As Each One Has Received a Gift – Purity 1405
Purity 1405 07/19/2024 Purity 1405 Podcast
Purity 1405 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of the sun breaking through the branches of a gargantuan tree comes to us from yours truly as I captured this scene back on February 22nd, early this year, when I was vacationing in Orlando, during a spontaneous visit to Eola Lake Park just before our return flight to Philadelphia.
Well, it’s Friday, thank God, and I would have liked to say that our trip to Eola State Park was just before our return flight home but due to difficulties in getting to our connecting flight, we ended up driving from Philly to get back to The Upstate NY in the wee hours of the morning. Things don’t always go according to plan, and I share today’s photo of this mammoth tree because I got “trees on the brain” because I have a huge felled tree in my backyard that we are “fixing to fix” today, although we will see what mere men can do, as Scott Salvadore – yes – the two time defending, reigning, mullet champion is coming down to help me make a big problem smaller.
As I mowed my lawn yesterday, at least the parts of it that weren’t covered by huge, felled tree, I realized just how big the tree is and just how fortunate I am that things fell the way they did. In a previous blog, I had admitted that I was lucky that it didn’t fall toward my house but in my mind I wasn’t fully convinced that the tree would have hit anything and may have fallen short of crushing my car, my house, and myself who was at home seated at desk when the wind roared in and I heard the loud crack of the tree splitting in two and falling to the ground. But yesterday after I examined the scene more closely, I realized that it would have definitely hit my car and house and it could have caused damage to my property and possibly to myself! Lucky to be alive? No, blessed to live under the protection of the Lord is more like it. In examining that split tree, with one side falling into my neighbor’s property, without even hitting the fence that divides our land, and with the other half falling UP HILL, out of harm’s way in both instances, I imagined the hand of God or a team of His mighty angels causing those big trees to fall “just so” as to leave His beloved saint, me, and his vehicle and home unscathed.
God is SO good! and I really don’t want to hear about luck or coincidence or forensic trajectory evidence that would explain away His blessing. Instead, I will rejoice, I will rejoice and be glad! I mean seriously, do things tend to fall uphill or downhill in your experience?
I know the skeptics would look at my “miracle” and scoff that this miracle was going to cost time and money to clean up but I realize that not only will it cost me a whole lot less time and money than if things had gone the other way but this time of trial has also caused me to draw closer to God as this calamity and my desire to press into my faith are occurring at the same time.
Due to the situation with the tree, I am asking questions I wouldn’t ask normally. I am receiving help that I wouldn’t know I could get. I am in awe over the frailty of life and bigness of God, and I am further convinced of our need to seek God’s will in all the areas of our lives and taking care of our responsibilities as good stewards to what God has given us.
I utilized OpenBible.info this morning to look for verses on stewardship and am sharing the link to their 100 verses about Stewardship on the blog this morning and all though I can’t share them all I will share the following ones that stood out to me: (https://www.openbible.info/topics/stewardship):
Genesis 2:15 (NKJV) says
15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.
We were created to have dominion over the earth and to work to keep what God has given us.
Colossians 3:23 (NKJV)
23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
Everything we do should be seen as an extension of our relationship with God. It wasn’t listed by that Paul goes on to say:
Colossians 3:24-25 (NKJV)
24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.
Not only are we to do things heartily for the Lord, but we can expect rewards for our word and conversely we can expect recompense (pay back) if we do wrong. God’s truth and consequences!
1 Timothy 6:6-8 (NKJV) says
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
We should be content with what we have because all of it is a gift from God and by implication we should take care of the things we have received and use our gifts for good. As Peter writes in:
1 Peter 4:10-11 (NKJV)
10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
We have received much in life but importantly we have received grace through our faith in Jesus Christ so we should tell others about it and use what gifts we have received to bless others to give God glory. This passage goes on to tell us that our lives will not always be a rose garden as Peter tells us we shouldn’t think it strange when we fall into fiery trials (verse 12), but we should rejoice in our calamities because we have God on our side and we are more like Jesus in our suffering well.
So, let’s get through this last day of the work week with patience, peace, and joy – taking on all the is required of us because we know God has given us all we need for life and godliness because He has gifted us with many blessings. As we move through the day let’s take care of business in a way that will remind others and ourselves of who we are in Christ and that will give God the glory as good stewards of His mercy, grace, and love.
————————————————————————
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 False Prophets, Teachers.
Galatians 3:1-9 (ESV)
1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?
5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
Today’s verse falls under the ninth point of our counseling reference guide resource’s section on False Prophets, Teachers.
9. Don’t be like the Galatian Christians who were easily led away from the purity of the gospel by false teachers, the Judaizers.
Today’s verses are the chastisement of the Lord coming through the Apostle Paul to the churches in Galatia and to us today to remind us that we were never saved because of our works, and we are fools to believe that we could ever be saved by our performance. False teachers and prophets will always add requirements beyond faith in Christ alone for salvation. If you are told that there is something that you must do to be saved that is beyond faith in Christ alone, you are getting bad or misguided advice that comes from someone who doesn’t truly understand grace or is a false teacher seeking to lead you to serve them rather than God’s kingdom.
What must I do to be saved?
Romans 10:10-13 (NKJV) tells us 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
Put your faith in Jesus and you shall be saved. The word says it and I believe it. I also to believe that we are to follow Jesus once we believe but I will advise you to “go to school” with the Holy Spirit by reading the Bible and allowing the word and the Spirit to guide you in the way you should go.
———————————————————–
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.
EVENING READING: GALATIANS 2
“I went up by revelation.” – Galatians 2:2
Here is a definite instance of guidance by revelation. Revelation is moreover the work of the Holy Spirit. He is the Spirit of Revelation, and it is only when one is entirely controlled by Him that one can have a revelation.
“I went up.” Paul was obedient to the revelation, just as he was to the heavenly vision on the Damascus Road. That which was so practical in the life of the apostle ought to be just as practical today. O, that I might know definite guidance, not only in matters of great moments, but in the ordinary things as well.
Reveal Your will to me, Lord, day by day.[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