Between Night and Day - Purity 1332

To see today's photo, go to mt4christ.org or follow me, M.t. Clark, on Facebook or Twitter. Good morning. Today's admittedly blurry panoramic photo showing the stretch of land I spend a lot of time traversing on the weekends. As the last light of day fades into the horizon on the left, as the nighttime wonder of a waxing gibbous moon flies high on the right, with mammoth tree silhouettes in between, comes to us from yours truly as I took an early evening stroll down Waite Road and tried to capture it and take it all in on Saturday night. Although the light show of a fading sunset and a nearly full moon were on display, the things that caught my attention and sent my gaze heavenward were the clouds and the clear blue skies and how they seemed perfect It was as if the whole sky was a Hollywood backdrop of what an ideal sky would look like. The whole scene filled me with awe, wonder, and joy over God and his magnificent creation. And I know that today's photo fails to convey what I saw and felt. Well, it's Monday, and just like how I know that the photos I share that are intended to give God glory fail to do justice to convey the original beauty that the photographer has experienced, I also do my best—and probably fail—to relate just how wonderful it is to be free in Christ and to walk in the Spirit. I mean, how do you adequately describe experiencing a whole new life? I can tell you I have stopped certain activities of the past and trust you to believe that I really have stopped, and I really did struggle with those things in a significant way that consumed 25 or so years of my life, but But does quitting smoking cigarettes, stop drinking, using other substances to get high, and seizing all sexual activities outside of my relations with my wife really tell you that I have been changed? And more importantly, do these things really convey the fact that I, as I testify honestly, they were accomplished because of a relationship with and through the power of God, the Creator of all things? Does my changing from night to day in certain areas of my life convince you that I have had some real encounters with the manifest presence of the one true living God? Do my accounts of the things I have encountered that have been written about on the blog before convince you that God is real? Or could you come up with alternate explanations like he's freaking crazy, uh, to explain what could be common or coincidental experiences that I have misinterpreted as the power of God in my life. Well, I don't know if they, if they convince you or not, and quite honestly, I'm not asking you to check out my story. My purpose in writing this blog and podcasting its message has always been to encourage you to seek the Lord, not me. I believe, as the scriptures indicate, that your curiosity into the spiritual aspects of life can result in you discovering the truth of ultimate reality and that there is a God who loves you, who created everything, and who sent Jesus to earth to save us from ourselves, sin, and death. Speaking for the Lord, the prophet Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 29:13, "And you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart." Now, I know this message was written to the nation of Israel in a particular situation and context, but the principle here applies, I believe, to all of us. But if you read it carefully, you'll see that finding the Lord has conditions to it. One, we must seek the Lord. Two, we must search for the Lord. Three, we must do so with all of our hearts. And the fourth condition that is not stated but I feel is implied: we must do all of the above until we find him, and we must be willing to accept the truth that our searching results in. There are countless stories of skeptics who set out to disprove the gospel of Jesus Christ only to be converted to Christianity, proving that as long as you search him, search him diligently, even possibly with the wrong intentions, you could find him. For me, the Lord was gracious. I sought truth but rejected the idea of Christianity and accepted an alternative godless philosophy of life of the Eastern mysticism variety that allowed me to manage my life on my own terms and to believe I was on some epic quest to obtain godlike wisdom and power. I was wrong. I was deceived hook, line, and sinker and was perfectly content to stay that way, locked in a selfish, hedonistic, and self-righteous life of debauchery for the rest of my life. But I opened a door of a gospel radio message. That I began listening to intending to mock, and the Lord came storming into my life. I didn't really seek Him with all my heart, but the Lord used my willingness to listen, even with wrong intentions, and showed me His truth and His love for me. And while I have been a real work in progress since that fateful day in 2010, I have been changed from night to day, from darkness to light, progressively, increasingly ever since. Because God's call on my life has kept me asking, seeking, and knocking to know him more. And after so many years of walking with the Lord, I have to tell you that the search continues and the transformations keep coming. In the last year, I've testified about how the Lord used the recovery ministry I am leading at Star Point Church to give me unprecedented, unprecedented levels of freedom and victory over my lifelong battle of food addiction. And although that battle will continue, the things I have accomplished with the Lord's help should be seen as the significant breakthrough for which it is. In fact, I'm hopeful that the recent convictions I've had over plateauing over the past few months will result in the motivation to go the last miles to accomplish my health goal of tipping the scales to normal instead of overweight. We will see. Stay tuned. But as much as I am delighted and frustrated over the victory and ongoing saga with my lifelong eating habits and physical physical health, I was also made aware that I have been growing spiritually, gradually and seemingly all at once, after my Prayer Ministry training with Julayne Comrath this January. Yesterday I led a student of Julayne's through an Emmanuel Peace Prayer session and, despite my anxious anticipation of the session, was surprised at my level of comfort in guiding the session into a peaceful encounter with the Lord. Julaine has led me in several sessions of Emmanuel Prayer and has taught me the skills and practices of an Emmanuel Prayer minister. But there's a big difference between being led and learning and doing it yourself. The difference between receiving and learning about Emmanuel practice— Emmanuel Prayer and practicing Emmanuel Prayer is similarly like the difference between night and day, but I did it. I have led similar prayer ministry in the past but didn't really have any confidence in it, but yesterday I realized that Jillian wasn't just being nice with her previous positive feedback. I have learned about the practices of the manual prayer. I have developed the skills of a manual prayer minister. Yesterday I demonstrated my knowledge and skill to the point that I myself was able to realize that I could practice Emmanuel Prayer. I'm still growing and learning and could benefit from a lot more experience, but yesterday the Lord revealed to me that I could do this. I could practice Emmanuel Prayer to help others find peace and healing through an encounter with the Lord. Just like the Karate Kid thought he was just going through the motions of manual labor only to discover he was being instructed in the movements of martial arts, I realized that those sessions of prayer ministry and training that I thoroughly enjoyed but had taken somewhat casually actually taught me how to practice the very thing I was learning about. The difference between theory and practice can be a significant one, but yesterday I realized that Julaine's guidance had simultaneously given me both. But prayer ministry isn't— is not martial arts, even though we do battle with the spiritual forces of evil. It's a spiritual practice that relies completely on God, and it is only through His mercy, grace, and power that anything is accomplished. And so I am realizing this morning that while I have been plateauing with my battle with the flesh over the past few months, the Lord has been doing some work in my spirit and making me increase in my abilities to relate to and interact with Him. While I have been contemplating a possible future as a Christian life coach, I realize now that last year's training with Deeper Walk School of Prayer Ministry and this year's training with Julaine have prepared me to operate more as a prayer minister than a life coach. And I shouldn't shy away from being the thing that the Lord has guided me into— someone who uses prayer to help others get to know him and experience his love and power in their lives. It is a very exciting time right now. As always, I am not exactly sure where this is all leading to, but I have faith that the LORD will use it all for good, as I truly love Him and am doing my best to answer the call to His purposes that He has for my life. So, keep plodding along and keep walking and talking with God, because as you seek Him and abide with Him, He is doing work that you may not see, uh, but will cause you to one day give him thanks and praise, and that will cause you to rejoice over how he continues to change you from night to day. Today's Bible verses come to us from the Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling by John G. Crews. This morning's meditation verses come from the section on death and eternal life, and today's sections are Our today's verse, our passage of scripture, is 2 Samuel 12:18-23. From the NIV, the word of God says, on the seventh day the child died. David's attendants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, while the child was still living, he wouldn't listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we now tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate. David noticed that his attendants were whispering about among themselves, and he realized that the child was dead. Is the child dead? he asked. Yes, they replied, he is dead. Then David got up from the ground. After he washed, put on lotions, and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. His attendants asked him, 'Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat.' He answered, 'While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live. But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again?' I will go to him, but he will not return to me. Today's verses fall under the 14th point of our Counseling Reference Guide's resource section on death and eternal life. And that 14th point is: When David's infant son died, he was comforted by the knowledge that one day he would go to him. Today's verses are perhaps some of the most heartbreaking verses in the Bible. The death of an infant child is not a light subject. But the man who has a heart for God, David, shows us that he knows that even in the midst of the darkest misery, there is hope because of the One who rules over life and death. David testifies that nothing is lost on God's watch, and because he knows his Heavenly Father, he can have peace knowing that he will one day see his son in eternity again. I lost my infant son Holden to pneumonia in 2002. That tragedy led this fleshly and selfish man to seek truth and find the Lord. And like David, I have faith that God is sovereign and that his plans are good, and that beyond the pains and sufferings of this world broken by sin, there is an eternal kingdom that is ruled by his majesty and grace, where nothing good is lost, where his children will live with him forever and ever. I can't speak for my other children's eternal destiny because it requires their faith in Jesus. But like David knew, I know I have a son in heaven, and although he can't return to me, I will one day go to him and to God the Father to live in peace forever and ever. As always, I invite all to go to mtforchrist.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 According to Your Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament by Stephen F. Alford. And today's message, Alford instructs us to read Acts chapter 3, and from Acts chapter 3 he shares a portion of Acts 3:12, and it says, power or godliness. And Stephen Alford writes, it is not without significance that Peter chose these two words to describe the means through which the lame man was made whole. Whole. Notice that while Peter and John take no honor for the miracle, there is an obvious implication that the two essentials were power and godliness, or holiness, King James Version. It is true that it was not their power and holiness, but it was also clear that power and holiness were necessary if God were to work. The Apostle Paul, in his introduction to the Epistle of the Romans, speaks of Christ thus: Jesus Christ declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness. Christ is therefore the embodiment of these two great forces, and Christ was in and working through Peter and John. And he ends, uh, Albert ends his devotional by praying, make clear to others, Lord, that it is your power and holiness that work through me. Amen. Yeah, power and holiness. Yeah, uh, so yeah, you know, we receive— it's funny because we receive these things from the Lord. It's not my strength, um, or holiness that will, will change things. Uh, I suppose I could change some things physically on the earth, but in the spiritual realms of prayer ministry and the matters of life and death, it'll be God's power and holiness that matter. We're made holy through our faith in Jesus Christ, and we're given the power of repentance. It's granted to us by the Holy Spirit, um, through God. So the power of repentance and the power of holiness are— can operate in our lives when we, when we seek the Lord and find him. And that's what happened to me. Um, I've lived most of my life as a You know, very bitter and angry and selfish person, and, uh, Lord changed things. I lived in the flesh for most of my life and didn't understand, didn't believe the gospel, um, until that fateful day in 2010 when I decided to mock a Christian radio message only to hear the true gospel spoken, uh, where it told me I wasn't accepted because of what I did. The only thing that would save me is my faith in Jesus Christ and that I didn't have to earn it. I didn't have to be a good person to go to heaven. That God would save me because of His grace and through faith in Jesus Christ alone. And I said yes to Jesus that day, and I've been seeking Him ever since and finding Him ever since. Through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, through the knowledge of his word, through repentance. I know God is real and he loves us and he calls us to be like him. And we're not going to be like godlike super superheroes or anything, but we're going to be righteous and holy and operate in the Lord's power. And it's all through our faith that these things are accomplished. And overcoming, we have to believe we can. We can— we have to believe that God has given us the power to overcome. And when we come alongside God's righteousness, power, and holiness, we can accomplish great things, including introducing people to the Lord through evangelism or through prayer ministry or through Bible study. We can show people that God is real in different ways. And so We encourage you to seek that out for yourself. Uh, anyway, uh, today is Monday and I do have to work. Um, I have prayer ministry later this evening, but for, for the daytime I have to go to my day job. Um, so we have to get there. Um, and, uh, yeah, so let's pray. Lord God, Heavenly Father, thank you for another day in your kingdom. Lord, thank you so much for the journey of faith that you put us on. By revealing yourself to us when we really didn't deserve it, and how you saved us when we weren't worthy of it. But you called us worthy, and you called us out of the darkness into your magnificent light, Lord. We thank you for that. And Lord, we pray for you to bless anyone who's reading or listening to today's message, that you'd bless and, you know, give them your power and come alongside them in their prayer request and their walk of faith. And Lord, we also pray for you to go before us today, open our eyes to the things you want us to see, and lead us in the way we should go. Because all we want to do is represent you in your kingdom, and, uh, Lord, we desperately need your help to do that. Lord, we thank you, we praise you, and we love you, and we pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.