From the Valley of the Shadow of Death to We are the Champions Purity 771

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 a green pathway to a distant lake of blue comes to us from a friend's recent trip to Thirteenth Lake in the Adirondack region of upstate New York. I love the way the pathway is a mix of sunlight and shadows under a canopy of trees and how it offers the promise of something good at the end of the tunnel. Well, it's Thursday again, and as is my custom, I share a photo of a pathway to encourage my friends to keep going or to step onto the path of Christian discipleship by drawing close to God each day in Bible study, prayer, and by living according to his word to the best of your abilities. I say to the best of your abilities to indicate that a life of faith is not about perfection. That no matter where you are in your life as a Christian, God is right there with you, and that he is encouraging you to keep going. Because when you walk and talk with him on a continuous basis, there is always more to see and experience along the way as we draw closer to him and the purposes he has for us. I was going to say that— say, as he draws you towards something good, because after all, he does work all all things together for good for those who love him and are— and who are called according to his purpose. But just as this pathway has various portions that are in light and in shadows, I don't want to set up the expectation that good things or good times are always to be found on the path when we walk with God. Psalm 23:4 says, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, to reflect the truth that things won't always be sunny in the metaphorical Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love of Christianity. The valley of the shadow of death could be used to describe a metaphorical period of darkness in one's life, as we could face various trials like disease, relationship turmoil, financial difficulties, or the different difficulties of overcoming sin. But that valley of the shadow of death could also describe times of literal death, as in suffering through a period of grief as we prepare for the death of a loved one who is suffering, or after the loved one has departed. This dark phrase could also describe periods of mortal danger, as Christians may be called to walk through a period of persecution where people will literally try to take their lives. Finally, the valley of the shadow of death could be used to describe walking through or fighting through a war zone. I never want to be accused of painting too bright a picture of Christianity because our faith does not insulate us from pain, suffering, persecution, or danger. Just because we are Christian, it doesn't mean there won't be shadows in our journey down the path of Christian discipleship. But no matter how dark the day is, when we are in Christ and we shape our lives to be lived according to God's Word and are spent in His presence, there is always the light of hope to encourage us and to guide us. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and there is a good deal of light along the way if we walk and talk with God. And speaking of the valley of the shadow of death, the psalmist goes on to say: I will fear no evil. Why is that exactly? For you are with me. In the Lord's presence, there is always light. In his presence, we can find the courage to not fear evil and to endure and persevere through all the various trials of life. And when we walk through life's joys and difficulties with the Lord, we learn to be patient and seek his wisdom as we go. Psalm 23:4 concludes by saying, "Your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Bible scholars have described the Lord's rod and staff as his guidance and protection, as shepherds would use a rod to drive or correct their sheep's direction, and the staff would be used to pull a sheep out of trouble. When we walk with the Lord, no matter how deep the shadows may be, we are comforted by his constant guidance and protection. So when I talk about walking on the path of Christian discipleship, I'm not talking about some magical tour of sunshiny days that will be free of trials or pain. But as I, but as I have received the continuous comfort of the Father's presence, guidance, and protection in my journey down the narrow road, I, I can assure you that although I took the path least traveled, this through this post-Christian landscape, it has made all the difference. So keep walking and talking with God. Others may hate, hate you for it, or not understand what has happened to you, but your Heavenly Father will guide, protect, and comfort you through the shadows and lead you in the way of his light. Today's Bible verse comes to us from the New Living Translation Bible Promise Book for Men. This morning's meditation verse is Psalm 62:1, and it says, "I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him." Today's Bible verse advises us where our victory comes from. It comes from God and quietly waiting before him. We are the champions, my friends. I am a Queen fan. I am certainly not a supporter of Freddie Mercury. Mercury's lifestyle choices. And as I watched Bohemian Rhapsody, the Oscar award-winning film based on a portion of his life, I was pained by how such a talented artist could be plagued by the sins of the flesh and the pride of life, and how the freedom of fortune and fame doesn't always lead us to truth. But that song, We Are the Champions by Queen, is simply iconic of the thrill of victory, and it and it transcends time because it beautifully describes the human struggle and the joy of overcoming. I'm not a— I'm not as huge a sports fan as I used to be, but I am an Indianapolis Colts fan. When I was in high school and seeking to form my identity by the things I was into, I didn't really have a favorite football team and resisted just going with the New York teams because I was from New York State. Nor did I want to be a fan of a team just because my friends or family liked a team. In deciding a favorite football team, I wanted it to be my team. I had been partial to the Houston Oilers because of their limited success in the '70s, but as history can testify, their Super Bowl dreams were never fulfilled, and the small amount of criticism I received for being their fan when they missed their chance and began to fade into mediocrity caused me to disavow any loyalties to the Oilers. I was a young man without a team, and as these things matter to young men, or at least they did at the time in my circles, I felt I had to pick somebody. It was 1986. I saw a story on Inside the NFL about the Indianapolis Colts and how they were so bad that there was a possibility that they would have a winless season. But in the last 3 weeks of the season, the lowly Colts turned things around and won their last 3 games. Being someone who didn't have many friends, I could relate to another loser. And when I saw the Colts defy— I saw that the Colts defied the odds, fought back, and won those last 3 meaningless games, that was enough for me. The Colts were my team from that moment forth, and I declared myself to be a fan. Of theirs with absolutely no expectations of future success. For someone who wasn't much of a sports fan, it was the perfect choice. Colts games were rarely seen on TV in my local market, so I would just follow them in the newspapers. And if they lost, I didn't have to see it. And the Colts did go on to have varying levels of success at times because of players like Eric Dickerson and Jim Harbaugh, but they never made it to the Super Bowl and would have moments of greatness and success followed by seasons of struggle. But then in 1998, the Colts drafted Peyton Manning, and even though the Colts were 3-13 again in his rookie season, they had increasing success until finally in the 2006 season Peyton Manning led the led the Colts to the franchise's first Super Bowl victory since 1971, the first and only one in my lifetime. So you can be sure that "We Are the Champions" was playing at my place on repeat back on February 6, 2007, on the evening of my team's victory. After choosing the Colts and waiting 21 years, my team had won. As great as all that is, I share it not to point to Peyton Manning, the Colts, or even myself. I know now that God is sovereign. That means he is in control of shaping world history. That includes sports history. So that year, the Lord allowed the Colts to win, and even though I was a man with highly questionable faith at the time, I prayed for my team's success, and the Lord was gracious enough to grant my, and many other Colts fans', request that day. All victory comes from God. All of it. Every outcome has His sovereign hands moving or allowing things to come into play. Ever see a miraculous play? I think we all have. That was God as much as it was the skill of the players. Why do some balls get dropped? Why do some get plucked out of the air with one hand, off of helmets, off of feet, to be caught? Gravity? Karma? Uh, no. God's sovereign will makes the miraculous possible. He brings the victory in all things. But don't curse God if your team is a loser, okay? Because God offers all of mankind a place on His championship team. Through faith in Jesus Christ, God seeks to draft you to be a part of a franchise that will enjoy the victory that will make a Super Bowl victory seem like a T-ball exhibition scrimmage. God freely offers all men the ability to know what victory really means. God seeks to make peace with us and rewards us with the victory over sin and death when we place our faith in Christ. With these twin victories over sin and death, God assures us of a good end and a new beginning. We are secure in his love and promised eternity in his presence for, for the ever after. But we are also given the power to win a victory over besetting sins and the negative mind states like fear, anger, depression, anxiety that come from a life separated from him. Through God, uh, through God, he gives us the victory and a new identity of a champion. When we receive the new life that Christ gives to us, we can overcome impossible odds to accomplish what we never thought we could. A life defined by peace, love, joy, goodness, faithfulness, kindness, gentleness, patience, and self-control. So become a part of God's winning team by making Christ your Lord and Savior, and then quietly wait on Him to lead and guide you in the way you should go, because His way is a victory tour that never ends. The Lord has a plan and purpose for your life. He gives you the victory the minute you, you come to Him, and you are set on a path to experience more triumphs when you walk with Him. As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.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 to share from Clinton Arnold's Powers of Darkness, and we're currently sharing from chapter 4, and today we are discussing or sharing the influence of the powers on society. And pagan religion. So if that interests you, and I think I'll include Jewish magic as well, so a little more extended— actually, we're going to save Jewish magic for tomorrow, so tune in tomorrow, kids, for Jewish magic. Um, but for today, uh, the influence of the powers on society, pagan religions, will be highlighted, uh, on the end of today's blog post. So go to M.t. Lifeofpeaceandvictoryforchrist.org to check out that resource. As always, we encourage you to buy Clinton Arnold's book for yourself so you have the whole thing instead of having to read it one little section at a time on our blog. We also encourage a life of discipleship because guess what? It's a pathway to peace and victory. So why, why not live with God instead of against him or without him? The life we have in Christ is an abundant life. It's not just for heaven, it's for here and now. And, uh, it's a life lived in it. You experience really a peace and a freedom that doesn't, uh, that, that's unmatched in this world. And not many people understand this, so that's why we share our discipleship classes on the podcast and our YouTube channel. Um, we did 3 classes for Freedom of Freedom in Christ, The Victor Over the Darkness, and The Bondage Breaker, based on the Word of God and Dr. Neil Anderson's work. And we make them available for your listening and edification pleasure. So if you want to check those out, just search those, those names, and hopefully you'd be able to find them on the podcast. And I know if you looked, looked hard enough, you'd be able to find the playlist for them on YouTube. So You know, all of this is not based on my wisdom. All of this is based on the Word of God, or at least most of it is. Obviously, parts of my message are my personal testimony and, uh, and I guess my experience, um, but, uh, the wisdom, uh, that it's all based on is God's Word. And so we highly revere the Word of God. We read portions of it every day, um, and we, uh, encourage people to do that. By sharing a Bible study each week where I and Arthur and Susanna Sincotti and my wife get together to discuss, you know, whatever topic Arthur comes up with, and we run it through, you know, the lens of the Bible. What does the Bible have to say about that? What's our experience, and how's that all work out? So if you don't have a Bible study and want to join one, you can, you can find those messages on the podcast and our YouTube channel by searching for Bible Study with the Zingadis. So we encourage you to check those things out. Well, today is Thursday. It's my first day off of 5 days, so my prayers and thoughts are with you who have to work today, and they'll be with me as I'll be traveling to Maine We're taking it on the road, um, to go to River Rock Christian Concert for the next Friday and Saturday, and we'll be returning back to the Empire State on Sunday, Lord willing, of course. So we have a lot to pray for as we'll be traveling miles and hours away and seeking to glorify and praise the Lord when we get there. So I think we should do that every day And I do, and I encourage you to do the same. You know, keep God in your conversation, continually turn to him and thank him for what he's doing, and comment, "God help me." You know, get his strength and his peace by keeping him in your presence through talking to him all day long. You know, your relationship with God is— I was going to say possibly— it is the most important relationship you will have because it will determine your eternal destiny. Um, so we must get to know him, and, uh, you know, and we'll never have to fear that he says he doesn't know us when we talk with him every day. So let's pray. Lord God, Heavenly Father, thank you for another day in your kingdom. We thank you, Lord, for the victory you've given us through our, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Uh, you've led us through the valley of the shadow of death and And, uh, you've been faithful again and again and again. And we might have had to wait for you, but Lord, you've given us the victory, and we get to enjoy your light every step of the way. Lord, we pray for the people listening today, that you would bless them and that you would hear their voice in prayer. And Lord, encourage them in the way they should go. We pray for you to go before us, Lord, to make good things happen, uh, to give us the strength to help us to endure., as we go, to open our eyes and see the beautiful things in the world and in your word and, and all around us, because you're the maker of all things, Lord. And when we look around, we should notice you, um, in all things that we do. Um, Lord, we just pray for you to go before us today, um, to guide us, protect us with your rod and your staff, uh, every step of the way. And we pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.