MT4Christ.org : March 2023

Friday, March 31, 2023

Members of One Body in Our Whole Existence - Lent with Bonhoeffer Day 33– Purity 1005

Purity 1005 03/31/2023 Purity 1005 Podcast

Purity 1005 on YouTube:

Good morning,

Today’s photo of a red sunset fading into the horizon over an unknown location comes to us from a unknown FB friend who shared this scene on social media back on July 24^th, 2020. Hey if that’s you, let me know and I’ll update the blog to give credit to where credit is deserved.

Well, It’s Friday and it is the last day of March 2023! And I don’t know about you but the if seems like the month “marched” by on a triple time pace, tomorrow’s April 1^st and that’s no joke. The month flew by so fast that I forgot to give credit where credit was due to the Lord and celebrate my 8^th “sober birthday” as I really repented and started to trust and follow the Lord with my life back in February of 2015 when I went in to recovery.

What your 2 months off then MT?

Well, no I don’t count the beginning of my recovery, I count my “sober life” and true freedom in Christ by the day of my only and last relapse. Relapse may be a part of recovery but it really doesn’t have a place in freedom. So I humbly admit that while my recovery journey started in late February, I relapsed in March but was so angry at myself for throwing away what amounted to 2 weeks of sobriety, that I prayed to the Lord for forgiveness and the strength to never drink alcohol again. And the Lord has been faithful to deliver me the addictions that were firmly entrenched in my life for over 25 years and He has continued to increase my freedom, by giving me victory over sexual immorality, and by increasing the fruit of the Spirit in my life ever since.

And now the Lord has called me to lead others to freedom through a new recovery ministry at Starpoint Church starting in May. With all that I have received from the Lord, I am humbled and excited by the opportunity to serve the body of Christ and to help whoever I can to find their freedom in Christ.

So Happy Belated 8^th Sober Birthday to me! Thank You God, Thank You Jesus, and Thank You Holy Spirit.

Okay, you know one of the things that have led to my continued victory and freedom in Christ is my daily spiritual practice, of prayer, gratitude, Bible study and “journaling” in this blog. So let’s keep the victory parade marching on by confidently walking into the 33^rd day of Lent, and the 33^rd day of our current series, 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 33

Bonhoeffer writes:

“Every act of self-discipline by a Christian is also a service to the community.

Conversely, there is no sin in thought, word, or deed, no matter how personal or secret, that does not harm the whole community.

When the cause of an illness gets into one’s body, whether or not anyone knows where it comes from, or in what member it has lodged, the body is made ill.

This is the appropriate metaphor for the Christian community.

Every member serves the whole body, contributing either to its health or to its ruin, for we are members of one body not only when we want to be, but in our whole existence.

This is not a theory, but a spiritual reality that is often experienced in the Christian community with shocking clarity, sometimes destructively and sometimes beneficially.”

Biblical Wisdom

For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. Romans 12:4-5

Questions to Ponder

What do you think Bonhoeffer means by an “act of self-discipline”?

M.T. Clark: I can’t be completely sure of course, but I think Bonhoeffer means the acts of a Christian disciple when he speaks of “acts of self-discipline”. Those acts would include forsaking sin (crucifying the flesh), prayer, Bible study, worshipping and serving at the local church, being a good steward to what is entrusted to us, being responsible, being honest, being accountable, solving problems, communing with the Lord, and helping others. If we are disciplined in these areas, we are walking in the Spirit but please don’t see this list as “to do list of rules”. To be effective these “disciplines” must be motivated by love for God, otherwise they are the acts of self-righteousness that may have much to do about ourselves and little to do with God. Our faith isn’t about “being good” or faith is about being His.

How can an individual’s sins “harm the whole community”?

M.T. Clark: Compromise and sin can spread. Because “brother Joe” is doing it, I can do it. Greasy grace or cheap grace as Bonhoeffer would say causes us to absolve ourselves of any wrong doing and to continue a lifestyle of sin. The negative consequences of sin are far reaching individually and to others. Thus an individual’s sin can harm the whole community.

What are the implications of Bonhoeffer’s assertion that, “we are members of one body not only when we want to be, but in our whole existence”?

M.T. Clark: Bonhoeffer’s statements are point to the fact that we are “forever changed” when we come to faith in Christ, we are new creations through and through even if our behaviors, attitudes and actions would make us wonder. The implication here is that people categorize their lives to be a “good Christian” on Sundays or when they feel like it and will decide to be “normal” people the rest of the time but our new lives in faith don’t afford us a double life and the things we think, do, and say reflect the body of Christ at all times because we are now in Christ. So we should “want to be” who we are in Christ and live according to it at all times.

Psalm Fragment

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
See if there is any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

Journal Reflections

Reflect on your experience in your community of faith. Does it feel like a living body of which you are a member? Explain.

M.T. Clark: My community of faith is a lively, Bible believing body of believers. Our church provides lively service to worship the Lord at, sound biblical teachings, and opportunities to serve in the church and in local community through various ministries. It feels like a living body. But like many large churches, there are many members of the body that only attend services and who seem rather disengaged when it comes to worshipping the Lord at those services. Unfortunately, “spectator Christians” are present in every community of faith and while it is a blessing to think that so many people at the local congregation are members of the body of Christ, I fear that a good portion of those attending church services, may be shocked when they are exposed as false converts when they meet the Lord. So seek out your salvation with fear and trembling and make sure that you are in the faith. If your faith hasn’t changed your life, you might want to ask why.

How might you better serve “the whole body”?

M.T. Clark: I think the best way that you can serve the whole body is to seek the Lord and make sure you are a part of it. When you seek the Lord and find Him and discover who you are in Christ, your love for God will compel you to find your purpose in Christ and that will best serve the “whole body”, as we will be doing the Lord’s will and not our own.

Prayer for Today

Holy God, thank you that you have made me a member of the Body of Christ; help me keep healthy that I may not harm the whole body.

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

***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 TWELVE

THE VALUE OF THIS DOCTRINE continues

We shall now consider the Value of the doctrine in detail.

1. It deepens our veneration of the divine character

The doctrine of God’s sovereignty as it is unfolded in the Scriptures affords an exalted view of the Divine perfections. It maintains His creatorial rights. It insists that “to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him” (1 Cor. 8:6). It declares that His rights are those of the “potter” who forms and fashions the clay into vessels of whatever type and for whatever use He may please. Its testimony is “Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created” (Rev. 4:11). It argues that none has any right to “reply” against God, and that the only becoming attitude for the creature to take is one of reverent submission before Him. Thus the apprehension of the absolute supremacy of God is of great practical importance, for unless we have a proper regard to His high sovereignty He will never be honored in our thoughts of Him, nor will He have His proper place in our hearts and lives.

It exhibits the inscrutableness of His wisdom. It shows that while God is immaculate in His holiness He has permitted evil to enter His fair creation; that while He is the Possessor of all power He has allowed the Devil to wage war against Him for six thousand years at least; that while He is the perfect embodiment of love He spared not His own Son; that while He is the God of all grace multitudes will be tormented for ever and ever in the Lake of Fire. High mysteries are these. Scripture does not deny them, but acknowledges their existence: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!” (Rom. 11:33).

It makes known the irreversibleness of His will. “Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world” (Acts 15:18). From the beginning God purposed to glorify Himself “in the Church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end” (Eph. 3:21). To this end He created the world and formed man. His all-wise plan was not defeated when man fell, for in the Lamb “slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8) we behold the Fall anticipated. Nor will God’s purpose be thwarted by the wickedness of men since the Fall, as is clear from the words of the Psalmist “Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee: the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain” (Psa. 76:10). Because God is the Almighty His will cannot be withstood. “His purposes originated in eternity, and are carried forward without change to eternity. They extend to all His works, and control all events. He ‘worketh all things after the counsel of His own will’.” (Dr. Rice). Neither man nor Devil can successfully resist Him, therefore is it written, “The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble” (Psa. 9:1).

It magnifies His grace. Grace is unmerited favor, and because grace is shown to the undeserving and Hell-deserving, to those who have no claim upon God, therefore is grace free and can be manifested toward the chief of sinners. But because grace is exercised toward those who are destitute of worthiness or merit grace is sovereign; that is to say, God bestows grace upon whom He pleases. Divine sovereignty has ordained that some shall be cast into the Lake of Fire to show that all deserved such a doom. But grace comes in like a drag-net and draws out from a lost humanity a people for God’s name, to be throughout all eternity the monuments of His inscrutable favor. Sovereign grace reveals God breaking down the opposition of the human heart, subduing the enmity of the carnal mind, and bringing us to love Him because He first loved us.^{^[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), 225–227.

Thursday, March 30, 2023

The Gift and Duty of Intercessory Prayer- Lent with Bonhoeffer Day 32– Purity 1004

Purity 1004 03/30/2023 Purity 1004 POdcast

Purity 1004 on YouTube:

Good morning,

Today’s photo of a blue and cumulus cloud filled sky above an unknown road cutting through a summer harvest scene, with a cross like utility to boot, comes to us from my phone’s photo archive as I decided to look back to see what we could find for today and was pleasantly surprise from beauty that I took somewhere in Delanson NY back on July 20, 2020.

Well, It’s Thursday and as is my habit, I am sharing this photo, of a highway path way that just happens to have a rather “cross like” utility pole as if the Lord Himself was showing us that that this is “The Way” to go, as an encouragement to get on or to stay on the path of Christian Discipleship, the path where you follow God rather than man and the road that is paved with meaning and purpose.

Well, I am rejoicing this morning as last night’s freedom appointment was a success as the participant didn’t change his past but was able to walk free from it through confession, renunciation, prayer and by the power of the Holy Spirit! Although a whole lot of confession had to be made and a whole lot of forgiveness had to be given that indicated a rough road of a turbulent past, a peaceful quiet mind and spirit was to be found at the end of the Steps to Freedom in Christ! This man decided to trust the Lord to help Him and he laid all of his sin and bitterness behind and left with a new level of victory and freedom in Christ!

These freedom appointments can be a heavy process and it is a great relief when you can see that it all was for a purpose when peace is found and the pain of the past can be seen in a new light as it is now something that has been overcome rather than something that keeps us stuck.

But before we break our arms patting ourselves on the back, let’s be clear here that Jesus is the One who saves us, the Holy Spirit is the One who brings repentance and it is the Lord who gives us life and peace. In our selves we can do nothing, but with faith in Jesus and trust in God, we can know true joy and peace and become the people that God made us to be.

So let’s be “all that we can be” by following the Lord into the abundant life that He has prepared for us. And today we take one step closer to that destiny as we enter into the 32^nd day of Lent and the 32^nd day of our current series, the 40 Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

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 32

Bonhoeffer writes:

“Intercessory prayer is also a daily service Christians owe to God and one another. Those who deny their neighbors prayers of intercession deny them a service Christians are called to perform. Furthermore, it is clear that intercessory prayer is not something general and vague, but something very concrete. It is interested in specific persons and specific difficulties and therefore specific requests. The more concrete my intercessory prayer becomes the more promising it is…

All this proves that intercessory prayer is a gift of God’s grace for every Christian community and for every Christian. Because God has made us such an immeasurably great offer here, we should accept it joyfully. The very time we give to intercession will turn out to be a daily source of new joy in God and in the Christian congregation.”

Biblical Wisdom

“Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you.” 1 Samuel 12:23

Questions to Ponder

Is it a contradiction to say that intercessory prayer is both a “daily service Christians owe to God and one another” and “a gift of God’s grace for every Christian community and for every Christian”? Why, or why not?

M.T. Clark: No, I don’t believe it is a contradiction, it’s a paradox! A paradox is a “a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true:” The Christian faith has lots of paradoxes because let’s face it God’s ways are higher than our ways. But in terms of this one, intercessory prayer is a duty as the epistles encourage Christians to pray for one another. I am sharing openbible.info’s link (https://www.openbible.info/topics/pray_for_one_another) – that will give you 64 verses that indicate that is what Christian should do – pray for one another. So it’s a duty. But Intercessory prayer is also a gift. As our previous studies of the last two days have shown, we end up being blessed in the process of praying for others. Praying for others causes us to see them as God sees them. Through God’s grace we have compassion for others and realize the we are equally humbled and blessed at the foot of the cross. To experience a little bit of what it is like to give grace to others like God and to have a deeper appreciation of God’s grace for us is a gift. So intercessory prayer is both a gift and a duty that we should be happy to give, receive, and perform.

Could the lack of joy evident in many Christians and in many Christian communities be a sign of a lack of specific, concrete, intercessory prayer? Explain.

M.T. Clark: A lack of joy certainly could be a result of not having a life that includes specific, concrete intercessory prayers. As Christians, we have to get our hands dirty. We have to meet and try to help people where they are. We have to know them personally and pray for them specifically. We may have some joy being hyper spiritual and isolating ourselves from the world and making general prayers for the well being of “all sentient beings” but that is not what Jesus did. He literally got his hands dirty washing the disciples’ feet! He went into the masses, laid hands on people, and prayed for their specific situations, personally, and great things happened. So we may lack joy in our lives because we are not following the example of Christ.

Also, when we are not engaged with others and praying for them, we tend to pretty self-focused and may be dwelling on our own problems to the point of distraction or depression, or may be focusing on all the things that have gone wrong or of those things we don’t have. Simply, being too self-focused can take away our joy. Jesus commanded us to Love God and People and while we can be positively delighted over who we are in Christ, our purpose is not fully meant if we just focus on ourselves. So pray for others and be specific, the joy that is received just may come to you too as you follow the Lord’s commands and example with the way you live your life.

Psalm Fragment

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
so that those who love your name may exult in you. Psalm 5:11

Journal Reflections

Write about how you feel when praying for others in your community of faith.

M.T. Clark: I feel good when I pray for others in my community of faith! Intecessory prayer not only performs a duty that we should perform but it also brings us closer to God as we petition Him for His help and it brings us closer to the other people because we are expressing our care and concern for them. We are loving them and God through these prayers and its not surprising for us to feel it too when we advocate for others through prayer.

Is intercessory prayer “a daily source of new joy in God and in the Christian congregation” for you? Why, or why not?

M.T. Clark: I pray every day and I would say that it is a daily source of new joy in God and in the Christian congregation. Our prayers remind us of our new life in Christ and all that God has given us -that’s joy! And our prayers for those in our congregation, remind us that we are a part of something that is bigger than ourselves – the church – where we are accepted because we all belong to God as members of His family of faith. So yes, I have new joy each morning when I pray and am reminded of these things.

Intercessions

Pray that your community of faith in particular, and all communities of faith in general, would experience the joy in God and in each other that comes from the service of daily prayer on behalf of their members.

M.T. Clark:

Lord,

I pray for my community of faith, Starpoint church, and all the Bible believing Christian churches in general, that they would experience the joy in the Lord and in each other that comes from daily prayer on behalf of each other. Lord encourage and teach us to pray as we ought. Teach us to pray for one another.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Prayer for Today

Holy God, thank you for the joy of bringing people into your presence this day and every day.

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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

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.”

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

By ARTHUR W. PINK

CHAPTER TWELVE

THE VALUE OF THIS DOCTRINE

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,

And is profitable for doctrine,

For reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

That the man of God may be perfect,

Throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:16, 17).

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:16, 17). “Doctrine” means “teaching,” and it is by doctrine or teaching that the great realities of God and of our relation to Him—of Christ, the Spirit, salvation, grace, glory—are made known to us. It is by doctrine (through the power of the Spirit) that believers are nourished and edified, and where doctrine is neglected growth in grace and effective witnessing for Christ necessarily cease. How sad then that doctrine is now decried as “unpractical” when, in fact, doctrine is the very base of the practical life. There is an inseparable connection between belief and practice: “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7). The relation between Divine truth and Christian character is that of cause to effect: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32)—free from ignorance, free from prejudice, free from error, free from the wiles of Satan, free from the power of evil; and if the truth is not “known” then such freedom will not be enjoyed. Observe the order of mention in the passage with which we have opened. All Scripture is profitable first for “doctrine”! The same order is observed throughout the Epistles, particularly in the great doctrinal treatises of the apostle Paul. Read the Epistle of “Romans” and it will be found that there is not a single admonition in the first five chapters. In the Epistle of “Ephesians” there are no exhortations till the fourth chapter is reached. The order is first doctrinal exposition and then admonition or exhortation for the regulation of the daily walk.

The substitution of so-called “practical” preaching for the doctrinal exposition which it has supplanted is the root cause of many of the evil maladies which now afflict the Church of God. The reason why there is so little depth, so little intelligence, so little grasp of the fundamental verities of Christianity is because so few believers have been established in the faith through hearing expounded and through their own personal study of the doctrines of grace. While their soul is unestablished in the doctrine of the Divine Inspiration of the Scripture, their full and verbal inspiration, there can be no firm foundation for faith to rest upon. While the soul is ignorant of the doctrine of Justification there can be no real and intelligent assurance of its acceptance in the Beloved. While the soul is unacquainted with the teaching of the Word upon Sanctification it is open to receive all the crudities and errors of the Perfectionists or “Holiness” people. While the soul knows not what Scripture has to say upon the doctrine of the New Birth there can be no proper grasp of the two natures in the believer, and ignorance here inevitably results in the loss of peace and joy. And so we might go on right through the list of Christian doctrine. It is ignorance of doctrine that has rendered the professing church helpless to cope with the rising tide of infidelity. It is ignorance of doctrine which is mainly responsible for thousands of professing Christians being captivated by the numerous false isms of the day. It is because the time has now arrived when the bulk of our churches “will not endure sound doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:3) that they so readily receive false doctrines. Of course it is true that doctrine, like anything else in Scripture, may be studied from a merely cold intellectual viewpoint, and thus approached, doctrinal teaching and doctrinal study will leave the heart untouched, and will naturally be “dry” and profitless. But, doctrine properly received, doctrine studied with an exercised heart, will ever lead into a deeper knowledge of God and of the unsearchable riches of Christ.

The doctrine of God’s sovereignty then is no mere metaphysical dogma which is devoid of practical value, but is one that is calculated to produce a powerful effect upon Christian character and the daily walk. The doctrine of God’s sovereignty lies at the foundation of Christian theology, and in importance is perhaps second only to the Divine Inspiration of the Scriptures. It is the center of gravity in the system of Christian truth: the sun around which all the lesser orbs are grouped. It is the golden milestone to which every highway of knowledge leads and from which they all radiate. It is the cord upon which all other doctrines are strung like so many pearls, holding them in place and giving them unity. It is the plumbline by which every creed needs to be measured, the balance in which every human dogma must be weighed. It is designed as the sheet-anchor for our souls amid the storms of life. The doctrine of God’s sovereignty is a Divine cordial to refresh our spirits. It is designed and adapted to mould the affections of the heart and to give a right direction to conduct. It produces gratitude in prosperity and patience in adversity. It affords comfort for the present and a sense of security respecting the unknown future. It is, and it does all, and much more than we have just said because it ascribes to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the glory which is His due, and places the creature in his proper place before Him—in the dust.^{^[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.

Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship

^{^[1]} Arthur W. Pink, The Sovereignty of God (Swengel, PA: Bible Truth Depot, 1949), 223–225.

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Bringing One Another into the Presence of God - Lent with Bonhoeffer Day 31– Purity 1003

Purity 1003 03/29/2023 Purity 1003 Podcast

Purity 1003 on YouTube:

Oh YouTube, going sideways again....

Good morning,

Today’s photo of a view of the sun shining over the Schodack Creek, State Route 9J, and through the branches of a tree comes to us from yours truly as I was reminded yesterday to remember the beauty that lies just outside my front door when I saw the sun shining in through the windows of my home “down by The River. I’m including another shot of that view as a look to the right reveals the waters of the Hudson River. I couldn’t get it all in one shot but wanted to assure you that there is “always more” to see and enjoy in life if we simply look for it.

Well, it is Wednesday and tonight I have the honor of leading one of the men from the Freedom in Christ Course to “get over the hump” of whatever unresolved personal and spiritual conflicts the Holy Spirit leads him to confess and cancel as I will be leading him through the Steps to Freedom in Christ. Just like I was prompted to run to my front door to see what God was doing with his creation when I saw the light pouring into my home, this man has boldly followed the Lord to bring him to repentance and is hopeful that the Lord will bring him to something good on the other side of the Steps to Freedom in Christ.

And just like I said that there is always more to see and enjoy in life if we only look for it, this particular brother in Christ has already had significant victories and growth in his walk with God but knows that the Lord has even more for him to learn and experience and has already stated that the Steps will not be the end of his journey as he plans to keep going where the Lord calls him to go beyond the Freedom in Christ course that concludes in two weeks.

And that is exactly what we taught last night and continually try to encourage Christians to understand: that our life of faith and our freedom in Christ is not a “one-off” experience that happens when we put our faith in Jesus or when we complete the Steps to Freedom in Christ. Our taking a hold of, experiencing, and enjoying our freedom in Christ is supposed to be a continuous and progressive way of life. As Christian disciples, we are to never stop learning and applying God’s wisdom to our lives. When we gain victory or freedom in one area of our lives, we don’t just sit down enjoying it until we become complacent and have to regain what we already have won. We are to take on new challenges and continue to discover our purpose in God’s kingdom. Our salvation isn’t a “relationship status” it is a merely the prerequisite for us to discover the purpose God has for us and the rest of our lives is to be the ongoing adventures of our interactions with God to “come and see” all that He has for us to experience.

So, let’s go and see what we can learn and discover what God has for us today as we walk in to the 31^st day of Lent and our current series, the 40 Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

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 31

Bonhoeffer writes:

“Offering intercessory prayer means nothing other than Christians bringing one another into the presence of God, seeing each other under the cross of Jesus as poor human beings and sinners in need of grace.

Then, everything about other people that repels me falls away.

Then I see them in all their need, hardship, and distress.

Their need and their sin become so heavy and oppressive to me that I feel as if they were my own, and I can do nothing else but bid: Lord, you yourself, you alone, deal with them according to your firmness and your goodness.”

Biblical Wisdom

Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. James 5:15-16

Questions to Ponder

How does seeing others under the cross of Jesus Christ cause all that “repels me” about them to fall away?

M.T. Clark: Seeing Others under the cross of Jesus Christ causes all that “repels” us about them to fall away because we have compassion for them. We sympathize with their pain and suffering that results from their sins. We see them as God sees them as people who are hurting and who desperately need God’s forgiveness, love, and wisdom. When we see others under the cross, all that could repel us about them falls away because we remember our own shame and pain and the grace that saved us and set us free.

In what way is everyone equal under the cross?

M.T. Clark: Everyone is equal under the cross because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Everyone needs Jesus to be forgiven and to receive the new and eternal life that God wants to give us. No matter what individual differences exist in us, we are all equal in our need of a Savior. There are no sliding scales of judgement where those who sin less don’t need God’s grace. We all need Jesus and thus we are all on the same level ground at the foot of the cross.

How does looking at other people through the lens of God’s mercy change our feelings about them and about ourselves?

M.T. Clark: Looking at other people through the lens of God’s mercy makes us have compassion and love for others as that view causes us to see them as “just like me” in terms of needing Jesus and being blessed by being able to receive God’s grace that allowed us to not only see our need but to humble ourselves to surrender to the Lordship of Christ. Seeing others through God’s lens should also cause us to humble ourselves as we rightly realize that, we are no better than our fellow man because we too have sinned and desperately needed Jesus.

Psalm Fragment

May he judge your people with righteousness,
   and your poor with justice.
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
   and the hills, in righteousness.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
   give deliverance to the needy,
   and crush the oppressor. Psalm 72:2-4

Journal Reflections

Make a list of the people whom you would like to bring into the presence of God today.

M.T. Clark: As this devotion is being podcasted, I will not call anyone out publicly here. I’ve gotten in trouble for that in the past. But as I write this I am thinking about all the men in the Freedom in Christ course that I lead and some other people that I feel could really benefit from being in the Lord’s presence today.

Write a line or two describing the nature of your relationship with each of these people.

M.T. Clark: My relationship to the men in the freedom in Christ course is an encourager and a brother in Christ. My relationship to the other people I am thinking about is that of an acquaintance, family member, or friend. There are lots of people I know that I would like to bring into the presence of God so they could receive the hope, mercy and love that He has for them.

Intercessions

For each person listed in your journal today, pray: Lord, you yourself, you alone, deal with (name) according to your firmness and your goodness.

M.T. Clark:

Lord God,

I pray that You and you alone deal with the people that I have on my heart according to your firmness and goodness. I pray for You to come into their presence today.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Prayer for Today

Forgiving and transforming God, thank you that under the cross of Christ we all stand equally together under your love and mercy.

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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

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.”

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

By ARTHUR W. PINK

CHAPTER ELEVEN

DIFFICULTIES AND OBJECTIONS concludes

The next question to be considered is: Why preach the Gospel to every creature? If God the Father has predestined only a limited number to be saved, if God the Son died to effect the salvation of only those given to Him by the Father, and if God the Spirit is seeking to quicken none save God’s elect, then what is the use of giving the Gospel to the world at large, and where is the propriety of telling sinners that “Whosoever believeth in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life”?

First; it is of great importance that we should be clear upon the nature of the Gospel itself. The Gospel is God’s good news concerning Christ and not concerning sinners: “Paul a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the Gospel of God … concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 1:1, 3). God would have proclaimed far and wide the amazing fact that His own blessed Son “became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” A universal testimony must be borne to the matchless worth of the person and work of Christ. Note the word “witness” in Matt. 22:14. The Gospel is God’s “witness” unto the perfections of His Son. Mark the words of the apostle: “For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish” (2 Cor. 2:15)!

Concerning the character and contents of the Gospel the utmost confusion prevails today. The Gospel is not an “offer” to be bandied around by evangelical peddlers. The Gospel is no mere invitation but a proclamation, a proclamation concerning Christ; true whether men believe it or not. No man is asked to believe that Christ died for him in particular. The Gospel, in brief, is this: Christ died for sinners, you are a sinner, believe in Christ, and you shall be saved. In the Gospel God simply announces the terms upon which men may be saved (namely, repentance and faith) and, indiscriminately, all are commanded to fulfill them.

Second, repentance and remission of sins are to be preached in the name of the Lord Jesus “unto all the nations” (Luke 24:47), because God’s elect are “scattered abroad” (John 11:52) among all nations, and it is by the preaching and hearing of the Gospel that they are called out of the world. The Gospel is the means which God uses in the saving of His own chosen ones. By nature God’s elect are children of wrath “even as others”; they are lost sinners needing a Saviour, and apart from Christ there is no salvation for them. Hence, the Gospel must be believed by them before they can rejoice in the knowledge of sins forgiven. The Gospel is God’s winnowing fan: it separates the chaff from the wheat, and gathers the latter into His garner.

Third; it is to be noted that God has other purposes in the preaching of the Gospel than the salvation of His own elect. The world exists for the elect’s sake yet others have the benefit of it. So the Word is preached for the elect’s sake yet others have the benefit of an external call. The sun shines though blind men see it not. The rain falls upon rocky mountains and waste deserts as well as on the fruitful valleys; so also, God suffers the Gospel to fall on the ears of the non-elect. The power of the Gospel is one of God’s agencies for holding in check the wickedness of the world. Many who are never saved by it are reformed, their lusts are bridled, and they are restrained from becoming worse. Moreover, the preaching of the Gospel to the non-elect is made an admirable test of their characters. It exhibits the inveteracy of their sin: it demonstrates that their hearts are at enmity against God: it justifies the declaration of Christ that “men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).

Finally; it is sufficient for us to know that we are bidden to preach the Gospel to every creature. It is not for us to reason about the consistency between this and the fact that “few are chosen.” It is for us to obey. It is a simple matter to ask questions relating to the ways of God which no finite mind can fully fathom. We, too, might turn and remind the objector that our Lord declared “Verily, I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme. But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness” (Mark 3:28, 29), and there can be no doubt whatever but that certain of the Jews were guilty of this very sin (see Matt. 12:24, etc.) and hence their destruction was inevitable. Yet, notwithstanding, scarcely two months later, He commanded His disciples to preach the Gospel to every creature. When the objector can show us the consistency of these two things—the fact that certain of the Jews had committed the sin for which there is never forgiveness, and the fact that to them the Gospel was to be preached—we will undertake to furnish a more satisfactory solution than the one given above to the harmony between a universal proclamation of the Gospel and a limitation of its saving power to those only that God has predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.

Once more, we say, it is not for us to reason about the Gospel; it is our business to preach it. When God ordered Abraham to offer up his son as a burnt-offering he might have objected that this command was inconsistent with His promise “In Isaac shall thy seed be called.” But instead of arguing he obeyed, and left God to harmonize His promise and His precept. Jeremiah might have argued that God had bade him to do that which was altogether unreasonable when He said “Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee; thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee” (Jer. 7:27), but instead, the prophet obeyed. Ezekiel, too, might have complained that the Lord was asking of him a hard thing when He said “Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with My words unto them. For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel; Not to many people of a strange speech and of a hard language, whose words thou cans’t not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee. But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto Me; for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard hearted” (Ezek. 3:4–7).

“But, O my soul, if truth so bright

Should dazzle and confound thy sight,

Yet still His written Word obey,

And wait the great decisive day.”—Watts.

It has been well said, “The Gospel has lost none of its ancient power. It is, as much today as when it was first preached, ‘the power of God unto salvation.’ It needs no pity, no help, and no handmaid. It can overcome all obstacles, and break down all barriers. No human device need be tried to prepare the sinner to receive it, for if God has sent it no power can hinder it; and if He has not sent it, no power can make it effectual.” (Dr. Bullinger).

This chapter might be extended indefinitely, but it is already too long so a word or two more must suffice. A number of other questions will be dealt with in the pages yet to follow, and those that we fail to touch upon the reader must take to the Lord Himself who has said “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not” (Jas. 1:5).^{^[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.

Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship

^{^[1]} Arthur W. Pink, The Sovereignty of God (Swengel, PA: Bible Truth Depot, 1949), 219–222.

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