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Showing posts with label Forgiveness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Forgiveness. Show all posts

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Forgive Us Our Sins - 40 Day Journey with Martin Luther – Day 34 - Purity 1307


Forgive Us Our Sins - 40 Day Journey with Martin Luther – Day 34 - Purity 1307

Purity 1307 03/23/2024 Purity 1307 Podcast

Purity 1307 on YouTube: Coming Soon!

Good morning,

Today’s photo of a gorgeous palm tree on the shores of a turquoise ocean hemmed by  a broken bridge comes to us from a currently unknown FB friend who shared this scene of what could possibly be near the Florida Keys, on social media back on or around May 8th, 2021. If this photo is yours and you would like the photo credit you deserve give me a heads up and I will update the blog after the fact.

Well, It’s Saturday and while I slept last night, lamb-like March has been replaced by a lion of a snowstorm as we were warned over the last few days with below-freezing temperatures that there is no early spring in upstate NY and now the snow makes that a painfully obvious, undeniable fact.  Skiers, snow-shoe enthusiasts, and snowmobilers rejoice!  But as for me, I’ll be snuggling up with my wife in my countryside home for a day of rest as my “March Madness” is nearing completion as we enter Holy Week with Palm Sunday tomorrow.  The last meeting of the Freedom in Christ Course that I lead online is Monday and the last “currently scheduled Freedom Appointment is Thursday, and I am suspending any and all ministry meetings, other than Easter Sunday Service to Celebrate Christ’s resurrection, next weekend. Good Friday will be good in more than one way… as it will mark the end of my having 3 nights of ministry or school during the week and nearly all of the men who have attended the Freedom in Christ course will have gone through the Steps to Freedom in Christ.  It’s been an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to serve the body of Christ and to be built up in my faith over the last 12 weeks but it's also nice to see this season come to a close.

And speaking of season coming to a close, the last day of Lent is a week from today but let’s make the most of this Lenten season by drawing close to the Lord with the start of Holy Week tomorrow. And speaking of Lent..,.

It’s the thirty-fourth day of Lent and so we continue my personal walkthrough of Gracia Grindal’s 40-Day Journey with Martin Luther to observe and celebrate the Lenten season.   In this walkthrough of Grindal’s devotional,  it is our hope that we will get to know Martin Luther a little better as we seek to draw closer to the Lord on our journey to Resurrection Sunday – Easter.  

And so we continue.

Journey Day 34

And remit our debts, as we remit what our debtors owe.

What is this?

Answer: We ask in this prayer that our heavenly Father would not regard our sins nor deny this petition on their account, for we are worthy of nothing for which we ask, nor have we earned it. Instead we ask that God would give us all things by grace, for we daily sin much and indeed deserve only punishment. So on the other hand, we, too, truly want to forgive heartily and to do good gladly to those who sin against us.

This sign (“as we forgive our debtors”) is attached to the petition so that when we pray we may recall the promise and think, “Dear Father, I come to you and pray that you will forgive me for this reason: not because I can make satisfaction or deserve anything by my works, but because you have promised and have set this seal on it, making it as certain as if I had received an absolution pronounced by you yourself.” For whatever baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which are appointed to us as outward signs, can effect, this sign can as well, in order to strengthen and gladden our conscience. Moreover, above and beyond the other signs, it has been instituted precisely so that we can use and practice it every hour, keeping it with us at all times.

Biblical Wisdom

We love because he first loved us. Those who say, “I love God”, and hate their brothers or sisters are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. 1 John 4: 19-21.

Silence for Meditation.

Pause the podcast, or stop reading, and sit quietly for 60 seconds, a few minutes, or 10-15 minutes, or however long you feel comfortable with and have time for. Focus on your breath and the calm stillness in the present moment that is always available to us in God’s creation. Meditate on Martin Luther’s comments for the day, and the content of today’s Biblical wisdom.

Questions to Ponder

·       Different versions of the Lord's prayer use different words in this petition-sins, debts, trespasses. Which do you prefer? Why?

The version of the Lord’s Prayer that I learned as a child in my Catholic upbringing used “trespasses”, so I usually use that phrasing when I pray the Lord’s Prayer.  Do I prefer it? I don’t know I sort of like the sound of “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us” but I don’t usually pray that. Can I prefer something if I don’t do it? I like it because it sounds good theologically and is used in a couple of the versions of the Bible I like (NLT, NCV). Ironically, the one I like the least – debts and debtors (clunky) is the one that is used by most of the Bible translations that I prefer (NKJV,NIV,NASB,).  Regardless, no matter how we phrase our transgressions – asking for and passing along forgiveness is what’s most important.

·       What does the word “as” in this petition mean? Is our forgiveness conditional on our forgiving those who have sinned against us?

We will have to ask the LORD to be sure of whether or not our forgiveness is conditional but it sure sounds like it might be.  I teach that an “unforgiving Christian” is an oxymoron at best and may be a contradiction in terms meaning if we claim to be Christians but fail to forgive others it may indicate that your conversion is a sham… I mean the whole idea of coming to faith in Christ is receiving God’s forgiveness and if we can’t forgive others we really have to wonder if we “know” the gospel or know the Lord . If our hearts haven’t been moved to “pay it forward” with our forgiveness… when God’s word basically commands us to, repeatedly, we have to ask whether or not our disobedience and rebellion make us more like Satan than Jesus.  Our unforgiveness is at least a foothold for the enemy but it very well could indicate that we are actually in the kingdom of darkness rather than God’s kingdom and are only deceiving ourselves.  

·       How is our forgiving those who have sinned against us a sign like baptism or the Lord's Supper?

Forgiving others is a sign that we may understand the gospel and may be one of the best pieces of evidence that we have truly surrender to the Lord’s will for our lives…. but even the biggest sinners could forgive others because they want to be forgiven for all the wrong they have done and will continue to do. If we don’t confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, forgiveness would be just another empty work of our self-righteousness. Remember our salvation is not about good deeds – its about faith in Jesus – it’s not about our performance in any one area – or any areas – its not about performance – its about a relationship with God through Jesus Christ specifically and seeking to represent the kingdom and share the gospel of Jesus Christ specifically (not be a good neighbor – That’s State Farm’s slogan – or be nice – or do what’s right) with the way we live our lives.  Everything we say and do should point to Jesus – not the good work we do.

Psalm Fragment

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered.  Psalm 130:3-4.

Journal Reflections

·       Meditate on whether forgiving others who have hurt or wronged you is easy or difficult for you.

It’s difficult in the flesh, but when I remember that I have been forgiven and that it is commanded by the Lord – it is easy in the Spirit.

·       When you find it difficult or impossible to forgive another, what is the impact on your relationship with God?

Our unforgiveness will either separate us from God or cause disharmony with our relationship with Him.  Sin is missing the mark and not forgiving others when we have been forgiven for everything we have ever done or will do, is that – missing the mark – sinning – that needs to be repented of to enjoy our relationship with God fully.

·       When Luther says that forgiving others is a “sign” he means that it is a sign of God's forgiveness of us. Luther tells us to “use and practice (this sign) every hour, keeping it with us at all times.” Meditate on what it would be like to adopt forgiveness as a daily spiritual practice.

If we adopt forgiveness as a daily spiritual practice, we will know peace and joy as we will be walking in the Spirit in a very significant way.

Prayers for the Life of Faith

Pray that you will be able to ask God for forgiveness and be able to forgive someone who has wounded you, and that they will also be willing to forgive you.

Lord God, I pray that your Holy Spirit will guide me to always ask for forgiveness when I sin and that I will be moved to forgive others from the heart for any sins, debts, or trespasses they should do against me, and that they will likewise be moved to have faith in You and be willing to forgive me as well. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Prayer For Today

Dear Lord Jesus, you teach me to ask our Father for the forgiveness of my sins and to forgive those who have sinned against me. Give me the grace to do so.

Amen.

(Gracia M. Grindal. 40-day Journey With Martin Luther. Kindle Edition.

(We encourage you to purchase Grindal’s book and take the 40 Day Journey with Martin Luther for yourself by purchasing Grindal’s book wherever books are sold. You can find it online at many different sites and purchase it new, used – paper or electronic for less than $15.00).

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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple encouragements provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .

Today’s Bible verses come to us from “The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling” By John G. Kruis.

( While Bible verses on various topics of Counseling can be found with a quick Google search, we encourage you to purchase this resource to support the late author’s work. (https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Scripture-Reference-Counseling-Kruis-ebook/dp/B00CIUJZT2?ref_=ast_author_dp )

This morning’s meditation verse comes from the section on Contentment, Coveting & and Priorities.

Proverbs 22:1 (NIV2011)
1  A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

Today’s verse falls under the eighteenth point of our counseling reference guide resource’s section on Contentment, Coveting, and Priorities.

18. A good name is more desirable than great riches.

Today’s verse impresses upon us how a good reputation, based on our character, is worth more than material prosperity.  A “good name” only comes from character.  While riches may give one’s name some recognition – like Rockefeller or Trump – it doesn’t necessarily equate to “goodness”. Rich and good may not be opposites per say but we don’t often hear them together. Bible puts more value on our goodness so let’s have a character that will reflect our goodness regardless of the amount of money we have. 

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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 “According to Your Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament” By Stephen F. Olford – A Collection of Devotional Journals: 1940-1941.

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage you all to purchase Olford’s books for your own private study and to support his work.  This resource is available online for less than $10 at many sites.

MORNING READING: LUKE 23

“I find no fault in this Man.” – Luke 23:4

What an amazing testimony was this!

Pilate was only an unconverted Gentile, yet he had to say, “I find no fault in this Man.”

The Lord Jesus Himself had only recently said, “Which of you convicts Me of sin?” (John 8:46). He said that even the Devil had no occasion against Him.

Yes, His life was one of spotless purity and goodness – an example to man and angels. Even the Father could say, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17).

Blessed Lord, enable me by Your power to live
the faultless life, that Your Name may be glorified.[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 YouTube 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

Thursday, December 14, 2023

The Three Persons in Recovery and Becoming a “One Hundred Percenter” - Purity 1221


The Three Persons in Recovery and Becoming a “One Hundred Percenter” - Purity 1221

Purity 1221 12/14/2023 Purity 1221 Podcast

Purity 1221 on YouTube:



Good morning,

Today’s photo of a garden pathway whose brilliance has been increased by a vibrant Christmas light display featuring a tree covered in multi-colored lights and electronic flowers lining the path comes to us from Bonnie Schultz who shared this scene on social media last night from her visit to the Bellingrath Gardens and Home in Theodore Alabama. 

Well, It’s Thursday and it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas ever where you go, so I am sharing Bonnie’s photo to reflect the fact that Christmas Eve is 10 days away and because I share pathway photos on Thursdays in remembrance of the day of the week that I first went into recovery and as a visual encouragement to all my friends to either get on or to stay on the pathway of Christian Discipleship and Walking in the Spirit.  

I didn’t just begin recovery on a Thursday, after I made it through Pastor Bob Costello’s Celebrate Freedom Program at Rock Solid Church I joined the leadership team and taught and eventually led the ministry on Thursday nights.  And it was in that first season of leadership that I became friends with and served besides, my friend and brother in Christ, Bill Hamm.  Bill had gone through rehab in Florida and had a measure of freedom and victory over his addictions that he brought with him when he served as part of Pastor Bob’s initial Celebrate Freedom team and Bill has the distinction of being the only one from that team, other than Pastor Bob, to remain faithful to the ministry after its initial run.  

When Celebrate Freedom started its second season Pastor Bob elevated me into service along with Bill and Paula Williams, who stepped up to be the women’s leader. Paula faithfully served Celebrate Freedom at Rock Solid until the end of 2020, and now has teaching at Celebrate Freedom as Pastor Bob started up the ministry again this year.

In that second year, Pastor Bob like any good leader intended to take a step back and to allow his underlings to grow and gave us all the opportunity to teach the program's lessons. Paula and I were relative newbies so Bill was given the duties to teach first and I’ll never forget his lesson for three reasons:

1.    Because Bill was a nervous wreck,

2.    Because it was a good message, and

3.    Because it was one if not the only time that Bill taught at Celebrate Freedom.

Teaching isn’t for everybody, and I think Bill’s nerves and lack of confidence got the best of him although he was faithful in serving the ministry for years as an encouraging attendee and supporter to all who came, he chose not to teach at Celebrate.  

That’s the way it was, we all have our roles to play in the body in Christ and Bill served in all kinds of different capacities for our church, including serving at jail ministry, so it wasn’t like he walked away, although he had his struggles in maintaining freedoms at times, Bill always fell forward and I recall how he eventually stopped struggling and falling and he grew into his freedom, in what he called a 100%-er – as in someone who was 100% clean and sober and committed to serving the Lord.  We are all a work in progress and sometimes relapse is part of recovery, but Bill eventually showed himself and others that it didn’t have to be when you followed Jesus.   Bill eventually became “the person he hoped to be” – the man God created Him to be.  

In that first and only teaching that I saw Bill give, he shared a story or an illustration that he had seen when he was in rehab.  It was an object lesson that highlighted the past, the present, and the future and used three chairs to make the point.  In recovery, there are “three people”: the person we once were, the person we are now, and the person we will be – or hope to be – in the future.   So the way the message went, Bill told us about the three people and as he talked about each one, he literally sat down in the chair and talked about what it was like to be:

·       “the person we once were”, - who was a mess, angry, depressed, addicted, and who selfishly always chose the wrong things.

·       the “person we are now” – the one who had been saved by God and who had been led to repentance, who was under a lot of stress as they had gone into recovery, but who had hope to be…

·       the person we hoped to be in the future – who rejoiced over “making it” – of being clean and sober, of being free of being happy because they were free.     

It was a good message and Bill did a good job of delivering it and even if it was the only message I can recall that he actually taught at Celebrate Freedom, it was one that he demonstrated with the way he lived.  

Bill died a week ago, last Thursday, and today is his memorial service. I will be attending to remember my friend. I will be overdressed in my new suit to honor him because even though Bill wasn’t always perfect He stood up for the Lord, pointed people to Jesus, and tried and succeeded in becoming the “person he hoped to be” – the person God created him to be – a faithful man of God.

So, let’s all honor Bill Hamm today by thinking about the person you were in the past, the person you are today, and the person you hope to be in the future, and let’s keep walking and talking with God to follow Bill’s example and become a 100%-er – a person that surrenders all and gives themselves completely to following Jesus into the abundant life of freedom and purpose that God has for us to live.

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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple encouragements provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .

Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling” By John G. Kruis.

( While Bible verses on various topics of Counseling can be found with a quick Google search, we encourage you to purchase this resource to support the late author’s work. (https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Scripture-Reference-Counseling-Kruis-ebook/dp/B00CIUJZT2?ref_=ast_author_dp )

This morning’s meditation verses come from the section on Church Discipline.

2 Corinthians 2:7-8 (NLT2)
7  Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. 8  So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him.

Today’s verses fall under the fourth point of our counseling reference guide resource’s section on Church Discipline

4. Forgive and restore one who repents; love him.

Today’s verse reminds us to be compassionate to the one who repents by forgiving and comforting them and leading them back into the family of God by reaffirming our love for them.  

Sometimes people walk away from church. One minute they are walking strong in the Lord and the next minute they fall into confusion and sin and leave the fellowship of the saints.  When this happens, they often don’t come back.   However, on occasion, the call of the Lord on their life is for real and it compels them even after terrible mistakes to repent and go back to the house of the Lord.  

Rather than being cold and judgmental towards people in this situation, we need to forgive them and comfort them and encourage them to stay with us by reaffirming our love for them.  People need God’s love, and we may be the only ones that can give it to them.  So follow the spirit of today’s verses by forgiving others and encouraging them to come back home to the house of the Lord and to stay.

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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 are sharing from “God is in the Manger- Reflections on Advent and Christmas” – By Dietrich Bonhoeffer.   

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage you all to purchase Bonhoeffer’s books for your own private study and to support his work.  This resource is available online for less than $10 at many sites.

God is in the Manger – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

ADVENT WEEK THREE -  REDEMPTION

DAY THREE

Becoming Guilty

Because Jesus took upon himself the guilt of all people, everyone who acts responsibly becomes guilty. Those who want to extract themselves from the responsibility for this guilt, also remove themselves from the ultimate reality of human existence. Moreover, they also remove themselves from the redeeming mystery of the sinless guilt bearing of Jesus Christ and have no share in the divine justification that covers this event. They place their personal innocence above their responsibility for humankind, and they are blind to the unhealed guilt that they load on themselves in this very way. They are also blind to the fact that real innocence is revealed in the very fact that for the sake of other people it enters into the communion of their guilt. Through Jesus Christ, the nature of responsible action includes the idea that the sinless, the selflessly loving become the guilty.

In eight days, we shall celebrate Christmas and now for once let us make it really a festival of Christ in our world.… It is not a light thing to God that every year we celebrate Christmas and do not take it seriously. His word holds and is certain. When he comes in his glory and power into the world in the manger, he will put down the mighty from their seats, unless ultimately, ultimately they repent.

Sermon to a London church on the third

Sunday of Advent, December 17, 1933

Come now, let us argue it out,

says the Lord:

though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be like snow;

though they are red like crimson,

they shall become like wool.

Isaiah 1:18[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 YouTube 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] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas, ed. Jana Riess, trans. O. C. Dean Jr., First edition. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010), 38–39.

Thursday, November 16, 2023

Anger, Bitterness, and Cults of Personality - Purity 1199

Anger, Bitterness, and Cults of Personality - Purity 1199

Purity 1199 11/16/2023 Purity 1199 Podcast

Purity 1199 on YouTube:



Good morning,

Today’s photo of a winding asphalt pathway cutting through a sunbathed late autumn forest comes to us from Fred Dimmick who shared this scene that he captured while visiting Caney Creek, near Murphy NC on Monday. 

Well, It’s Thursday and I share Fred’s photo of a highway pathway because of its scenic beauty and as a visual reminder to myself and you to get on or to stay on the path of Christian Discipleship because I know how difficult that can be, especially when we forget who we are in Christ and when we let anger and temptation consume us.  

Recently, I have encountered a few fellow travelers on the road to recovery who unfortunately have taken a detour into relapse and the underlying causes seemed to be very similar if not the same: anger! Or the bitterness of unforgiveness.  In one case, the person involved had made the decision to go into recovery because of difficulties in their marriage. Their secret drinking was increasingly a problem and eventually, it led to an ultimatum – stop drinking or get divorced.  This person chose their marriage and family and started on the shaky road to recovery.  They struggled initially but soon they had days, and weeks of success and recently had reached the milestone of a full month of sobriety. But apparently last week, due to a busy schedule they missed checking into their normal meetings, but all seemed well, and they would resume their normal meetings next week.  The good news is that they did go back to their meetings but the bad news is that even though they made it through last weekend and reported that it was a “good weekend” when Monday came calling the stress of the world and the spiritual forces of darkness rushed in to drive them into despair and into relapse and they are currently struggling with the question of do they want their marriage and family or do they want to be “free to drink”.  After a month of success, they are right back to square one – asking the questions that should have been resolved, from day one.

But let’s give them some grace. Recovery is not easy. Changing the way you have lived for so long is not easy.  Having the “rules” changed later in life doesn’t seem fair.  And let’s be honest, this “compelled” or “coerced” entrance into recovery is not the best way to find success.  From day one, I have encouraged this person to choose recovery for themselves, and ideally as an expression of their faith – a natural outflowing of your decision to live for God and follow Jesus, because if we only choose to sober up because of someone else, because of the negative relational consequences our drinking has caused, we will end up resenting the very person we made the decision to go into recovery for.  “I can’t drink anymore because of “THEM”!”  or “Can’t I just have a few drinks?!!? Can’t I be free to do what I want!?”  

No, you can’t. We can choose what we want but we are subject to those choices.  Choose to sin, choose to suffer, as the old adage goes. 

Also, the fact that the past clearly demonstrates that, no, you can’t just have a few drinks, more often than not you get drunk, and you do things that cause problems. 

Also the fact that you continually go back to the bottle shows that you are a slave to it. That’s not “freedom”, That’s bondage.  Real freedom is being able to choose to become the person God created you to be. A person who solves problems and loves others, not a person who causes problems and drives people away.

So standing up for your selfish right to get drunk and making the people you love suffer through it is not the life God wants you to have. He wants you to be free.  

Another relapse that happened recently was driven by unforgiveness and bitterness.   This person was in recovery and had a betrayal befall them – leading them to relapse and to be placed in rehab for a month.  While in rehab, they listened to good counsel and made the decision to forgive the person who had betrayed them and resolved to stay in the relationship.  They went home and everything was good again… for a time.  But then, I saw this person share a social media post whose content highlighted the desire to seek revenge. It was a movie clip from a Ben Affleck movie where he enlists a friend’s help to not ask questions and just to agree to go with him to “go hurt some people”.   I knew that was a bad sign and sure less than a week later they relapsed and have broken relationships with the person they had “forgiven” in an angry outburst that has caused collateral damage to their children.   

With forgiveness, we need to forgive from the heart and take people off of our hook and put them on God’s hook, and not seek revenge. Forgiving from the heart means never bringing up the person’s past offenses and using them against them again. Also forgiving from the heart is a conscious decision that will need to be made and recommitted to as some of sin’s consequences are delayed and we will have to deal with some fall out from the past as we go into the future. So we have to choose to forgive and keep on forgiving in some cases.   This person didn’t continue in forgiveness. Instead, they entertained thoughts about revenge, and it led to relapse.  

In both cases, the magic elixir of alcohol that was supposed to soothe their hurt and calm their souls drove them into hurting themselves and others. Instead of putting out the fires of anger, it was like they threw gasoline on the smoldering anger and bitterness that was just below the surface, despite their outward façade that told the world “everything is just fine”.   

So what do you do? 

Well you go back to God, always.  You ask for forgiveness and resolve to follow Jesus in the pathways of peace. Instead of isolating yourself in your anger, you study His word to renew your mind and you talk to Him in prayer to receive wisdom, strength, and healing. You start walking and talking with God and follow Jesus’ example.   You forgive from the heart, and you embrace the truth that addiction to anything is NOT Freedom and that you believed a whole pack of lies to think that drunkenness, gluttony, or sexual immorality were “good things”.  

God will lead you out of the darkness, but you have to choose to follow Him freely and to adapt his righteous, forgiving, and loving ways more and more each day.  

When you repent and start living as the Christian you claim to be, the Lord blesses your path and even though it may be difficult and frustrating at times the consequences of walking in his ways will lead to good.  

Romans 8:28 (NKJV) says
28  And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

God has called you to His purpose: to live a simple good righteous life that represents His kingdom – to be more and more like Jesus.  And when we walk toward that purpose, God works all things together for good to who? To those who love God! – So love Him and follow Him out of the darkness of anger and the bitterness of unforgiveness and find peace that comes from living with and for God.

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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple encouragements provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .

Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling” By John G. Kruis.

( While Bible verses on various topics of Counseling can be found with a quick Google search, we encourage you to purchase this resource to support the late author’s work. (https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Scripture-Reference-Counseling-Kruis-ebook/dp/B00CIUJZT2?ref_=ast_author_dp )

This morning’s meditation verses come from the section on Church, Communion of the Saints.

1 Corinthians 1:10-17 (ESV)
10  I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
11  For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.
12  What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
13  Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
14  I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,
15  so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name.
16  (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.)
17  For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Today’s verses fall under the fourth point of our counseling reference guide resource’s section on Church, Communion of the Saints.

 4. Keep the unity of believers; don’t follow men, but Christ.

Today’s verses highlight the fact that division can even happen in the “church of Acts” and that we are not to follow men, but we are to follow God.

Christians are supposed to display the fruit of the spirit – peace – but when we put our allegiances into a person or a system that causes division rather than in God and the truth of His word that should result in peace and love, we know we have gone astray.  

As the Lord would have it, Crossexamined.org’s, John Ferrer shares a blog post this week that talks about “Personality Cults” – where even Biblically based Christian gatherings can be subverted to the following of “the head man” – a narcissistic charismatic leader that rules their flock with a “lone wolf” approach to decision making, inflicting vindictive punishments on those who don’t follow their edicts” showing us the dangers of putting a Pastor or Minister as the Lord of your life rather than following Jesus.  I am sharing the link to Ferrer’s article on the blog today if you want to check it out and to examine whether or not you may be in a “Cult of Personality.  

So as today’s passage says – ”there be no divisions among you”  and “seek to be united in the same mind and the same judgment” that makes Jesus the One and Only Lord of 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 are sharing from A. W. Pink’s – The Arthur Pink Anthology  - a collection of A.W. Pink’s tracts brought together in one book and dispersed here on the blog for your encouragement.

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage you all to purchase A.W. Pink’s books for your own private study and to support his work.  This resource is available online for free as a PDF at many sites, but printed copies of collections of A.W. Pink’s books are available for purchase wherever Christian books are sold. 

The Arthur Pink Anthology – 6

Christian Fools – Part 3 of 8

Yes, but there are many Calvinists who equally come under the rebuke of our text. They believe in the sovereignty of God, but they refuse to believe in the responsibility of man. I read a book by a hyper-Calvinist only a few weeks ago, by a man whose shoe-latchet the present speaker in many things is not fit to stoop down and unloose—a man of God, a faithful servant of His, one from whom I have learned not a little—and yet he had the effrontery to say, that responsibility is the most awful word in the English language, and then went on to tirade against human responsibility. They cannot understand how that it is possible for God to fix the smallest and the greatest events, and yet not to infringe upon man’s accountability—men themselves choosing the evil and rejecting the good—and therefore because they cannot see both they will only believe in one.

Listen! If man were nothing more than clay in the hands of the Potter there would be no difficulty. Scripture affirms in Romans 9 that man is clay in the hands of the Potter, but that only gives you one aspect of the truth. That emphasizes the absoluteness of God’s control over all the works and creatures of His hands; but from other Scriptures we learn that man is something more than lifeless clay. Man has been endowed with understanding; man has been given a will. Yes, I freely admit that his understanding is darkened; I fully allow that his will is in bondage; but they are still there; they have not been destroyed. If man was nothing more than a block of wood or a block of stone, it would be easy to understand how that God could fix the place that he was to occupy and the purpose that he was to fulfil; but, my friends, it is very far from easy to understand how that God can shape and direct all history and yet leave man fully responsible and not infringe upon his accountability.

Now there are some who have devised a very simple but a most unsatisfactory method of getting rid of the difficulty, and that is to deny its existence. There are Arminians who have presented the “free-will” of man in such a way as to virtually dethrone God, and I have no sympathy whatever with their system. On the other hand, there have been some Calvinists who have presented a kind of fatalism (I know not what else to term it) reducing man to nothing more than a block of wood, exonerating him of all blame and excusing him for his unbelief. But they are both equally wrong, and I scarcely know which is the more mischievous of the two. When the Calvinist says, All things happen according to the predestination of God. I heartily say Amen, and I am willing to be called a Calvinist; but if the Arminian says that when a man sins the sin is his own, and that if he continues sinning he will surely perish, and that if he perishes his blood is on his own head, then I believe the Arminian speaks according to God’s truth; though I am not willing to be called an Arminian. The trouble is when we tie ourselves down to a theological system.

Now listen a little more closely still. When the Calvinist says that faith is the gift of God and that no sinner ever does or can believe until God gives him that faith, I heartily say Amen; but when the Arminian says that the gospel commands all who hear it to believe, and that it is the duty of every sinner to believe, I also say Amen. What? you say, You are going to stand up and preach faith-duty-duty-faith? I know that is jolting to some of you. Now bear with me patiently for a moment and I will try and not shock you too badly. Whose is the gospel? It is God’s. Whose voice is it that is heard speaking in the gospel? It is God’s. To whom has God commanded the gospel to be preached? To every creature. What does the gospel say to every creature? It says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.” It says, “Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” It says, “The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.” God commands, not invites. God commands every man, woman and child that hears that gospel to believe it, for the gospel is true; therefore it is the duty of every man to believe what God has said. Let me give you the alternative. If it is not the duty of every sinner to believe the gospel, then it is his duty not to believe it—one or the other. Do you mean to tell me it is the duty of an unconverted sinner to reject the gospel? I am not talking now about his ability to believe it.[1]

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Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship



[1] Arthur Walkington Pink, The Arthur Pink Anthology (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2005).