When You think of Me, Remeber Jesus - Purity 1222

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 slightly askew oil painting, Ball at Sunset, 1990, by Scott Pryor, comes to us from yours truly and a generous donor to the Springfield Museums, as I captured this work of art during my visit there last weekend. The information card from this painting, it's, it's, it's a painting, uh, states Scott Pryor, who lives in Western Massachusetts, is inspired by his family and everyday events. The artist works from life as well as photographs. He creates intimate and magical scenes with ordinary objects, revealing that beauty can be found in the simplest moments. This painting reminds me of summertime, childhood simplicity, raising my kids, and for some unknown reason, uh, maybe because of the emotion it brings up, my wife and our countryside home. I had to look twice at the information card because Pryor's work really does look like a photograph. If you have the means, please support the artist by going to ScottPryorArt.com. While I can't make any claims about Pryor's faith life, I dare say we are kindred spirits of sorts, as my sharing of the photo of the day was inspired to encourage my friends to see the beauty in the simplest of moments and to, uh, to get to know the God that put it all into being. Well, it's Friday, thank God, and I will be rejoicing at the end of the day because I'll be reunited with my beloved wife Tammy Lynn, and we'll possibly go see the Christmas with the Chosen Holy Night movie sometime, uh, this weekend. As we are quickly approaching Christmas, when we think of Christmas, we should remember Jesus. We really should not have to keep Christ in Christmas, as this is what the holiday is all about. Jesus, the Light of the World, the newborn King, is what we are to remember at Christmas. As disciples of Jesus, that really is what we want people to remember when they think about us. When people think of me, it is my hope that somewhere in their thoughts or comments there is something about Jesus. Whether they love or hate me, it is my sincerest wish to have the Lord glorified by my life. The blog, the podcast, the YouTube channel, and the ministry work I do is all intended to not point to me, but to point to Jesus, as he is the one who gave me life and effected the transformation that has happened to me over the last 13 years. My ministry name, MT for Christ, or MT for Christ 247, is not intended to highlight M.t. Clark. It is supposed to highlight Jesus, and it is supposed to be a play on words and an encouragement to you, dear friends, to empty yourselves for Christ, to fill you with the Holy Spirit, and to lead you into the love and freedom of Christ and and God's purpose for your life. That's it. Last night I gave honor to my departed friend and brother in Christ, Bill Hamm, by going to his memorial service. I was actually a little late in arriving because I wanted to pay my respects in a suit to try to convey my feelings of respect and love for Bill and how serious I felt about the loss of his departure. Silly perhaps, but that's the way I felt. And even though I was a little late, I was able to get there in time to hear Bill's son Jeremy delivered Bill's eulogy, which was sweet, tender, funny, and inspiring all at the same time, as Jeremy gave testimony of his father's simple yet deep love for his family and friends, his no-nonsense working man's integrity, and his faithful witness for Jesus Christ. When I think about Bill Hamm, I remember Jesus because our relationship had him at the center, as Bill Bill and I were two sinners transformed into saints who were just humble students of our Savior and tried our best to follow him. After the service, I greeted, um, Jeremy and Bill's widow and expressed my condolences and my deep friendship for their father and husband. And I was humbled by something Rebecca related to me that took me by surprise. She told me that in one of Bill's journals, Bill had written, "M.t. Clark Jesus." I, of course, laughed and made light of it, but I was actually deeply moved by it. And I looked at Bill's flower-surrounded memorial photo and laughed and shook my head as the Lord moved the events of last evening to have Bill speak to me. Speaking to Bill's photo, I said, Okay, Bill, you get the last laugh. Here I come dressed up in a suit to honor you, and you turn the tables and honor me. God bless you, brother. Bill and I had served in the church together, walked through my recovery and serving in Celebrate Freedom together, and in some of the last days of our friendship, Bill had honored me by attending the last class I taught at Rock Solid Church, the Freedom in Christ course. And he apparently had listened to the podcast too. Bill's note in the journal wasn't saying, "I was Jesus." The fact that Bill wrote M.t. Clark and not Mark Clark speaks to that. M.t. Clark is the new creation in Christ. So Bill's note was in effect saying the reason there is an M.t. Clark is Jesus. Bill saw me come into the church in 2011 or so. And he saw Mark, or as some called me to their children, Mr. Mark. Scratch my head. And, um, Bill saw firsthand my journey into becoming the person I, uh, I was as I left Rock Solid Church. Uh, he had seen the transformation. Like one of the Magi at Christmas time, he had witnessed the birth of M.t. Clark. And when Bill thought of me He apparently remembered Jesus. Because I went to honor Bill last night, the Lord arranged for me to know it. We all have one life to live on this side of eternity, and what we will be remembered for matters. Without Christ, your hobbies, preferences, interests, and accomplishments won't amount to anything. Only those who make Christ their Lord and Savior move on to eternal life. And if we have received the gift of our salvation, we really should use our lives to honor God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. So keep walking and talking with God, and don't care if people love you or hate you, uh, for it. But be sure to do what you can to encourage people to know, love, and follow Christ, and that someday when they think of you, they remember Jesus. Today's Bible verse comes to us from the Quick Scriptural Reference for Counseling by John G. Crowes. This morning's meditation verses come from the section on church discipline, and today's verse is 1 Corinthians 5:11. And the word of God tells us, but now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed or is an idolater reviler, drunkard, or swindler, not even to eat with such a one. Today's verse falls under the fifth point of our Counseling Reference Guide's resource section on church discipline, and that fifth point is: Do not fellowship with one who will not repent. Today's verse advises us not to fellowship with those who are guilty of wanton sin and claim to be a Christian. Get a load of that list. Sexually— sexually— sexual immorality, uh, that's anyone having any type of sex outside of a marriage between one man and a woman. Drunkards— oh yeah, let's party. Greedy and swindlers, uh, the materi— and idolaters, uh, the, the materialism in the American church, uh, may make you blush. And those revilers, are those angry people who criticize all the time. Okay, shots fired at the church, men and women down. Considering the local congregations and the things I have seen, I see and have seen in the building known as the church, it is surprising that we get together at all, because if we follow this principle, over half the people gathered in the church building would be prevented from crossing the threshold. While I completely understand how we want to encourage people to come to church and to quote-unquote consider following Jesus. Our faith is supposed to be evidenced by our changed lives, and if we welcome in people who agree nominally in the name of but not in the spirit of Jesus and disobey virtually everything the Word of God says about Christian living, we really need to consider if our loving the sinner is the tactic we should take. While we, while we don't want to be legalists, we certainly don't want to convey that regular unrepented sin is quote-unquote okay because you've been forgiven. That's an error that can have serious consequences here on earth and possibly in eternity, as other verses in the Bible indicate that people with this list of sin in their lives are fooling themselves to think that they are actually in Christ. So it's tough. I don't know what to tell you. So listen— so I will tell you this— so listen to the Lord and and don't associate with people in known sin, but at the same time, listen to the Lord in case he wants to use, use you to bring them back into the grace of his love and to guide them into repentance. Light and darkness do not have anything to do with one another, but ours is also the faith of bringing people out of the darkness to live forever with the light of the world. So shine the light of Jesus and allow him to move people to be born again Repent and live. 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're sharing from God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. And I explained previously, we're, we're, we're off the— we're off the Advent We're following this devotion. It's an Advent devotional, but we're not on schedule with the Advent calendar. Um, today in our devotional is Advent Week 3, Redemption Day 4, and Bonhoeffer shares a message called Look Up, Your Redemption Is Drawing Near. And Bonhoeffer writes, let's not deceive ourselves, your redemption is drawing near. Whether we know it or not, And it's the only question is, are we going to let it come to us too? Are we going to, or are we going to resist it? Are we going to join in this movement that comes down from heaven to earth, or are we going to close ourselves off? Christmas is coming. Whether it is with us or without us depends on each and every one of us. Such a true Advent happening now creates something different from the anxious, petty, depressed, feeble Christian spirit that we see again and again, and that again and again wants to make Christian— Christianity contemptible. This becomes clear from the two powerful commands that introduce our text: "Look up and raise your heads," which is Luke 21:28. Advent creates people, new people. We too are supposed to become new people in Advent. Look up, you whose gaze is fixed on this earth, who are spellbound by the little events and changes on the face of the earth. Look up to these words, you who have turned away from heaven disappointed. Look up, you whose eyes are heavy with tears and who are heavy and who are crying over the fact that the earth has gracelessly torn us away. Look up, you who burdened with guilt cannot lift your eyes. Look up, your redemption is drawing near. Something different from what you see daily will happen. Just be aware, be watchful. Wait just another short moment. Wait, and something quite new will break over you. God will come. And that was Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Our devotion also shares this excerpt from Bonhoeffer's Advent sermon in a London church on December 3rd, 1933. Bonhoeffer writes: You know what a mine disaster is. In recent weeks we have had to read about one in the newspapers. The moment even the most courageous miner has dreaded his whole life long is here. It is no use running into the walls. The silence all around him remains. The way out for him is blocked. He knows that people up there are working feverishly to reach the miners who are buried alive. Perhaps someone will be rescued, but here in the last shaft, an agonizing period of waiting and dying is all that remains. But suddenly, a noise that sounds like tapping and breaking in the rock can be heard. Unexpectedly, voices cry out. 'Where are you? Help is on the way!' Then the disheartened miner picks himself up. His heart leaps. He shouts, 'Here I am! Come on through and help me! I'll hold out until you come. Just come soon!' A final desperate hammer blow to his ear. Now the rescue is near. Just one more step and he is free. We have spoken of Advent itself. That is how it is with the coming of Christ. Look up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near. And finally, uh, we share the verse Luke 21:28. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near. That is all that, uh, our devotion shares from Bonhoeffer's God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas. So that's that. Today is Friday. I do have to work, and I have to run out the door soon. So we're going to, we're going to pray and wish everyone a good weekend and encourage you to, you know, be remembered for your faith and in Christ. Represent him and give him glory in all you do. Lord God, Heavenly Father, we thank you for another day in your kingdom. Lord, we thank you for the men and women of God who will be remembered for believing in you. And we pray for anyone who's listening or reading today's message, that you come alongside them and their prayer request and their life of faith. A lot of tough things are happening at the end of the year here, Lord, and we all need your help and guidance to lead us in the way we should go into and to celebrate Christmas with joy. So help us, Lord. And Lord, as we go to today, we just pray for you to go before us, open our eyes to the things you want us to see, move us in the way we should go, and help us. Because Lord, all we want to do is represent you and your kingdom on the earth and be remembered. Uh, for somebody who gave glory to Jesus. Lord, we thank you, we praise you, we love you, and we pray all this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.