Are You Experienced? Are You Gonna Go His Way? – Purity 917

Are You Experienced? Are You Gonna Go His Way? –  Purity 917

Purity 917 12/17/2022 Purity 917 Podcast

Purity 917 on YouTube: 

Good morning,

Today’s photo a double rainbow from the vantage
point of one of the old cemeteries in Schuylerville NY comes to us from the Adirondack
Aerial & Ground Imagery Showcase Page (https://www.facebook.com/stephen.j.lemieux/)
who decided, with winter weather upon us, to share this and a couple of other autumn
scenes of this uncommon phenomenon that they originally captured back on October
10^th.

It’s Saturday, and although the snow fell yesterday,
the power stayed on and the snowfall totals, although – not – nothing,  didn’t seem to be the “snow-mageddon” some may
have feared. Of course, I make that assessment from the warm confines of my
home in Easton, as I avoided travel and even chose to avoid walking the dog in
the early evening as I normally would have yesterday because the snow plows seemed
to wait until then to finally roll down our rural road. 

Well, it is my prayer that the roads get cleared and
that all who read this message enjoy the experience of their weekend. 

In regards to sharing our experiences, I don’t blame
Adirondack Ariel’s, Mr. Lemieux, for sharing some autumn photos yesterday. Now
that the snows have become semi regular, it may be some time before we see green
scenes locally that don’t have a fair amount of white in them.  Although the double rainbow makes today’s
photo worthy of sharing, I also was moved to share it because Schuylerville is
in my countryside home’s backyard and although I don’t know for sure which cemetery
this photo was taken at, if I chose to I could probably “go and see” and figure
it out for myself.  I could go out and
walk in Mr. Lemieux’s footsteps. But no matter if I found this spot or not, I wouldn’t
necessarily have the same experience, but I would in a way, but I wouldn’t…. oh
another paradox! We can have the “same experience” as someone else but because
of the different individual elements in each experience of life, we can’t truly
have the “same experience”.  

I can’t recreate the double rainbow or the autumn
day that this picture expresses but I could have an experience of my own that
could be peaceful or worthwhile. I could find satisfaction in the fact that I
was at the same place where this scene happened and, who knows, maybe I would see
something that our friend didn’t see that was worth capturing.   But if I sincerely wanted to even get a
sense of “what it must have been like”, I would have to get up and go out and
do it for myself.   

Back in my college days I was filled with a lust for
life, among other things, and was really into celebrating my youth with a zeal
and a gusto to “seize the day” with enthusiasm. 
However, I wasn’t just into looking at sunsets and rainbows and sought
other experiences that would bring feelings of pleasure and euphoria.  I was quite the prodigal back then and was “experimenting”
with pushing the limits of reality and pushing through the “doors of perception”
through experiences with drugs, alcohol, and sex.  Not surprisingly, although a young man of the
90’s, on that quest I rediscovered the classic rock music of the 60’s, 70’s,
and enjoyed artists like The Doors, Pink Floyd, and Jimi Hendrix among others
who encouraged their listeners to consider a different perspective on life and
invited us to “break on through to the other side.” Guitar legend Jimi Hendrix
post humously asked us “Are You Experienced?” with the implication that their
was more to this life than what meets the eye.  I mean, hey man, do you really want to go
through this life not knowing what it “feels” like to have all these wild
experiences?   The answer, for me, was “No
sir, No I do not”.  So not only did I
throw off nearly all the restraints and give into temptation, I said: “I will
have what he is having, please. And while you are at it please fill my cup to
the brim!”  

Unfortunately, having euphoric experiences of drugs,
alcohol, and sex, although enjoyable for a season don’t actually teach you a
whole lot, other than what no to do, and don’t actually take you anywhere,
other than into trouble and into addiction.  I learned that my quest was in vain. I couldn’t
find the meaning and purpose I was looking for in wild unbridled selfish
living. In fact, those activities actually hinder the search for wisdom as
those activities become an addict’s meaning and purpose.  

A man who came to our Celebrate Freedom recovery
meetings once, speaking on his youth .shared how he noticed that his friends
used to enjoy certain hobbies, like camping or boating, but after the drugs and
alcohol became a part of the experience, he noticed that his friends getting
together became less and less about camping or boating and more and more about
the booze and the drugs until that was the focus of their “friendships”. Not
surprisingly those “friendships” didn’t endure.  

Anyway, another anthem from those wild days in the
1990’s scene came from Lenny Kravitz, who asked “Are You Gonna Go My Way?” This
hard charging hit won the Grammy for Best Rock song in 1994 and reflected that “searching
spirit’ of the 1990’s grunge and alternative movement that disdained and abandoned
the 1980’s pop and materialism that was all flash and no substance.  We were the children of the children of Woodstock,
and we like our parents were looking for something “other” than the established
order.  Unfortunately, we looked in the same
places for the answers to life that those hippies from the 60’s and 70’s looked:
drugs, alcohol, rebellion, sex, and edgy music with the same disastrous results. 

And now this pattern that probably actually stated
in the roaring 20’s, seems to keep on chugging along as the “answer” now seems
to legalize and legitimize the things that were formerly illegal and always
considered as sin by the word of God.  

I know that prior to coming to faith in Christ, I
looked at laws and the “commandments” of religious systems to be impediments to
my freedom, to do whatever I wanted.  

Thankfully, through tragedy and pain, my wild living
was exposed as bondage, not freedom, and was repeatedly demonstrated to “not be
the answer”. No matter how many “experiments” I ran, I got the same results:
trouble and pain. I even through in Buddhist practices in the mix for a few
years and even though I thought I was on to something with my “crazy wisdom”
for a while, I realized that there was no peace in living in the mystery moment
to moment without having some definite answers about life’s meaning and
purpose.  

But on a Friday afternoon back in 2010, when I was
fully content to just keep going the way I was going, God reached out to me to
show me the way to go.  In a gospel radio
message I heard the truth of reality that I would never find at the bottom of a
bottle or through other euphoric experiences. I got the good, and let’s face it
– very convicting, news that Jesus was who He said He was and that the meaning and
purpose to life lies in making peace with God through Him and then following
the way that God leads you to.   

Now while I can’t take you with me to that parking
lot on Aviation Road to listen to that message that changed my life in a moment,
I can tell you that if you seek God you will find Him and the answer to all the
questions of life can be adequately addressed in the person of Jesus
Christ. 

Jesus is the reason for the season guys and it turns
out He is the reason for every season. Scripture reveals that He is coeternal
with God and the Holy Spirit and that He played a part in the creation of the
universe, holds it together, and will shape its future when He onc day comes to
rule and reign on earth and then creates a new heave and new earth.   The word of God reveals all this to us and I
know, by my study and experience, that it is all true.  

While I can’t give you my experience, I can assure
you that it’s for real and I can encourage you to go to the Lord to establish a
relationship with Him and experience this truth for yourselves.   

I don’t know if you are “experienced” in the things
of this world or not, but I can tell you that THE EXPERIENCE that brings
meaning and purpose to your life is having peace with God through faith Jesus
Christ.  

Although, I would NOT invite anyone to “go my way” –
I don’t think any of you want to suffer some of the things I have – I do have
to highly recommend and implore you to “go His way.”   

If you still haven’t found what you are looking for
in this life, you are probably looking “for love in all the wrong places”, so
give God a try. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you and seek His wisdom and ways.
And if you “already know Him” and don’t have any peace, ask Him to reveal to
you what is getting in the way of your freedom in Christ.

 If you are
not experiencing the fruit of the Spirit in your life, it’s probably because
you don’t know who you are in Christ or because you are living in a way that
reflect it.  So keep walking and talking
with God, and go the way He shows you. 

 

——————————————————–

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

This morning’s meditation verse is:

Psalm 34:8 (NKJV)
⁸  Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is
the man who trusts in Him!

Today’s verse encourages to experience the goodness of the Lord
and reveals that when we trust God we will be blessed.   

Taste and See, Come and See – these are invitations in the word of
God that compel us to not just “believe” but to be doers of the word of God and
to enter in, with our whole being – our minds, wills, emotions, and actions –
into what the Lord has for us. These calls to “experiencing” God’s goodness are
a call to obey, to follow the Lord with all of our hearts, minds, and strength.  And the promised results of seeking out and
surrendering to God’s call on your life? 
Blessedness!

The Holman Christian Standard translation of the Bible, translates
being “blessed” as “happy”. 

Psalm 34:8 (HCSB)
⁸  Taste and see
that the LORD
is good. How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him!

So if you want to be blessed, if you want to not “worry and be
happy”,  God’s word tells us to take refuge
(which means to go to or into a
place for shelter or protection from danger or trouble) in the Lord, to trust in Him.  

We demonstrate our taking refuge,
or putting our trust in God, by believing what He says is true and by doing
what He says.  So I encourage you to
experience the blessedness that the Lord has for you, by doing just that.  It’s a simple walk of faith that leads to peace
and joy, but you have to walk it and experience it for yourself. So walk it.

 

___________________________________________

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 Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s
“Discipleship”, also known as “The Cost of Discipleship”

As always, I share this information for educational
purposes and encourage all to purchase Bonhoeffer’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
Church of Jesus Christ and Discipleship

 

Chapter
Eleven

The
Visible Church-Community, continues

 

“Do not become slaves
of human masters!” This would happen in two different ways. First, it may take
place through a rebellion against and the overthrow of the established order.
Second, it may come about by investing the current order with a religious
significance.^[52] “In whatever condition you were called, brothers
and sisters, there remain with God.” “With God”—and therefore “do not become
slaves of human masters,” neither by rebellion, nor by false submission. To
remain bound to God in one’s calling or vocation in the midst of the world
means to remain a member of the body of Christ within the visible
church-community. It means to bear living testimony, through sharing in the
church’s worship and living the life of discipleship, that the world has been
overcome.

Therefore, “let every
person be subject to the governing authorities” (Rom. 13:1ff.). Christians must
not be drawn upward, toward those who hold power and authority. Instead, their
calling is to remain below. The authorities govern over (ὑπέρ)
them, and they remain under (ὑπο) them. The world
rules; Christians serve. In this, they have community with their Lord who
became a slave. “So Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among
the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and
their great ones are tyrants over them. But it shall not be so among you; but
whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever
wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not
to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many’ ”
(Mark 10:42–45). “For there is no authority except from God.” This statement is
addressed to Christians, not the authorities! Paul wants Christians to know
that their place to recognize and do God’s will is precisely that subordinate
place down below accorded them by the authorities. They are to take comfort
from the fact that God will use the authorities as an instrument through which
to work for their welfare, and that their God is Lord over the authorities. But
this statement must be more than an abstract consideration and idea about the
nature of authority (έξουσία—note the singular!)
in general. It must determine the attitudes of Christians to the actually
existing authorities (αι δὲ οὖσαι …). Whoever resists
them resists what God has decreed (διαταγῆ τοῦ θεοῦ), the God who
intended for the world to exercise authority, and for Christ and the Christians
belonging to him to gain victory through service. Christians failing to
recognize this fact would themselves become subject to judgment (v. 2), for
they would once again no longer be any different from the world. Now what is it
that so easily triggers the opposition of Christians against the authorities?
It is the fact that they take offense at the mistakes and the injustice
perpetrated by the authorities. But with considerations like these, Christians
are already in grave danger of paying attention to something other than the
will of God, which alone they are called to fulfill. They themselves ought to
strive for the good in all things, and to practice it in the way God commands
them. Then they need have “no fear” of authority, “for rulers are not a terror
to good conduct [Werk], but to bad [böse]” (v. 3). And what, indeed, would
Christians have to fear if they stay with their masters and do good? “Do you
wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good”—do what is good!
You do it. That is the only thing that counts. It is not important for you what
others might do, but what you will do. Do what is good, fearlessly,
unreservedly, and unconditionally. For how can you be in a position to
criticize the authorities if you yourself fail to do what is good? Do you
intend to pass judgment on others, you, who are submitted to judgment
yourselves? Do you wish to have no fear? Then do what is good! “And you will
receive the approval of the authority; for it is God’s servant for your good.”
It is not as if receiving approval could be the driving motive behind our doing
what is good; it cannot even be our aim. Rather it is a bonus, indeed an
inevitable bonus, if in fact all is well with the authority. Paul’s thought is
so exclusively focused on the Christian community that he is concerned only
about its salvation and its conduct, that he feels bound to warn Christians not
to commit any injustice and evil themselves. This exclusive focus prevents Paul
from leveling any accusation against the authority. “But if you do what is
wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain!
It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer” (v. 4). It is
absolutely paramount that no wrongdoing take place within the Christian
community. It is once again Christians who are addressed here, not the
authority. What is important to Paul is that Christians remain in a state of
repentance and obedience wherever they may be and by whatever conflicts they
may be threatened. To justify or condemn an authority of this world is
irrelevant to him in this context! No authority can legitimately interpret
Paul’s words as a divine justification of its existence. If by chance there
actually was a case in which this statement would be heard by an authority,
then it would also become a call to repentance for that authority, just as in
this context it is in truth a call to repentance for the church-community.
Those in authority (ἄρχων) hearing this statement could never
interpret it as a divine authorization of their conduct in office. Rather they
would have to hear it as a call to be a servant of God by working for the good
of the whole of Christianity, which does what is good. This mandate would
inevitably lead them into repentance. Paul addresses Christians rather than the
authorities, but he does this certainly not because the way this world is
ordered is so good, but because its good or bad qualities are irrelevant
compared to the only thing that is truly important, namely, that the
church-community submit and live according to God’s will. Paul does not intend
to instruct the Christian community about the tasks of those in authority, but
instead only deals with the tasks of the
Christian community toward authority.

Christians deserve to
receive approval from the authorities! If instead of receiving approval they
are being subjected to punishment and persecution, what fault is that of
theirs? After all, they were not seeking approval for doing what now turns out
to be the reason for their punishment, nor did they do what is good for fear of
being punished. Even if they now are being subjected to suffering instead of
receiving approval, they remain free before God and free from fear, and have
not brought any shame upon the church-community. They obey the authorities not
in order to gain some advantage, but “because of [their] conscience” (v. 5).
The mistake of the authority cannot trouble the conscience of Christians. They
remain free and without fear and, by submitting to suffering, even though they
are innocent, they are still able to render the obedience they owe to the
authorities. For they know that in the end it is God who rules, not the
authorities, and that any authority is ultimately God’s servant. Authority as
the servant of God—here speaks the same apostle who himself frequently had to
suffer unjust imprisonment at the hands of this authority, who on three
occasions received the cruel punishment of being flogged, and who was aware of
the edict by Emperor Claudius to banish all Jews from Rome (Acts 18:1ff.).
Authority as the servant of God—here speaks someone who knows that all powers
and authorities of this world have already been stripped of their power, that
Christ has already led them to the cross in triumphant victory,^[63]
and that it will be but a short while until all of this must become manifest.

The framework for all
of what Paul has to say regarding authority is summed up in his introductory
admonition: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom.
12:21). The passage on authority does not deal with the question whether a
given authority is good or evil; its concern is that Christians should overcome
all evil.

Whether or not to pay
taxes to the emperor was a question that was truly full of temptation for the
Jews, for they placed their hope in the destruction of the imperial Roman
government and the establishment of their own rule. But for Jesus and his
followers it is an uncomplicated question. “Give therefore to the emperor the
things that are the emperor’s” (Matt. 22:21), says Jesus. And “for the same
reason you also pay taxes” (Rom. 13:6) is the way Paul concludes this passage.
For Christians, this duty is fully in line with the command of Jesus, for they
merely return to the emperor what belongs to him anyway. In fact, those who
demand taxes from them and insist on their payment Christians ought to consider
as “servants of God” (λειτουργοί) (v. 6). Of course,
this relationship is not reversible. Paul does not claim that Christians are
engaged in worship [Gottesdienst] when they pay taxes, but only that those who
levy taxes thereby do their service to God [Gottesdienst]! But this is not the
kind of worship or service of God to which Paul summons Christians. He enjoins
them, rather, to submit to authority and to owe no one anything that is due
them (vv. 7–8). Every protest or resistance at this point would only be a sign
that Christians confuse God’s realm with a dominion of this world.

That is why slaves
are to remain slaves; that is why Christians are to remain subject to the
governing authorities, who have power over them; that is why Christians ought
not to abandon this world (1 Cor. 5:10). But, of course, slaves ought to live
as freed persons of Christ. As subjects of the authorities, Christians ought to
do what is good. And in the world, they are called to live as members of the
body of Christ, the new humanity. All this they are to do in the midst of this
world and without any reservation, in order to bear witness to the fact that
the world is lost and the new creation has come about in the church-community.
Christians ought to suffer for no other reason than for being members of the
body of Christ.^[1]

—————————more
tomorrow————————

Join our “Victory over the Darkness”, “The Bondage
Breaker”, “Freedom in Christ” series of Discipleship Classes via the
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Encouragement
for the Path of Christian Discipleship