All is Lost, but All is Gained in the Kingdom- Purity 1365
Purity 1365 06/03/2024 Purity 1365 Podcast
Purity 1365 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of a blurry view of the Hudson Athens lighthouse under a sun painted watercolor sky presumably comes to us from yours truly as I retrieved this scene from the depths of my Iphone;s photo gallery that I or possibly someone else captured back on or around July 11th, 2015. My memory of this scene is blank slate, but I could imagine I took it. It was so long ago, and things were so different back in July of 2015, I was still drinking back then, that I honestly don’t know for sure if this photo was mine or whether or not I saved it from a FB friend or from somewhere else on the internet. So if this was actually your photo, let me know and I will update the blog after the fact to give you the photo (and memory) credit you deserve.
Anyway, it is Monday, and recently I have been contemplating how much of my past has been lost as I have continued to follow the Lord’s call on my life which began with a gospel radio message in the spring of 2010. Since being saved, I have left depression, anger, fear, and my addictions to alcohol, drugs, and sex behind. But although I am thrilled to be walking free in the newness of life that Christ has given me, yesterday my ponderings had me consider other losses I haven’t encountered since following Christ that haven’t been so wonderful to rejoice over. I’ve lost a marriage, friends, family members, a home, automobiles, and a host of other possessions since being moved from here to there and although some of the losses I have experienced weren’t necessarily due to my faith specifically (time and circumstances will take things away from us all quite naturally regardless of our relationship with God), I marveled over the fact that I could say quite honestly that I have “lost everything”, in a sense, since coming to Christ. I have either literally lost possessions or relationships or have had the way that I have held onto things dramatically change over the last fourteen years to the point that I thought to myself yesterday that my attitude differs from others that I know in a significant way. In pondering the future ahead of me, which promises to be a continuation of the rolling changes I have encountered thus far, I thought to myself that most other people are wondering “how things will end up” whereas I am just wondering “how they will end” and in truth I am not even concerned about the details because I have put my trust in the Lord so much that I know that whatever changes or losses I will encounter along the way from here to eternity, I’ll be okay because of His presence in my life.
So although my attitude may sound rather depressing – that “all has been lost” since coming to Christ, – it’s not because I have gained the “kingdom of heaven” and any losses I have encountered, or will encounter, pale in comparison to the immense value of knowing the Lord and living in His presence. What I have lost or will lose in this life doesn’t really matter because I know who I am in Christ and experience the fruit of the Spirit on a continual basis because I walk with Him. I have realized the truth of what Jesus told us in:
Matthew 13:44-46 (NKJV)
44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,
46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
While I didn’t willingly sell or give away all the things that I have lost since coming to Christ, I would have now that I know the peace that I have with God and the only thing that puts a damper on the joy that I have being in His kingdom are the silly or selfish choices I make that disrupt what the Lord is trying to give me.
Recently, I have been off the rails with my self-control over food and I have decided to fast for a while to crucify the flesh and to draw closer to the Lord spiritually. When we are not living right, we lose our peace but getting it back is just a matter of going back to God. I haven’t felt the need to fast in a long time, but I know from experience that it is a spiritual discipline that has been given to us to utilize when we need to put ‘first things first” and to reestablish the flesh’s proper pecking order in our lives of faith. We are to live in the spirit not in the flesh and when we lose that balance, we suffer from trying to satisfy the flesh because its desires are insatiable and simply can’t be satisfied through indulgences.
So it’s back to basics for a bit, to tell the flesh who’s boss and to draw close to God to receive His strength to put it back in its proper place.
With the changing from spring to summer, the flesh will demand to be satisfied as we celebrate the coming of the sun and the summertime and the ending of another school year, so you may already be feeling the pain of those celebrations and the losses and “gains” that accompany these transitions. Fasting may seem like an extreme option to utilize to regain control but the peace that comes from subduing the flesh and living in the Spirit is worth it. So be careful out there with the upcoming barbecues and graduation parties, and if you feel like the flesh is winning, don’t look at it as a loss as much as it is an opportunity to trust in the Lord and, with His help, win again.
———————————————————————–
For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple encouragements provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .
——————————————————————-
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 verses come from the section on Depression.
Psalm 32:1-2, 11 (NIV2011)
1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.
11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Today’s verses are the second of two passages of scripture that fall under the fourth point of our counseling reference guide resource’s section on Depression.
4. The way out of depression caused by guilt is confession and seeking God’s forgiveness.
Today’s verses tell us of the great joy that is ours when we have our transgressions forgiven, the Lord doesn’t hold them against us, and when we live by His truth. One of the keys that may not be clear in this passage that I would like to point out is in the phrase “whose spirit is no deceit”. Although we are forgiven for all our sins when we put our faith in Jesus, we are to live righteous and upright lives after the fact to be able to “rejoice”, “be glad” and “sing” as those things come to the “righteous” and “those upright in heart”. If we don’t live by God’s word and wisdom and continue to sin, we will be depressed because we are not living right and will suffer the pain of negative consequences, and guilt and shame that comes with continued sin.
We must have a relationship with “the Truth” – by stop lying – to others and ourselves – and to God – by obeying what He would have us do. So be sure to receive the forgiveness of the Lord for your transgressions, but also repent and live by the truth so you can continue to rejoice, be glad and sing.
———————————————————–
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: ROMANS 8
“For if you live according to the flesh you will die.”
– Romans 8:13
Farther up in the chapter, Paul writes, “To be carnally minded is death” (v. 6). The mind here is that inward principle of sin which is at enmity against God (the only source of life) – the principle which cannot be subject to the law of God or please Him. The fruit (or wages) of this law or principle is death. “If you live according to the flesh you will die” (v. 13). How solemn a truth is this! Nor does it apply to unbelievers here. On the contrary, its primary application is to the believer, if he has the Spirit of Christ.
The death is, of course, the physical death. The same death that Paul speaks about in 1 Corinthians 11:30, where he says, “For this reason many are [living after the flesh] weak and sick among you, and many sleep.” Also, the apostle John in 1 John 5:16 speaks of “sin leading to death.”
O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me
from the body of this death? I thank God
through Jesus Christ my Lord.[1]
—————————more tomorrow————————
The MT4Christ247 audio podcast is available on YouTube, Apple, Amazon, Spotify, iHeartradio, Podbean, Audible, and many more podcast platforms!
Subscribe to The MT4Christ247 Channel on YouTube!
Email me at m.t.clark@mt4christ.com with any questions, or comments, or to inquire about our Christian Life Coaching or Prayer Ministry Services.
“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).
Leave a Reply