Pilgrimage, Retreat, and Rest – Purity 1353
Purity 1353 05/16/2024 Purity 1353 Podcast
Purity 1353 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of a blazing sunset under a blanket of clouds and over the four lane asphalt expanse of I90 West, east of Fuller Road in Albany comes to us from yours truly as I paused to capture that blazing orb while driving to destinations unknown back on June 10, 2023.
Well, It’s Thursday and I share today’s asphalt pathway photo as a visual encouragement to stay on or to merge on to the pathway of Christian Discipleship and to invite you to explore the possibilities of taking a road trip with the Holy Spirit and the spirit of adventure as I prepare to take a 5 pilgrimage and weekend retreat to High Point Camp in Birdsboro, PA for a Wild At Heart themed – Band of Brothers Bootcamp – with my brother in Christ, and two time defending mullet champ, Scott Salvadore.
Not only will we be taking the nearly 5-hour drive to Birdsboro today, but I will also be taking an uncharacteristic break from the blog and podcast for the weekend and frankly I am perhaps more uneasy about that prospect than over the uncertainties and socially awkward possibilities that a Christian men’s retreat has in store.
Last night at Celebrate Freedom the lesson was on Daily Inventory where the spiritual disciplines of keeping short accounts with the Lord and journaling were encouraged and where I testified to how it is one that I initially struggled with – my early journals would undoubtedly read like the diaries of a mad man – but eventually developed into the blog which acts as a vehicle for evangelism, an ongoing testimony and confessional, and a weapon of spiritual warfare. When you are daily reporting on your walking along the path of Christian discipleship, you discover that you are actually living a Christian life. You have answered Jesus’ call to pick up your cross and are following Him. You are walking in the Spirit and when you take your directions from God’s still quiet voice – you inevitably will be called to “go.”
Sometimes the call is to go into the world to make disciples or to do good works – on a mission trip. Other times the Lord will call you to just to get away with Him for a time of exploration or restoration. Sometimes those trips are solo and other times you will have company. But regardless of all these different variables, I believe that if you are earnestly seeking the Lord’s will for your life, the call for pilgrimage, retreat, or rest will certainly come.
If you are following the Lord you shouldn’t be surprised that He will call you “out”. That’s what He does. If we are asking the Lord to “send me”, we shouldn’t be surprised by, or shy away from, His call to be sent.
In Wild at Heart, John Eldredge writes that “Adventure, with all its requisite danger and wildness, is a deeply spiritual longing written in the soul of a man.” And while I don’t necessarily believe that God is calling us to go on some big game hunt or to climb a mountain to prove ourselves, I do believe that He puts that longing for adventure in our hearts as a means of hunting us down and to give us the courage to live with and for Him. If you think following God is about fishing, mountain climbing, or hunting I would say that you missed the point.
Sure, there were mountain moments and Bible verses about hunting, and fishing trips in the gospels, but the point wasn’t satisfying our flesh with adventures in the great outdoors or in feeding on meat. Even though the Lord told Peter to “Rise, Kill and Eat” in a heavenly vision, which took away the categories of unclean meat, the call was to be “fishers of men” and to hunt for new converts among the Gentiles. And even though God called Abraham away from his family into the wilderness, the call wasn’t primarily about seeing the land as much as it was about becoming God’s people.
Similarly God calls us to “go” – to grow individually and to expand His kingdom by sharing His word, doing good works, and showing His love. So expect the “call” and when it comes answer it.
Scott’s invitation for this weekend adventure came out of the blue – totally unexpected – and while I am not sure what our road trip and the next few days will have in store for us, I could hear that now familiar call in my spirit that this was “The next thing” – the Lord’s invitation to “come and see” and there was little doubt in my heart or my mind that I was going to answer the call.
Last week, in a moment of prayer where I somewhat desperately seeking the Lord’s direction for what to do now, since I had completed my prayer ministry training, another Freedom in Christ course, and had launched my new Christian Life Coaching business, I received very clear one word instruction from God in my spirit to “Rest”.
So I’m letting go and letting God and allowing Him to direct me for the next few days. I’m unplugging my communications to the world and am just going to let Him speak. I’m not even driving on this trip. I’m riding shotgun and I will keep a look out in my heart, mind, soul, and spirit for whatever the Lord wants to show me.
Undoubtedly, I will speak of God’s goodness to the people I meet and encourage them to follow Him in bigger and deeper ways if I get the chance. But for the most part, I am going to retreat from the world and rest in the Lord’s presence and see what He wants to show me and to listen to what He wants to say.
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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple encouragements provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .
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Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling” By John G. Kruis.
( While Bible verses on various topics of Counseling can be found with a quick Google search, we encourage you to purchase this resource to support the late author’s work. (https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Scripture-Reference-Counseling-Kruis-ebook/dp/B00CIUJZT2?ref_=ast_author_dp )
This morning’s meditation verse comes from the section on Death and Eternal Life
Revelation 3:12 (ESV)
12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.
Today’s verses are the fourth of five passages of scripture that fall under the twenty-ninth point of our counseling reference guide resource’s section on Death and Eternal Life.
29. Jesus gives wonderful promises to all who overcome, who conquer, who fight against sin and in their love for Christ persevere.
Today’s verse encourages us to “conquer” or “overcomes” (NKJV) because our endurance and victory will be rewarded with an eternal place in God’s temple, and we will be forever identified with and by God and live in His new eternal creation.
Don’t worry about saving the earth. Save yourself by putting your faith in Jesus and overcoming the things of this world and the things that would separate you from your kingdom mission and purpose. Overcome – be an overcomer – through your faith in Jesus and rejoice that your life and your destiny is fully assured, promised, and blessed by God Himself.
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As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.com 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 “According to Your Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament” By Stephen F. Olford – A Collection of Devotional Journals: 1940-1941.
As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage you all to purchase Olford’s books for your own private study and to support his work. This resource is available online for less than $10 at many sites.
MORNING READING: ACTS 24
“According to the Way which they call a sect,
so I worship the God of my fathers.” – Acts 24:14
It is interesting to note how many times the term “the Way,” occurs in this book. It was an appellation that was given to all followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Though given, no doubt, in disdain, it was nevertheless a very applicable designation. For all such believers were the followers of the One who said, “I am the way” (John 14:6).
It is also interesting that from the very beginning, unbelievers and those who, though religious, would not accept the teaching of Christ, called “The Way” a sect or a heresy! Is it any wonder that the Truth and the way of Christ are challenged and opposed today?
Note how boldly Paul asserts, “According to the Way, so I worship God” (Acts 24:14).
Lord, keep me true to the Way.[1]
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“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] Stephen Olford and Heather Olford, According to Your Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament, A Collection of Devotional Journals 1940-1941 (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2008).
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