Who Christ Really is for Us Today - Lent with Bonhoeffer Day 40 – Purity 1012

(Photo credit: Paulette Hodges) 

Who Christ Really is for Us Today - Lent with Bonhoeffer Day 40  – Purity 1012

Purity 1012 04/08/2023 Purity 1012 Podcast

Purity 1012 on YouTube: Coming Soon!

Good morning,

Today’s photo of the last night’s post sunset twilight time comes to us from a FB friend who captured this scene near presumably near their home in Germantown NY and shared it on social media last evening , commenting that there was “no filter needed”. 

Well, It’s Holy Saturday and I am sharing a link to gotquestions.org’s biblical answer to the question of “What is Holy Saturday?” (https://www.gotquestions.org/Holy-Saturday.html ) to let the curious, like I was, know what happened on the day in between Christ’s death and resurrection.  

Spoiler alert, while Christ’s disciples mourned his loss, the Pharisees, remembering Jesus’ claim that He would rise from the dead, were asking Pontius Pilate for a guard to put on Christ’s tomb to keep anyone from breaking in.  

However, as we all know, the Resurrection was an “inside job” and no amount of Roman soldiers was going to stop Jesus from breaking out of that tomb to show the world that He was who He said He was, the Messiah – The Son of God and God the Son – and that even the grave could not hold Him down!

But on Saturday, the pharisees, the Romans, and may even some of the disciples, believed that Jesus was dead and gone – but just in case his enemies put a guard on him.  So “Holy Saturday” became a day of waiting  even those who didn’t believe in Him and some Christians will observe today in somber reflection remembering Christ’s death, and the death of other Christians who have gone into eternity before us, to acknowledge the loss but it will an acknowledgement and remembrance that will be tempered with a hope and a promise.  

We can mourn the loss of Christ and the departed saints today, but we will celebrate Jesus’ resurrection tomorrow and still have the hope and the promise of Christ’s return to earth to rule and reign forever and the resurrection of all His faithful followers still to come.   

So whether you choose to use Holy Saturday to remember the loss or to rejoice over the resurrection and the hope of Christ’s promised return, I hope you enjoy this day of waiting and have a wonderful Easter or Resurrection Sunday tomorrow.

But speaking of mourning our losses, it may be hard to believe but we have officially arrived at the last day of Lent, and the last day of our current series, the 40 Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, with Day 40.

As a final reminder, and as we have said each day of this journey, we took 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 took this journey of repentance seriously, we would not only see the days and seasons change, the Lord would use it to change us too. 

And the Lord did use this walk to change us. We are at the very least were well over 40 days older (no Lent days on Sundays remember?), but if your walk has been similar to mine, the last 40 plus days has helped to deliver you from some of the darkness and chaos of winter and into a new life of spring.  It was February 24^th when I started doing this devotion on the blog, on DAY 3 of Lent, yup started late and didn’t know I was going to walk this out officially until Day 5, but it gave me a rest I desperately needed and gave me wisdom and encouragement that I didn’t have before.  This lent I have been a little more disciplined with my health and have seen some major moves of God with the Freedom in Christ course and some new insights and personal revelations through the study material, cohort community, and prayer minister that the Deeper Walk School of Prayer Ministry’s curriculum required me to see to “experience being a client.  This season of Lent just proves to me again the reason why I do this blog – share the knowledge that we are to continually lean on and learn from the Lord and if we keep “waking and talking with God” we will continue to grow and mature as we experience the grand adventure of the new life the Lord has given us to live.   

So if you are coming in late, you can walk out this 40 day journey with Bonhoeffer for yourself, at your own pace.

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 40

Near the end of his life, Bonhoeffer was reported to have said the following:

“What bothers me incessantly is the question…who Christ really is for us today?”

Biblical Wisdom

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the son of Man is?” and they said, “some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets?” he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the messiah, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:13-16

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you? Luke 6:46

Questions to Ponder

• What is the relationship between who Jesus was two thousand years ago and “who Christ really is for us today”?

M.T. Clark: Well, We are going to have to go with Scripture on this one and proclaim that:

Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV)
⁸  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

And that just as Jesus was close and personal to his disciples two thousand years ago, He is close and personal to His disciples today.  To be with Jesus back then, you had to follow Him. He had places to go and people to see and if you wanted to know Him you had to follow Him. Likewise today, if we want to know Him we have to follow Him and we shouldn’t be surprised to discover that He has places for us to go and people for us to see.  The presence of the Christ in our lives is a tangible reality that requires our “asking, seeking, and knocking” for His wisdom, guidance, love, and strength but the good news is that if we seek Him, we will find Him. So if you don’t know Him or have experienced His presence, keep seeking Him – in His word, in prayer, and by walking and talking with Him – and surrendering yourself to His will for your life.

• Is there a difference between asking who Christ is for us and who Christ is for me? Explain.

M.T. Clark: While Jesus is the same for all of us – our Lord and Savior, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, Our God and Brother, who Christ is “for me” will be a little different for each of us because He will heal our individual hurts and empower us with individual talents for our individual purpose for the body of Christ and the kingdom of God.  We are one body, but we are not all the same, and Christ will be “different” to each of us as our relationship with Him will be highly personal.  

• How do we go about answering the question about “who Christ really is for us today”?

M.T. Clark:  Again, I would point to Christ being who He said He was and the fact that He doesn’t change and that if we want an answer to the question of “who Christ really is for us today?”, we have to consider who we “really are” for Christ today.

If Christ is someone you only visit a couple of times a year, or just on Sundays, at a church service, He really isn’t going to be much for you. But if we are continually seeking to know Him more through consulting His word and seeking His guidance in prayer and conforming ourselves to His image in the way we live our lives, He is “really” going to be “really real” to us and He is going to really be the answer to everything in our lives. So if you want to know “who Christ really is for us today?”, you might want to ask yourself \:

“Do I really “believe this” (John 11:25-26)? Do I really believe that He is the resurrection and the life? Am I really following Him? Am I for real, in my faith?”

Psalm Fragment

“Be still, and know that I am God!
   I am exalted among the nations,
   I am exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

Journal Reflections

• If someone asked you who Christ really is for you today, how would you answer?

M.T. Clark: If someone asked me who Christ really is for me today, I would tell them that, Jesus is:

·       My Lord and Savior

·       My reason for Hope

·       The One who Recued me

·       The One who gave me life

·       The One who paid for my sins

·       The One who forgives me

·       ‘The One who loves me

·       The One who has answered all my questions

·       The One who has never left me of forsaken me’

·       The One who walks with me every day

·       The Other in the Fire

·       My Brother, My Lord, and My Friend

And that’s not all, but that’s some of who Christ really is for me, today, and every day.

• You have finished a 40-Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer. How was the journey? What did you learn from Bonhoeffer? Has your understanding of what it means to be a Christian to follow Jesus changed? If so, how? What will be different in your life of faith for having taken this 40-day journey?

M.T. Clark: The Journey was great! I am a huge Bonhoeffer fan and admirer. If you didn’t know, I am so zealous about his book, Discipleship (The Cost of Discipleship) that I did a rather amateurish walk through it on YouTube (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYr9n4D1yfkpmfKHjeP5auLNK4e27Y8AX)! So doing the 40 Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a “no brainer” when I discovered it on Biblegateway. 

My understanding of what it means to be a Christian and to follow Jesus is always changing as the Lord blesses those who seek to learn from Him and that surrender themselves to His will for their life.  I was blessed every day through this study with Bonhoeffer’s writings, the scriptures, prayers, and these questions.

What will be different because of the study? Well, it’s now on the blog, the podcast, and YouTube now so I pray that others find it and decided to be inspired by it to follow the Lord and I am sure that the Holy Spirit will reserve the right to glean from the things I have learned from it to encourage myself and others in the future. 

As for me, I was on the path of Christian discipleship before I found the study and will just keep going the way the Lord directs me. Every ending on this path is merely a new beginning, and so come Monday I will see what is next but I will always remember that the season of Lent in 2023 was spent with the 40 Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  

Intercessions

Pray for all those who will read this book, that their journey with Bonhoeffer might lead them closer to Christ.

M.T. Clark:

Lord,

I thank you for the writings and faithful example of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and pray for all who have walked out this devotional through the blog and the podcast with us, and to all who will go on to do the devotional on Biblegateway or who will read the book, that their journey with Bonhoeffer might lead them closer to Christ and to inspire to live out their Christian faith for all to see the abundant life that comes to all who learn from and follow Jesus.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

Prayer for Today

Loving God, for where I have been and for where I am going on my journey with Jesus, I give you thanks and praise.

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. 

 

(40-Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Copyright © 2007 Augsburg Books, imprint of Augsburg Fortress.)

***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.

8. It evokes a song of praise

It could not be otherwise. Why should I, who am by nature no different from the careless and godless throngs all around, have been chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world and now blest with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Him! Why was I, that once was an alien and a rebel, singled out for such wondrous favors! Ah! that is something I cannot fathom. Such grace, such love, “passeth knowledge.” But if my mind is unable to discern a reason my heart can express its gratitude in praise and adoration. But not only should I be grateful to God for His grace toward me in the past, His present dealings will fill me with thanksgivings. What is the force of that word “Rejoice in the Lord alway” (Phil. 4:4)? Mark it is not “Rejoice in the Saviour,” but we are to “Rejoice in the Lord” as “Lord,” as the Master of every circumstance. Need we remind the reader that when the apostle penned these words he was himself a prisoner in the hands of the Roman government. A long course of affliction and suffering lay behind him. Perils on land and perils on sea, hunger and thirst, scourging and stoning, had all been experienced. He had been persecuted by those within the church as well as by those without: the very ones who ought to have stood by him had forsaken him. And still he writes, “Rejoice in the Lord alway”! What was the secret of his peace and happiness? Ah! had not this same apostle written “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28). But how did he, and how do we, “know” that all things work together for good? The answer is, Because all things are under the control of and are being regulated by the Supreme Sovereign, and because He has naught but thoughts of love toward His own, then “all things” are so ordered by Him that they are made to minister to our ultimate good. It is for this cause we are to give “thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:20). Yes, give thanks for “all things” for, as it has been well said “Our disappointments are but His appointments.” To the one who delights in the sovereignty of God the clouds not only have a ‘silver lining’ but they are silvern all through, the darkness only serving to offset the light—

“Ye fearful saints fresh courage take

The clouds ye so much dread,

Are big with mercy and shall break

In blessings o’er your head.”^[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), 233–235.

Combatting Evil Thoughts - Lent with Bonhoeffer Day 34– Purity 1006

Combatting Evil Thoughts - Lent with Bonhoeffer Day 34– Purity 1006

Purity 1006 04/01/2023 Purity 1006 Podcast

Purity 1006 on YouTube: 

Good morning,

Today’s photo of a pair of monarch butterflies in midflight over a field of knee high greenery comes to us from yours truly as I once again have looked back into my phone’s photo archive to set more “photo captives” free. This scene was captured back on August 9^th of 2020 from a spontaneous hike down a previously unknown “public fishing foot path” near the Brookwood Secure Center for Youth in Claverack NY.  So while I was “walking free” but cautiously over an unknown path capturing photos of butterflies nearby there was a prison housing juvenile delinquents who were dealing with the consequences of wrong actions.

Well, It’s Saturday and I hope that considering that contrast of freedom and imprisonment doesn’t bring you too far down and that you deeply appreciate the freedom you do enjoy, no matter where you are or what your situation is, and that if you are suffering the consequences of your own, or someone else’s wrong actions, that you seek to “be set free” by turning from the past to follow the Lord into the freedom and abundant life that He has waiting for you.  

That summer of 2020, I was still working two jobs and 6 days a week as a consequence of my divorce, so I was very intentional about enjoying what freedom I did have and remember now that this spontaneous hike was actually born as a consequence of the State Park at Lake Taghkanic being closed that day because of Covid-19 concerns, thus blocking my goal of having some summer fun by going swimming.  But on the way back t home, I decided I would “do something” with my one day off that week and decided to go and see where this unknown fishing path would take me. I actually took that hike in hopes in finding a stream in which I could take a dip but the only water I found was a creek that was rocky and shallow and surrounded by clouds of unwelcoming mosquitos! But even though my hope of a private swim session at a secluded spot turned out to be a pipe dream, I remember that I was still please with the hike all the same because I had answered my soul’s call to “DO SOMETHING” and had bravely stepped out of my comfort zone by taking a road that was less travelled.  Sometimes its not about the destination as much as it is about enjoying the journey and accepting whatever you find waiting for you when you step out in faith.   

So I hope that all who read or hear this message appreciate the freedom you have and I encourage you to  “DO SOMETHING” to enjoy it this weekend.  Me? I have plans to go with my wife to Mass MoCa (The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) in North Adams, There is rain in the forecast today in our neck of the woods but we are being intentional to “DO Something” regardless of that consequence and will spend part of our day enjoying works of art and one another’s company.   

But before that let’s continue to step out in faith together with our current series, the 40 Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, as we step into the unknown country of Day 34 of this devotional and the 34^th day of Lent.

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 34

Bonhoeffer writes:

“Often we combat our evil thoughts most effectively if we absolutely refuse to allow them to be verbalized.

It is certain that the spirit of self-justification can only be overcome by the spirit of grace; and it is just as certain that the individual judgmental thought can be limited and suppressed by never allowing it to be spoken except as a confession of sin….

Thus it must be a decisive rule of all Christian community life that each individual is prohibited from talking about another Christian in secret.

It is clear and will be shown in what follows that this prohibition does not include the word of admonition that is spoken personally to one another.

However, talking about others in secret is not allowed even under the pretense of help and goodwill.

For it is precisely in this guise that the spirit of hatred between believers always creeps in, seeking to cause trouble.”

Biblical Wisdom

Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29

Questions to Ponder

• Talking with people about someone else you are having trouble with when they are not there is called “triangulation.” In what ways does triangulation harm a community of faith?

M.T. Clark: Triangulation? Wow, you learn something new every day. It’s good to know there is a technical term for talking about someone “behind their back”: Triangulation! Anyway it is not difficult to think of ways that this behavior can cause harm to the community of faith. This behavior sows discord as the person being talked about is unable to share their perspective on the matters at hand and the “complainer” is undoubtedly making a case for sympathy while they are talking about the other party. The listener here is also being put in the tough situation as they now have to decide whether to believe what is said and whether or not they report it to the third party or someone else.   Rather than following the protocols laid down in scripture that are intended to resolve difficulties among the brethren ( in Matt 5:23-25 & 18:15-17)  this behavior causes division and stress. Gossip is a sin and thus triangulation causes the strangulation of the unity of the bond of peace that we are to have in the community of faith. Seek to bring the parties together to resolve issues, keep each other accountable and to maintain the unity of the body of Christ.

• How can a community of faith enforce the rule “that each individual is prohibited from talking about another Christian in secret”?

M.T. Clark: Well, in truth, it can’t. All it takes is one Christian to complain and another to sit idly by listening for this behavior to exist.  However, we can try to establish a culture  of honest transparency and accountability in the body of Christ. Those in leadership could put an emphasis on the harmony of the congregation by establishing an environment where the congregation is encouraged to be “peacemakers” and to continually seek to resolve any issues that would cause division.  The church could establish a pastoral counseling ministry with the express purpose of resolving conflicts within the congregation but in this day and age of consumer Christianity, many may choose to take their business elsewhere if they feel the church is too concerned with “prying in their business!”   I marvel at the idea of enacting the protocols of church discipline in this modern age because I have seen people leave the church for far less and mourn the fact that even the concept of the church doing what the Bible says in this regard  is so foreign to me, and I believe the majority of Christian churches today.

• Would this be a good rule to generalize and apply to the workplace, school, families, among friends? Why, or why not?

M.T. Clark: A good rule to apply would be to seek to bring parties together when we are presented with someone complaining about someone else, with the intention of bringing the parties together in peace. However, this could result in no one brining their problems to you any more!  And let’s face it, it could result in larger problems of division as the third party could take offense over being talked about or could be completely in the wrong and either refuse to admit it or refuse to change or compromise and could even take delight in causing offense to others. It’s a broken world and sometimes people come in secret to report what has happened to them because are being abused and are afraid.  So we really have to use wisdom here and perhaps bring in others in positions of authority to offer counsel and help.  

Psalm Fragment

Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord;
   keep watch over the door of my lips.
Do not turn my heart to any evil,
   to busy myself with wicked deeds
   in company with those who work iniquity…. Psalm 141:3-4

Journal Reflections

• Have you ever experienced being triangulated, being talked about negatively when you were not there? If so, write about the experience. How did it feel?

M.T. Clark: Undoubtedly, yes I have.  However, because I was not there and can only try to glean what must have been said because of the negative consequences I faced in life, I to this day can not state that “anything was being said about me” in some circumstances.  Which is positively maddening!

Personally, you know when relationships end that something must have been said about you when you lose mutual friends and that the other part of the triangle was believed or preferred over you.

Professionally, the results of changes in your location or function at work leads you to believe that you very well may have been “triangulated” against but even though the changes you have had to suffer seem highly personal, sometimes we can never be sure if it was “just business” or highly personal reasons why what happened to you  happened.  Logic tells us that someone had to “discuss” the changes that affected you personally but often professional protocols leave you powerless to know the truth of what actually happened to cause the consequences you suffered or to come to a satisfactory resolution because confronting others won’t change what has been decided. 

So that’s all rather vague, I guess, but I don’t want to talk about anyone behind their back!  But I would say either personally or professionally, when others “triangulate” you, it feels terrible as your trust has been betrayed and you feel judged and treated unfairly.

 

• Have you ever engaged in triangulation? If so, write about the experience. How did it feel?

M.T. Clark: Of course, I wasn’t always a Christian and I am still a work in progress. Yes, I have talked about other people who have wronged me or upset me to others behind their backs.  Relationships have been broken and out of my hurt I would seek to vent to friends about what others have done to me. Recently, I have talked to a brother in Christ about some mutual acquaintances that have treated us badly in the past because of our faith. Is this gossip? Or is it honestly confiding in one another about the abuse we suffered?   I’m not sure but confessing about the abuse was a relief. Unburdening what happens to us feels good. That’s why speaking in secret can be such a problem for the faith community. Lord forgive us.

Prayer for Today

Spirit of love, may the words I speak be the kind that build people up.

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. 

 

(40-Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Copyright © 2007 Augsburg Books, imprint of Augsburg Fortress.)

***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.

2. It is the solid foundation of all true religion

This naturally follows from what we have said above under the first head. If the doctrine of Divine sovereignty alone gives God His rightful place, then it is also true that it alone can supply a firm base for practical religion to build upon. There can be no progress in Divine things until there is the personal recognition that God is Supreme, that He is to be feared and revered, and He is to be owned and served as Lord. We read the Scriptures in vain unless we come to them earnestly desiring a better knowledge of God’s will for us: any other motive is selfish and utterly inadequate and unworthy. Every prayer we send up to God is but carnal presumption unless it be offered “according to His will”: anything short of this is to ask ‘amiss’ that we might consume upon our own lusts the thing requested.! Every service we engage in is but a “dead work” unless it be done for the glory of God. Experimental religion consists mainly in the perception and performance of the Divine will, performance both active and passive. We are predestinated to be “conformed to the image of God’s Son” whose meat it ever was to do the will of the One that sent Him, and the measure in which each saint is becoming “conformed” practically, in his daily life, is largely determined by his response to our Lord’s word “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart.”^[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), 227.

The Experience of Christian Community– Lent with Bonhoeffer Day 23– Purity 995

 

The Experience of Christian Community– Lent with Bonhoeffer Day 23– Purity 995 

Purity 995 03/20/2023 Purity 995 Podcast

Purity 995 on YouTube: 

Good morning,

Today’s photo of a winding wooden pathway through a field of green comes to us from yours truly as I captured this scene back on May 28^th of 2019. It somewhere in upstate NY but you have to forgive me for not remembering where.  I work all over the capital district and frequented many a park and hiking trail in Columbia County as well in the last several years so I don’t recall where this is, but it was and is cool.  Also that year, 2019, was probably one of the most tumultuous years of my life because I was in the limbo of the time between filing for divorce and waiting for the lawyers to do their jobs, something they didn’t decided to do until the judge threatened us with trial, so you will have to forgive me if I don’t remember where this pathway is. But boy, can I rejoice over the fact that even in the most tumultuous times in my life, I still took some time to enjoy my life by “getting away from it all” with a simple walk through the beauty of God’s creation.  

Well, It’s Monday and it is officially the first day of spring, and I don’t care what the weather is like outside, let me encourage you with the fact that spring has sprung and eventually the evidence of the season will be seen and all our doubts about whether or not spring would ever get here will fade away.  It may not “feel” like spring, but our feelings don’t always tell us the truth.

Likewise, there will undoubtedly be times in our walk of faith where we will have to stand on the truth of what God’s word says rather than how we feel.  Once we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are new creations and we are given everything we need for life and godliness.   But we still have all our pre-Christ memories and habits with us, and it may take a little time to see the evidence of our new spiritual life manifesting in our daily lives.  Add to this the spiritual forces of darkness who are angry that they have lost you to the kingdom of God and who will do anything to kill, steal, and destroy us and the joy of our salvation, and it is no wonder why we may struggle to full accept that “It is finished” – that we are forgiven, adopted, children of God who have power over sin and death.  

But the truth is the truth, and the sooner we accept it the sooner we will start to display the evidence of our new life in Christ.  You may not feel holy but you are holy. You may not see “brand new” but you are. You may not feel free but God has set you free. So believe it, receive it, and live it!

One way we can live this thing called the Christian faith is by doing the spiritual practices that will both grow our capacity to live a life of faith and that will simultaneously be evidence of our changed life.  Prayer, Bible study, simply believing we are new, worshiping the Lord, praising the Lord, thanking the Lord, singing to the Lord,  and showing God’s love to others through kindness and good works are all ways that we can show the world and ourselves that we are indeed Christians and have been forever changed by the new life God has poured into us through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.   

So let’s take one more step into our new lives in Christ by walking into the 23^rd Day of Lent (they do skip the Sundays- in case you were wondering) by continuing our current series and the 23^rd Day of 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 23

Bonhoeffer writes:

“There is probably no Christian to whom God has not given the uplifting and blissful experience of genuine Christian community at least once in her or his life.

But in this world such experiences remain nothing but a gracious extra beyond the daily bread of Christian community life.

We have no claim to such experiences, and we do not live with other Christians for the sake of gaining such experiences.

It is not the experience of Christian community, but firm and certain faith within Christian community that holds us together.

We hold fast in faith to God’s greatest gift, that God has acted for us all and wants to act for us all.

This makes us joyful and happy, but it also makes us ready to forget all such experiences if at times God does not grant them. We are bound together by faith, not by experience.”

Biblical Wisdom

Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called․that you might inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:8-9

Questions to Ponder

• Why is “the uplifting and blissful experience of genuine Christian community” somewhat rare?

M.T. Clark: It is rare because Christianity is so rare today and because the world, the flesh, and the devil do everything to pull us away from experiencing it.  Although we are Christians, we are still imperfect people who have to work and find our way in this world, to provided for ourselves and our families and to endure the various trials that come from walking through life in a world broken by sin.  We can be distracted. We can be offended. And our neighbors can be those things too. So when we have a uplifting and blissful experience of genuine Christian community we should rejoice because we can truly know that God is with us and has guided us all to be together in harmonious commune that overcomes the world, the flesh, and the devil. 

• What is the “firm and certain faith” that holds Christians together even when there is conflict and tension between them?

M.T. Clark: The firm and certain faith that holds Christians together even when there is conflict and tension between them is our common faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and the belief that God is still in charge and is moving all thing together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. The reason we can have a firm and certain faith is because God doesn’t change and His word will endure forever. Regardless of our feeling or our current circumstances, we can stand firm and certain with the Lord.

• What does it mean to say: “We are bound together by faith, not by experience”?

M.T. Clark: The statement: “We are bound together by our faith, not by experiences” points to the fact of God’s immutability – He doesn’t change. The work of Christ has been performed. It is finished. And when we put our faith in Him as Lord and Savior, we stand firm and certain on what has already been done for us. We are bound together by our relationship to God through Jesus, not on our experiences of harmony here on earth, which are subject to change.  Our faith is based on facts, not on feelings.  So even though we may have moments of blissful harmony in the body of Christ, our common bound is not based on them, it is based on the unchanging, trustworthy God who made us and called us to have peace with Him through Jesus.  

Psalm Fragment

How very good and pleasant it is
   when kindred live together in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
   running down upon the beard,
   on the beard of Aaron,
   running down over the collar of his robes. Psalm 133:1-2

Journal Reflections

• Write about an “uplifting and blissful” experience of genuine Christian community in your life.

M.T. Clark: The easiest example of “uplifting and blissful experiences of genuine Christian community” in my life are memories of various worship services where the community of faith was united in praising the Lord in song.  I fully endorse and recommend loud enthusiastic singing as a spiritual practice, individually and corporately, because when we are singing praises to the Lord it may be the most appropriate thing we can do as Christians – it’s right – and the Holy Spirit also uses it to transform our hearts and minds as we bond relationally with the Lord and with the body of Christ.  It’s the expression of the fruit of joy in our lives, and it gives glory to God and demonstrates our faith experientially.   We need each other to have these experiences of genuine Christian community, but we have to be engaged individually to participate in it and whether or not we are bonded to our brothers and sisters present in the building, the bliss comes from experiencing the Lord’s presence in our midst.

• Write about a time when faith kept you in community even though the experience of community wasn’t so good at the time.

M.T. Clark:  Oh plenty of times! Some worship services aren’t so great, sometimes people aren’t getting along, and sometimes the trials in our lives prevent us from being in community.  But you keep going to corporate gathering, because the word calls us to and because going to church is part of who we are now.  Even if I am “not feeling it”, I go to worship the Lord because it is the right thing to do and often the experience of going changes my attitude by reminding me of the goodness of God and what He has done in my life. 

Intercessions

Think about your community of faith. If there is any conflict or tension in the community, pray that faith in the unity given by Christ would sustain the community as it seeks to resolve the conflict. If the members of your community of faith are presently at peace with one another, thank God for the experience of unity.

M.T. Clark:

Lord God,  

I pray for my community of faith today as recent messages have caused offense as the seating policy of “moving to the middle” has caused some to leave the fellowship all together. I pray for those who left and for those who remain to not let this policy to make room for others cause them offense and to lose focus on the reason we are gathered in the first place, to worship you Lord.  Help us Lord to move forward in harmony, united in our hearts to worship you with joy.  

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. 

Prayer for Today

Lord, I need Christian community. Help me to be there for others in the same way I need others to be there for me.

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. 

 

(40-Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Copyright © 2007 Augsburg Books, imprint of Augsburg Fortress.)

***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.*** 

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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 TEN

OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD HIS SOVEREIGNTY

 

What then ought to be our attitude toward the Supreme Sovereign? We reply,

3. One of entire resignation

A true recognition of God’s Sovereignty will exclude all murmuring. This is self-evident, yet the thought deserves to be dwelt upon. It is natural to murmur against afflictions and losses. It is natural to complain when we are deprived of those things upon which we had set our hearts. We are apt to regard our possessions as our unconditionally. We feel that when we have prosecuted our plans with prudence and diligence that we are entitled to success; that when by dint of hard work we have accumulated a ‘competence’ we deserve to keep and enjoy it; that when we are surrounded by a happy family no power may lawfully enter the charmed circle and strike down a loved one; and if in any of these cases disappointment, bankruptcy, death, actually comes, the perverted instinct of the human heart is to cry out against God. But in the one who, by grace, has recognized God’s sovereignty, such murmuring is silenced, and instead, there is a bowing to the Divine will and an acknowledgment that He has not afflicted us as sorely as we deserve.

A true recognition of God’s sovereignty will avow God’s perfect right to do with us as He wills. The one who bows to the pleasure of the Almighty will acknowledge His absolute right to do with us as seemeth Him good. If He chooses to send poverty, sickness, domestic bereavements, even while the heart is bleeding at every pore, it will say, Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right! Often there will be a struggle, for the carnal mind remains in the believer to the end of his earthly pilgrimage. But though there may be a conflict within his breast, nevertheless, to the one who has really yielded himself to this blessed truth there will presently be heard that Voice saying, as of old it said to the turbulent Gennesareth, “Peace be still”; and the tempestuous flood within will be quieted and the subdued soul will lift a tearful but confident eye to heaven and say, “Thy will be done.”

A striking illustration of a soul bowing to the sovereign will of God is furnished by the history of Eli the high priest of Israel. In 1 Samuel 3 we learn how God revealed to the young child Samuel that He was about to slay Eli’s two sons for their wickedness, and on the morrow Samuel communicates this message to the aged priest. It is difficult to conceive of more appalling intelligence for the heart of a pious parent. The announcement that his child is going to be stricken down by sudden death is, under any circumstances, a great trial to any father, but to learn that his two sons—in the prime of their manhood, and utterly unprepared to die—were to be cut off by a Divine judgment must have been overwhelming. Yet, what was the effect upon Eli when he learned from Samuel the tragic tidings? What reply did he make when he heard the awful news? “And he said, It is the Lord: let Him do what seemeth Him good” (1 Sam. 3:18). And not another word escaped him. Wonderful submission! Sublime resignation! Lovely exemplification of the power of Divine grace to control the strongest affections of the human heart and subdue the rebellious will, bringing it into unrepining acquiescence to the sovereign pleasure of Jehovah.

Another example, equally striking, is seen in the life of Job. As is well known, Job was one that feared God and eschewed evil. If ever there was one who might reasonably expect Divine providence to smile upon him—we speak as a man—it was Job. Yet, how fared it with him? For a time the lines fell unto him in pleasant places. The Lord filled his quiver by giving him seven sons and three daughters. He prospered him in his temporal affairs until he owned great possessions. But of a sudden the sun of life was hidden behind dark clouds. In a single day Job lost not only his flocks and herds but his sons and daughters as well. News arrived that his cattle had been carried off by robbers, and his children slain by a cyclone. And how did he receive this intelligence? Hearken to his sublime words: “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away.” He bowed to the sovereign will of Jehovah. He traced his afflictions back to their First Cause. He looked behind the Sabeans who had stolen his cattle, and beyond the winds that had destroyed his children, and saw the hand of God. But not only did Job recognize God’s sovereignty, he rejoiced in it, too. To the words, “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away,” he added, “blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). Again we say, Sweet submission! Sublime resignation!

A true recognition of God’s sovereignty causes us to hold our every plan in abeyance to God’s will. The writer well recalls an incident which occurred in England over twenty years ago. Queen Victoria was dead, and the date for the coronation of her eldest son, Edward, had been set for April 1902. In all the announcements which were sent out, two little letters were omitted, D. V.—Deo Volente: God willing. Plans were made and all arrangements completed for the most imposing celebrations that England had ever witnessed. Kings and emperors from all parts of the earth had received invitations to attend the royal ceremony. The Prince’s proclamations were printed and displayed, but, so far as the writer is aware, the letters D. V. were not found on a single one of them. A most imposing programme had been arranged, and the late Queen’s eldest son was to be crowned Edward the Seventh at Westminster Abbey at a certain hour on a fixed day. And then God intervened and all man’s plans were frustrated. A still small voice was heard to say, “You have reckoned without Me,” and Prince Edward was stricken down with appendicitis, and his coronation postponed for months!

As remarked, a true recognition of God’s sovereignty causes us to hold our plan in abeyance to God’s will. It makes us recognize that the Divine Potter has absolute power over the clay and moulds it according to his own imperial pleasure. It causes us to heed that admonition—now, alas! so generally disregarded—“Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (Jas. 4:13–15). Yes, it is to the Lord’s will we must bow. It is for Him to say where I shall live, whether in America or Africa. It is for Him to determine under what circumstances I shall live, whether amid wealth or poverty, whether in health or sickness. It is for Him to say how long I shall live, whether I shall be cut down in youth like the flower of the field, or whether I shall continue for three score and ten years. To really learn this lesson is, by grace, to attain unto a high form in the school of God, and even when we think we have learned it we discover, again and again, that we have to relearn it.^[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

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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

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^[1] Arthur W. Pink, The Sovereignty of God (Swengel, PA: Bible Truth Depot, 1949), 193–196.