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Showing posts with label Podcast. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

I Don’t Have to be Baptized – Lies of the Enemy #15– Purity 1027


I Don’t Have to be Baptized  – Lies of the Enemy #15– Purity 1027

Purity 1027 04/26/2023 Purity 1027 Podcast

Purity 1027 on YouTube: 



Good morning,

Today’s photo of Kinderhook Creek from the vantage point of the Hudson Avenue Bridge comes to us from yours truly as I looked back in my photo archives to “share something!” and came across this scene that I captured back on August 22, 2020 while I was visiting nearby Stuyvesant Falls Park.  During those days I had not only dreamed the impossible dream of getting a new home for my children and I, I had followed the Lord’s guidance and accomplished it! Although I was basking in the glory of a new chapter of my life, I was still working two jobs and was intentional to use what little leisure time that I had to “do something” and spent that summer exploring the parks and nature trails near my new home before having to go into work.   

Well, Its” hump day, and even though no mountain is pictured today, I thought this photo from the “middle” of the Hudson Avenue Bridge was good enough to serve as a visual representation of our arrival at mid-week, may be not, but oh well here it is.  Yeah, maybe its not perfect but I guess I share it intentionally to demonstrate that our walk of faith is not about perfection, it’s about progress and our ability to find peace and joy in “what is” rather than lamenting over what we don’t have and how we “haven’t arrive yet”. 

This past weekend I was reminded by my wife that sometimes there can be peace found in the journey but if we are traveling with someone whose expectations are to “get somewhere” we may discover that our efforts to “stop and smell the roses” can cause contention.   Just because we both know where we are going doesn’t mean we fully are in agreement with how we get there or share the same “spirit”. 

My photo reminds me of this because in those days my time was limited and while I could have spent time driving around “enjoying the countryside” before going to these little slices of appreciation, if I did that there would be even less time to enjoy them.  These solo trips were constrained by time but I was free to go and see what I wanted to see and to abruptly leave the moment I felt that “time was up” or I had “enough”.  But when we are traveling with someone else, they don’t necessarily know what we are thinking and may not realize that our expectations are not the same.  

Similarly in our walk of faith, there are varying opinions about following the Lord and what is expected of us.   One of those expectations – a sacrament – is baptism.  And while this may ruffle some denominational or doctrinal feathers it is the topic for today’s Lie of the enemy.  

Our current series is an examination of some of the common lies, sometimes sneakily whispered into our minds as “first person” statements, that enemy tells us to cause us to doubt our faith, lose our peace, cause division, or influence us to not follow the Lord with the way we live our lives.   So today’s big lie is:  

Lie #15: “I Don’t Have to be Baptized!”

Whether you were infant baptized or not baptized at all, baptism is commonly taught to be an outward expression of an inward decision to make Jesus our Lord and Savior and to surrender our lives to following Him.   It should be a beautiful moment in a believer’s life where they have “decided to follow Jesus” in newness of life as the baptismal waters represent our death and resurrection with Christ.  

This is reflected in:

 

Romans 6:3-4 (NKJV) which tells us:
3  Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Baptism can be a definitive moment in our walk of faith that marks our death to our old life and our decision to live the new life in Christ.   Being baptized in public or telling the testimony of our baptism should be a sign that we are Christians and we are going live like a Christian.  

Of course, just “getting wet” doesn’t make you a disciple of Christ anymore than hanging out in a garage makes you a car, but for those who follow the Lord in spirit and in truth, baptism is a right of passage to walking in the Spirit – applying God’s wisdom and ways to the way we live.

Personally, I don’t care if you were baptized or not. Rather than looking atyour ‘splash down”, I’ll watch what happens afterwards in your life to see if the fruit of the spirit grows from that “watering” or not.   

But the enemy loves to tempt “believers” with noncompliance to this basic ordinance of our faith by proclaiming “I don’t have to be baptized!” because of infant baptism ( I was baptized – I even have my white baby baptismal gown!) or because it isn’t specifically required (What about the thief on the cross?).  

Granted, we are “baptized” into God’s kingdom by faith. The testimony of the thief on the cross is an extreme example of someone who put their faith Jesus, wasn’t baptized (because he died), and was still welcomed into the paradise of God’s kingdom.

However, I  am sharing a link to Open Bible.info’s “100 verses about baptism” for those who want to get a quick look at what scripture has to say about it. (https://www.openbible.info/topics/baptism).  I give you the warning that verse may convict you to be baptized  and provide some of the verses from that list that will indicate that (unless you die before you can) we are commanded to be baptized.  

Mark 16:16 (NKJV) – Jesus’ words say:
16  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.    

In Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV)  Jesus tells us to:  
19  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

The implication is that if you are a disciple you would be baptized.   And for those who would stand on baptism as “by faith alone”, Jesus said:

John 3:5 (NKJV)
5  … "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Oh and Jesus Himself was water baptized:

Matthew 3:13-17 (NKJV)  tells us
13  Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.
14  And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"  15  But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.
16  When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
17  And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Sounds like God the Father was pleased by Jesus’ baptism, so I have to believe He would be pleased by our baptism too.   

So rather than standing on your liberty, I invite those who have not taken the plunge of water baptism to consider making it your next step of faith to demonstrate to God and all the world that you Christian whose heart is set on following Jesus.  

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

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Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”.

This morning’s meditation verses :

Romans 8:35-37 (NLT2)
35  Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?
36  (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”)
37  No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

 

Today’s verses encourage us that nothing can separate those who put their faith in Jesus from the love of God.   Except for not being baptized – just kidding or may be I’m not kidding. Me? I got baptized on the day of Boston bombings in 2013 – April 15th while on work in New York City at Hillsong Church NYC. They just happen to be doing baptism that day and I had signed up the Sunday before because even though I was born again in 2010 – I stubbornly refused it – until the Lord put it on my heart to do it.  That day NYC was a veritable police state because of the terrorist attack and as I traveled by subway to the midtown hotel pool where I would take the plunge I got a real sense that I was officially leaving the world behind as I was going to commit my life fully and publicly to following Jesus.  It was a positively wonder and electric experience as I was awestruck and filled with joy in the community of saints and left the hotel into the evening air still wet and a wash in the bright light of time square knowing that I had entered into a new dimension of my faith.  And that declaration, and experience of faith, was just another piece of evidence that the Lord did indeed save me and the words of Romans 8:35-37 really were true about me.  

 

I was His, I am God’s child – baptized and adopted in His family by water and the Spirit  and there is nothing that can separate me from His love. 

 

This is true for all of us who put our faith in Christ – so believe it – rejoice over it – and endeavor to share that love with others.

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

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

APPENDIX III

THE MEANING OF “KOSMOS” (“WORLD”) IN JOHN 3:16 concludes

5. “Kosmos” is used of humanity minus believers: John 15:18; Rom. 3:6: “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you.” Believers do not “hate” Christ, so that “the world” here must signify the world of unbelievers in contrast from believers who love Christ. “God forbid: for then shall God judge the the world.” Here is another passage where “the world” cannot mean “you, me, and everybody,” for believers will not be “judged” by God, see John 5:24. So that here, too, it must be the world of unbelievers which is in view.

6. “Kosmos” is used of Gentiles in contrast from Jews: Rom 11:12 etc.: “Now if the fall of them (Israel) be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them (Israel) the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their (Israel’s) fulness.” Note how the first clause in italics is defined by the latter clause in italics. Here, again, “the world” cannot signify all humanity for it excludes Israel!

7. “Kosmos” is used of believers only: John 1:29; 3:16, 17; 6:33; 12:47; 1 Cor. 4:9; 2 Cor. 5:19. We leave our readers to turn to these passages, asking them to note, carefully, exactly what is said and predicated of “the world” in each place.

Thus it will be seen that “kosmos” has at least seven clearly defined different meanings in the New Testament. It may be asked, Has then God used a word thus to confuse and confound those who read the Scriptures? We answer, No! nor has He written His Word for lazy people who are too dilitary, or too busy with the things of this world, or, like Martha, so much occupied with “serving,” they have no time and no heart to “search” and “study” Holy Writ! Should it be asked further, But how is a searcher of the Scriptures to know which of the above meanings the term “world” has in any given passage? The answer is: This may be ascertained by careful study of the context, by diligently noting what is predicated of “the world” in each passage, and by prayerfully consulting other parallel passages to the one being studied.

The principal subject of John 3:16 is Christ as the Gift of God. The first clause tells us what moved God to “give” His only begotten Son, and that was His great “love”; the second clause informs us for whom God “gave” His Son, and that is for, “whosoever (or, better, ‘everyone’) believeth”; while the last clause makes known why God “gave” His Son (His purpose), and that is, that everyone that believeth “should not perish but have everlasting life.”

That “the world” in John 3:16 refers to the world of believers (God’s elect), in contradistinction from “the world of the ungodly” (2 Pet. 2:5), is established, unequivocally established, by a comparison of the other passages which speaks of God’s “love.” “God commendeth His love toward US”—the saints, Rom. 5:8. “Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth”—every son, Heb. 12:6. “We love Him, because He first loved US”—believers, 1 John 4:19. The wicked, God “pities” (see Matt. 18:33). Unto the unthankful and evil God is “kind” (See Luke 6:35). The vessels of wrath He endures “with much long-suffering” (see Rom. 9:22.) But “His own” God “loves”!![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), 266–269.

Friday, April 14, 2023

I Can’t Forgive Myself– Lies of the Enemy #5– Purity 1017

 

I Can’t Forgive Myself– Lies of the Enemy #5– Purity 1017

Purity 1017 04/14/2023 Purity 1017 Podcast

Purity 1017 on YouTube: Coming Soon!

Good morning,

Today’s photo a springtime scene of a field of flowers under blue skies comes to us from Megan Seguin who shared this scene on social media a couple of days ago during her family vacation’s road trip stop at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. 

Well, it’s Friday and I know this is the second time we are sharing from Megan’s vacation this week, but I thought this was a good visual encouragement to “stop and smell the roses” as we head into the weekend. I know these are tulips, I think, but that also goes to show that we make the best of what we got and don’t need everything to be perfect to experience peace and joy.   

When you walk in the Spirit, our peace and joy is not dependent on positive circumstances and the fruit of the Spirit can grow in our lives even in dark times when we are walking with the Lord and resting in His presence.

But walking in the Spirit is an intentional choice that we need to make every day.  Ever wonder why some Christians are grouchy, depressed, angry, fearful, or joyless?  It’s because they have either forgotten what the Lord has done for them, don’t know who they are in Christ, or have deviated from the Lord’s path for them in their behavior or their thoughts.   

And some times that deviation that leads to sadness, depression, anxiety, or anger is a combination of pride and the subtle influences of the spiritual forces of darkness, who scripture attests can oppress even Christians with the “fiery darts of the wicked one” (Ephesians 6:16).  

That’s why we have to walk in the Spirit and put on the “whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:13) which includes “girding our waists with truth” and denying the lies of the enemy.  

And so today we continue our current series which is an examination of some of the common lies the enemy tells us to cause us to doubt our faith or to choose not to follow the Lord with the way we live our lives. 

So today’s big lie is:

Lie # 5: I Can’t Forgive Myself.     

For those who tuned in yesterday, you may think we already covered this with “I can’t be forgiven.”  However, there is a subtle distinction between these two lies that is directly addressed in the Steps to Freedom in Christ and just happened to be discussed in last night’s meeting of Deeper Walk International’s School of Pray Ministry cohort that I am currently being trained in.   This section’s course of study is spiritual warfare and part of last night’s discussion addressed the stronghold of unforgiveness and how the enemy could use it as legal permission to torment Christians.  

The Lord commands us to forgive, right in and after the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6: Where Jesus said:

Matthew 6:12 (NLT2)
12  …and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.

And

Matthew 6:14-15 (NLT2)
14  “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
15  But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Here, the Lord’s prayer indicates that our forgiveness is a forgone conclusion for the Christian and His instruction after it indicates that our failure to forgive could possibly separate us from the Lord.  If you don’t forgive others, you may be a false convert!

Or you may be prideful, the sin of Satan, and afflicted by demons! In Jesus’ parable of the ungrateful servant, when the master discovers how the ungrateful servant has had his fellow servant thrown into prison over a small debt, when he was forgiven of a much larger debt, the master makes him pay for it! Jesus tells us in:

Matthew 18:34-35 (NKJV)
34  And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.
35  So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses."

Some have taught that “the torturers” could represent demonic oppression that comes from the foothold of unforgiveness.   

So what does that got to do with “I can’t forgive myself”?  Possibly a great deal!

When we say, we can’t forgive ourselves, we are subtly saying that we are greater than God. We (and/or the spiritual forces of darkness) are torturing ourselves by denying the forgiveness that God has given to us when we put our faith in Jesus Christ.  

We are begrudgingly agreeing with our “positional forgiveness” ( I “know” God forgives me….) but we are denying the benefits and effects of God’s forgiveness to work in our lives through pride or by believing the lie that “we can’t forgive” ourselves.

Somehow our pain, guilt, or shame trumps the power of God in our lives! In reality, it doesn’t – it can’t – we are forgiven of everything when we put our faith in Jesus – but in practice we are allowing our pride, ignorance, or believing the enemy’s condemning lies to keep us from accepting God’s forgiveness fully to experience the joy and peace of the forgiveness we have in Christ.  

Step 3 of the Steps to Freedom in Christ – Bitterness vs. Forgiveness, addresses this by directing us to forgive “myself”.   The teaching in that step states: 

“Often we hold things against ourselves as well, punishing ourselves for wrong choices we’ve made in the past. Write “myself” at the bottom of your list if you need to forgive yourself. Forgiving yourself is accepting the truth that God has already forgiven you in Christ. If God forgives you, you can forgive yourself!”

So don’t believe the lie that “I can’t forgive myself”! 

If you need to break the bondage, pray the following prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, I choose to forgive MYSELF for [what you did or failed to do], because it made me feel [share the painful feelings, for example, rejected, dirty, worthless, or inferior].

Lord Jesus, I choose not to hold on to my resentment against myself. I relinquish my right to condemn myself  and ask you to heal my damaged emotions. Thank You for setting me free from the bondage of my bitterness. I now ask You to bless me with the peace of your forgiveness. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

(modified Step 3 prayer to address forgiving “myself”)   

Okay so if you believed that lie that “I can’t forgive myself” and prayed that prayer, you are agreeing with what the Lord has already done in your life and to continue to experience the peace and joy of your forgiveness in Christ, you simply have to remember the truth of what the Lord done has for you.  

Truth overcomes the lies of the enemy. But we have to choose to believe the truth, and keep on believing the truth, and to live according to the Lord’s wisdom to make the truth a manifest reality in our lives. When we walk in the Spirit we stand in the truth, we overcome the lies of the enemy, and experience the abundant life that God wants us to live.

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

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Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”.

This morning’s meditation verse is:

2 Peter 3:8 (NLT2)
8  But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.

Today’s verse points to God’s timeless nature and indicates that we should cultivate the fruit of patience as we grow as Christians.   

I am sharing a link to an article I found on this passage of scripture from the Christian Truth Center (https://www.christiantruthcenter.com/one-day-is-with-the-lord-as-a-thousand-years-and-a-thousand-years-as-one-day/#:~:text=One%20day%20is%20with%20the%20Lord%20as%20a,fastness%20but%20He%20comes%20at%20His%20right%20time.)  Now I am brand new to this site so I would be discerning in determining what they teach, as we should always be, but I was impressed with the following quote in the article enough to share it.  Heck they claim to be “Non-denominational, Non-religious, and Non-money making, Focusing only on Jesus Christ” so I don’t mind pointing in their direction, with the disclaimer that this is not an endorsement as they are brand new to me due to a google search!

Anyway the wisdom they share about this verse is that: 

“God is neither slow nor fast in accordance to humanity. This verse reveals that God is not slow in keeping His promise as humanity understands slowness neither is He fast as humanity understands fastness but He comes at His right time.”

Context bears this out as

2 Peter 3:9 (NLT2) says
9  The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

So as the context reveals, Jesus hasn’t returned because God wants people to come to repentance. When Christ comes back, He will come to rule and reign and Revelation indicates that will be a bloody affair.  

So we should be content to wait on the Lord in the end times, and in our individual lives.  If we believe that God is sovereign and is working all things together for good we should endeavor to patiently endure through the trials of our lives knowing that God is in control.  

So trust in the Lord for today, and tomorrow, and know that He can be trusted for the next 1,000 years as well.  

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

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

CONCLUSION continues

Let us take up these questions in the order of mention.

1. God’s Sovereignty and the believer’s growth in grace

If God has foreordained everything that comes to pass, of what avail is it for us to “exercise” ourselves “unto godliness” (1 Tim. 4:7)? If God has before ordained the good works in which we are to walk (Eph. 2:10) then why should we be “careful to maintain good works” (Titus 3:8)? This only raises once more the problem of human responsibility. Really, it should be enough for us to reply, God has bidden us do so. Nowhere does Scripture inculcate or encourage a spirit of fatalistic indifference. Contentment with our present attainments is expressly disallowed. The word to every believer is “Press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14). This was the apostle’s aim, and it should be ours. Instead of hindering the development of Christian character, a proper apprehension and appreciation of God’s sovereignty will forward it. Just as the sinner’s despair of any help from himself is the first prerequisite of a sound conversion, so the loss of all confidence in himself is the first essential in the believer’s growth in grace; and just as the sinner despairing of help from himself will cast him into the arms of sovereign mercy so the Christian, conscious of his own frailty, will turn unto the Lord for power. It is when we are weak we are strong (2 Cor. 12:10): that it to say, there must be consciousness of our weakness before we shall turn to the Lord for help. While the Christian allows the thought that he is sufficient in himself, while he imagines that by mere force of will he shall resist temptation, while he has any confidence in the flesh then, like Peter who boasted that though all forsook the Lord yet should not he, so we shall certainly fail and fall. Apart from Christ we can do nothing (John 15:5). The promise of God is “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might (of their own) He increaseth strength” (Isa. 40:29).

The question now before us is of great practical importance, and we are deeply anxious to express ourselves clearly and simply. The secret of development of Christian character is the realization of our own powerlessness, acknowledged powerlessness, and the consequent turning unto the Lord for help. The plain fact is that of ourselves we cannot do this, or make ourselves do it. “In nothing be anxious”—but who can avoid and prevent anxiety when things go wrong? “Awake to righteousness and sin not”—but who can help sinning? These are merely examples selected at random from scores of others. Does then God mock us by biding us do what He knows we are unable to do? The answer of Augustine to this question is the best we have met with—“God gives commands we cannot perform, that we may know what we ought to request from Him.” A consciousness of our powerlessness should cast us upon Him who has all power. Here then is where a vision and view of God’s sovereignty helps, for it reveals His sufficiency and shows us our insufficiency.[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), 245–247.


Monday, April 10, 2023

Many Paths to God – Lies of the Enemy #1 – Purity 1013

Many Paths to God – Lies of the Enemy – Purity 1013

Purity 1013 04/10/2023 Purity 1013 Podcast

Purity 1013 on YouTube: 



Good morning,

Today’s photo of a blue sky view through the tops of trees comes to us from yours truly as I decided to capture what I saw when I decided to look up somewhere along the 4.2 mile expanse of the Wilkinson Trail at the Saratoga National Historical Park as my wife and I decided to “Do Something!” with the pleasant spring day that the Lord provided us with this past Saturday.  Despite getting our feet wet, because of some marshy portions of the trail, and because TammyLyn decided to trust me when I didn’t know where I was going, we had a pleasant hike and day together.

Afterwards, I was struck by just how appropriate, our spontaneous hike turned out to be as Saturday was Holy Saturday – a day that many Christians use to reflect on the death of Jesus who died for their freedom, and we were walking the grounds of a Revolutionary Battlefield where regular men paid the ultimate cost for American Independence.  It was also seemed to be fitting because we had been to the site of what was essentially the last battle of the American Revolution while on vacation in Virginia with our visit to Yorktown, and here we were again with what was essentially the first decisive American Victory of the Revolution, and the first time that a British Army ever surrendered in the field of battle- ever, causing the French to lend their support to the American cause that eventually was won.  History is really is amazing but when we consider that our Sovereign God is directing it we really get a sense of how these “fortunate events” were purposefully crafted to lead us where we are today as a nation and as individuals. 

That’s right, where we are today has everything to with who God is, who we are,  whether or not we have been called by Him into His kingdom, and what we have done in response to that call if we have heard it. 

So it is with this consideration on my mind that I have decided to begin a new series that will be of my own design and creation as I feel led to examine the “Lies of the Enemy” that I have encountered throughout my life that may or may have not caused me to stay in darkness for the 38 years of my life before the light of the gospel brought me to life everlasting and before my faith in Christ compelled me to get on and stay on the path of Christian discipleship.  

I will rely the Holy Spirit to guide me in this new venture and would like to temper expectations now. I have limited time each day with which to write and I realize that some of these “Lies of the Enemy” could require an entire book to unpack all the different aspects of the deceptions that would cause us to doubt or draw away from the Lord and the life of faith He is calling us to.  So forgive me, beforehand for my limitations, and for the spontaneous nature of this “new series”.

Lie # 1: There are Many Paths to God and His Kingdom.

This particular lie is one of the favorites of our current society and is increasing in popularity as more and more people either consider non-Christian philosophies or religions or have claimed “non-religious” or atheist status.  Bumper stickers proclaiming “Co-existence”, “Tolerance” or “Diversity” advocate for a peace despite our individual differences, which is a noble sentiment, but it does so in a universe that is enmeshed in a spiritual war where there is actually no peace to be had other than the peace with God that is found in Christ alone.  

Christians just finished celebrating Easter or Resurrection Sunday which proclaims that Jesus Christ is who He said He was – The Messaih, The Son of God and God the Son. The Resurrection proves that Christ is God and that everything He said was true. 

Among the many things that Jesus said that reveals the falsehood that “There are Many Paths to God and His Kingdom” is

John 14:6 (NKJV)  where He said to “doubting Thomas”
6  … "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

 

Here Christ makes the claims for the exclusivity of Himself to bring one to God and the Resurrection proves that His claim was valid.  

 

I myself was greatly deceivedby  this lie of the enemy. Before fully understanding the gospel and coming to faith in Christ, I considered the doctrine of the exclusivity of Jesus to save as quite unloving and even spent several years of my life as a follower of a false religion.  However, I realize now that God is gracious to provided even one way to be forgiven for our sins and the historical witness of Jesus begs us to seriously consider the implications of what He said and did and the fact that He was resurrected.

 

This forum doesn’t give me a lot of time to convince people may not believe and so I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s web site, (https://crossexamined.org/), and will every day of this series, for those curious enough to intelligently research the claims of the Christian Faith.   

 

So there you have it, I know I am not even scratching the surface of these big lies and am perhaps not really providing enough evidence to convince someone to surrender to the Lordship of Christ but that’s not my job. The Holy Spirit will convict those God calls unto salvation.  I can only point to the truth and testify of the many lies that kept me from the abundant life that the Lord had for me all along. 

 

So come back tomorrow and I will reflect on this lie some more or might look at another. But until then, I would encourage you to seek the Lord and ask Him to reveal Himself to you if you don’t know Him or to keep on walking and talking with God and live according to His wisdom and guidance if you do.  

 

 

 

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Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”.

This morning’s meditation verse are:

Isaiah 26:3 (NLT2)
3  You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

 

Yes, for those who don’t know before the 40 day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, we used to share a verse of a day from a little devotional that my wife gave me as a gift - The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men – and we are almost through it, as we are picking up where we left off – on page 70 of 84.  So I want to finish what we started by sharing the verses and just a few thoughts or observations regarding what it bring to us each day.  

 

Today’s verse tells us like it is.  We will be in perfect peace when we trust in the Lord and when we keep our thoughts fixed on Him.  

 

Our faith in Jesus gives us peace with God and when we realize what we have received through the gift of God’s grace, we need no longer fear death or doubt the truth of God’s word.  When we think about the joy of our salvation and how God has led the history of the world and our personal path of faith, we should experience the fruit of the Spirit of peace.  But this peace is conditional.  We have to have faith in Christ and we have to trust the Lord and keep our thoughts fixed on Him to experience it. 

 

Skepticism doesn’t help us. Doubts and questioning the goodness of God doesn’t give us peace. So trust the Lord, learn from His word, apply it to your life, and experience His peace.

 

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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 TWELVE

THE VALUE OF THIS DOCTRINE continues

 

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

10. It provides a resting-place for the heart

Much that might have been said here has already been anticipated under previous heads. The One seated upon the Throne of Heaven, the One who is Governor over the nations and who has ordained and now regulates all events, is infinite not only in power but in wisdom and goodness as well. He who is Lord over all creation is the One that was “manifest in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16). Ah! here is a theme no human pen can do justice to. The glory of God consists not merely in that He is Highest, but in that being high He stooped in lowly love to bear the burden of His own sinful creatures, for it is written “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself” (2 Cor. 5:19). The Church of God was purchased “with His own Blood” (Acts 20:28). It is upon the gracious self-humiliation of the King Himself that His kingdom is established. O wondrous Cross! By it He who suffered upon it has become not the Lord of our destinies (He was that before), but the Lord of our hearts. Therefore, it is not in abject terror that we bow before the Supreme Sovereign, but in adoring worship we cry “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing” (Rev. 5:12).

Here then is the refutation of the wicked charge that this doctrine is a horrible calumny upon God and dangerous to expound to His people. Can a doctrine be “horrible” and “dangerous” that gives God His true place, that maintains His rights, that magnifies His grace, that ascribes all glory to Him and removes every ground of boasting from the creature? Can a doctrine be “horrible” and “dangerous” which affords the saints a sense of security in danger, that supplies them comfort in sorrow, that begets patience within them in adversity, that evokes from them praise at all times? Can a doctrine be “horrible” and “dangerous” which assures us of the certain triumph of good over evil, and which provides a sure resting-place for our hearts, and that place, the perfections of the Sovereign Himself? No; a thousand times, no. Instead of being “horrible and dangerous” this doctrine of the Sovereignty of God is glorious and edifying, and a due apprehension of it will but serve to make us exclaim with Moses, “Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Ex. 15:11).[1]

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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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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)

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Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship

 



[1] Arthur W. Pink, The Sovereignty of God (Swengel, PA: Bible Truth Depot, 1949), 236–237.