Look on Your Works and Despair but look on God’s Work
and Rejoice! - Purity 902
Purity 902 11/30/2022 Purity 902 Podcast
Purity 902 On YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of the Hudson River being diverted
into what becomes Champlain Canal underneath a sunset sky featuring pink clouds
reflected in the surface of the waters as the Hudson pours into itself comes to
us from yours truly as I captured this scene on Saturday’s walk at Hudson Crossing
Park in Schuylerville. If you’ve never
been there, this is quite a scene to behold as the workings of man and the
creation of God come together to give the Lord glory as this manmade dividing line
creates a waterfall where naturally there wouldn’t be one. Unpictured in this photo there are also large
stone monoliths in the waters of the Hudson towards the right that once were the supports of a trolley bridge
that is no longer there. I am including a couple of photos that attest to there
existence on the blog today if you want to see what I’m talking about. Without the bridge, these stone pillars seem to
be the remnant of some long lost pagan society but instead of pointing to some
pagan god, they actually bear witness of the futility of the works of man’s hands
as time has erased what these pillars were placed for.
They look like something out of the Lord of the Rings,
and they remind me of the Percy Byshe Shelley’s poem “Ozymandias” which says: (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46565/ozymandias)
“I met a traveller from an
antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and
trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . .
Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered
visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer
of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well
those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped
on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them,
and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these
words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye
Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains.
Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck,
boundless and bare
The lone and level sands
stretch far away.”
As mighty as that trolley bridge must have seemed in its hay day, it
now itself has faded away leaving behind the stone pillars that man travelled
over. Just like the mighty works of King
Ozymandias, the trolly bridge that once crossed the Hudson River is gone and
testifies to man’s inadequacy to create anything that will last forever.
Well it’s hump day and I thought today’s photo was a good visual
representation of us pouring over the midweek summit of the last day of
November of 2022. The month of November couldn’t
last either and tomorrow we enter into Christmas month, December, and as we do
should recall the actual King of Kings, Jesus Christ, and not Ozymandias –
sorry whoever you were.
I looked it up, and apparently Ozymandias was a Greek Name for the
pharaoh Ramesses II who ruled Egypt from 1279-1213 B.C.. Although He ruled for
66 years, a long time for sure by human standards, he is just a footnote in
human history and his power is gone.
Other than being remembered by Shelley’s poem, the historical record,
and statue fragments and relics in museums, Ramesses and his kingdom didn’t last.
Remembering someone like this, a king who ruled for nearly seventy
years, and who has been forgotten by most of us could cause us to despair. I’m not a king and there are no statues of me,
and it is doubtful that any of my writings will be remembered over three
thousand years from now. Time passes so
quickly and where will we be in another 50 years? While I could live to see 100 the insurance
actuaries would bet against it. If no
one remembers my name or work, what will happen? I don’t even know the names of my great
grandparents! Will I just disappear forever as my bones turn to dust and all
the things I touch with my hands also fades away?
Pretty depressing thoughts right?
So, why am I filled with joy? Because I know the Truth! Capital T,
Truth – Jesus Christ!
Yeah, the telling of history
and what we can figure out through our own observations can lead us to draw some
very logical and very dismal projections for the future. The History Channel’s show, The Universe – has
an episode called the “Death of the Universe”, I recall that spelled out the
scientific “facts” that the stars would some day burn out and the universe will
fade to black, leaving everything and everyone dead.
But while this is very
logical, the thing that people forget is that our existence doesn’t make any sense! The universe exploded into being out of
nothing and is still expanding. God is still creating, and He sent Jesus Christ
to tell us that what seems natural and logical will be interrupted by the One
who built this thing in the first place.
Revelation speaks of a new heaven and a new earth, AFTER Jesus returns
and rules the earth for a thousand years!
So hold on to your hats, they
say it ain’t over until it is over, and apparently life will never end as God
is eternal and is over and above the created universe. And those who enter into
His eternal kingdom, by putting their faith in Jesus Christ ALONE, will be with
Him for eternity. Not 66 years, forever!
And ever!
I always point to Christ’s
words in John 11, where He said
John 11:25-26 (NKJV)
25 … "I am the resurrection and
the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
26 And whoever lives and believes in Me
shall never die. Do you believe this?"
Well, do
you? Because you should, Christ proved
He was God after saying this by raising Lazarus from the dead! And that wasn’t enough, shortly thereafter, Christ
Himself was raised from the dead! Hey
guys, that’s God over there! Jesus is the Son and God the Son.
Believe on Him
and live, dig on His mighty works and tremble!
But you don’t have to be afraid! He calls us to believe in Him and live!
If we are trembling it should be in response to the incredible joy that comes
from knowing that we found the answer to everything. We found eternal life, in Christ.
So as we leave
what is forecasted to be the “November Rain” behind today, let’s rejoice
because we know the Truth, we know the real King of Kings, and when we know
that we can peace and joy all the days of our lives here on earth because we
know there is more to this life than meets the eye and we have been blessed to
know this.
So keep walking
and talking with God. He doesn’t go away and when we put our faith in Christ,
we don’t go away either. So you might as well get to know the One who will
never leave us or forsake us and the One who gave us a hope for all time by
learning about Him and telling Him the things He already knows about you.
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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
16:25 (NLT2)
25 If
you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life
for my sake, you will save it.
Today’s verse reminds us that we cannot
hold on to our lives and it is only in surrendering our lives to God that we
will not lose the life we have.
Enough said? No matter what we build in this life, time
and history shows us that the material things we create, all our stuff, will
most likely turn to dust.
Scripture tells us that our works don’t
cut it, it is through faith alone, in Christ alone, that we are to be forgiven
of our sins and given new eternal lives.
So what are you living for? Some fat retirement? To leave some money for your
kids, who will spend it? While that is a
nice thing to do, it’s impact will be finite. The money will be spent and no
matter how cherished and cared for your family heirlooms are, eventually they
will be given to someone who doesn’t know you and doesn’t care and will sell
them or throw them in the trash.
Don’t put your faith in your stuff!
That’s hanging on to your life! These things are idols and need to see as
that.
I have a lot of things I like and
would be sad to part with them but if God told me to get rid of them? See ya! Including my life…..
Whoa… Don’t get it twisted I am not running
after martyrdom anything like that but if we properly understand who we are in
Christ and the implications of eternity in God’s kingdom, we will realize that we
don’t really “own” anything. Everything has been given to us through God.
So start giving up your life for the
Lord’s sake, and you won’t waste your life in silly pursuits that won’t last.
You will save your life in the pursuits that give God glory and, not for
nothing, could result in sweet eternal rewards, just sayin’…
But God is His own reward. He is the
only thing that matters, and we will spend eternity with Him, so surrender to His
will and discover what life is all about and watch as the fruit of the Spirit
grow in your life.
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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 Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s
“Discipleship”, also known as “The Cost of Discipleship”
As always, I share this information for educational
purposes and encourage all to purchase Bonhoeffer’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 Messengers
(An Interpretation of Matthew 10)
The Decision
“So
have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and
nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell
in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not
fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can
destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet
not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the
hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value
than many sparrows.
¶ “Everyone therefore
who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in
heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father
in heaven.[35] Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the
earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a
man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a
daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s
own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever
does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find
their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find
it” (Matt. 10:26–39).
The messenger stays
with the word and the word stays with the messenger now and forever. Jesus
encourages his messengers three times with the call “be not afraid!” Whatever
happens to them now in secret will not remain in secret, but will be revealed
before God and the people. The most secret suffering inflicted on them has the
promise to be revealed as a judgment over the persecutors and as glory for the
messengers. Likewise, the messengers’ witness will not remain hidden, but
become a public witness. The gospel should not become some sectarian affair.
Instead, it is meant to be preached in public. Today it may still have to live
off in a corner here and there. But in the last days this preaching will fill
the whole globe either for salvation or for condemnation. The Revelation of
John prophesies: “Then I saw another angel flying in midheaven, with an eternal
gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation and tribe and
language and people” (14:6). Therefore, “be not afraid!”
Human beings should
not be feared. They cannot do much to the disciples of Jesus. Their power stops
with the disciples’ physical death. The disciples are to overcome fear of death
with fear of God. Disciples are in danger, not from human judgment, but from
God’s judgment, not from the decay of their bodies, but from the eternal decay
of their bodies and souls. Anyone who is still afraid of people is not afraid
of God. Anyone who fears God is no longer afraid of people. Daily reminders of
this statement are valuable for preachers of the gospel.
The power which is
given to people for a short time on this earth is not without God’s knowledge
and will. If we fall into human hands, if we suffer and die by human violence,
we may be sure that everything comes from God. God, who lets no sparrow fall to
the ground without the divine will and knowledge, will not permit anything to
happen to God’s own people except what is good and useful for them and their
cause. We are in God’s hands. Therefore, “be not afraid!”
Time is short.
Eternity is long. It is the time of decision. Those who remain faithful to the
word and the confession here will find that Jesus Christ will stand by them in
the hour of judgment. He will know them and stand with them when the accuser
demands they be judged. The whole world will be witnesses when Jesus names our
name before his heavenly Father. Those who have held on to Jesus in this life
will find that Jesus will hold on to them in eternity. But those who are
ashamed of this Lord and his name, those who deny him, will find that Jesus is
ashamed of them in eternity and will deny them.
This final separation
has to commence here on earth. The peace of Jesus Christ is the cross. The
cross is God’s sword on this earth. It creates division. The son against the
father, the daughter against the mother, the household against its head, and
all that for the sake of God’s kingdom and its peace—that is the work of Christ
on earth! No wonder the world accuses him, who brought the love of God to the
people, of hatred toward human beings! Who dares to speak about a father’s love
and a mother’s love to a son or daughter in such a way, if not either the
destroyer of all life or the creator of a new life? Who can claim the people’s
love and sacrifice so exclusively, if not the enemy of humanity or the savior
of humanity? Who will carry the sword into their houses, if not the devil or
Christ, the Prince of Peace? God’s love for the people and human love for their
own kind are utterly different. God’s love for the people brings the cross and
discipleship, but these, in turn, mean life and resurrection. “Anyone who loses
his life for my sake will find it.” This affirmation is given by the one who
has the power over death, the Son of God, who goes to the cross and to
resurrection and takes those who are his with him.[1]
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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
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My wife, TammyLyn, also offers Christian
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Podbean (https://feed.podbean.com/tammalyn78/feed.xml)
Encouragement
for the Path of Christian Discipleship
[1]
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Discipleship,
ed. Martin Kuske et al., trans. Barbara Green and Reinhard Krauss, vol. 4,
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2003), 195–197.
