Breakthrough will Come - Purity 794

To see today's photo, go to mt4christ.org or follow me, M.t. Clark, on Facebook or Twitter. Good morning. Today's photo of the sun situated between two groups of clouds and framed more or less in the middle of this scene over the, over the waters of the Hudson River comes to us from yours truly as I captured this answer to prayer on Monday while visiting Margaret and William C. Riverview Park in Stuyvesant, New York. With my wife. The weather was milder on Monday afternoon because thunderstorms had rolled through the area earlier in the day, and because things had cleared up, I decided to take my wife for a short drive downriver with the hopes of finding a secluded spot where we could enjoy a view of the river and each other's company. Our arrival at the Riverview Park in Stuyvesant was perfectly timed as we were alone, but a thick stand of clouds kept the sun hidden from view, causing me to say something like, "Okay God, we just need those clouds out of the way." Shortly thereafter, the sun came blazing through to our delight. Now, you might say my answered prayer was just a coincidence or merely a product of time and wind, but I know God is sovereign and he directs our steps to put us in the right place at the right time. So I won't claim a miracle necessarily, but I won't deny that God is active in the world and providing things for us either. God uses his providence to bring his, his will about on the earth and to bless those who follow him. God's grace is his divine favor, and it is experienced throughout the lives of those who he calls into his kingdom. Thus, we keep walking and talking with God and see him working all things together for good. Because we love him and are called according to his purpose. Now, come on, M.t. Clark, the sun was going to come out anyway. It was inevitable, you might say. You're right, of course, I guess, but it doesn't mean that I can't appreciate it coming out shortly after speaking to the one who created it and who has set the course of the movements of time and space. And just because something that eventually happens appears to have been inevitable doesn't mean we knew it was coming or that we didn't desperately need it. In the fall of 2019, the Church of the City's song "God Turn It Around" was released at seemingly just the right time in my life. I'm sharing a link to a lyric video of it on the blog if you want to hear it. Featuring John Reddick, the song is a prayer for God's help and a declaration of the certainty of his working. Right now on the earth. The lyrics say, I'm praying, God, come and turn this thing around. God, turn it around. God, turn it around. God, turn it around. I'm calling on the name that changes everything. Yes, God, turn it around. God, turn it around. God, turn it around. All of my hope is in the name, the name of Jesus. Breakthrough will come. Come in the name, the name of Jesus. In 2019, I needed God to turn it around in a major way. Overcome by personal and financial difficulties, I was in a dry season of struggle and affliction. And although I had a vague plan of what I could do to be delivered to a new life, I had absolutely no guarantee of if or when I would be able to find a place to live for my children and I in the wake of a messy divorce. Just like asking God to move those clouds the other day, from October 2019 to June 22nd, 2020, I would go daily before the Lord in prayer and worship, pleading to the Lord to turn it around. And throughout those months, weeks, and days, I saw the Lord moving things together for good time and time again, in such a manner that I know the de— The Lord was directing my path. That song goes on to say he is up to something. God is doing something right now. He is healing someone. He is saving someone. God is doing something. Oh, right now he is heading— he is healing someone. He is saving someone. God is doing something right now. Right now he is moving mountains. Making a way for someone. God is doing something right now, right now. And then again, all of my hope is in the name, the name of Jesus. Breakthrough will come, come in the name, the name of Jesus. Somebody might ask me, yeah, how do you know God was with you? How do I know? Because I wouldn't leave him alone. And His word says that He will never leave us or forsake us. Also, because He had been with me, that particularly dark period of my journey was certainly not the beginning of our relationship together, as I had been saved in 2010 and had been progressively led to surrender to His will for my life ever since. I had trusted the Lord to help me before, and He was faithful to turn things around. Before in major ways, mind you, um, but that stretch from 2019 to 2020 was the master's class of overcoming, sort of an advanced degree program in patience, perseverance, hope, faith, and trust that really has led to a life of abundant joy and peace. Uh, that is why when I sing that song, it's not just good feelings. That song was an anthem of victory and a prophecy of things to come. And I know that God is doing something still right now. God is saving someone. God is healing someone right now. God is moving mountains. God is making a way for someone right now. And I know that he's not done with me or you either. God's presence in my life has been the one constant that I can stand on in the last 12 years, and it is why I can say without blinking All of my hope is in the name, the name of Jesus. When you're going through problems, through simple intellectual reasoning, we could surmise that this shall— this too shall pass. These things won't last forever. But if you, uh, but, but if all you are hoping for is a change that will merely be the product of the changes that come through time and space, that is one lowly road to travel. As I prepare for tomorrow's Grace Course meeting in which the topic is overcoming fears, I am more and more convinced that I must seek to impress upon the group that the fact, the fact, the fact of God's grace, obviously, but also will endeavor to emphasize the Lord's presence in their lives. We can logically conclude that some, some things are inevitable, but when we, you are walking and talking with God through the days of up your lives. Uh, we can walk through the valleys of darkness with hope, expectancy, and joy. When we are going with the Lord, we can be sure that breakthrough will come, come in the name, the name of Jesus. So if you haven't already, develop your daily spiritual practice of prayer, Bible study, and applying the wisdom of God's word to your life. But remember, these disciplines are not just ways to learn or to be a good Christian. I don't think I would claim to be good at anything. But they are simply the means to communicate with the Lord and to develop your love relationship with Him. That's the goal. The transformation in our lives comes from loving God and becoming more like Jesus because we love Him and want to be like Him, not because we have to or ought to or should. The Lord invites us to everlasting life and to walk in His ways out of His love for us. Our breakthroughs come when all of our hope is in Him and we decide to follow Him to where He leads us. Earlier this summer, I went to the River Rock Music Festival in Maine. Frankly, I was, was not enthused to go at first, but But shortly before committing to go, I was driving home and was worshiping the Lord in song and got the impression that I was supposed to go. So my attitude changed about it. I was going, but I didn't really know why. But the first day there, John Reddick came out on stage, just him and a keyboard really. The crowd either didn't know him or really wasn't really impressed by him. I guess, but me, I went to the front of the stage and was right there as he sang God Turn It Around. And I was overcome by the Holy Spirit's presence and my remembrance of all that the Lord has turned around in my life. And I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was, I was right where I was supposed to be as I rejoiced and marveled at the absolute goodness and love of God. So don't just wait for the inevitable. Go out and pursue it, but don't do it alone. Be bold and courageous, because if you are walking and talking with God, he will go before you and he will go behind you, and he will be there every step of the way as you put all of your hope in him. Today's Bible verse comes to us from the New Living Translation Bible, Promise Book for men. This morning's meditation verse is Matthew 7:21, and it says, not everyone who calls out to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. Today's verse are Christ's words of warning to be sure that we are in the faith by doing the Father's will for our lives. Nominal Christians are Christians in name only. And that means that they say they are Christian but don't necessarily have any fruit in their lives to prove they are a disciple of Jesus Christ. A nominal Christian lives their lives much like their unsaved neighbors and generally don't pray, read the Bible, have regular church attendance, or do anything for the church or Christian causes. That varies, of course. Even nominals No, they have to show up at church occasionally, give to charity, or be self-righteous in some way if they want to be able to continue to— able— if they want to be able to continue being— being— well, if they want to be able to— if they want to be able to continue to claim they are a Christian. That's how you say that. Like I said, I'm not going to claim to be good at anything. If they worry about their faith at all, nominals are interested in what are the minimum requirements of faith and what they have to do to be a Christian. Nominals are into appearances and rules but have no idea what a relationship with God is like. They look at this verse and say, "Okay, I have to do God's will." to enter heaven. Tell me exactly, you know, what I have to do to be right with God to go to heaven. They get out their pen and they get ready to make a list. The rich young ruler asked the same question, to which Jesus said to sell everything he had and to follow him. As enthusiastic as the young man may have seemed to be into being right with God, the Those instructions sent them running to the exits. Give God everything and follow Him, or as today's verse says, actually do the will of the Father. I hope it is clear that God isn't really— isn't looking to have us do stuff to be right with Him. That's religion. That's a works-based salvation, and that's the opposite of being saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We are to be God's children and to seek to do his will. That's about a relationship. We can't buy our relationship. Through faith in Jesus, God gives it to us. So what God wants us to do is to be who we are—his children. A child who loves his parents will do their will by representing the family's values with the way they live their life. That's, that, that's what God calls us to do. We learn from our brother Jesus how to be a Christian, and out of the love we have for the Father, we seek to do his will by being a Christian in all our ways. So don't be a stranger or be it, or, or be a Christian in name only. Show the Lord that you know that you are his by surrendering to his will and by living like Christ taught us. 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 Clinton Arnold's Powers of Darkness, and today we're sharing, uh, it's more about the powers of darkness effects on Christians and It examines the phrase "slavery to the elemental spirits" that's highlighted in Galatians. And there— no, that's the only section I'm sharing today. So if you're interested in what that even means, slavery to the elemental spirits, go to mt4christ.org and check out the end of today's blog post where you'll see Clinton Arnold's work. Um, as always, we encourage people, uh, to walk in the— walk on the, you know, walk on the path of Christian discipleship, or, you know, live in the Spirit. Um, because not only, you know, are we supposed to— let's, let's not put it in shoulds and have-tos— but we get to, you know, we, you know, our, our position as children of Christ would should cause, you know, ideally cause us to love the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and to, you know, and to desire walking in his ways. You know, out of the joy of our salvation, we should seek to, you know, follow the one who gave us salvation and the one who gave us life. And, you know, if you're thinking in terms of like paying something back, back or, or trying to meet requirements, you know, you have to check yourself and check your heart and, um, you know, change the way you live. Um, you know, this isn't about meeting requirements. This is about a relationship with God that's going to last forever. Um, and it's for our good. Um, you know, all the commandments of God basically are designed so we won't be harmed or do harm to others. Um, you know, they're, they're God's instructions and how to walk like a Christian, how to be like him, to be holy, to be set apart from the rest of the world that's lost and desperately wicked. Um, so, and it doesn't mean we're perfect, uh, obviously that's why we have to walk it out and that's why we have to learn. And, um, you know, the word of God is, is our teacher. You know, Christ is our example that we're supposed to follow. We get to follow. So I encourage people to do that because in my journey I've discovered that it's the way, it's the pathway to peace. Gee, wow, how profound. Walking in the Spirit leads to the fruit of the Spirit. You know, very, very simple, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's easy. You know, you're changing from the way the world teaches you to live to follow the Lord and to follow Christ's example and way to live. So we have to, you know, do the spiritual warfare, resist the enemy, and resist our old habits and, you know, change them by renewing our mind with the Word of God and by actually, actually doing the will of the Father, as today's verse said. So we encourage that. If you need help with that, we We humbly offer our, our classes that we taught humbly in 2021 for Victory Over the Darkness, The Bondage Breaker, and Freedom in Christ. Those are all available on the podcast and the blog and our YouTube channel if you, if you're so inclined to seek it. We also encourage Bible study by offering a Bible study of our own with a Bible study discussion with Arthur and Susanna Zinkadi that we do once a week. Last week's topic was In Christ Alone, and by the end of the month, every single video Zoom session that we have will be released as the latest one. Just released today, I think it was the last one of the throwback episodes that was too nervous about putting out there. Um, nothing to be nervous about. How many people are watching. But anyway, uh, they're available. So if anybody ever wants to check out our Bible studies from the past, they're all available on the blog and the pod and YouTube channel now, um, in one form or another. Most are audio, but, uh, all the ones we've done in 2022, uh, are, are now on video and they're all available on our YouTube channel. So We just do all this to encourage people in their faith, to let them know that breakthroughs will come, and they will come in the name of Jesus. So keep walking and talking with God, and your breakthroughs will come. It doesn't mean you don't have to work at it and surrender. And now, you know, be clear on that. The work we have to do is usually in renewing our mind and, um, you know, renouncing our sin and walking away from it. That's the work we have to do. We don't have to work to be approved by God. We get that through our faith in Christ. Thank God. So it's Wednesday, and I'm going to thank God because even though I have to work Saturday, that means I have tomorrow off. And tonight's— today's sort of a Friday, and I get to go run up to my countryside estate and, uh, be with my wife, who the Lord has definitely provided in my life. It was through her suggestion that I went to River Rock Concert, the River Rock Concert, and saw John Rettig up close and personal. Just an amazing moment, really the highlight of the entire thing for me, although there was several highlights, to be honest. So that's it, you know, go out and live your life as a Christian. Walk and talk like Jesus, and you you know, so don't put on an act, um, but, um, try to be real, be yourself, and be the better version of yourself by, uh, by following the way the Lord would have you walk. Then we encourage that every day, obviously, and we'll, we'll pray. Let's do that. Lord God, Heavenly Father, thank you for another day in your kingdom. Lord, we thank you for all the blessings of this life and for all the, the the valleys and all the peaks along the way as you've led us from darkness to light in an increasing fashion, uh, every day of our lives in Christ. So we thank you. And Lord, we just pray for anyone listening today that you'd go before them as you've gone before us and bless them with your grace, bless them with your favor, bless them with answered prayers. And Lord, we We pray for you to just give them a sense of the presence of your Holy Spirit to direct them and guide them as they go. We pray for you to open our eyes to the things you want us to see and to assist us in the things you want us to do. Help us to see the path you set before us so we can walk, walk it out and do your will on the earth. Lord, we thank you, we praise you, we pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.