The End of a Season – Purity 926

The End of a Season –   Purity 926

Purity 926 12/28/2022 Purity 926 Podcast

Purity 926 on YouTube: 

Good morning,

Today’s photo of sunset from the shores of Oak
Island North Carolina comes to us from a friend who made a post-Christmas
exodus from the chilly weather in upstate New York with his family and shared
this view yesterday reiterate his previous message that he is “loving beach
life.” 

As one of the “frozen chosen” who has been left
behind and is looking forward to high temperatures in the 40’s today, I will choose
to share in my friend’s joy because I know he is a faithful man of God and has
earned his moments in the sun.  If he
should happen to see this, I wish him a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New
Year. 

Well, it’s Wednesday again and just like that my “staycation”
at my countryside home in  chilly yet
beautiful Easton NY has quickly reached it’s summit as today will be my 6^th
day off with 6^th days off remaining. 
Even though somewhere today I will pass the midway point of my vacation,
I won’t count the hours and minutes but will seek to enjoy them all in the
moment.  And quite frankly, the prospect
of going back to work doesn’t really depress me or give me anxiety.  I am content with my life and realize that it
is defined by various times and seasons, 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NKJV) tells us
¹  To everything there is
a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
²  A time to be born, And a
time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
³  A time to kill, And a time
to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;
⁴  A time to weep, And a time
to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
⁵  A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from
embracing;
⁶  A time to gain, And a time
to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
⁷  A time to tear, And a time
to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
⁸  A time to love, And a time
to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.

So right now, while on vacation in the company of my
wife, it is officially a time to love, a time of peace, a time to embrace, a
time to laugh, and perhaps a time to heal.  

After Christmas, I have been getting my fair share
of rest. I have spent my days reading, spending time with TammyLyn, taking the
dog for brisk walks down Waite Rd, listening to “The Insanity of God”, and
sleeping! Apparently, I owe the Sand Man quite a debt and he has been
collecting as I have found that “naps happen” somewhat frequently here out in
the country.   But that’s a good thing,
after another adventurous year of walking in the Spirit I believe this week is
a great time to decide what to “keep” and what to “throw away” as well.   

That’s the thing about our “faith walk” on the path
of Christian Discipleship, the further we go the more we leave behind what was
once familiar as we progress into the “new things” that God has for us in our
new lives.  

A couple of times this year I made decisions with my
time and finances that seemed appropriate at the time but have either proven to
be a waste of my resources or as a final confirmation that “those days” are
over. The decisions I made were based on who I once was and proved to be foolish
because the things I invested in appear to be less and less a part of where I
am going.  

One silly example of this is watching NFL football
games.  Earlier in the year I purchased a
streaming subscription so I could watch the NFL where ever I was but I failed
to remember just how much of the NFL I watched last year.  I barely watched any games last year. Since
giving up drinking and gambling years ago, and since increasingly growing in my
faith, I have become less and less interested in “who wins the game”.  While the sports action can be exciting at
times, I discovered that I don’t really care anymore and the games take too
long.  I still take a look at the scores
out of curiosity but this season, I have watched even less football this season
as I did last year. So the money spent on the subscription service was a waste,
I guess.  But at the same time I think it’s
good that I spent it, this last season I swear, because the flesh, the world
and the devil love to tempt and accuse us with the things we abstain from.   

Whenever a Christian tells others that they don’t do
a certain activity, whatever it is, this world of the flesh and the devil,
likes to accuse our faith and our God of being a kill joy or as someone who
limits our freedom.  

When I have admitted that I choose other leisurely
pursuits rather than watching football, my NFL watching friends seem to either
seem to be mildly annoyed or saddened that I no longer am a rabid football fan
and don’t even know who is coaching or quarterbacking the teams anymore or have
any idea about what is happening in the world of football.   I believe they suspect that my faith has “stolen
my freedom” but from my point a view,  I
remember the emotional ups and downs and hours upon hours spent in front of the
television getting excited or upset over a game and know that I have been set
free of that circumstantial reactivity and the “need to feed” on hours of
sports programming.  

Don’t get me wrong, to each their own. There is
nothing wrong with the game itself but there is quite a bit wrong with the things
that surround the game, like substance abuse and gambling, and the swinging
moods of those who are emotionally subject to its outcomes. But if that’s not
you, enjoy your game.  

But as for me, while I may have access to some
sports programming due to the streaming subscriptions that I have, I won’t be
purchasing sports exclusive content, I just don’t watch enough anymore to
justify the expense. So that’s one thing we are going to “throw away” this year.  

For me the end of the year has always been a time of
repentance and reflection, what to keep, what to throw away, and what to be
healed from.  

Philippians
4:8-9 (NKJV) encourages us –
⁸  Finally, brethren, whatever
things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are
just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely,
whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if
there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things.
⁹  The things which you
learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace
will be with you.  

I think the key here in Paul’s letter to the Phillipians
is verse 9.  While we could make a case
for many things of this world to be somewhat  “true” “noble”, “just” and etc., we want to
follow what Christ and His apostles DID. 
The peace of God that we want to be with us is contingent on learning
from what we have received and heard from Jesus and the word of God and DOING
it. 

These things include meditating on the word of God,
praying, giving thanks, rejoicing, and doing the good works that God has
prepared for us to walk into.   These are
the activities of walking in the Spirit and this is where we grow. 

Sports trivia and the thrills of victory and the
agony of defeat that we vicariously receive from talented athletes can teach us
some things but their value is limited.

However, the things of God infuse the fruit of the
spirit into our lives and prepare us for our future in His kingdom.  Our peace comes from knowing Him and being in
His presence and knowing that we are investing our lives in something that
matters, something that will last forever.

So as we go over the last “hump” of 2022, let’s
remember the things that gave us peace and joy this year and reflect on the
things that we should just throw away.  Every day is a new day and the days we spend
pursuing the Lord and His will for our lives are days well spent.  Time in His presence gives us peace, right now,
and prepares us for the days ahead.  So
keep walking and talking with God and walk into the New Year with the
commitment to learn from the years past and to go further down the path that He
has for us.

—————————————————

I’m taking a
vacation from sharing the “Bible Verse of the Day from the “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”, again, well
frankly because I think I left that book back at Riverhouse! But I did grab the
“Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling” By John G. Krus and will share the second
Bible verse listed, right in the introduction, to impress upon you the
importance of reading God’s word: 

Hebrews
4:12 (NKJV)
¹²  For the word of God is
living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the
division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Today’s
verse tells us that the word of God is LIVING! And POWERFUL! And cuts us to the
bone!  That division between the “soul”
and “spirit” is supposed to separate us from our “soulish” darkness and convict
us to live in the spirit.  

When
we study the word, agree with it, and apply it to our lives by the way we live,
that we obey it experientially – that’s when we understand it’s POWER – the power
to redirect our lives and to transform us into the people God created us to
be.   

I
don’t want to sound quasi-mystical here, but the process of reading the word of
God, when done in spirit and in truth, with a humble attitude of surrender to
it’s authority, is a conversation with God. He is speaking to us from His word
and when we listen to it and obey it, it reveals to us what needs to change and
it demonstrates that God knows our thoughts and the intentions of our
hearts.  When we read the word of God, we
discover that God is reading us!

So,
just as we pointed out in the first part of todays message, let’s learn from
what we have received –  God’s word-  and let’s put it into practice.   

But
first let’s read it, so we can know, for ourselves, what the word actually says.  

I
am including a link to Ligonier Ministries: “Bible Reading Plans for 2023” ( https://www.ligonier.org/posts/bible-reading-plans?fbclid=IwAR0aVs0a31ebdwexS1-N9i-dwV5v45fVTH5zoKCHsnmCPJnDks9fY9AjWsQ)
as an encouragement to read the word this year – to have a plan, if you
need one, to draw close to God through His word to experience the power that He
wants to unleash into your life.  

I
also recommend getting Logos Bible software for your laptop, PC, tablet, or
phone (https://www.logos.com/) .  There are free versions of the software
available and it gives you a means to have the word of God with you no matter
where you go.   Of course there are other Bible apps and
actual paper copies of the Bible out there, I have all of the above, so how you
get the word doesn’t matter as much as your commitment to seek the Lord in His
word does.  

Hey
it’s a new year in just a few days, so why not make a commitment to grow in the
power that the living word of God can bring to your life?

——————————————————–

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
Thirteen

The
Image of Christ, continues

Since fallen human
beings cannot recover and assume the form of God, there is only one way to find help. It is none other
than God, who assumes human form and comes to us. The Son of God who, in the
form of God, lived with the Father, empties himself of this divine form and
comes to human beings in the form of a servant (Phil. 2:5ff.). Changing one’s
form, something which was not possible for human beings, now takes place within
God. God’s own image, which had remained with God through eternity, now assumes
the image of the fallen, sinful human being. God sends the divine Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh (Rom. 8:2f.).

God sends God’s
Son—that is the only way to find help. Neither a new idea nor a better religion
would suffice to accomplish this goal. A human being comes to us human beings.
Every human being bears an image. Our bodies and lives manifest themselves
visibly. As a human being we are not merely word, thought, or will. Rather,
before and in all of these, we are a human being, a form, an image, a brother
or sister. A human being thus develops not only a new way of thinking, willing,
and doing things, but a new image, a new form. In Jesus Christ, God’s own image
has come into our midst in the form of our lost human life, in the likeness of
sinful flesh. God’s own image becomes revealed in Jesus’ teaching and in his
deeds, in his life and in his death. In him God has created anew the divine
image on earth. The incarnation, Jesus’ word and deed, and his death on the
cross are integral elements of this image. It is an image different from the
image of Adam in the original glory of paradise. It is the image of one who
places himself in the very midst of the world of sin and death, who takes on
the needs of human flesh, who humbly submits to God’s wrath and judgment over
sinners, who remains obedient to God’s will in suffering and death; the one
born in poverty, who befriended and sat at table to eat with tax collectors and
sinners, and who, on the cross, was rejected and abandoned by God and human
beings—this is God in human form, this is the human being who is the new image
of God!

We know, however,
that the marks of suffering, the wounds of the cross, have now become the signs
of grace on the body of the risen and transfigured Christ; and we are aware that
the image of the crucified will forever live in the glory of the eternal high
priest, who in heaven intercedes for us before God.^[12] On Easter
morning Jesus’ form of a servant was changed into a new body of heavenly form
and radiance. But whoever, according to God’s promise, seeks to participate in
the radiance and glory of Jesus must first be conformed to the image of the
obedient, suffering servant of God on the cross. Whoever seeks to bear the
transfigured image of Jesus must first have borne the image of the crucified
one, defiled in the world. No one is able to recover the lost image of God
unless they come to participate in the image of the incarnate and crucified
Jesus Christ. It is with this image alone that God is well-pleased. Only those
who allow themselves to be found before God in the likeness of this image live
as those with whom God is well pleased.

To be conformed to
the image of Jesus Christ is not an ideal of realizing some kind of similarity
with Christ which we are asked to attain. It is not we who change ourselves
into the image of God. Rather, it is the very image of God, the form of Christ,
which seeks to take shape within us (Gal. 4:19). It is Christ’s own form which
seeks to manifest itself in us. Christ does not cease working in us until he
has changed us into Christ’s own image. Our goal is to be shaped into the
entire form of the incarnate, the crucified, and the risen one.

Christ has taken on
this human form. He became a human
being like us. In his humanity and lowliness we recognize our own form. He
became like human beings, so that we would be like him. In Christ’s incarnation
all of humanity regains the dignity of bearing the image of God. Whoever from now
on attacks the least of the people attacks Christ, who took on human form and
who in himself has restored the image of God for all who bear a human
countenance. In community with the incarnate one, we are once again given our
true humanity. With it, we are delivered from the isolation caused by sin, and
at the same time restored to the whole of humanity. Inasmuch as we participate
in Christ, the incarnate one, we also have a part in all of humanity, which is
borne by him. Since we know ourselves to be accepted and borne within the
humanity of Jesus, our new humanity now also consists in bearing the troubles
and the sins of all others. The incarnate one transforms his disciples into
brothers and sisters of all human beings. The “philanthropy” (Titus 3:4) of God
that became evident in the incarnation of Christ is the reason for Christians
to love every human being on earth as a brother or sister. The form of the
incarnate one transforms the church-community into the body of Christ upon
which all of humanity’s sin and trouble fall, and by which alone these troubles
and sins are borne.^[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 Facebook Group: Ask, Seek, Knock (https://www.facebook.com/groups/529047851449098 ) and her podcast Ask, Seek, and Knock on
Podbean (https://feed.podbean.com/tammalyn78/feed.xml)

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 Encouragement
for the Path of Christian Discipleship