” experience of genuine Christian community in your life.

M.T. Clark: The easiest example of “uplifting and blissful experiences of genuine Christian community” in my life are memories of various worship services where the community of faith was united in praising the Lord in song.  I fully endorse and recommend loud enthusiastic singing as a spiritual practice, individually and corporately, because when we are singing praises to the Lord it may be the most appropriate thing we can do as Christians – it’s right – and the Holy Spirit also uses it to transform our hearts and minds as we bond relationally with the Lord and with the body of Christ.  It’s the expression of the fruit of joy in our lives, and it gives glory to God and demonstrates our faith experientially.   We need each other to have these experiences of genuine Christian community, but we have to be engaged individually to participate in it and whether or not we are bonded to our brothers and sisters present in the building, the bliss comes from experiencing the Lord’s presence in our midst.

  • Write about a time when faith kept you in community even though the experience of community wasn’t so good at the time.

M.T. Clark:  Oh plenty of times! Some worship services aren’t so great, sometimes people aren’t getting along, and sometimes the trials in our lives prevent us from being in community.  But you keep going to corporate gathering, because the word calls us to and because going to church is part of who we are now.  Even if I am “not feeling it”, I go to worship the Lord because it is the right thing to do and often the experience of going changes my attitude by reminding me of the goodness of God and what He has done in my life. 

Intercessions

Think about your community of faith. If there is any conflict or tension in the community, pray that faith in the unity given by Christ would sustain the community as it seeks to resolve the conflict. If the members of your community of faith are presently at peace with one another, thank God for the experience of unity.

M.T. Clark:

Lord God,  

I pray for my community of faith today as recent messages have caused offense as the seating policy of “moving to the middle” has caused some to leave the fellowship all together. I pray for those who left and for those who remain to not let this policy to make room for others cause them offense and to lose focus on the reason we are gathered in the first place, to worship you Lord.  Help us Lord to move forward in harmony, united in our hearts to worship you with joy.  

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. 

Prayer for Today

Lord, I need Christian community. Help me to be there for others in the same way I need others to be there for me.

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. 

 

(40-Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Copyright © 2007 Augsburg Books, imprint of Augsburg Fortress.)

***As we are being provided with Bible verses from the 40 Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, we will are taking a break from sharing a verse of the day from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”. We plan on resuming that normal installment of the blog following Easter.*** 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 Sovereignty of God.”

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage all to purchase A.W. Pink’s books for your own private study and to support his work.  This resource is available on many websites for less than $20.00.

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

By  ARTHUR W. PINK

CHAPTER TEN

OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD HIS SOVEREIGNTY

 

What then ought to be our attitude toward the Supreme Sovereign? We reply,

3. One of entire resignation

A true recognition of God’s Sovereignty will exclude all murmuring. This is self-evident, yet the thought deserves to be dwelt upon. It is natural to murmur against afflictions and losses. It is natural to complain when we are deprived of those things upon which we had set our hearts. We are apt to regard our possessions as our unconditionally. We feel that when we have prosecuted our plans with prudence and diligence that we are entitled to success; that when by dint of hard work we have accumulated a ‘competence’ we deserve to keep and enjoy it; that when we are surrounded by a happy family no power may lawfully enter the charmed circle and strike down a loved one; and if in any of these cases disappointment, bankruptcy, death, actually comes, the perverted instinct of the human heart is to cry out against God. But in the one who, by grace, has recognized God’s sovereignty, such murmuring is silenced, and instead, there is a bowing to the Divine will and an acknowledgment that He has not afflicted us as sorely as we deserve.

A true recognition of God’s sovereignty will avow God’s perfect right to do with us as He wills. The one who bows to the pleasure of the Almighty will acknowledge His absolute right to do with us as seemeth Him good. If He chooses to send poverty, sickness, domestic bereavements, even while the heart is bleeding at every pore, it will say, Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right! Often there will be a struggle, for the carnal mind remains in the believer to the end of his earthly pilgrimage. But though there may be a conflict within his breast, nevertheless, to the one who has really yielded himself to this blessed truth there will presently be heard that Voice saying, as of old it said to the turbulent Gennesareth, “Peace be still”; and the tempestuous flood within will be quieted and the subdued soul will lift a tearful but confident eye to heaven and say, “Thy will be done.”

A striking illustration of a soul bowing to the sovereign will of God is furnished by the history of Eli the high priest of Israel. In 1 Samuel 3 we learn how God revealed to the young child Samuel that He was about to slay Eli’s two sons for their wickedness, and on the morrow Samuel communicates this message to the aged priest. It is difficult to conceive of more appalling intelligence for the heart of a pious parent. The announcement that his child is going to be stricken down by sudden death is, under any circumstances, a great trial to any father, but to learn that his two sons—in the prime of their manhood, and utterly unprepared to die—were to be cut off by a Divine judgment must have been overwhelming. Yet, what was the effect upon Eli when he learned from Samuel the tragic tidings? What reply did he make when he heard the awful news? “And he said, It is the Lord: let Him do what seemeth Him good” (1 Sam. 3:18). And not another word escaped him. Wonderful submission! Sublime resignation! Lovely exemplification of the power of Divine grace to control the strongest affections of the human heart and subdue the rebellious will, bringing it into unrepining acquiescence to the sovereign pleasure of Jehovah.

Another example, equally striking, is seen in the life of Job. As is well known, Job was one that feared God and eschewed evil. If ever there was one who might reasonably expect Divine providence to smile upon him—we speak as a man—it was Job. Yet, how fared it with him? For a time the lines fell unto him in pleasant places. The Lord filled his quiver by giving him seven sons and three daughters. He prospered him in his temporal affairs until he owned great possessions. But of a sudden the sun of life was hidden behind dark clouds. In a single day Job lost not only his flocks and herds but his sons and daughters as well. News arrived that his cattle had been carried off by robbers, and his children slain by a cyclone. And how did he receive this intelligence? Hearken to his sublime words: “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away.” He bowed to the sovereign will of Jehovah. He traced his afflictions back to their First Cause. He looked behind the Sabeans who had stolen his cattle, and beyond the winds that had destroyed his children, and saw the hand of God. But not only did Job recognize God’s sovereignty, he rejoiced in it, too. To the words, “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away,” he added, “blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). Again we say, Sweet submission! Sublime resignation!

A true recognition of God’s sovereignty causes us to hold our every plan in abeyance to God’s will. The writer well recalls an incident which occurred in England over twenty years ago. Queen Victoria was dead, and the date for the coronation of her eldest son, Edward, had been set for April 1902. In all the announcements which were sent out, two little letters were omitted, D. V.—Deo Volente: God willing. Plans were made and all arrangements completed for the most imposing celebrations that England had ever witnessed. Kings and emperors from all parts of the earth had received invitations to attend the royal ceremony. The Prince’s proclamations were printed and displayed, but, so far as the writer is aware, the letters D. V. were not found on a single one of them. A most imposing programme had been arranged, and the late Queen’s eldest son was to be crowned Edward the Seventh at Westminster Abbey at a certain hour on a fixed day. And then God intervened and all man’s plans were frustrated. A still small voice was heard to say, “You have reckoned without Me,” and Prince Edward was stricken down with appendicitis, and his coronation postponed for months!

As remarked, a true recognition of God’s sovereignty causes us to hold our plan in abeyance to God’s will. It makes us recognize that the Divine Potter has absolute power over the clay and moulds it according to his own imperial pleasure. It causes us to heed that admonition—now, alas! so generally disregarded—“Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (Jas. 4:13–15). Yes, it is to the Lord’s will we must bow. It is for Him to say where I shall live, whether in America or Africa. It is for Him to determine under what circumstances I shall live, whether amid wealth or poverty, whether in health or sickness. It is for Him to say how long I shall live, whether I shall be cut down in youth like the flower of the field, or whether I shall continue for three score and ten years. To really learn this lesson is, by grace, to attain unto a high form in the school of God, and even when we think we have learned it we discover, again and again, that we have to relearn it.[1]

---------------------------more tomorrow------------------------

Join our “Victory over the Darkness”, “The Bondage Breaker”, "Freedom in Christ" series of Discipleship Classes via the mt4christ247 podcast!

at https://mt4christ247.podbean.com, You can also find it on Apple podcasts

(https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mt4christ247s-podcast/id1551615154). The mt4christ247 podcast is also available on Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartradio, and Audible.com. 

These teachings are also available on the MT4Christ247 You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MT4Christ247

Email me at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive the class materials, share your progress, and to be encouraged.

My wife, TammyLyn, also offers Christian encouragement via her Ask Seek Knock blog (https://tammylynask.blogspot.com/ ),  her Facebook Group: Ask, Seek, Knock (https://www.facebook.com/groups/529047851449098 ) and her podcast Ask, Seek, and Knock on Podbean (https://feed.podbean.com/tammalyn78/feed.xml)

“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



[1] Arthur W. Pink, The Sovereignty of God (Swengel, PA: Bible Truth Depot, 1949), 193–196.