In the Presence of Greatness - Purity 792

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 magnificent blue sky over the horizon and the waters of Otsego Lake comes to us from our friends Post Parade Paddle as they enjoyed this past weekend in Cooperstown, New York for the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction festivities where they were able to see some of the biggest names in baseball history, including one of the newest inductees, Big Papi David Ortiz. Apparently Ortiz was one of the best clutch hitters in the history of baseball and was the driving force for 3 World Series championships for the Boston Red Sox. I wouldn't really know, I don't follow baseball. What? That's Big Papi! I mean, Big Papi, he's like a big deal, man. Okay, congratulations. Uh, in my limited research this morning, I decided to see what my friend saw and decided to look at the other Hall of Famers that were inducted this past weekend and remembered the complaints of some baseball fan friends in the past who complained that the Hall of Fame was political. And I might have seen what they meant because the rest of the new inductees of the Hall of Fame worthy accomplishments were not as big or as recent as Big Papi's. I'm not saying the other inductees were not worthy. I really have no opinion on the matter because I don't follow baseball, but I found it interesting that it was determined that some of the inductees were chosen to be in the Hall many years after their playing days. Apparently they got better with age, or, uh, how some even went to their graves with never knowing they were Hall of Famers, as a couple of the inductees were enshrined as a concerted effort to honor baseball players of color of merit who never got the recognition they would have received if it wasn't for the blatant racism of the past that is documented with the history of segregated baseball leagues. Apparently what man deems as great is subject to the opinions of men and are subject to changing times and seasons of our lives. I say all that to point out the fickleness of man and the subjectivity of our accomplishments to be approved, and how things differ dramatically in the kingdom of God. Because my friend was at the National Baseball Hall of Fame parade this past weekend— if you like baseball, uh, you might say he was in the presence of greatness. But I have come to understand what true greatness is all about and how there is only one who should, should be called great, and that person is the Lord. While I wasn't at the Baseball Hall of Fame this past weekend, I was able to enjoy the presence of greatness at my local church as I spent time worshiping the Lord in song and the fellowship amongst my brothers and sisters in Christ. While I am sure there was some hooting and hollering at the weekend this weekend's Baseball Hall of Fame Parade as the stars of the MLB were carted through town, uh, those cheers are silent now. And years from now, uh, the names of those honored this past weekend with enshrinement will fade further into obscurity as more Hall of Famers enter the Hall and, uh, and as less people watch baseball these days and its cultural relevancy seems to be in decline. While I think baseball will endure, there are some who feel that the sport is no longer popular, relevant, and just— and will just fade away someday. Unfortunately, in our post-Christian society, some would say that— would make the same claim about Christianity. Declining church attendance, Bible illiteracy, and the shift away from biblical morality has some predicting or hoping for the end of Christianity and the church. But unlike baseball, the church has an endorsement from the, the Great One that tells us that Christian hooting and hollering will last for all eternity. As Christ said in Matthew 16:18, 'And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.' While sports may come and go, there are many different spiritual options out there to be deceived by, the Church of Jesus Christ will last forever. As the Apostle John testified to the worship that would take place in eternity that gave honor to the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, as he wrote in Revelation 7:9-12, which say: After these things I looked, and behold, a a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb! All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures and And fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen. The greatness that endures forever is Christ alone. Every nation, every tribe, and every tongue will confess Jesus Christ as Lord and will one day give him the thanks, honor, and praise that he is due. But we don't have to wait until we see him in eternity to experience the Lord's presence. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, God's Spirit, the Holy Spirit, indwells us, and we can experience his presence every day when we commune with him and through prayer, Bible study, worship, thanksgiving, or service to his kingdom through good works done for his glory. I got a nice sense of the Lord's presence on Sunday And when you experience Him in your life, you will just want to spend time with Him. Whether it is through trying to know Him more through the study of His Word, or just by resting in His peace, when you know the manifest presence of God, when you know Him, you know the presence of greatness, and you will not want to leave it for long. When you know His presence, nothing mankind has to offer will be able to compare to the sense of peace and joy you have from being with Him. So although it is Monday again, try to look past the news or the sports page for greatness. Look for the greatness of the presence of God. The evidence for God is all around us, and His plan and advice for mankind can be found in His Word. Look past the fickle opinions of men and the uncertainty of the value of your own accomplishments and find the relationship with God that is made available through Jesus Christ. When you make Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior, you are forgiven, accepted, and made brand new. You are drawn into the presence of the Great One, who is available through all times and seasons to spend time with. So spend time with the Lord today. Keep walking and talking with him to experience the great things he has for you when you decide to abide in his presence. By making Christ the Lord of your life. Today's Bible verse comes to us from the New Living Translation Bible Promise Book for Men. This morning's meditation verses are 1 John 3:23-24, and they say, and this is his commandment: we must believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another just as he commanded us. Those who obey God's Those who keep God's commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us. Today's verses point to the commandments of God to believe in Jesus and to love one another, and highlight the relationship that the Christian has with God through Christ and the fact of God's presence in us through the Holy Spirit. Hey, If you are into religion, keep these two commandments: Believe in the name of Jesus Christ and love one another. Religion nitpicks over behavior and seeks to make people feel they have to perform or accomplish certain things to be approved. Man loves it. That's why we have halls of fame. We like to point to deeds done, but we really like to reject those who aren't up to snuff. That's why the world hated Jesus and hates Christianity. Christ's teaching and the doctrines of Christianity are counterintuitive. They challenge man's self-righteousness, accomplishments, and penchant for rule keeping and rejection. Christ repeatedly put the religious elite, who were good at keeping up appearances, in their place. Christ pointed out that it wasn't the letter of the law that made you righteous, it was your heart relationship with God, your faith in him, that made you approved by him. Uh, here the Apostle John reminds the church that the commandments they are to follow are to put their faith in Jesus and to love one another, and it was through Christ alone that they would have fellowship with God through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. So try to live according to the word of God and do good works, but remember that it is not because what you do that you are accepted by God. It is because of faith alone, in Christ alone, that you are saved and receive the Spirit of God. And it is only through His presence in us that we will be able to live like Christ and to love one another. So obey those commandments and let the love of the Lord change you and be poured out to those around you. As always, I invite all to go to M.t. Clark.org, where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ for their walk. Today we continue from Clinton Arnold's Powers of Darkness, and today we touch on— continue in chapter 9, where Clinton Arnold is discussing how the powers of darkness influence believers. And today it highlights the area of temptation. So if you wanted to see what Clinton Arnold had to say about the powers of darkness and what they do with temptation, go to emptyforchrist.org and you'll be able to see that resource at the end of today's blog post. Today is Monday, and as you can tell, there's a dog barking in the background at lightning, so that means I'm still at my countryside estate. Uh-oh, what happened? Did something go wrong? Did I get hurt? Am I laid up with a broken leg? No. Is it because of the great weather that you took the day off? No, no, obviously if it's raining out, it's not because of the weather I took the day off. Although some people would be like, I'm not going to work today, it's raining. But that's not the reason either. The simple reason is I spent the weekend in the presence of the Lord, but I also spent the weekend in the presence of my wife, who the Lord brought into my into my life to give me a sense of love and a partner for life, somebody I can just abide with and have peace with. And the fellowship I enjoyed in my wife's presence was so great this past weekend that when I realized that she had today off and that she— we would be able to spend time together alone, I used one of the few days I have left to take the day off just to spend with her. And it might seem foolish, and I don't really have a lot planned for today other than to be with Tammy Lynn. And, but when you're in the presence of greatness, you don't want to leave it. And with Tammy Lynn, I feel the Lord's love because we have him at the center of our relationship and you know, we have the simple love of a man and a wife as well. And I decided, you know, that, uh, you know, that's what I wanted to spend today with, um, was with her. So, so there you go. But as I stated in the, in the post there, it's really about the presence of the Lord. But, um, you know The Lord gives us people to love. We are to love one another too, right? So I am obeying both commandments today. I am going to love my wife and I am going to love the Lord. And I am going to be patient with the dog who is whining outside because he is scared. He is scared of the lightning. I will try to give him peace the best I can. Um, but it's my prayer that everyone finds peace, even though it's Monday, even though you had to let the good weather go behind you and the weekend and everything that was fun about it. But, uh, good thing is the Lord goes with us regardless of the circumstances, regardless of the sunshine or the rain. The Lord's love endures forever. And when we have faith in Jesus Christ, we don't have to wonder about whether or not we have that. We are not approved by our rule keeping or how we live. We are approved by the simple fact that Christ called us to be His. And when we put our faith in Him, we are approved forever and we are made new. And we are encouraged to draw closer to the Lord through getting to know Him more and to be more like Him. So, so I encourage my friends today to be positive and accept what the Lord has given you on this day, whether it's working or not. There's always room to give thanks to the Lord. So let's do that. Lord God, Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Thank you for, you know, your goodness, your greatness, and the love you've given us and all you've shown us in our lives. Thank you for revealing the truth of who Jesus Christ is and how when we, when we put our faith in him, you give us a new life and a new comforter in the presence of the Holy Spirit in our, in our lives to draw us into your truth and into your purpose for us. And Lord, we pray for the people listening today, that they'd be blessed, that they would be encouraged, that the Lord is with them wherever they go, and that they can be bold and courageous to face whatever Monday has to bring, and that they can overcome. Uh, there's nothing and no one that can stop them from being the person God wants them to be, and in his presence they can do great things. So Lord, we pray for their prayer requests, that you would come alongside them. We pray for the person we prayed for healing this past weekend, that they'd receive it. And Lord, we just pray for you to be with us wherever we go and whatever we do, and go before us, open our eyes to the beauty and the things we need to know, and, um, lead us into the things you want us to do today. All these things we pray in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.