Called to See, Believe, and Worship - Purity 1145
Purity 1145 09/12/2023 Purity 1145 Podcast
Purity 1145 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of lush green tropical plants in the
foreground of a stone pathway leading to a swimming pool oasis beyond comes to
us from yours truly and a few years back, on July 18th, 2019, as I originally captured this scene at the Camino
Real Hotel in Antigua after a week-long vacation mission trip to the mountain
areas near Jocotan Guatemala. We dug out
the foundations and built a church in those mountains of Guatemala and this
scene represents the reward that awaited those who decided to surrender a week
of their summers for service to the kingdom of God.
I wasn’t trying to earn anything on that trip of
course, I was a volunteer, but our leadership team made arrangements to give us
a day of rest and reward before going back home for our faithfulness and it was
much appreciated.
Looking back, I’m still amazed at the fact that I
went to Guatemala to serve the body of Christ but this morning I was also
reminded that my personal life was somewhat in shambles at the time, as my
marriage had fallen apart but I was cohabitating with the ex and was still
waiting for the divorce agreement to be signed and finalized. I suppose one
could surmise that I went on that mission trip to “escape” the harsh realities
at home but although I could see why one could think that I would have to tell
you that you were wrong.
I didn’t go to Guatemala to escape reality and I didn’t
go there for some reward. I went to
Guatemala to worship and serve the Lord.
My local church announced the mission trip and I felt called to go, so I
went. You see God had saved me back in
2010 and led me into freedom from my addiction to alcohol in 2015, and at the
time I was a few months away from being sexually pure for a year, so although I
knew I could never pay the Lord back for all He has given me through my faith
in Christ, I knew that it was good to serve and worship Him wherever He called
me.
This morning I was reading John 9, the passage where
Jesus heals a man that was blind since birth but when he declared that Jesus
was a “prophet” he was thrown out of the synagogue by the Pharisees.
John 9:35-38 (NKJV) tells us that:
35 Jesus heard that they had
cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?"
36 He answered and said,
"Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?"
37 And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with
you."
38 Then he said, "Lord,
I believe!" And he worshiped Him.
This man had received his and didn’t
even know Jesus when He saw Him! But when his eyes were opened to see the One
who healed Him, despite the opinions of the supposedly religious elite, He believed
in Him and worshipped Him.
This man’s example is the appropriate
response for meeting Jesus. Having
received His healing from Jesus, He had to tell others about it, even though it
cost him – He was compelled to tell the truth about what happened to Him and to
what it must mean about his healer.
When the Pharisees said they knew
Jesus to be a sinner this man said:
John 9:25 (NKJV)
25 …"Whether He is a
sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind,
now I see."
And later,
John 9:30-33 (NKJV)
30 … "Why, this is a
marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my
eyes!
31 Now we know that God does
not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He
hears him.
32 Since the world began it
has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind.
33 If this Man were not from
God, He could do nothing."
He defended Jesus’ name and was cast
out for it and when He finally saw His healer face to face, He believed in Him
and worshipped Him.
My eyes were opened in 2010 through a
David Jerimiah gospel radio message and as I followed I received my healing
too. And so now I proclaim Jesus as the Lord and Savior and try to worship Him
in all I do. And no matter what
hardship comes my way, I will choose to worship Him because I can do nothing
else.
My eyes have been opened, so I worship and proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ. So don’t lose your vision, don’t forget what the Lord has done in your life by revealing who Jesus is. He saved you. He forgave you. And He calls you to follow Him into a new life of meaning and purpose to serve His kingdom. When we follow we are healed and made brand new, and it is only appropriate to believe and worship Christ forever.
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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 verse comes from the section on Anger, Hot Temper.
Proverbs 14:29 (NLT2)
29 People with understanding
control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.
Today’s
verses fall under the second point of our counseling reference guide resource’s
section on Anger,
Hot Temper
2. Be slow to become angry.
Today’s verse is another verse that our resource provides to encourage us to be slow in becoming angry. Our resource provides three passages to support this point and rather than giving them all yesterday, I decided to “take it slow” by presenting them one at a time.
This verse emphasizes the wisdom that is demonstrated in controlling our anger. A hot temper shows great foolishness but people with understanding control their anger. As we mentioned yesterday, one moment of unbridled anger can result in life-ending or life-altering consequences.
There are “crimes of passion” where people are possessed by anger and release their frustrations in violence and even though they were able to pour out their wrath, they are held responsible for the damage they have done. Although releasing anger in the moment may have felt good, the punishment and the negative consequences can cause us to regret how we let our hot tempers lead us into regrettable actions.
So be wise and don’t let your anger burn hot. Remember to take a moment to think about what you say and do when you are angry. Forgive as we are called to forgive those who offend us. Take a moment and count to ten, Walk away if you need to because the far-reaching effects of regrets of an angry outburst can be avoided when we are slow to anger.
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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 The Holy Spirit By A.W. Pink.
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 $0.99 (https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Spirit-Arthur-Pink-Collection-ebook/dp/B008CM5292/ref=sr_1_3?crid=AHKAQOM39CTN&keywords=a.w.+pink+the+holy+spirit&qid=1684376225&sprefix=a.w.+pink+the+holy+spirit+%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-3)
A.W. Pink’s The Holy Spirit
23 - The Spirit Witnessing
Guidelines
for Subjective Witness
First, the Spirit’s
witness is in strict accord with the teaching of Holy Writ. In the Word He has
given certain marks by which the question may be decided as to whether or not I
am a child of God: He has described certain features by which I may identify
myself—see John 8:39, Romans 4:12 and 8:14 and contrast John 8:44 and Ephesians
2:2, 3. It is by the Truth that the Spirit enlightens, convicts, comforts,
feeds, and guides the people of God; and it is by and through the Truth that He
bears witness with their spirit. There is a perfect harmony between the
testimony of Scripture and the varied experiences of each renewed soul, and it
is by revealing to us this harmony, by showing us the correspondence between
the history of our soul and the testimony of the Word that He persuades us we
are born again: “Hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our
hearts before Him” (1 John 3:19).
Second, He works such graces in us as are peculiar
to God’s children, and thereby evidences our interest in the favor of God. He
makes the Christian to feel “poor in spirit,” a pauper dependent upon the
charity of God. He causes him to “mourn” over much which gives the worldling no
concern whatever. He bestows a spirit of “meekness” so that the rebellious will
is, in part, subdued, and God’s will is submitted unto. He gives a “hunger and
thirst after righteousness” and gives the soul to feel that the best this
perishing world has to offer him is unsatisfying and but empty husks. He makes
him “merciful” toward others, counteracting that selfish disposition which is
in us by nature. He makes him “pure in heart” by giving him to pant after
holiness and hate that which is vile (Matthew 5:3–8, etc.). By His own fruit in
the soul, the Spirit makes manifest His indwelling presence.
Third, He helps us to discern His work of grace in our souls
more clearly. Conscience does its part, and the Spirit confirms the same. The
conjoint witness of the Spirit gives vigor and certainty to the assurance of
our hearts. When the flood-waters of a land mingle themselves with a river they
make one and the same stream, but it is now more rapid and violent. In like
manner, the united testimonies of our own conscience and of the Spirit make but
one witness, yet it becomes such as to break down our fears and overcome our
doubts. When the blessed Spirit shines upon His own work of grace and holiness
in our souls, then in His light we “see light” (Ps. 36:9). Inward holiness, a
filial spirit, an humble heart, submission to God, is something that Satan
cannot imitate.
Fourth, He helps us not only to see grace, but to
judge of the sincerity and reality of it. It is at this point many honest souls
are most sorely exercised. It is much easier to prove that we believe, than to
be assured that our faith is a saving one. It is much easier to conclude that
we love Christ, than it is to be sure that we love Him in sincerity and for
what He is in Himself. Our hearts are fearfully deceitful, there are many
minglings of faith and unbelief (Mark 9:24), and grace in us is so feeble that
we hesitate to pronounce positively upon our state. But when the Spirit
increases our faith, rekindles our love, strengthens us with might in the inner
man, He enables us to come to a definite conclusion. First He sanctifies and
then He certifies.
The deceits of Satan,
though often plausible imitations up to a point, are, in their tendency and
outcome, always opposed to that which God enjoins. On the other hand, the
operations of the Spirit are ever in unison with the written Word. Here, then,
is a sure criterion by which we may test which
spirit is at work within us. The three truths of Scripture which more directly
concern us are, our ruin by nature, our redemption by grace, and the duties we
owe by virtue of our deliverance. If then, our beliefs, our feelings, our
assurance, tend to exalt depraved nature, depreciate Divine grace, or lead to a
licentious life, they are certainly not of God. But if they have quite the
opposite tendency, convincing us of our wretchedness by nature, making Christ
more precious to us, and leading us into the duties He enjoins, they are of the
Holy Spirit.
It only remains for
us to ask, Why does not the Holy Spirit grant unto the Christian a strong and
comforting assurance of his Divine sonship at
all times? Various answers may be given. First, we must distinguish between
the Spirit’s work and His witness: often it is His office to
convict and make us miserable, rather than to impart comfort and joy. Second,
His assuring consolation is often withheld because of our slackness: we are
bidden to “make your calling and election sure” and “be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace” (2 Pet. 1:10 and
3:14)—the comforts of the Spirit drop not into lazy souls. Third, because of
our sins: “The Holy Spirit fell on all them which heard the Word” (Acts
10:44)—not while they were walking in the paths of unrighteousness. His witness
is a holy one: He will not put a
jewel in a swine’s snout (Prov. 11:22). Keep yourselves in the love of God
(Jude 21) and the Spirit’s witness will be yours.[1]
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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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These teachings are also available on the
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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)
For those who require the assistance of a Deeper
Walk International Prayer Minister to experience healing or your freedom in
Christ, I highly recommend Christy Edge’s Life on the Edge Freedom Prayer
Ministry. You can schedule a session by going to : https://cedge216.wixsite.com/life-on-the-edge
“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 Walkington Pink, The Holy Spirit
(Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, n.d.).