In this episode of the MT for Christ 247 podcast, host M.t. Clark opens with a personal update, describing his ongoing recovery from pneumonia, lingering ear issues, and the temptation to return to work before fully healed. He frames his struggle as a lesson in patience, linking it to recent Bible study themes. Clark reflects on Richard Foster’s Celebration of the Disciplines, emphasizing that true inner transformation comes from the Spirit, not human effort. He then reads Zechariah 3:1‑5, interpreting the vision of the high priest’s filthy garments being replaced with pure vestments as a picture of God’s forgiveness and vindication against Satan’s accusations. The episode continues with a brief exposition of Hebrews 1:3, citing Stephen F. Alford’s teaching that the Son’s word of power upholds all things, underscoring the sustaining power of God’s word for believers. Clark promotes the Celebrate Freedom support group—a weekly Christian recovery and discipleship meeting at Starpoint Church in Clifton Park, NY—and highlights the podcast’s extensive resource library, including playlists on bondage breaking, victory, and a study on Bonhoeffer’s discipleship. He concludes with an invitation to surrender to God, a call for listeners to seek Him, and a closing prayer for healing, guidance, and communal support.
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Welcome to the MT for Christ 247 podcast. I'm M.t. Clark, and this is today's photo. To see today's photo, go to mtforchrist.com or follow me, M.t. Clark, on Facebook or Twitter, or you can watch us on YouTube. Good morning. Today's photo of a stone stairway leading towards rows of well-tented grapes underneath a cloud-filled Blue September sky comes to us from yours truly as I captured the scene while taking a short stroll around the grounds on the South Dominion Vineyard, uh, in Cambridge yesterday afternoon. Well, it's Monday, and although I was able to spend some time enjoying the fresh air and a unique opportunity to explore South Dominion's grounds over the weekends as my wife served as a fundraising volunteer for Operation Adopt a Soldier face painting Saturday and Sunday. I've been challenged to admit that I'm still not fully recovered from my pneumonia just yet, as my pneumonia cough is this annoying habit of reappearing just when I think I may be completely healed. My sinuses also periodically start acting up with this weird clicking noise in my head, making me wonder if I— if an ear infection wants to develop, or if my equilibrium, you know, if it's wise to return to work with my possible equilibrium issues. So instead of just joining the rest of the workforce and going back to work today, I will be consulting with my doctors to see what I should do from here rather than just ignoring these mild yet persistent symptoms. I'm trying to be patient, patient. Something that has never been my strong suit. Over our last two Bible Study with the Zingadi podcasts, um, well, our last two Bible Study with the Zingadi podcasts have been about patience, and I can't help but think that the topic has come up for a reason as my progress on the path of Christian discipleship has seemed to be stuck or be going in reverse over the last couple of months. The most recent move of the Spirit has turned my attention to examine Richard Foster's celebration of the disciplines, and his words have reminded me that we are not transformed by the work— by the work— that we are transformed by the work of the Spirit and not from the sweat of our own brow. Foster writes, when we despair of gaining inner transformation through human powers of will and determination, We are open to a wonderful new realization, uh, and our righteousness is a gift of God to be graciously received. The need— needed change within us is God's work, not ours. The demand is for an inside job, and only God can work from the inside. We cannot attain or earn this righteousness of the kingdom of God. It is a grace that is given. Um, when we— well, I testified yesterday during our Bible study that I have been impatient in receiving what only can, uh, can only come from God: healing. In my zeal to conquer sickness, I called up all my faith efforts and, uh, prayed earnestly for healing and was momentarily convinced, uh, that my efforts had been effective, only to be immediately challenged by symptoms that reappeared. Wouldn't go away, couldn't be denied, and developed into pneumonia. I worked for a week sick trying to power through, and it took me about 2 weeks to finally break down and go to the doctor. And now I'm on the cusp of complete healing, and I'm trying to be wise and remain patient until I'm 100% again. Eddie's saying about waiting being the hardest part, and he wasn't kidding, as his latest episode has revealed how impatient I can be and how much I am still impacted by the world's performance-based system as I have gone around and around with feelings of guilt and this invisible pressure to go back to work when no one else is applying that pressure. This fear-based drive to avoid the hard things of bureaucratic paperwork, of or to just go, go back to normal or to stop being sick as me ready to run back to work, even though no one is asking me to, and my body is telling me something else. As I write this, my left ear is spontaneously doing its popping thing. So I'm going to take some more, you know, some more time to heal, I guess. I'm almost out of medication and want to make sure that I'm well rather than risk assuming I am only to have things get worse. So we, we will see. Uh, like heart transformation, uh, healing only comes from the Lord. If you don't have it, you have to ask him to see if he will bring it and what he wants you to do. Sometimes healing will come and sometimes it won't. Sometimes he'll ask you to carry on as you are and other times he'll tell you to wait. As I am nearly completely healed, I am confident that God is bringing me to full restoration, but because of these issues that persist, I think he is telling me to consult with my doctor and to wait at least one more day. I'm going to ask, uh, I'm going against all that invisible pressure. I'm going to, uh, admit the truth that these troubling things are present and I'm not 100% yet. It's humbling, but I'm going to wait on the Lord. That's— yeah, not much of a commentary there, um, today, but that's, that's my story. Um, today's Bible verses come from the Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling by John D. Crewe. This morning's meditation verses come from the section on forgiveness of sins, and today's verses are Zechariah 3:1-5. And the word of God says, then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, the Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire? Now Joshua was standing before the angel clothed with filthy garments, and the angel said to those who were standing before him, remove the filthy garments from him. And to him he said, behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments. And I said, let them put a clean turban on his head. So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by. Today's verses fall under the 20th point of our Counseling Reference Guide's resource section on the forgiveness of sins. The 20th point is: Zechariah had a vision of a high priest in filthy clothes which were removed and replaced with pure white garments. Today's Bible verses give us a glimpse into the heavenly realms and reveal to us that even in God's throne room, Satan will persist in his role of being the accuser of the brethren. But the scene also reveals that when we are in God's kingdom, all of our sins, our dirty laundry, are taken away. And replaced with pure vestments, as our salvation has not only resulted in us being a brand plucked from the fire of God's wrath, but has also resulted in us being declared righteous and holy. Satan is always there to oppose us, but God stands up for us to remind us that we have been welcomed into his kingdom and are not— and are holy through and through. We are holy, not, not holy. As always, we encourage everyone to go to mtforchrist.com where we always share insights and, and from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist our brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. And today we continue sharing from According to Your Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament by Stephen F. Alford and Alford's Devotionally prompts us to read a chapter of scripture. Today's chapter is Hebrews 1. From Hebrews 1, he shares a portion of verse 3, which says, "Upholding all things by the word of his power." And Stephen Alford writes, it was through the Son that the creative word was spoken, "Let there be light," and there was light. This verse teaches that it is similarly through the Son's word of power that all things are upheld or sustained. God's principles that underlie the accomplishing of his purposes— purposes operation— of his purposes operation of the Holy Spirit. Similarly, he is sustained, upheld by the same word of his power. The word of God is the supreme means whereby the believer is sustained and empowered And Stephen Alford ends by praying, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." And we say amen. The word of God is the supreme means whereby the believers are sustained and empowered. God's word has power. It spoke the universe into creation, and it informs us of God's truth and the way we're supposed to live our life. And so when we, you know, we're saved by the proclamation of a word that we believe that Jesus was who he said he was and that we place our faith in him. Um, it's a declaration. It's a word and it's a word of faith, if you will. Um, we put our faith in Jesus. We believe that he'll bring healing and we believe that he'll, you know, lead all things together for good. So, you know, we put our faith in God and we trust him to make it happen. And we stand on our faith when we proclaim who we are every day, saying, you know, who I am in Christ, and living according to our faith instead of our feelings. And even though I'm not, you know, 100%, I know that it is well with my soul, um, in terms of my salvation, and that I believe that God will bring complete healing, and I just have to wait for it. Um, you know, so we're going to go against, you know, go against what God's word says, or are we gonna, you know, agree with it? So that's what, that's what we do here. Um, we surrender, you know. So have you fully surrendered to God? And that's surrendering to his word. You know, we believe this is the truth and we're going to live according to it. You know, it's a matter of what we do with what God's word says about us is the most important thing after all. And when we agree with God's word, he moves us to do good things, to listen to him and to move into good works. One of the good works he's moved us into is the Celebrate Freedom support group, which meets on Wednesdays. Um, at 6:30 PM. Um, we will be there— well, someone will be there, um, Wednesday to, to, uh, welcome anyone who wants to go. It's at Star Point Church, 6:30 PM, for Christian Recovery and Discipleship. Um, we had some newcomers last week, so the group is growing. I encourage anyone and everyone who hears this message to let people know there's Christian Recovery happening I am in the Capital District of New York, and it's at Clifton Park Starpoint Church on Wednesday nights. So come and join us. Uh, we also encourage, if you can't make it, we, we do offer, uh, we, we offer our freedom teachings that we have on our, our podcast. Our YouTube channel has playlists for The Bondage Breaker, Victory Over the Darkness, Freedom in Christ, Celebrate Freedom Discipleship Course, and many, many other playlists, quite frankly. We did an entire study on Bonhoeffer's discipleship if you'd like to check that out. But we offer all these things because we found them valuable in our lives, and thus, after we learned that, you know, learn these things and continue to learn these things, we offered them, you know, we taught them to others. Um, it's one of the best ways we can know we, we believe what we believe, that we teach it and try to live by it. So yeah, anyway, we ask the question, are you empty for Christ too? If so, that's awesome. Just keep on walking and talking with God. He'll lead you through. And if not, you know, say a prayer. Um, consider the big, the big picture and, um, Come, come find peace with God by seeking him and making Jesus your Lord and Savior. Um, we empty ourselves of our selfish desires and seek to do God's will. And when we do that, amazing things start to happen. Um, life transformation happens. It's through him, not our efforts. It's a combination of our efforts but not our will. That's different, you know, because if I wish— if I could just will it to happen, you know, Things would have changed already. But if not, it reveals to us we might need some help, and best help we can get is from God. So one of the ways we get God's help is through prayer. So let's pray. Lord God, Heavenly Father, thank you for another day in your kingdom. We thank you so much for all that you do for us, Lord. We pray for you to help us, Lord, complete healing and, um, guidance and what you want us to do with our lives, Lord. We just want to be surrendered to you and, and to live life according to what you say is right. We desperately need your help with that. And so, Lord, we're praying for that today, but we're also praying for anyone who's reading or listening or watching today's message, Lord, that you come alongside them and their prayer request, their walk of faith, because they need your help too. We all need each other and your help, Lord. So, um, we just pray for you to bless us today. Lord, we thank you, we praise you, we love you, and we pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
