I’m a Goodfella. – Lies of the Enemy #35– Purity 1047

I’m a Goodfella.  – Lies of the Enemy #35– Purity 1047

Purity 1047 05/19/2023 Purity 1047 Podcast

Purity 1046 on YouTube: 

Good morning,

Today’s photo of a tranquil morning scene at Persimmon Lake In Murphy NC comes to us from Fred Dimmick who capture this beautiful scene, with the lake’s mirror like reflection of the sky and the morning mist rising off the lake’s surface, back on May 4^th as a case study in contrasts as Persimmon’s waters recede in the winter months leaving the shores looking like a barren desert but come May, the lake fills up again to reflect spring’s thriving abundance of life.    

Well, It’s Friday and I for one really appreciate Fred’s diligence of practicing and sharing his photography. In my full life, I don’t always have time to check in to Facebook or to plan the “photo of the day” and when ever I’m not sure what to share I have discovered that Fred is a reliable source to go to see the glory of God’s creation on “film”.   His penchant for sharing the views from his life consistently and reliably makes me appreciate Fred’s “friendship” and his life’s narrative. Although I have never sat down and chatted with Fred, he has told me bits of “his story” through social media and he comes across as someone who appreciates the simple joys of life in spite of some of the challenges he has faced in the recent years with finding a place to call his home, with health concerns, or with car troubles.  

You can’t always know who somebody is from looking from the outside, but I get the overall impression that Fred is a “nice guy”.  Although I can’t be certain, I think Fred is a “goodfella”.   

Now I use that particular phrase quite purposefully to highlight the duality of man – our mix of good and evil, that can sometimes define who we are and that just may seal our fates.    

The phrase “Goodfella” obviously is loaded with meaning for most of us  as Martin Scorsese’s 1990 gangster film is praised by critics and fans, resulting in several awards and nominations, and has been listed as one of the greatest films ever made, particularly in the gangster genre.  Based on the life of a real life wise guy, the film narrates the rise and fall of mob associate, Henry Hill  and his family and friends from 1955 to 1980 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodfellas).  The film’s scenes are gripping, and its dialog is infectious as those who love the film are often known to echo its phrases. While I won’t share any quotes from the film on the blog I am sharing a link (https://decider.com/2022/05/26/ray-liottas-10-best-goodfellas-quotes/) to star, Ray Liotta’s 10 Best Goodfellas’ Quotes if you want to walk back to the dark side of memory lane.  

The paradox of the film of course is that Henry Hill and His friends are not “goodfellas” by the standards of traditional biblical morality. They are thieves, liars, adulterers, drunks, swindlers, drug addicts, and murderers. Their zeal for life is to serve themselves and take what they want by any means necessary. However, these men also have families and friendships that are defined by love and a strong sense of loyalty – unless of course those things get in the way of “business”.   

Ironically, members of “organized crime” sometimes surprise us by doing good. They give “justice” to those who don’t get it from police or the government. Sometimes they give things to those in need. Sometimes their ill-gotten gains even go into the coffers of charities and churches.  They may indeed seem to be “respectable businessmen” to their local communities and churches.  With these “good works”, one may wonder if these gangsters aren’t so  bad after all,  that somehow in the final accounting they may “do more good than bad” and find themselves in a state of grace – that God will declare that these criminals are “goodfellas” after all and welcome them into heaven.  

Now as much as I have introduced the subject of gangsters who have obvious concerns about their eternal destinies because of their many crimes, I actually mean to shine a spot light on all of those of us who consider ourselves “nice guys”, “good girls”, or a “good neighbor” who know they “aren’t perfect” but who don’t display any fruit or evidence of having a relationship with God but are putting their faith in their “good outweighing their bad” as the means to getting to be a part of God’s eternal kingdom.   

 And that brings us to our current series the “Lies of the Enemy”, which is an examination of some of the common lies, sometimes sneakily whispered into our minds as “first person” statements, that the 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 #35:  I’m a Goodfella.               

This lie is so pervasive throughout the world that it not only infects the realms of supposedly Christian institutions it forms the basis of all false religions and the measure of performance of the world system.  

The lie – “I’m a Goodfella” is unbiblical as the Bible tells us in:  

Ecclesiastes 7:20 (NKJV)
²⁰  For there is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin.

The Apostle Paul expounds on our moral hopelessness, inability to “do good”, and be approved by our own efforts in: 

Romans 3:10-20 (NLT2)
¹⁰  As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one.
¹¹  No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.
¹²  All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.”
¹³  “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.”
¹⁴  “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
¹⁵  “They rush to commit murder.
¹⁶  Destruction and misery always follow them.
¹⁷  They don’t know where to find peace.” )
¹⁸  “They have no fear of God at all.”
¹⁹  Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God.
²⁰  For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

The lie of “I’m a Goodfella” – that proclaims that somehow God will forgive us because our evil will be less than our “good” is based in ignorance and ignores the word of God that tells us that we will be dead in our trespasses and sins without Jesus.    

I am sharing a link to Open Bible Info’s 100 verses about Jesus died for our sins on the blog today (https://www.openbible.info/topics/jesus_died_for_our_sins) if you need the scriptures to convince you that our works don’t save us.  

I know that most “Christians” “know this” but the Bible also speaks of those who will claim a relationship with Christ – by works or passing association – that will discover that their “show” of Christianity, “nominal agreement”, disingenuous faith, or infrequent participation in outward signs of worshipping the Lord won’t fool the God in the end.   

So before you anoint yourself with the “cheap grace” of having a “passing relationship” with God or of “doing more good than bad” as a means of salvation – Consider Christ’s words to the nonbeliever and to those who profess or try to prove their “faith” with works.   

For those who haven’t put their faith in Christ, I offer Jesus’ words in: 

John 14:6 (NLT2)
⁶  Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

There is no other way to God but through faith in Jesus.  Sorry, Goodfella without Him you don’t get “in”.   Christ also said:

John 3:18 (NLT2)
¹⁸  “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.

For those who are “doing more good than bad” but have an inconsistent or virtually nonexistent “relationship” with God, but have “a little faith”.  I offer.

Luke 13:24-27 (NLT2)
²⁴  “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail.
²⁵  When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
²⁶  Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
²⁷  And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.’

Just because you sat and heard Jesus’ teachings and had the Lord’s supper, doesn’t necessarily mean you are a Christian – Christ’s words indicate that we also have to repent of our sins because otherwise our “doing evil” – having regular periodic unrepentant sin in our life may indicate we are “false converts”. If we fail to “work hard” to overcome our sins, we may demonstrate we are not actually Christ’s disciples – those who obey what He teaches.

And as for those who are “working hard” and are proud of it, I offer Jesus’ words in:  

Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV)
²¹  "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
²²  Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'
²³  And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Again, this is for the legitimate businessmen and those who stand out in public and  shine a light on all the “good deeds” you have done for God.  Christ wants you heart as well as your works, and your good works in the light don’t cover the “lawlessness” you practice in the dark.  

Christ call sus to be disciples to be “real” Christians – to seek Him, to love Him, and to practice what Jesus teaches.  Now don’t get me wrong, this is not some ultra form of performance based salvation – I don’t think Jesus was suggesting that, but I do think He was trying to convict all of us that we must believe in Him and to do our best to follow His example and to do so as an expression of our love for God – as part of our relationship with Him.   

My heart is to encourage people to walk with God humbly and simply but not so simply that we aren’t pursuing Him and seeking to do His will on earth, which includes our pursuing personal sanctification and spiritual maturity.  

The reason today’s lie of “I’m a Goodfella” has so inflamed my passion to exhort is because the WHOLE WORLD would consider themselves “goodfellas” – We are all “good” in our own eyes and we would all declare ourselves “good enough” by judging those who are worse than we are. However, the word God tells us we must be right with God through faith in Jesus and through our authentic attempts to follow Him into repentance.  

I know so many “goodfellas”, “nice guys”, “good girls. “free spirits” and “characters” that I love, find amusing, and genuinely “like” that have seemingly no relationship with the Lord. They don’t always do the right thing and often suffer for their poor choices but overall they “seem like good people.” 

 I know others who really seem to have it “all together”. They are successful and kind. They are good citizens and good to their families or friends, but they don’t demonstrate any faith in Jesus.  

So I say all this to encourage all the “goodfellas” out their whether you are an Upstanding citizen or a “wise guy”, to stand up and surrender to the Lordship or Christ and to be truly wise by declaring that you are not a “goodfella” and that you need the forgiveness and new life that only God can give you that comes through faith in Jesus and a life that is surrendered to Him.     

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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 are:

Colossians 3:23-24 (NLT2)
²³  Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
²⁴  Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.

Today’s verses encourage us to work as if we were working directly for the Lord, because we do, and because the Lord will reward us with inheritance when we serve Jesus as the Master of our Lives.   

Verses like today’s passage indicate to us that our faith was never meant to be a weekly observance of worship. Our faith is supposed to be a way of life and we are to consider everything we do as something we are doing for the Lord. God made us and He will reclaim us and so we are to show Him that we know who our Master is by being His representative here on the earth.  

Everything we do we are to do for the Lord and although it may not always be easy to “do the right thing”, God’s word assures us that He sees what we are doing, and He will reward us for our faithful service.

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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 begin sharing from  The Holy Spirit By A.W. Pink.

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage you all to purchase June Hunt’s books for your own private study and to support her work.  This resource is available online for $0.99 (https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Spirit-Arthur-Pink-Collection-ebook/dp/B008CM5292/ref=sr_1_3?crid=AHKAQOM39CTN&keywords=a.w.+pink+the+holy+spirit&qid=1684376225&sprefix=a.w.+pink+the+holy+spirit+%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-3)  

                                                     1 - The Holy Spirit continues

The Problem: Effort in the Flesh

In the great majority of cases, professing Christians are too puffed up by a sense of what they suppose they are doing for God, to earnestly study what God has promised to do for and in His people. They are so occupied with their fleshly efforts to “win souls for Christ” that they feel not their own deep need of the Spirit’s anointing. The leaders of “Christian” (?) enterprise are so concerned in multiplying “Christian workers” that quantity, not quality, is the main consideration. How few today recognize that if the number of “missionaries” on the foreign field were increased twenty-fold the next year, that that, of itself, would not ensure the genuine salvation of one additional heathen? Even though every new missionary were “sound in the faith” and preached only “the Truth,” that would not add one iota of spiritual power to the missionary forces, without the Holy Spirit’s unction and blessing! The same principle holds good everywhere. If the orthodox seminaries and the much-advertised Bible institutes turned out 100 times more men than they are now doing, the churches would not be one bit better off than they are, unless God vouchsafed a fresh outpouring of His Spirit. In like manner, no Sunday School is strengthened by the mere multiplication of its teachers.

O my readers, face the solemn fact that the greatest lack of all in Christendom today is the absence of the Holy Spirit’s power and blessing. Review the activities of the past 30 years. Millions of dollars have been freely devoted to the support of professed Christian enterprises. Bible institutes and schools have turned out “trained workers” by the thousands. Bible conferences have sprung up on every side like mushrooms. Countless booklets and tracts have been printed and circulated. Time and labors have been given by an almost incalculable number of “personal workers.” And with what results? Has the standard of personal piety advanced? Are the churches less worldly? Are their members more Christ-like in their daily walk? Is there more godliness in the home? Are the children more obedient and respectful? Is the Sabbath Day being increasingly sanctified and kept holy? Has the standard of honesty in business been raised?

The Need

Those blest with any spiritual discernment can return but one answer to the above questions. In spite of all the huge sums of money that have been spent, in spite of all the labors which has been put forth, in spite of all the new workers that have been added to the old ones, the spirituality of Christendom is at a far lower ebb today than it was 30 years ago. Numbers of professing Christians have increased, fleshly activities have multiplied, but spiritual power has waned. Why? Because there is a grieved and quenched Spirit in our midst. While His blessing is withheld there can be no improvement. What is needed today is for the saints to get down on their faces before God, cry unto Him in the name of Christ to so work again, that what has grieved His Spirit may be put away, and the channel of blessing once more be opened.

Until the Holy Spirit is again given His rightful place in our hearts, thoughts, and activities, there can be no improvement. Until it be recognized that we are entirely dependent upon His operations for all spiritual blessing, the root of the trouble cannot be reached. Until it be recognized that it is “ ‘Not by might, (of trained workers), nor by power (of intellectual argument or persuasive appeal), but by MY SPIRIT; saith the Lord” (Zech. 4:6), there will be no deliverance from that fleshly zeal which is not according to knowledge, and which is now paralyzing Christendom. Until the Holy Spirit is honored, sought, and counted upon, the present spiritual drought must continue. May it please our gracious God to give the writer messages and prepare the hearts of our readers to receive that which will be to His glory, the furtherance of His cause upon earth, and the good of His dear people. Brethren, pray for us.^[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)

For those who require the assistance of a Deeper Walk International Prayer Minister to experience healing or your freedom in Christ, I highly recommend Christy Edge’s Life on the Edge Freedom Prayer Ministry. You can schedule a session by going to : https://cedge216.wixsite.com/life-on-the-edge     

“The views, opinions, and commentary of this publication are those of the author, M.T. Clark, only, and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any of the photographers, artists, ministries, or other authors of the other works that may be included in this publication, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities the author may represent.”

Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship

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^[1] Arthur Walkington Pink, The Holy Spirit (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, n.d.).

Calling Others Back from the Path of Sin - Lent with Bonhoeffer Day 36– Purity 1008

Calling Others Back from the Path of Sin - Lent with Bonhoeffer Day 36– Purity 1008

Purity 1008 04/04/2023 Purity 1008 Podcast

Purity 1008 on YouTube: 

Good morning,

Today’s photo of athe silhouette of a tree set against a back drop of a blue and purple sky comes to us from Dave Baun Photography (https://www.facebook.com/DaveBaunPhotography) who shared this scene last week on social media indicating that it was an “oldie” that Dave had captured in Louise Moore Park, in Easton PA.

Well, It might be an “oldie” but it is a “goodie” for sure and I’m glad our photographer friend “Down Under” shared this memory from when He was still states side demonstrating to us that beauty is where you find it and that its okay to look back to remember where you came from.  

Well, it is Tuesday and I am rejoicing in the wake of last night’s successful freedom appointment in which I was able to witness a member of the Freedom in Christ course look back into his past with the Holy Spirit and resolve his personal and spiritual conflicts.  Even though a lot of pain, shame, guilt, and bitterness was released the story that unfolded was a thing of beauty because it testified of God’s abiding presence and relentless love that followed this man all the days of his life.  

No two lives are the same and I now understand that applies to freedom appointments too as the Holy Spirit used the “simple steps” concerning rebellion and pride to give this man a major revelation about his past and a new hope for his future.   While those steps seemed to pass without incident and I was prepared to move on, the Holy Spirit stopped the process as this man received key insights into the “insanity” of doing the same things over and over expecting different results and exposing the lie that this man was somehow “unworthy” or incapable of being used by the Lord.   Apparently, the Holy Spirit wasn’t having it anymore and slammed on the brakes of the process to shift this man’s paradigms and change his view of himself and his direction for the future in a moment.  

While I have seen serious confessions, formidable forgiveness, and major break throughs in my experiences leading others through the Steps to Freedom in Christ, having it happen where it happened last night was a first.  And that reminds me that, the Lord will do what the Lord will do and He chooses when that will happen. When we walk with the Lord we shouldn’t be surprised when something new happens and even though we should realize that much of our faith walk will be a steady progression down a sure path , we should be prepared to change directions when the Lord shows us something new.  

So, let’s see if the Lord has anything new for us today by continuing our current series, the 40 Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer with Day 36. 

We have also arrived at Holy Tuesday – when Christ delivered the Olivet Discourse among other things. It was a busy day for Jesus and I am sharing a link on the blog for those who are curious about what He said and did  on Holy Tuesday (https://www.gotquestions.org/Holy-Tuesday.html).

It’s just another way to know the Lord which is our intentionf with 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 36

Bonhoeffer writes:

“When another Christian falls into obvious sin, an admonition is imperative, because God’s Word demands it.

The practice of discipline in the community of faith begins with friends who are close to one another.

Words of admonition and reproach must be risked when a lapse from God’s Word in doctrine or life endangers a community that lives together, and with it the whole community of faith.

Nothing can be more cruel than that leniency which abandons others to their sin.

Nothing can be more compassionate than that severe reprimand which calls another Christian in one’s community back from the path of sin.

When we allow nothing but God’s Word to stand between us, judging and helping, it is a service of mercy, an ultimate offer of genuine community.

Then it is not we who are judging; God alone judges, and God’s judgment is helpful and healing.”

Biblical Wisdom

My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Galatians 6:1

Questions to Ponder

• Is sin taken seriously in today’s church and by today’s Christians? How is it, or how is it not?

M.T. Clark: OOF, I got saved with a hyper sense of God’s grace. When I was new in the faith, I was still locked in addiction and habitual sin. SO the emphasis for me was God’s forgiveness and understanding. Thank God He saved me because I am a mess and I can not change! Thank You, Jesus.   But as I followed the Lord the Holy Spirit using the word of God and the example of repentant Christians convicted me to repent and turn from the darkness I was in. 

I fear that in some circles sin isn’t taken seriously and grace is dispensed liberally and repentance is never mentioned.  Some churches welcome and accept people who are living a lifestyle of sin with no call to repent. That’s not how it should be.  While my former church taught mightily about God’s grace and love, it also taught that sin was sin and that Christians are supposed to repent and allow the Lord to help them to stop sinning.  So it question of whether sin is taken seriously or not, unfortunately, has a lot to do with where you go to church.

• Why might it be “cruel” not to admonish someone whose behavior is obviously sinful? What are the dangers in admonishing someone?

M.T. Clark: It is cruel to not admonish someone whose behavior is obviously sinful because it could result in false conversions or at the very least allow a brother or sister in Christ to suffer the condemnation, guilt, shame and other negative consequences that sin brings to one’s life.   One saying is “choose to sin, choose to suffer” and we really should not remain silent or affirm someone else when they are living in obvious sin. The dangerous of

• How might the church and individual Christians avoid being hypocritical and judgmental when admonishing a Christian brother or sister?

M.T. Clark: The only way we can avoid being hypocritical or judgmental when admonishing a Christian brother or sister is by:

·       being compassionate and loving

·       offering our help and support to those in need

·       and not singling out one form of sin to the exclusion of others.

We have to be balanced and compassionate in our attempts to convict others to repent.

Psalm Fragment

Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
   and put away your indignation toward us. Psalm 85:4

Journal Reflections

• Have you ever been admonished by another Christian? If so, write about the experience. How was it done? How did it feel? What were the results?

M.T. Clark:  Admonish means to “warn or reprimand someone firmly” and I would have to say I have been admonished by another Christian for things I have written in this blog.  It was a cutting rebuke born from their concern for others and I can understand why they did what they did. Quite frankly, their “admonition” made me angry and simultaneously ashamed.  I thought it was heavy handed and didn’t acknowledge what I was trying to convey. Their rebuke while done in the name of concern for others also seemed to be in the name of hiding ugly truths from “the innocents” and I couldn’t really follow how my comments that could cause undo harm to people who would in all likely hood never see my comments and who had much more exposure to the hard facts of the situation than I did. With that said, I was affected by it and it has caused me to better consider who could be affected by the things I write about.  Although, I also let what I wrote stand and didn’t edit anything or print a retraction. Other than this person’s admonition, I have received no negative feedback for the things I had written in that instance to this day.

• Have you ever offered a word of admonition to another person? If so, write about the experience. How did it feel? What were the results?

M.T. Clark: The only people I have ever “admonished” would be my children. Firm warnings and reprimands by me have only been reserved for the people I was responsible to teach right and wrong to, my kids.  Over all, I would say that I have no regrets for the things I taught my kids and the firm warnings and reprimands I have made.  They are both in their 20’s and have chosen to continue to live with me so it couldn’t have been too bad.  I always felt bad for coming down on them in the few instances where I had to but it led to good results. While my kids may not be perfect, they have not walked in my footsteps in the regards to the amount of trouble I got into growing up. However, my zeal for the Lord has not transferred and actively pray for the Lord to lead them into a life of Christian discipleship.    

• If you answered no to the above two questions, spend some time in writing reflecting upon the idea of taking sin seriously enough to admonish another and receive admonition from another.

M.T. Clark: While I haven’t “admonished” any Christians with a “firm warning or reprimand. I “encourage” Christians to repent of their sins by following the path of Christian discipleship as part of this continual ministry.  But I know from experience that the Lord, the Holy Spirit, is the One who brings people to repentance, so I don’t admonish, I encourage.  However, if someone close to me was living in obvious sin, I may be more vocal and intense in my “encouragements”.  

Prayer for Today

Lord, open my ears that I may hear from your Word whatever words of admonition I need to hear that I might grow in love and faithfulness.

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 TWELVE

THE VALUE OF THIS DOCTRINE continues

 

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

4. It is deeply humbling to the creature

This doctrine of the absolute sovereignty of God is a great battering-ram against human pride, and in this it is in sharp contrast from the “doctrines of men.” The spirit of our age is essentially that of boasting and glorying in the flesh. The achievements of man, his development and progress, his greatness and self-sufficiency, are the shrine at which the world worships today. But the truth of God’s sovereignty, with all its corollaries, removes every ground for human boasting and instills the spirit of humility in its stead. It declares that salvation is of the Lord—of the Lord in its origination, in its operation, and in its consummation. It insists that the Lord has to apply as well as supply, that He has to complete as well as begin His saving work in our souls, that He has not only to reclaim but to maintain and sustain us to the end. It teaches that salvation is by grace through faith, and that all our works (before conversion), good as well as evil, count for nothing toward salvation. It tells us we are “born, not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13). And all this is most humbling to the heart of man who wants to contribute something to the price of his redemption and do that which will afford ground for boasting and self-satisfaction.

But if this doctrine humbles us it results in praise to God. If, in the light of God’s sovereignty, we have seen our own worthlessness and helplessness we shall indeed cry with the Psalmist “All my springs are in Thee” (Psa. 87:7). If by nature we were “children of wrath,” and by practice rebels against the Divine government and justly exposed to the “curse” of the Law, and if God was under no obligation to rescue us from the fiery indignation and yet, notwithstanding, He delivered up His well-beloved Son for us all; then how such grace and love will melt our hearts, how the apprehension of it will cause us to say in adoring gratitude “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy, and for Thy truth’s sake” (Psa. 115:1). How readily shall each of us acknowledge “By the grace of God I am what I am”! With what wondering praise shall we exclaim—

“Why was I made to hear His voice,

And enter while there’s room,

When thousands make a wretched choice,

And rather starve than come?

’Twas the same love that spread the feast,

That sweetly forced us in;

Else we had still refused to taste

And perished in our sin.”^[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), 229–230.

Community - Receiving What God Has Given – Lent with Bonhoeffer Day 24– Purity 996

Community - Receiving What God Has Given – Lent with Bonhoeffer Day 24– Purity 996    

Purity 996 03/21/2023 Purity 996 Podcast

Purity 996 on YouTube:

Sideways... again 

Good morning,

Today’s photo of the sun shining through the tree and over the narrow stretch of land that borders my property “down by The River” comes to us from yours truly as I had the presence of mind to peak around the corner to check out the view from my back yard on the first day of Spring 2023, yesterday.  I not only was blessed in the moment when I decided to “go there”, I was also reminded of just how much God has blessed me with this little house and of the amazing the journey I went through to get here.   My house and the property on the side of State Route 9J in Stuyvesant truly is a gift that keeps on giving but I have to remember that I have it, I have received it, I continue to live in it, and,  as long as the Lord is willing, I will have it tomorrow and for many days in the future.   But I can’t appreciate it yesterday, or tomorrow, I can only appreciate the gifts God has given me today.  

Well, it is Tuesday, and I am happy to report that I successfully encouraged another man through the Steps to Freedom in Christ last night and was blessed to see the Lord work in his life as he confessed and repented of sins of the past, released bitterness through forgiveness, and took back any ground given to the enemy through sin, pride, rebellion, or generational curses. This man’s past was laid at the foot of the cross and now he has the opportunity to continue in freedom.

What? Isn’t it a done deal when someone goes through the Steps?  

It is, or at least it can be. The work that is done in the Steps is prayer, renunciation and making a commitment to follow the Lord. It is “faith work” meaning that it is dependent on faith and its lasting effects require one to continue in faith. 

Just like my house down by the River, we have to believe that we have received it, that we have it, and that we will walk in a manner that believes we have it for good and that we will progressively align ourselves with God’s will in any areas of our lives that still need “work”.   And when I say work I have to point out that any “remaining issues” will also be resolved by faith – the victory we have is accomplished to a very large degree by simply believing that God has already given it to us, in believing that even the thing we struggle with “is finished”.  

The work of breaking strongholds that remain after a freedom appointment is faith work, and is accomplished not so much from the sweat of our brow as much as it is accomplished by the moves of the mind, heart, and spirit within us.  And its also volitional, we must choose to believe it every day and shape our lives according to who we are in Christ to reflect the work that the Lord has done in us. 

Just like me deciding to look around the corner of my house, we must choose to “go there” spiritually – and physically- by choosing to seek the Lord everywhere we go – through prayer, through Bible study and reading Christ books, through listening to podcasts and sermons, and through looking for God in the beauty of His creation.  And we must reach out with our heart and minds to connect with God, relationally. We must not only believe that He is there, we must know Him, love Him, and ask Him to reveal Himself to us and to help us. 

So if you haven’t had the experiential contact with the Lord that erases all your doubts of the reality of His presence and love in your life, reach out and search for Him, seek Him, because when you do that with all your heart, you will find Him and you will be forever changed.  Don’t look to have someone else give Him to you, finding the Lord and deciding the follow Him is your responsibility and it depends on your ”faith work”.  

Speaking of “faith work” or perhaps “spiritual effort” (is that a better term?),  let’s put forth some effort to draw close to the Lord by continuing our current series as we take another step closer to Resurrection Sunday as today is the 24^th day of Lent and the 24^th day of our 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 24

Bonhoeffer writes:

“Every human idealized image that is brought into the Christian community is a hindrance to genuine community and must be broken up so that genuine community can survive.

Those who love their dream of a Christian community more than the Christian community itself become destroyers of that Christian community even though their personal intentions may be ever so honest, earnest, and sacrificial…

Those who dream of this idealized community demand that it be fulfilled by God, by others, and by themselves. They enter the community of Christians with their demands, set up their own law, and judge one another and even God accordingly…

Because God already has laid the only foundation of our community, because God has united us in one body with other Christians in Jesus Christ long before we entered into common life with them, we enter into that life together with other Christians, not as those who make demands, but as those who thankfully receive.

We thank God for what God has done for us.

We thank God for giving us other Christians who live by God’s call, forgiveness, and promise.

We do not complain about what God does not give us; rather we are thankful for what God does give us daily.”

Biblical Wisdom

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:1-6

Questions to Ponder

• What does it mean to love the “dream of Christian community more than the community itself”?

M.T. Clark:  Loving the dream of Christian community is to hold an ideal of the “perfect Christian Fellowship” and to allow your expectations to cause you to be discontented with the reality of what you have at your local church.  Hoping for better messages, better worship music, better facilities, or better friendships are all subtle ways that we can fall into the trap of creating a religious ideal that won’t be realized and that will cause you to blame God, your neighbors, or yourself. Instead we should be content and thankful that we can gather together to worship in community at all, and enjoy what we do have rather than focusing on what is lacking.

• If “we enter community not as those who make demands, but as those who thankfully receive,” what should our attitude and action toward the community be?

M.T. Clark: If “we enter community, without demands, we would enter into community with an attitude of thankfulness, appreciation, contentment, and joy. Our actions would be to celebrate our faith with enthusiasm and to consider serving the community in whatever way we could.

• Is it easier to “complain about what God does not give us” or to be “thankful for what God does give us”? Why?

M.T. Clark: Unfortunately, the tendency for the flesh is to complain about what God has not given us, but it is just as easy to be thankful for what God does give us as it is to complain.  We will have to be intentional to give thanks and remember to appreciate what we have, but when we make that choice the fruit that grows in our lives is joy and peace. And that is a harvest that is worth the mental and spiritual effort that it takes to receive it. Psalm 23 tells us that “The Lord is my Shepard” and “I shall not want” – so instead of complaining about the things we don’t have, let’s remember to thank the Lord for what He has provided, because if we do that we can experience what it is like to experience the “goodness and mercy that will follow us all the days of our lives, and to know the joy that comes from dwelling in the house of the Lord, forever.  

Psalm Fragment

The Lord is my strength and my shield;
   in him my heart trusts;
   so I am helped, and my heart exults,
   and with my song I give thanks to him.
The Lord is the strength of his people;
   he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
O save your people, and bless your heritage;
   be their shepherd, and carry them forever. Psalm 28:7-9

Journal Reflections

• Write about your response to Bonhoeffer’s ideas about Christian community.

M.T. Clark: Bonhoeffer’s good advice is to appreciate what we have in our Christian communities: to receive what God has given us and to thank Him for it. This is  to be our attitude for all the areas of our lives.

• Does reading Bonhoeffer on Christian community change the way you feel about your faith community? How? Or why not?

M.T. Clark: Yes it does. Things are not perfect at my church but there is more things that are good than that are not. So Bonhoeffer’s writings remind me to thank God for the church that I have found and the people who work together each week to give us a spiritual home where we can worship.

• Does it suggest any practical changes in the way you relate to your faith community? If so, what are they?

M.T. Clark:  Yes, the practical changes that it suggests in the way that I relate to my faith community is to cease any critical thoughts about the church leadership or staff and to silence petty complaints about the corporate gathering. It causes me to repent in dust and ashes over the negative things I have said or thought about my church and instead to focus on how good a fellowship it is that I am currently blessed with.

Intercessions

Think about your faith community and spiritual friends (name them) and thank God for the support you get from them in living your life of faith.

M.T. Clark:

Lord God,

I pray for and thank you Lord for Pastor Roscoe Lily and all of the volunteers at Starpoint church for creating an environment in which we can come together in harmony to worship You and grow in our relationship with You and with one another.  I repent of any negative thoughts or complaints that I may have harbored since coming into the fellowship of Starpoint Church and ask that You help me to be content, to be thankful, and to serve our faith community in ways that will give glory to You, Lord. 

In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

 

Prayer for Today

Lord Jesus, I will be as important to my spiritual community as my spiritual community is to 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.*** 

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

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,

4. One of deep thankfulness and joy

The heart’s apprehension of this most blessed truth of the sovereignty of God produces something far different than a sullen bowing to the inevitable. The philosophy of this perishing world knows nothing better than to “make the best of a bad job.” But with the Christian it should be far otherwise. Not only should the recognition of God’s supremacy beget within us godly fear, implicit obedience, and entire resignation, but it should cause us to say with the Psalmist, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.” Does not the apostle say, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:20)? Ah! it is at this point the state of our souls is so often put to the test. Alas, there is so much self-will in each of us. When things go as we wish them we appear to be very grateful to God; but what of those occasions when things go contrary to our plans and desires?

We take it for granted when the real Christian takes a train-journey that, upon reaching his destination, he devoutly returns thanks into God—which, of course, argues that He controls everything; otherwise, we ought to thank the engine-driver, the stoker, the signalmen, etc. Or, if in business, at the close of a good week, gratitude is expressed unto the Giver of every good (temporal) and of every perfect (spiritual) gift—which again, argues that He directs all customers to your shop. So far, so good. Such examples occasion no difficulty. But imagine the opposites. Suppose my train was delayed for hours, did I fret and fume; suppose another train ran into it and I am injured! Or, suppose I have had a poor week in business, or that lightning struck my shop and set it on fire, or that burglars broke in and rifled it, then what: do I see the hand of God in these things?

Take the case of Job once more. When loss after loss came his way what did he do? Bemoan his “bad luck”? Curse the robbers? Murmur against God? No; he bowed before Him in worship. Ah! dear reader, there is no real rest for your poor heart until you learn to see the hand of God in everything. But for that, faith must be in constant exercise. And what is faith? A blind credulity? A fatalistic acquiescence? No, far from it. Faith is a resting on the sure Word of the living God, and therefore says “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); and therefore faith will give thanks “always for all things.” Operative faith will “Rejoice in the Lord alway” (Phil. 4:4).

We turn now to mark how this recognition of God’s sovereignty which is expressed in godly fear, implicit obedience, entire resignation, and deep thankfulness and joy was supremely and perfectly exemplified by the Lord Jesus Christ.

In all things the Lord Jesus has left us an example that we should follow His steps. But is this true in connection with the first point made above? Are the words “godly fear” ever linked with His peerless name? Remembering that ‘godly fear’ signifies not a servile terror, but rather a filial subjection and reverence, and remembering too that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” would it not rather be strange if no mention at all were made of ‘godly fear’ in connection with the One who was wisdom incarnate! What a wonderful and precious word is that of Heb. 5:7—“Who in the days of His flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and having been heard for His godly fear” (R. V.). What was it but ‘godly fear’ which caused the Lord Jesus to be “subject” unto Mary and Joseph in the days of His childhood? Was it ‘godly fear’—a filial subjection to and reverence for God—that we see displayed when we read “And He came to Nazareth where He had been brought up: and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day” (Luke 4:16)? Was it not ‘godly fear’ which caused the incarnate Son to say, when tempted by Satan to fall down and worship him, “It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve”? Was it not ‘godly fear’ which moved Him to say to the cleansed leper, “Go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded” (Matt. 8:4)? But why multiply illustrations?

How perfect was the obedience that the Lord Jesus offered to God the Father! And in reflecting upon this let us not lose sight of that wondrous grace which caused Him, who was in the very form of God, to stoop so low as to take upon Him the form of a Servant and thus be brought into the place where obedience was becoming. As the perfect Servant He yielded complete obedience to His Father. How absolute and entire that obedience was we may learn from the words He “became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross” (Phil. 2:8). That this was a conscious and intelligent obedience is clear from His own language: “Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received from My Father” (John 10:17, 18).

And what shall we say of the absolute resignation of the Son to the Father’s will? what, but, between Them there was entire oneness of accord. Said He, “For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me” (John 6:38), and how fully He substantiated that claim all know who have attentively followed His path as marked out in the Scriptures. Behold Him in Gethsemane! The bitter ‘cup,’ held in the Father’s hand, is presented to His view. Mark well His attitude. Learn of Him who was meek and lowly in heart. Remember that there in the Garden we see the Word become flesh, a perfect Man. His body is quivering at every nerve in contemplation of the physical sufferings which await Him; His holy and sensitive nature is shrinking from the horrible indignities which shall be heaped upon Him; His heart is breaking at the awful “reproach” which is before Him; His spirit is greatly troubled as He foresees the terrible conflict with the Power of Darkness; and above all, and supremely, His soul is filled with horror at the thought of being separated from God Himself—thus and there He pours out His soul to the Father, and with strong crying and tears He sheds, as it were, great drops of blood. And now observe and listen. Still the beating of thy heart and hearken to the words which fall from His blessed lips—“Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless, not My will, but Thine be done” (Luke 22:42). Here is submission personified. Here is resignation to the pleasure of a sovereign God superlatively exemplified. And He has left us an example that we should follow His steps. He who was God became man, and was tempted in all points like as we are, sin apart, to show us how to wear our creature nature!

Above we asked, What shall we say of Christ’s absolute resignation to the Father’s will? We answer further, This, that here, as everywhere, He was unique, peerless. In all things He has the preeminence. In the Lord Jesus there was no rebellious will to be broken. In His heart there was nothing to be subdued. Was not this one reason why, in the language of prophecy, He said, “I am a worm, and no man” (Psa. 22:6)—a worm has no power of resistance! It was because in Him there was no resistance that He could say, “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me” (John 4:34). Yea, it was because He was in perfect accord with the Father in all things that He said, “I delight to do Thy will, O God; vea, Thy law is within My heart” (Psa. 40:8). Note the last clause here and behold His matchless excellency. God has to put His laws into our minds, and write them in our hearts (see Heb. 8:10), but His law was already in Christ’s heart!

What a beautiful and striking illustration of Christ’s thankfulness and joy is found in Matt. 11. There we behold, first, the failure of the faith of His forerunner (vv. 22, 23). Next, we learn of the discontent of the people: satisfied neither with Christ’s joyous message, nor with John’s solemn one (vv. 16–20). Third, we have the non-repentance of those favored cities in which our Lord’s mightiest works were done (vv. 21–24). And then we read, “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes” (v. 25)! Note the parallel passage in Luke 11 opens by saying, “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank Thee,” etc. Ah! here was submission in its purest form. Here was One by whom the worlds were made, yet, in the days of His humiliation and in the face of His rejection, thankfully and joyously bowing to the will of the “Lord of heaven and earth.”

What ought to be our attitude toward God’s Sovereignty? Finally,^[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

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^[1] Arthur W. Pink, The Sovereignty of God (Swengel, PA: Bible Truth Depot, 1949), 196–200.