The Immersive
Experience - Purity 793
Purity 793 07/26/2022 Purity 793 Podcast
Good morning,
Today’s photo of Vincent Van Gogh’s painting “At Eternity’s
Gate” projected on a wall just above an exit sign comes to us from yours truly
as my wife and I decided to spontaneously immerse ourselves in the spectacular art
exhibit: Van Gogh: the Immersive Experience yesterday and this dark piece, and
the irony of it’s positioning, caught my attention and compelled me to capture
and share it.
Well it may be “two for Tuesday” for some, but I can think
of at least three reasons that I decided to share this particular image out of
all of the works of Van Gogh that were on display at the exhibit that literally
puts the participant into the paintings of Van Gogh.
The first reason I share it is promotional. I really enjoy
the work of Van Gogh, and art in general, and wish to encourage others to take
a part of their time this summer to go a museum or gallery to appreciate the work
of artists who purposely or unwittingly give God glory as their artistic
talents point to the God that has blessed them with their talents to paint,
sculpt, or produce other creative works.
The world may not be a perfect place but as Van Gogh said:
“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere” and as much as I
use my blog’s “photo of the day” to highlight the beauty that is inherent in various
scenes of nature, I can also admit that we can find beauty in the work of man’s
hands and that God gave people these abilities to use them and to help us to
appreciate their work and the lives He has given us.
If you are anywhere near the Capital District area of
upstate NY, I highly recommend “Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” and I am
sharing a link to the site where you can get your tickets for it on the blog
today: (https://vangoghexpo.com/albany/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=sc&utm_campaign=111819_alb&gclid=Cj0KCQjwof6WBhD4ARIsAOi65ajFN_Pkcdiak1CihLFjGjF4c-6AaOaiO3cKve8MyoQJi8dMguQZ7CwaAnBCEALw_wcB)
I am also sharing a link that shares the lists of other cities where this exhibit
is on (https://vangoghexpo.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=sc&utm_campaign=111819_alb&gclid=cj0kcqjwof6wbhd4arisaoi65ajfn_pkcdiak1cihl)
where it is currently on display, or where it was. Just like life, this exhibit
doesn’t last forever, so if this interests you, you should sign up and get ‘er
done before you miss your chance.
Of course, there are other places and events where you can
see art and I guess this is a general encouragement to support the arts, in all
its forms, places, times, and seasons, as they highlight the beauty of life.
Another reason I share today’s photo, is to encourage my
friends to be spontaneous. Out of the
love I had for my wife, I decided to keep experiencing her presence, for one
more day, and took an unscheduled day off just to be with her. I didn’t have
any plans for the day and because the weather was hit and miss with
thunderstorms, I encouraged her to think of something we could do indoors,
specifically mentioning museums or art galleries as an option that I would be
open to.
Luckily, we both have friends that have been to the Van Gogh
Immersive experience who shared their experience with it on social media and my
wife remembered it and subtly presented this option to me by putting it on my
phone while my attention was turned elsewhere. So she silently suggested it,
and me being a “let’s go, let’s go NOW” kind of guy jumped at the opportunity
presented to me and before you know it the tickets were purchased and we were
on our way to immerse ourselves in Van Gogh’s work.
So my encouragement here is to be open to new experiences,
love your loved ones, and enjoy the life God has given you by going our there
and doing something! In truth, it didn’t matter where we went or what we did
yesterday, I had taken the day off to be with my wife and to enjoy her company
and we merely put that mutual desire to love one another in this context.
We love art, we love nature, we love God, and we love each
other and we just happened to bring all of that to the Van Gogh Immersive
Experience where all of the elements came together like a piece of art! Another quote attributed to Van Gogh says: “Great
things are done by a series of small things brought together” and yesterday we
brought all of our small things together to make a great day.
But I would be remiss if I didn’t address the rather large
existential elephant that I brought into the middle in the room by highlighting
Van Gogh’s “At Eternity’s Gate”. Did I
share it because I shared Van Gogh’s depressive view of life which is expressed
by another of his “quotes”, reportedly the last words that he spoke before
leaving this mortal coil, that says: “The sadness will last forever”?
Not at all! I share it to plead with anyone who will listen,
that the sadness doesn’t have to last forever, in this life or the next, and
that the One who can give us joy here on earth and the hope of eternal peace
and purpose in heaven, is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Van Gogh’s apparent suicide- although some doubt it, and mental
health struggles are well documented and “At Eternity’s Gate” really highlights
the mental anguish that Van Gogh was familiar with. The title is very specific for the cause of
the subjects anguish. Whether you theorize it is because of the pain of dying,
the loss of the beauty of life, or the fear of an unknown eternal destination the
message of “At Eternity’s Gate” and Van Gogh’s last words is clear – “I have no
hope”. But is that true?
For those who don’t know, Van Gogh was the son of a pastor,
trained to be a pastor, and had been a missionary to a small mining community in
Belgium before being fired for being “overzealous, for his ineloquent speech
and for his scruffy appearance. Returning home, Vincent suffered a nervous
breakdown, and his struggle with mental health and depression would pervade
throughout his life.” (https://www.christiantoday.com/article/the-profound-christian-faith-of-vincent-van-gogh/106440.htm)
Van Gogh was frequently misunderstood by others throughout
his life, and I fear that despite his exposure to the gospel of Jesus Christ in
his background, I fear that near the end he misunderstood the hope he could
have, in Christ.
Another quote from Van Gogh says:
'Christ alone, of all the philosophers, magicians, etc., has
affirmed eternal life as the most important certainty, the infinity of time,
the futility of death, the necessity and purpose of serenity and devotion. He
lived serenely, as an artist greater than all other artists, scorning marble
and clay and paint, working in the living flesh.”
While this quote affirms the importance of eternal life,
spiritual practices, and using our love to impact and shape the lives of
others, I fear that it also reveals Van Gogh’s doubts of who Christ is.
Christ is not a philosopher or magician. Christ is the Son
of God, and God the Son. It is through faith in Him alone that one can have a
new and eternal life. However, due to his failure at serving God’s kingdom in
his youth, the rejection of man throughout his life, and his personal sins and
mental struggles, Van Gogh’s view at the end appears to be bleak.
I don’t know the outcome of Van Gogh’s eternal destiny.
But I do know that God is good and merciful and that if Van Gogh ever put his faith
and trust in Christ as his Lord and Savior, Van Gogh’s mourning would be
instantly turned to gladness the moment he died because if his name was written
in the Lamb’s book of Life, there would be nothing that could separate him from
His Father’s love. If Van Gogh put his
faith in Christ, his sins were forgiven and even if Van Gogh had believed Satan’s
lie that “the sadness will last forever”, the artist would have known the joy
of his salvation the moment he was absent from his body and was present with
the Lord.
But I also don’t want to paint a picture that ignores, Van
Gogh’s pain and anguish over his contemplation of eternity. Van Gogh knew the
word and he knew his life. He knew his sin and he knew what the word said about
people who lived in the flesh.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NKJV) says
9 Do you not know that the
unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,
10 nor thieves, nor covetous,
nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
Revelation 21:8 (NKJV)
8 But the cowardly,
unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and
all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone,
which is the second death."
For the unrepentant sinner,
who never trusts in Christ alone and turns from their former life of sin, the sadness
will last forever. If you reject Christ by
choosing your self, your sin, and you way over Him and His way, all hope will
be lost when your life expires.
But where there is life,
there is hope. As long as we live, we can choose to immerse ourselves in life
everlasting, by putting our faith in Christ.
As bad as 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 paints a picture of the consequences of
our sins, Paul was writing to give hope to the church as the next line
says:
1 Corinthians 6:11 (NKJV)
11 And such were some of you. But
you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of
the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
Such were some of you! If you are justified by faith in Christ, you are washed cleaned and accepted. We need not fear death and we have the power to turn from the sin that would cause us to doubt such a great salvation and lead us to despair.
So which was it for Van Gogh? Eternal sadness in hell or a life of peace and joy in heaven? Only the Lord knows for sure, but we can be sure that God will do what’s right according to each of us and our faith.
So keep walking and talking with God, place your faith in Christ, and enjoy the beauty that is all around us. Give the world the hope of heaven and the assurance of a beautiful life that comes through Christ, by sharing the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
If you see people lost in sin and dragging through life in confusion and despair, assure them that God loves them and that if they would simply turn to Him they can leave the darkness and sadness behind for a life of peace, purpose, and beauty that will shine a light from here to eternity’s gate.
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Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”.
This morning’s meditation verse is:
Matthew 5:19 (NLT2)
19 So if you ignore the least
commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in
the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be
called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Today’s verse are the words of Jesus, and surprise, He is teaching us that to be called great in the kingdom of Heaven, we are to obey the commandments of God and to teach them to others.
There is a little consolation for the “carnal Christian” here, and all of us really, Christ doesn’t condemn all who ignore “the least commandment” and who teach others to do the same to hell. He indicates that your status will not be ‘great” but at least He doesn’t say “you are out!” This points to the fact that we do not have to be perfect to be in God’s kingdom, we merely have to be His by our faith in Jesus Christ.
But this verse does indicate that we shouldn’t ignore God’s commandments and just rest on His grace. We should instead rejoice over God’s grace and seek to please Him out of our love for Him by applying the wisdom of His word to our lives.
Here Christ encourages us to choose that which is best, by seeking to be called “great in the kingdom of God” by obeying the Lord’s commandments.
So humbly seek the greatness that God has for you, by drawing close to Him through studying His word and by living out your faith in everything you do.
______________________________________________________________________
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 Clinton E. Arnold’s
“Powers of Darkness”
As always, I share this information for educational purposes and
encourage all to purchase Clinton Arnold’s books for your own private
study and to support his work. This resource is available on many
websites for less than $20.00.
Giving a Foothold to the Devil
Paul
never used the language of “demonization” (often described as “demon
possession”) in his letters, which is so common in the Gospels. The closest he
came to “possession” language is his concept of giving a “foothold to the devil”
as found in Ephesians 4:27. He warned the Christians in Ephesus, “do not give
the devil a foothold.”
Topos is the Greek word that the NIV translates as “foothold.”
It could also be translated “opportunity” (NASB, RSV) or “chance” (TEV; NEB
translates it “loop-hole”). Thus this verse can be expressed, “Do not give the
devil a chance to exert his influence.”5 In Romans 12:19, Paul used topos in a similar way, when he says,
“Do not take revenge, my friends, but ‘leave room’ [literally, ‘give a place’
or ‘give a chance’] for God’s wrath.”
This is the only time
Paul made such a statement in any of his letters. He did not go on to explain
what kind of “foothold” he believed the devil can gain in the life of a
believer or how the devil operates once a believer gives him a “chance.” J. A.
Robinson interpreted this passage as referring to an “opportunity for the entry
of an evil spirit.” I cannot find clear support for this assertion from Jewish
tradition, but there are a number of examples of the idea of God’s people
giving the devil (Beliar) an opportunity to take control of their lives. The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs,
written just before the time of Christ, has much to say about the potential
influence of the devil and his spirits over God’s people. One text in
particular links unchecked anger with the devil gaining a foothold, just as in
the context of Ephesians 4:27. The Testament
of Dan 4:7 states, “Anger and falsehood together are a double-edged evil,
and work together to perturb the reason. And when the soul is continually
perturbed, the Lord withdraws from it and Beliar rules it.” In light of this
Jewish tradition it is not surprising then to see Paul regarding excessive
anger with relinquishing control of one’s life to the devil.
Paul is clear about
how the believer can give the devil a chance to exert control. His warning
about giving the devil a foothold is prefaced by the admonition, “Do not let
the sun go down while you are still angry” (Eph 4:26). Paul conceived of
excessive anger as one of the means of Satan’s entry into a believer’s life. He
probably did not consider this particular vice as the only point of
vulnerability for diabolic exploitation. Paul mentioned quite a number of vices
in the larger context of the passage, including lying, stealing, dirty talk,
bitterness and malice. It is likely that any sinful activity that the believer
does not deal with by the power of the Spirit can be exploited by the devil and
turned into a means of control over a believer’s life. Therefore, Christians
need to resist.
For Paul there is no
middle ground. There is no nominal Christianity. Believers either resist the
influence of the evil one who works through the flesh and the world, or they
relinquish control of their lives to the powers of darkness.
For this reason it is
extremely dangerous for believers to harbor bitterness, hold a grudge or pilfer
from their place of employment—to name a few examples. Giving in to those
temptations does not just confirm the weakness of the flesh, it opens up the
lives of believers to the control of the devil and his powers.
Deceived by
Servants of Satan (2 Cor 10–13)
Ever
since the garden of Eden, Satan has continued to use his diabolical method of
deception, causing people to believe a lie. This was particularly true in
Paul’s churches with regard to the proliferation of false teaching and the
deceitful work of false teachers. In writing to the Galatians, Corinthians and
the Colossians, Paul warned these believers about the influence of false
teaching. In all three cases he explicitly connects the false teaching with the
work of Satan and his powers. Paul also instructed Timothy on how to deal with
false teachers at Ephesus, who essentially were pawns in Satan’s hands. All
these forms of false teaching characteristically impugn the true nature of the
gospel and the person of the Lord Jesus Christ—always leading to the wrong kind
of lifestyle and behavior.
The Corinthians were
giving credence to a group of polished orators who had described themselves as
apostles and missionaries (2 Cor 11:13). They publicly disdained Paul and tried
to present themselves as having a higher level of spiritual authority over the
Corinthians. While they had apparently claimed to possess authority from
Jerusalem, Paul implied that they were teaching a different Jesus and a
different gospel than he had proclaimed to them (2 Cor 11:4). Paul then charged
them with being “false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of
Christ.” Finally, he unmasked their true identity: They are servants of Satan
masquerading as Christians. Paul regarded Satan as the master of masquerade and
deceit. Paul said that Satan can even disguise himself as an angel of light (2
Cor 11:14). Some strands of Jewish tradition actually believed that Satan did
disguise himself as an angel of light when he tempted Eve in the garden of
Eden.
Paul was fearful that
these emissaries of Satan would cause the Corinthians to believe a perverted
gospel. He therefore cautioned them, “I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived
by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your
sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Cor 11:3). Paul responded to this
situation by endeavoring to “demolish strongholds”—that is, he wanted to tear
down the wall of hostility that his opponents had erected between himself and
his Corinthian converts (2 Cor 10:4). Furthermore, a “stronghold” of false
teaching needed to be eradicated from their midst because it was contrary to
the truth of the gospel. Ralph Martin comments, “Paul distinguishes the alien
intruders at Corinth, whose satanic work (11:13–15) he wants to overthrow and
neutralize, from the body of Pauline believers for whom he entertains
optimistic hope of their recovery from the snare of deviation and seduction.”
Paul therefore wrote to them to expose the satanic character of this new
teaching and to call the Corinthians to break this yoke with Belial (see 2 Cor
6:14–7:1). He wanted them to commit themselves afresh to the true gospel that
he proclaimed as a legitimate apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ—the gospel of
the Christ who suffered and calls his people to manifest divine power in
weakness.
Paul exposed other
kinds of demonically inspired false teachings that denigrated the gospel of
Christ in the church at Colossae and among the churches of the Galatian region.
Paul described the new teaching at Colossae as having come to them through
human beings, but in reality the “elementary spirits of the world” (Col 2:8)
inspired it. It challenged the full sufficiency of Christ for the believers in
Colossae.[1]
---------------------------more
tomorrow------------------------
Join our “Victory over the Darkness”, “The Bondage
Breaker”, "Freedom in Christ" series of Discipleship Classes via the
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at https://mt4christ247.podbean.com, You can also find it on Apple
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and her podcast Ask, Seek, and Knock on Podbean (https://feed.podbean.com/tammalyn78/feed.xml)
Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship
[1]
Clinton E. Arnold, Powers of Darkness:
Principalities & Powers in Paul’s Letters (Downers Grove,
IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 1992), 128–131.
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