Happy Veteran’s Day - Honoring All Who Served - Purity 573

 

Happy Veteran’s Day - Honoring All Who Served - Purity 573

Purity 573 11/11/2021   Purity 573 Podcast

Good morning

Today’s photo of the leave covered Old Champlain Canal Tow Path running next to a pond known as the Schuylerville Basin behind the post office in Schuylerville NY comes to us from yours truly as we had stopped there to mail a package to a young woman who is currently “becoming a Marine” at boot camp on Paris Island SC.   

If I had the time to walk the Tow Path, I would have discovered that the trail would have led me over “Fish Creek” to General Philip Schuyler House and eventually to State Route 4.

Philip Schuyler was an American General in the Revolutionary War and a United States Senator. Schuyler fought in the French and Indian War. He won election to the New York General Assembly in 1768 and to the Continental Congress in 1775. He planned the Continental Army's 1775 Invasion of Quebec, but poor health forced him to delegate command of the invasion to Richard Montgomery. He prepared the Continental Army's defense of the 1777 Saratoga campaign but was replaced by General Horatio Gates as the commander of Continental forces in the theater. Schuyler resigned from the Continental Army in 1779.

Schuyler served in the New York State Senate for most of the 1780s and supported the ratification of the United States Constitution. He represented New York . After a period in the state senate, he won election to the United States Senate again in 1797, affiliating with the Federalist Party. He resigned due to poor health the following year. He was the father of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton and the father-in-law of Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton.  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Schuyler)

Yes, in case you are wondering that Alexander Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton whose life was documented in the Lin-Manuel Miranda’s popular musical Hamilton. 

So even though Schuyler’s military service seems to have had issues (because the last I knew Quebec is not a state, and although the Saratoga Campaign was a “great turning point of the war, he was replaced), Schuyler is remembered and honored for his service to our country.

Today is Veteran’s Day and little did I know that when we were mailing a package to someone who has started down the path that will prayerfully lead to their successfully entering and serving in the military that I was in front of a path that led to the house of a United States Revolutionary War General. 

The paths we choose in life can take us in all kinds of directions and through all kinds of terrain and environments, but it is usually the paths of service to others that lead to a life that is remembered and has the best potential for realizing at least part of what the Lord plans for our lives.  

My pastor told me once that we will be remembered as one of two things in life:

·       Someone who was a problem

or

·       Someone who solved problems.  

The someone’s who solved problems undoubtedly will be remembered for their service to their fellow man.  

So today on Veteran’s Day, we remember those who served in the United States military.  Unlike how the world system typically only  honors those who perform the best, today’s holiday gets it right by honoring all veterans regardless of their function or level of performance.  

It doesn’t  matter what branch in the military you were in, what your rank was, what medals or commendations you may have received, or when and where you served, if you made it through the training and officially became a member of the armed forces and served, even for a single day, today we say “Thank You for Your Service”  or to paraphrase what we all want to hear when we see our Heavenly Father face to face “Well done good and faithful servant!”       

Just like the military, being a “Christian soldier” is also a path that is best defined and remembered as a path of service.  The Christians who best represent the kingdom of God are those who don’t just sit on the sidelines of life “believing”.

Christ said that you would know His disciples by their fruit and by their love for one another. One of the most visible fruits that would reveal our love of God is our decision to step on the path of Christian discipleship to be “trained” in righteousness and to serve God’s kingdom through acts of kindness and service.  

Just like a soldier is trained to behave a certain way while on duty, a Christian’s tour of duty never ends and should demonstrate a heartfelt desire to conduct themselves according to the Lord’s will and ways for their life as described in the Bible.   So the disciple would seek to study the word of God and to conform their thoughts and actions to align with what it says.  

And just like a soldier’s training is purposeful and “just may save someone’s life someday”,  a Christian’s learning the Lord’s way for living should be for the purpose of serving the kingdom of God by serving His fellow man and by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ that “just may save someone’s soul someday!”

Today is Thursday and Veteran’s Day, so while I encourage all to thank and honor all those who served in the United States military, on this one particular Thursday in November of 2021, at the very least, I would always encourage my friends, every day, to get on the path of Christian Discipleship to honor God and to fulfill our purpose as Christians: to love and serve the Lord by “solving problems.” 

While we can use our gifts of strength, intellect, and ingenuity to solve a lot of problems that we encounter here on earth,  only Christians who know the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and share it with those around them can be used to help his fellow man solve the biggest problem of their lives by ushering them into a reconciled relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

So keep walking and talking with God down that pathway that started with spiritual death but that has led us to a new and eternal life where we can enjoy every step of our journey by being in God’s presence continually but where we can also bring the love of God into other people’s experience through our acts of kindness and service and by sharing the good news that Christ came to serve and save all who call upon Him as Lord and Savior.  

 

Today’s Bible verse is drawn from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”.  

This morning’s meditation verse is :

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT2)
¹⁷  This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Today’s verse speaks of the truth of the new life that we have in Christ.  

Because of Adam’s lost his spiritual life when He disobeyed the Lord and was expelled from the Garden of Eden , all of humanity, as Adam’s descendants, have been born spiritually dead and at enmity with God.  

However, God’s love for us caused Him to develop a plan for redemption. Jesus Christ came to earth and demonstrated the legitimacy of His claim to be the Messiah, Lord, Savior, and God the Son through:

·       His words and miraculous works,

·       living a sinless life,

·       dying for our all mankind’s sins,

·       being resurrected from the dead

·       , and ascending into heaven.

When people not only believe “the story of Jesus” but actually put their faith in Him personally as Lord and Savior. God sends the Holy Spirit to indwell them and make them spiritually alive.  The change in our spiritual status from spiritually dead to spiritually alive makes us a new person.  

The moment we put our faith in Jesus we are reconciled to God, forgiven of all our sins, saved from God’s wrath, and adopted as His children into His royal family.  We are given a new and eternal life in God’s kingdom.

That reality will really come into focus when our lives on earth end or when Christ returns, but it is true right now and today’s verse seeks to remind and encourage us of the fact that the “The old life is gone” and “a new life has begun!” and invites us to experience it here and now. 

So every day remind yourself that not only are you physically alive, but God has made you spiritually alive! When you put your faith in Jesus your old, sinful, and worldly life ended and the new life you have began. 

So keep walking and talking with God, so you can know and experience that new life God has given you.

 

As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I always share insights from prominent Christian counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. 

Today we continue sharing from June Hunt’s “Evil and Suffering… Why? Is God Fair?

 

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage all to purchase June Hunt’s books for your own private study and to support her work.

D. What Does "Theodicy" Mean?

If it is true that "Life is full of suffering, and then you die," what is the purpose of living at all? This life, however, is but a fleeting training ground for the life to follow—eternal life that will go on forever. God will use the sufferings in this life for our eternal good if we choose to rely on Him.

While this is not the best of all worlds, it is the way to the best of all worlds! Only by giving control of our lives to our Lord and Savior in this life can we be given the next life God has prepared for us.

"Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

• The word theodicy is a theological term used in apologetics (a defense of the faith) to vindicate the goodness, justice, and existence of God in the face of all the evil and injustice in the world. Those who are convinced that God is absolutely just know that His reputation is not at stake and can state with absolute confidence...
      "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you." (Psalm 89:14)
• The Greek word theos means "God," and the Greek word dike carries the idea of "justice." As you increasingly come to know the Lord God, you increasingly have confidence in the character of God.
      "He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he." (Deuteronomy 32:4)
• Theodicy is a logical defense of the goodness of God despite the existence of evil in the world. Because logical reasoning can be effective in presenting truth to those who have not heard the truth, we are told...

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." (1 Peter 3:15-16)

Biblical Counseling Keys: Evil and Suffering... Why?: Why God? Why?.

---------------------------more tomorrow------------------------

 

Join our “Victory over the Darkness” or “The Bondage Breaker” series of Discipleship Classes via the mt4christ247 podcast!

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Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship

Purity 262: Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship

Purity 262     11/11/2020          

 Good morning and Happy Veteran’s Day!

I captured today’s photo last week in Burtonsville NY. I was enjoying the weather and decided to take a short hike and was pleased to enjoy this view. It’s great to have the freedom to explore this earth and see the beauty of God’s creation. It’s just great to be free, which brings us to Veteran’s Day. 

For those with the day off, consider taking a part of it to thank a veteran for their service. You have the day off because of their decision to serve our country and sacrifice a part of their lives to serve and defend the country that provides the freedom which we all enjoy. 

I know several men and women who served. I have the utmost respect for all of those who have served and don’t tolerate any disparaging remarks or attitudes towards the ones who were brave enough to sign their lives over to the armed services.   Their decision to serve cost them all something. Some have experienced physical pain and injury and now have permanent disabilities because of their service. Others have mental and emotional scars of trauma that don’t necessarily show. All of them experienced the other worldly phenomenon of stepping out of the paradigm of “normal life” into the challenges of military service that us “normal citizens” will never know.  

So, veterans, thank you for your service!

While I didn’t join the service, ten years ago I decided to follow the one who laid his life down for all of us, Jesus Christ.  Since experiencing the joy of salvation, I feel the least I can do is share the message of hope and life that comes through following Jesus Christ.  I have served the kingdom of God through missions, serving at my local church, and through leading the weekly recovery ministry at Rock Solid Church.

One aspect of our recovery ministry that has parallels to military service is accountability.  Like two soldiers in a fox hole who have to cover one another’s backs, those in recovery can cover each other by becoming accountability partners: two or more people who agree to support one another and hold each other responsible for performing different tasks or living according to a particular set of principles.  

The idea behind accountability is to cover and expose one another’s blind spots.  And boy do we have them!  When you are walking out of darkness into the light, everything we knew about living has to change. Like a civilian going into boot camp, those who enlist themselves into recovery suddenly discover that there are new ways to think and live that they have to adapt to.  Our sponsors and accountability partners won’t be barking orders (or at least they shouldn’t) but they have experience to show us how to live a life of sobriety and peace.  We weren’t drafted into recovery and we can quit anytime we want but our sponsors and accountability partners are examples of the fact that a new life without our old hurts, habits, and hang-ups is possible and desirable. 

I’ve discovered what that new life is like because of those who were wiling to sacrifice their time to guide and support me.  So, I now stand every week for those who are looking for hope and a new life.  Be it addiction, trauma, depression, anger, anxiety, lust, or loneliness,  just like those grunts in that proverbial fox hole, I “got your six” and I will be here for those who have reached the end of searching for meaning in this world and all its vices and will guide you to walk with the One who brings life and life more abundantly. 

John 15:13 (NKJV)
¹³ Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

Today we continue in Anderson & Baumchen’s Finding Hope Again:

Two Depressed People

It is not enough for Christians to merely be aware of the general symptoms of depression. If we want to reach out to those who struggle with depression, we must view them as people, not bundles of symptoms. Describing specific people who exhibit symptoms like the preceding can also help you see yourself in a more objective light.

Matt, a Former Go-Getter

Notice how many of these characteristics became evident in Matt, a 46-year-old man who had a good job in a manufacturing firm. He and his wife, Linda, had raised two children in their nice suburban home. Their younger child was graduating from high school and the older one was in college.

Matt had been a real go-getter; but now he began to feel restless at work and his performance began to drop off. He hated going in to work, and he became irritable and feisty with his coworkers. Finally, his supervisor had to speak to him about his performance and his relationship with fellow workers. Matt just didn't see the problem in the same way. He felt picked on and condemned by his coworkers and his boss. He hated his job, his life and himself. Then one day, out of frustration and disgust with himself, Matt quit his job!

He felt even worse after quitting his job. He had been satisfied with his profession, which had given him a sense of worth and, of course, an income. Now he felt tormented in his mind and wasn't sleeping well. He lost his appetite and didn't want to visit anyone. He even quit studying his Bible, and stopped attending church—activities he had found meaningful and enjoyable. His marriage deteriorated, and relationships were strained with his children. Frequent fights about money and Matt's lack of interest in finding a job made living at home a source of constant irritation. He had no mental peace. His mind was flooded with negative thoughts about himself and life in general.

Matt was experiencing almost every sign of depression; and, as is typical, his problems were affecting every other person in his family. Because there was so much conflict at home, he and his wife sought counseling for their marriage. Their marriage problems, however, couldn't be resolved until Matt dealt with his personal issues.

Fortunately, through counseling, deep repentance and faith in God, Matt was able to overcome his depression by winning the battle in his mind.

King David

In Matt's case, sin was an issue in addition to many unresolved conflicts. His situation was similar to David's depression, described in Psalm 38:3-18:

Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin. My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly. I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning. My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart. All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes. My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away. Those who seek my life set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they plot deception. I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear, like a mute, who cannot open his mouth; I have become like a man who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply. I wait for you, O Lord; you will answer, O Lord my God. For I said, "Do not let them gloat or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips." For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me. I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin (NIV).

David is depressed, even though he was a man Scripture says had a whole heart for God. David would have identified with most of Matt's symptoms. He describes in graphic detail his physical, spiritual and emotional pain. He even feels that he is near death. David knows that his only hope is God, as he cries out at the end of the psalm, "Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior" (Psalm 38:22).

Finding Hope Again: Overcoming Depression.

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God bless you all!

 

 

 

No Man Left Behind - Happy Veterans Day.

On this Veteran's Day I ran in the 10th Annual Valatie NY Veterans Day 5K in my on going mission to recondition my body from the life of overindulgence and sin I was caught in for most of my life.  I jogged for a short time in my 30's but never was much of a runner, I placed 66 out of 109 with a time of 30:18 with a pace of 9:45, a nice steady run. I have had better times in a few 5K's I have run recently but I am becoming content in just running a steady race.  Running sure can humble you. A pair of boys,  9 &10 year olds, and an 11 year old girl were just in front of me at the finish line.  So if speed comes I'll let it but I am not going to kill myself to get 63rd place! 

I only recently decided to let go of alcohol from my life entirely and treat my body like the vessel that carries the Holy Spirit that it is.  The truth is to my shame I at one time tipped the scales at 320lbs!  I wasn't there long because I knew that over 300 was way too much, even at 6 feet tall.  So I started to exercise, stopped drinking, took pills, and watched what I ate and got to 290 lbs.  Last fall I had got down to 270lbs, I wasn't in recovery at the time so on Thanksgiving I was encouraged to have a beer or two.  I only had 2 that day but man when you open the door to seeking comfort from anything but God you can go wrong fast.  The next thing I knew I was drinking 8-10 beers on a daily basis, feeling like crap and repenting each morning and falling right back into it come sundown the same day.  So after a few months I was back to 290 again, depressed, convicted, low.  Luckily God put it in retired Pastor Bob Costello to start a Celebrate Recovery program in our Church back in March. When Bob announced it in front of the congregation he might as well had been talking just to me. I knew this was for me.  

So I went and was 2 weeks sober when I got called away for a rock and roll weekend in Hunter mountain, a bunch of 50 somethings reliving classic rock glory. I was new to Recovery and I was too weak to even try to stay sober in the midst of such a gathering.  Maybe I could have tried, but I'l be honest and say I didn't. I even picked up a couple of packs of smokes, even though I had quit years a go. I figured when in Rome... just do it, all in.  Well, truth is even though I drank to excess, I didn't have a "great time, it was okay but I felt like it wasn't worth it and I was really convicted on Sunday march 22nd that I was done for real. I reported my failures to the recovery group thinking I would be condemned for relapsing after 2 weeks  but was met with understanding and support. I am happy to say I haven't had a drink or cigarette since.  I completed the 12 steps and have joined the leadership team for the latest session of Celebrate Freedom (because Bob did a discipleship class after the program and we didn't meet every single week as Celebrate Recovery, we had to choose a different name).  A few weeks into the program I picked up my guitar and now lead the group in worship each week!  Don't get excited, Eric Clapton I am not, pretty messy but with feeling for sure. 

Anyway, since entering recovery I have become more disciplined with exercise, morning prayer and bible study.  Since March I have gotten my weight down to 250 lbs, and gotten some definition in my arms, legs, shoulders, and stomach, following tips from Men's Health magazine.  It is a work in progress but I am fighting the good fight having progressed from walking to running, having completed seven 5Ks since September.  My next scheduled 5K  isn't til December unless I sign up for another in the interim, I would but work is picking up and overtime is calling to help pay for my missions trip to Africa.  Oh yeah, going to Zambia in February for 2 weeks, also Zimbabwe or Botswana details still getting hashed out.  I am also working on my Bachelor degree in Biblical Studies at Vision Christian Bible College Through Rock Solid Church.  

Anyway, on this Veterans's Day I would like to take the time to thank my father, Mathew Clark, for his service in Viet Nam and the Navy Reserves during Desert Storm.  Also I would like to thank my brother Michael for his service in Operation Uphold Democracy (Haiti 1994).  You guys risked your lives serving this country and I will never fully understand what it is like knowing that you could be sent into a situation where you don't come back alive.  I know our family was very fortunate that you both returned home safely without serious injury.  

Military service reminds me of the sacrifice Jesus made, living a sinless life and paying for all mankind's sins on the cross at Calvary. Jesus gave his life for us. The spirit of brotherhood that military service can instill is summarized in John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends."   Service men and women at times have laid down their lives for their brothers in arms.  Acts of bravery should be recognized and I would encourage anyone reading this to thank and veterans or active service ment and women for their sacrifices for our freedom. 

With that said let's please use the freedom that so many have paid for with their lives to share the gospel. As great as life in the United States can be, it only lasts until we take our last breath. Without Christ, people are condemned to eternity in Hell.  We need to share the gospel boldly and let people know how serious it is to become a member of Christ's kingdom.  Jesus said in Matthew 13:45 -46 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,  who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."   So the kingdom of heaven, is worth everything we have! When we die we hold onto nothing from this world. If we die without Christ, in Hell we will curse every moment of our existence. There will be no fond memories of our old lives. We won't be partying with our old buddies.  Luke 13:28 says "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out."   So share the gospel, save a soul.  Saving lives are heroic, but how futile it will be to save a life only to know that we failed to act to save others from Hell. We need to save our friends, family , and neighbors from Hell. We will boldly fight for the souls of all we encounter.  We should leave no man behind.