Faith in the Day of Disaster - Purity 1138

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 my canine pal Harley standing in rolling fields of green over an ethereal sunset sky comes to us from yours truly as I captured this scene yesterday after that— after the beauty of the moment was something I didn't want to leave behind. And, uh, decided to extend our evening's walk by going down the farm road that normally marks the point we turn around and go back home. Well, it's Labor Day, and because of the holiday, I was able to spend the night at my countryside home in Easton for one more day. And when last night's sunset was so breathtaking, I didn't want to see it end. But even though I extended my time in the sun by going an extra mile extra half mile or so and walked along at a leisurely pace, there really was nothing I could do to stop the, the coming of the night. As much as I may have wanted to hold on to that golden moment of joy, no matter what I wanted, things were going to change. I could have sat down in those rolling fields and refused to leave, but sooner or later the darkness of the evening would come. If I was putting my faith in the weather to stay the same, or if I was putting my faith in myself or Harley to keep the good times rolling, I would have been sorely disappointed. However, I put my faith in Jesus and have accepted the fact that God is in control. Therefore, I respect his created order, understand the consequences of a world broken by sin, and put my ultimate trust in God to uphold me. I do not trust the weather, other people, or even myself to give me life, meaning, or purpose. Because the world has been broken by sin, bringing in death and the depravity of man, I understand that this world is falling apart, things are in continual change, and there is no limit to the pain that mankind can inflict upon one another, knowingly or unknowingly, as we journey through life. If we are putting our trust in the world, society, other people, or ourselves, there will come a day of disaster. That will show us the error of our misconceptions and will expose just how deceived we were to think we could live in God's created order and put our trust in anyone but Him. I was reading John 6 this morning and was impressed by how Jesus continually alluded to the fact that He was here to do the Father's will. John 6:38-40, Jesus said, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. This is the will of the Father who sent me, that of all he has given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of him who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day. Here Jesus made it clear that although we we are to put our faith in him. He was here on the— on a mission to do the Father's will. Although Jesus is the way to have peace with God, Jesus trusted the Father— trusted in the Father's plan and demonstrated his trust by accepting that he would be hated and rejected by the world and would be killed by the very people he was sent to save. John 6 begins with the feeding of the 5,000, where Jesus multiplied a few fish and some loaves of bread miraculously to feed who had gathered to see signs and wonders and to desire— and who desired to have a Messiah who would rule and reign and take care of all their earthly needs on demand. Despite Jesus' healings and providing a miraculous meal, the majority of this crowd still didn't believe in Jesus. Later, this crowd who had followed Jesus would call for the authorities to crucify him because he didn't continue to meet their expectations. Showing us just how quickly things can go wrong. One day you are followed by adoring masses, and the next they are calling for your death. But Jesus did not trust in the crowds. Jesus did not trust in His disciples. Jesus did not trust in His earthly family. Jesus did not even trust in His own abilities. Jesus trusted in the Father. Even though things fell apart relatively quickly, And Jesus had some real anguish over what He had to face, He trusted in the Father and had a measure of peace even as He went to the cross to die. If Jesus had put His faith in anything else, He would have been shattered in the day of disaster. If Jesus had put His faith in the crowd or the religious leaders, He would have been devastated by their betrayal. If Jesus had put His faith in His disciples, He would have been disappointed to watch them turn tail and abandon him. If he had put his, put faith in his mother, he would have seen that although she was there to watch him die, she was powerless to save him. If Jesus had put his faith in his own human strength, he would have seen how futile any efforts at escape would have been, that his body would have failed under the torture of the cross. But Jesus didn't trust in those things. He trusted in the Father. Jesus never stopped walking and talking with God, and right up to the end, He obeyed His Father's will and trusted in Him. Jesus knew the Father, and His faith in Him and His purposes allowed Him to endure the pain of death to accomplish His will. Jesus' life, death, and resurrection teach us who we are to put our trust in. And how to carry ourselves through life, trusting God and obeying His will. If we fail to obey the Father's will and put our trust in anything else than Jesus, we will one day see how foolish we were to trust in earthly things and how they will fail us. In the ministry of recovery and freedom that I have been called to, I have witnessed time and time again the negative consequences of trusting in anything but Jesus. Whether you are the biggest reprobate sinner who is actively going against God's provisions for righteous living, or if you are "an upstanding citizen" who enjoys the love and respect of your fellow man, if you are putting your trust in anything but the Lord, a day of disaster is coming that will break the foundations of the things you trusted in. For the wanton sinner, criminal, or addict, it might not be surprising that your delinquent The ways law-breaking associates or the substances you worship will let you down. Even someone with a cursory understanding of right and wrong and cause and effect can understand the logic behind "if you do bad, you will experience bad." A lot of the counsel I provide comes down to "making good choices" because the principle of "we reap what we sow" is so easy to give evidence for. So, do what is right. And the good seed will grow into a good life. Now, that is not the only advice I give, because I know that our good deeds are not enough to guarantee we will experience a good life, and they certainly can't guarantee eternal safety. More than once, I have counseled individuals who have suffered pain, tragedy, and loss, and who are— were rocked by the fact that they had to suffer even though they did everything, quote unquote, right. They weren't a big sinner, criminal, or addict, and yet tragedy, disease, betrayal, and loss, loss came their way all the same. They saw themselves as a nice guy or a good girl and tried to live a good life, only to suffer all the same. In Scripture, Job was an upstanding citizen like no other, and he suffered tremendous loss. Job was trusting in his his doing everything right, or in his abilities as a successful man, or in his family, he would have been left without hope. But even though Job didn't understand why he suffered the loss of possessions, the death of his children, and his physical health, he trusted in the Lord, and in the midst of his suffering worshiped God while his less-than-faithful wife encouraged him to curse God and die. Job's wife did not have faith in the Father the way that Job did, and when calamity came, her world was torn asunder, filling her with confusion and bitterness. While she welcomed death, Job knew the Father and trusted Him, proclaiming in Job 13:15, 'Though He slay me, yet I will trust in Him: even so will I defend my own ways before Him.' Job walked in God's ways and was blameless and only sought to defend his "own ways" at the implication that God was causing him to suffer because of his sin. Job declared his complete trust in God and knew God's ultimate purposes would be done by saying later in Job 19:25-26, "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and he shall stand at last on the earth: and after my skin is destroyed, This I know, that in my flesh I shall see God. This ultimate trust in God is the only thing that will give us peace in the day of disaster. When we suffer loss, when we— when people betray or disappoint us, and everything falls apart, those with faith in the Lord know to continue to trust in Him and lean on His strength and ultimate salvation. With faith in the Lord, the— without faith in the Lord, uh, the universe is a cold, heartless place where you will suffer the loss of everything you have acquired and every relationship you have made on earth. When you trust in the world, other people, or your own talents and ability to keep you safe or to make you happy, the day of disaster will come, leaving you hopeless. But for the Christian, we put our faith in God and his kingdom to come. Even though the circumstances of this world may cause us to suffer greatly, When we put our hope in Jesus and walk with Him day by day, we know that we are not alone and that He will never leave us or forsake us. While I didn't suffer as much as Job, I have suffered great loss at different times and seasons of my life, and I know from experience the great difference that a living relationship with God can make in how we face the day of disaster. Without a knowledge of God and faith in Christ, the world is a chaotic place of confusion and death that is destined for destruction. But when you know that your Redeemer lives and you will see Him stand at last on the earth, you realize that all is not what it appears to be and that nothing is lost that has not been given to us by God. And that it is only because of Him that we have anything. That it is only through the love of Him that we can have peace in life. So batten down the hatches and do your best to make good choices, but don't forget to seek the Lord and His will for your life. Walk in His ways and stay in His presence, because the day of disaster come— when the day of disaster comes your way, you're going to need the solid rock of the God who never changes to stand on and to uphold you. This morning's meditation verses come from the section on alcohol and— well, let's see. Today's Bible verses come to us from the Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling by John G. Cruis. Today, this morning's meditation verses come from the section on alcohol and drug abuse, and we have two passages today. First one is Genesis 9:20-23, which says, Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay, lay uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward and they did not see their father's nakedness. And then the next set of verses are Genesis 19:30-38, which say, now Lot went up from out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters. And the firstborn said to the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth. Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father. So they made their father drink wine that night, And the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she arose. The next day the firstborn said to the younger, 'Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine tonight also. Then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.' So they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. Thus both the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. The firstborn, the firstborn bore a son and named and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. The younger bore, also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day. Today's verses fall under the 10th point of our Counseling Reference Guide's resource section on alcohol and drug abuse, and that 10th point is: Drunkenness breaks down morals. Today's passages clearly demonstrate the tendency of drunkenness to break down morals. Partying naked, Noah ended with shame, and Lot's drunkenness led to incest when inhibitions and awareness are compromised by drunkenness, the sinful desires, um, of the heart can go unchecked and break down everything that we know about right and wrong. So as we go into Labor Day, into this Labor Day holiday, let's not fall into drunkenness and the sin that is waiting, um, to walk through your door, that, um, that we when we open it with drunkenness. Yeah, so yeah, that's pretty deplorable stuff. You know, a passage on Noah, they speculate something happened between Ham and Noah other than the— that's speculation though. The text doesn't really say that. There's a lot of speculation about Ham maybe doing something to his father when he was drunk, other than you know, basically telling his brothers that, hey, Dad's in there drunk and naked. Um, and then obviously the, uh, the incest is pretty, pretty disturbing. And those, those, those sons, Moabites and the Ammonites, they were great, uh, enemies to, um, the nation of Israel. So out of that drunken sin, not only was incest born, but, uh, um, you know, basically nations were born that, that caused calamity and, uh, you know, trouble for the entire, entire people, nation of Israel. So drunkenness breaks down morals, and the consequences of it are far-reaching. So we have to be careful, uh, to not be drunk with wine but be filled with the Spirit. And as always, we, we encourage a life of faith. And today we continue sharing our Christian resources. Today we're continuing to share from A.W. Pink's The Holy Spirit. Um, we are now starting chapter 3, uh, 23, on the Spirit witnessing. And so if you want to see that, uh, what, what, um, A.W. Pink has to say about the Spirit witnessing, go to mtforchrist.org and you'll see that resource at the end of today's blog post. Well, it is Labor Day and I am at my countryside home and time has gotten away from name. So I am going to just encourage anyone to, you know, basically to follow the Lord, to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. And we offer our teachings on Christian discipleship on our podcast and our YouTube channel for you to pursue, to know who you are in Christ and to get set free and experience your freedom in Christ. Those classes are Victory Over the Darkness, The Bondage Breaker, and Freedom in Christ. They're all based on the word of God and the work of Dr. Neil Anderson. We also did a Bible study yesterday with Arthur and Susanna Zinkati that's available on the podcast and our YouTube channel. Let's see, yesterday's topic— oh my goodness— was a great one, and it was, it was about celebrate. It was about celebrating our faith and how the curses of you know, sin are basically taken care of with rest and celebration. So if you want to check that, that's available. But I'm going to get on with the day. And so before that though, I should pray. Lord God, Heavenly Father, thank you for another day in your kingdom. We thank you so much for all that you do. We thank for this, uh, this day off. Um, we know that everything is ordained by you one way or the other. Even though they may call Labor Day a man-made holiday, We know you made the— you, you made, you made everything, Lord, and everything comes under your sovereign control. So we thank you for the blessings of this life and all that you've done for us through Christ. And Lord, we thank you for the people who might be listening or reading today's message. We pray for you to come alongside them and their prayer requests and their, their walk of faith. And Lord, as always, even though it's a day off, we want you to go before us Open our eyes to the things you want us to see and lead our steps in the things you want us to do, because all we want to do is represent you and your kingdom here on the earth. Lord, we thank you, we praise you, and we love you. We pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.