The Express Way to Eternal Glory - Purity 967
Purity 967 02/15/2023 Purity 967 Podcast
Purity 967 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of the statue of the 1961 Heisman
Trophy Winner, Ernie Davis, with the orange lighted dome of the JMA Wireless
Dome – the Carrier Dome – in the background comes to us from yours truly as I
decided to take advantage of my business trip to Syracuse by seeing the SU Men’s
basketball team take on the NC State Wolfpack last night. The Orangemen “came up with big plays, and a
little luck, to upset NC State who is the 23rd. Little did I know it
at the time but apparently SU hadn’t beaten a ranked team since 2021. So way to
go Orange! (https://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/2023/02/syracuse-gets-big-plays-and-a-little-luck-to-knock-off-23rd-ranked-nc-state.html)
I’m not much of a sports fan these days but last
night I really got caught up in the excitement of rooting for the Orangemen and
was positively thrilled with their victory. On the way out, I just happened to
walk past Ernie Davis’ statue and took today’s photo without really knowing his
story either.
Not only did Ernie Davis win the Heisman in 1961, he
was also the driving force behind Syracuse University’s only national championship
in football in the 1959 season. He was
an extremely talented athlete but his story is also a cautionary tale about the
brevity of life as he died of leukemia at the age of 23.
Although his athletic prowess earned him the nickname
of the “Elmira Express” and a contract with the Cleveland Browns in 1962, he died
on May 18, 1963, never having played a professional football game. “Today,
Davis is remembered for his sportsmanship, the grace with which he handled the
racial intolerance of his time, and his courage in facing a disease that
ultimately claimed his life. In 2008 Universal Pictures film released, The
Express: The Ernie Davis Story to keep Davis’ memory alive by exposing new
generations of fans to his story. ” (https://www.biography.com/athletes/ernie-davis).
I haven’t seen the film myself, but I think I will
check it out because according to an article I saw on line ,Davis’ sportsmanship
and character were rooted in his faith as a Christian (https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/bibleandculture/2008/10/express-yourself-the-ernie-davis-story.html)
. If you are as interested to see the movie as I am, it is free to stream on
Tubi and I am including the link to it on the blog today - https://tubitv.com/movies/711138/the-express?start=true&utm_source=google-feed&tracking=google-feed).
As tragic as Davis’ story may appear to be, as it is
always sad when young people die in the prime of their life, I know that the
Ernie Davis story isn’t over as his faith in Jesus Christ would have graced him
with something of immense value that all the awards and championships could not
compare to: eternal life in God’s kingdom.
And the wonderful news for you and me is that we don’t
to be as fast or as athletically talented as Ernie Davis to join him in God’s
eternal glory. We only need faith in
Jesus Christ to the “Express Way to Eternal Glory” as Jesus assured us of eternal
life to those who believe in Him and a place for His disciples in heaven. Before his death and resurrection Christ told
His apostles:
John 14:1-3 (NKJV)
1 "Let not your heart be
troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 In My Father's house are
many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to
prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there
you may be also.
Jesus also said in:
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?"
Jesus Christ’s
resurrection proves He is God and what He said is true. Ernie Davis’ story isn’t over and neither
will our story end if we die before Christ’s return. He has prepared a way for
all who put their faith in Him and He has won the victory over sin and the
grave for all who follow Him.
As thrilling as this world’s triumphs can be, the victory we have in Christ far surpasses anything this world has to offer. So either put or keep your faith in Jesus, and rejoice because whether we win or lose in the struggles ort contests we will face on this earth, we are on the winning team and are riding on the express way to eternal glory.
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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:
Romans 6:12-14 (NLT2)
12 Do not let sin control the
way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.
13 Do not let any part of
your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves
completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole
body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.
14 Sin is no longer your
master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you
live under the freedom of God’s grace.
Today’s Bible nerse encourages us to live
in the freedom we have received by giving ourselves completely to God and doing
what is right for the glory of the One who has given us new life.
Christ didn’t just give us
forgiveness and eternal life in God’s kingdom. Faith in Jesus gives us new life
– as we are made spiritually alive, given the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit
and power over sin.
We can overcome our old worldly ways
of sin when we put out faith in Jesus and decide to believe the truth of our victory by
surrendering ourselves to God’s will and doing what is right.
We won’t be perfectly sinless of
course but God will empower us to grow and mature in our faith and progressively
be sanctified as we give ourselves completely to God, refuse to given in to
temptation, and decide to let Christ live through us in the way we live our
lives.
So keep walking and talking to God and listen to His guidance that will lead you in paths of righteousness and give Our Lord glory.
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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 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 SIX
THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD IN OPERATION continues
God’s
method of dealing with the wicked: continues
2. God exerts upon the wicked a softening influence disposing them
contrary to their natural inclinations to do that which will promote His cause.
Above, we referred to Joseph’s history as an
illustration of God exerting a restraining influence upon the wicked, let us
note now his experiences in Egypt as exemplifying our assertion that God also
exerts a softening influence upon the
unrighteous. We are told that while he was in the house of Potiphar “The Lord
was with Joseph, and his master saw the Lord was with him,” and in consequence,
“Joseph found favor in his sight and he made him overseer over his house” (Gen.
39:3, 4). Later, when Joseph was unjustly cast into prison, we are told “But
the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison” (Gen.
39:21), and in consequence the prison-keeper showed him much kindness and
honor. Finally, after his release from prison, we learn from Acts 7:10 that the
Lord “gave him favor and wisdom in the
sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all
his house.”
An equally striking
evidence of God’s power to melt the hearts of his enemies, was seen in
Pharaoh’s daughter’s treatment of the infant Moses. The incident is well known.
Pharaoh had issued an edict commanding the destruction of every male child of
the Israelites. A certain Levite had a son born to him who for three months was
kept hidden by his mother. No longer able to conceal the infant Moses she
placed him in an ark of bulrushes and laid him by the river’s brink. The ark was
discovered by none less than the king’s daughter who had come down to the river
to bathe, but instead of heeding her father’s wicked decree and casting the
child into the river we are told that “she
had compassion on him” (Ex. 2:6)! Accordingly, the young life was spared
and later Moses became the adopted son of this princess!
God has access to the
hearts of all men and He softens or hardens them according to His sovereign
purpose. The profane Esau swore vengeance upon his brother for the deception
which he had practiced upon his father, yet when next he met Jacob, instead of
slaying him we are told that Esau “fell on his neck and kissed him” (Gen.
32:4)! Ahab, the weak and wicked consort of Jezebel, was highly enraged against
Elijah the prophet, at whose word the heavens had been shut up for three years
and a half: so angry was he against the one whom he regarded as his enemy that
we are told he searched for him in every nation and kingdom and when he could
not be found “he took an oath” (1 Kings 18:10). Yet, when they met, instead of
killing the prophet, Ahab meekly obeyed Elijah’s behest and “sent unto all the
children of Israel and gathered the prophets together unto Mount Carmel” (v.
20). Again; Esther the poor Jewess is about to enter the presence-chamber of
the august Medo-Persian monarch which, said she, “is not according to the law”
(Esther 4:16). She went in expecting to “perish,” but we are told “She obtained favor in his sight, and the
king held out to Esther the golden scepter” (5:2). Yet again; the boy Daniel is
a captive in a foreign court. The king “appointed” a daily provision of meat
and drink for Daniel and his fellows. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he
would not defile himself with the allotted portion, and accordingly made known his
purpose to his master, the prince of the eunuchs. What happened? His master was
a heathen and “feared” the king. Did he turn then upon Daniel and angrily
demand that his orders be promptly carried out? No; for we read, “Now God had brought Daniel into favor and
tender love with the prince of the eunuchs” (Dan. 1:9)!
“The king’s heart is
in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever He
will” (Prov. 21:1). A remarkable illustration of this is seen in Cyrus, the
heathen king of Persia. God’s people were in captivity, but the predicted end
of their captivity was almost reached. Meanwhile the Temple at Jerusalem lay in
ruins, and, as we have said, the Jews were in bondage in a distant land. What
hope was there then that the Lord’s house would be re-built? Mark now what God
did, “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord
by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he
made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it in writing, saying,
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the
kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him a house at
Jerusalem, which is in Judah” (Ezra 1:1, 2). Cyrus, be it remembered, was a
pagan, and as secular history bears witness, a very wicked man, yet the Lord
moved him to issue this edict that His Word through Jeremiah seventy years
before might be fulfilled. A similar and further illustration is found in Ezra 7:27,
where we find Ezra returning thanks for what God had caused King Artaxerxes to
do in completing and beautifying the house which Cyrus had commanded to be
erected—“Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to
beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem” (Ezra 7:27).[1]
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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 podcasts
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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
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“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), 126–128.
