I love when God shows up with those special moments where you know that you have received a word from Him. I have called them “kissed by God” moments.

Welcome my brothers to this new week of Freedom Fighters. We are privileged to be a part of your lives and thank you for opening our emails, reading them on the blog – and in fact – some of you even forward them to your friends.

When I was writing this particular blog entry, I was coming off of one of those weeks when the ministry was tough, emotions were ragged, and I was feeling depleted.

I try not to post much on social media personally, but I do try to post a Scripture verse every morning, and lately, I have been posting an old hymn. As I am waking, I read some Scripture on my phone app, YouVersion.

On this particular day, the verses were from the obscure, not-so-often-preached-from book of Lamentations. You know the verses:

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.  “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” Lamentations 3:22-24

Isn’t it just like God to give us this daily reminder?

His mercy is so amazing that we are not “consumed.” In reading through the Old Testament this year, God wiped out people for their disobedience. Look at Annas and Sapphira in the early church. Wow!!!

His compassion NEVER fails. Not sometimes. Not based on how He’s feeling today. Never! Never! Never! What love is that!!!

His mercies are NEW every morning! Count up how many days you have lived since you the day you were saved. If you only received one mercy a day – how many mercies have you received? But he doesn’t say His mercy is new every morning. He says HIS MERCIES!

He is faithful EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!

And because of that you and I have HOPE!!!

The hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness” was written by Thomas Obadiah Chisholm. He struggled for years with physical ups and downs in his life. He had difficulty figuring out what he wanted to do with his life. But he ended up becoming a Methodist Pastor and lived till age 94. He retired in our backyard in the Methodist Home in Ocean Grove, NJ.

It was during one of those seasons of ups and downs that he penned the words to this hymn:

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not; Thy compassions, they fail not.
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Summer and winter, spring-time and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide.
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow —
Blessings all mine with ten thousand besides.

Refrain
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hands have provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Take a few moments and reflect on this One who is faithful! Loving! Write down several ways that He has recently shown you His new mercies.

Overflowing and abounding with hope,

Bill Welte, President/CEO
America’s Keswick

Written by Bill Welte, President/CEO of America’s Keswick: Bill has been married to his child sweetheart for 40+ years and has four married kids and 11 amazing grand kids. He loves music and is an avid reader.

The Daily Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 1-2|You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Think About This: Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace. —Jerry Bridges

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope. Psalm 119:49

 

Often people request prayers for deliverance, inner healing, or physical healing. But more frequently they simply want a man or woman to whom they can turn–not because of what this person is able to do but because of what he or she is: a person who makes them feel wanted, a friend to love them, one who generates an atmosphere of warmth and trust in which they are able to love in return. ~Brennan Manning

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put Him (Jesus) to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” … But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” ~ Jesus, King of The Universe, in Luke 10

Oh beloved, it is true.

Life is going to jump up and bite us once in awhile. It has been happening to this fool of a writer, here in China. Geopolitical shifts, oppressive governance, terrible company policies, and the very hand of our Creator, is forcing us out of our third country in six years. We are losing jobs, losing Special Ed help for our son, and we are facing a potential long-term family separation as we work on immigration issues to get my Filipino wife and son settled in America.

It has, to be honest, been one of the most difficult five months of my life.

However, the truth of the matter is that our suffering is important, but it must serve a purpose for it to make sense. Suffering for its own sake, is but evil turned inward. It is selfish and whimpering; leaving only bitterness and disillusionment in its wake.

Beyond my own suffering, there are billions of people around me (and you) who are going through terrible times. Finances. Health. Relational stress. Oppression. And the list goes on.

There has to be more to this. And thankfully there truly is.

One of the classic (and most compelling) arguments for why evil and suffering is allowed by G_d, is that it always brings about a greater good than the original evil. If we are honest, we realize that this is true. But, what we are not always aware of, is that we can be part of the greater good and payoff when things go wrong. (see Always Pain, Always More G_d )

Can we see it?

Suffering in our own lives is a way for us to tune-in to the suffering of others. It focuses our thinking in ways that nothing else can. It is something of a tonic to clear our vision that is normally so clouded with our own selfish desires and problems.

And, it is in this space where we can really make a difference.

What if we allowed our circumstances and pain to drive us towards others, instead of into our own little, selfish shells? What if, when things all go wrong, we allow it to make us ready to help the person next to us, and to whom the same thing happens next?

I am having a front-row seat on this kind of thing. Just as we are getting our feet under us, a coworker has just been laid off – here on the other side of the world. The beauty of this is, that I can come alongside this dear brother and really, truly and really, know what he is going through. I can listen with ears that understand. I can touch with hands that have just been held and kept warm by others.

It is painful. And it is worth every moment.

So, are you going through a tough time? Good. Surely beloved, you have no need to waste this moment. Go. Find someone else who is hurting too. Walk through it with them. Spend yourself for them. You will not lose anything in the giving.

Tonight is your night. Time to spend yourself into someone else’s life, that your suffering may make sense.

Written by Makala Doulos: Makala Doulos is a child of G_d, a husband to his wife, a father to his children, and a teacher to his students. But mostly, he is a prisoner set free by Jesus. Love has invaded his life, crushed it, and made it new. Now, G_d’s Love is what constrains him to live in full surrender to the freedom The Father and Son and Holy Spirit have bought for us all. Grace and Peace to you all.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 121, 123-125, 128-130|You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: To be held in the heart of a friend, is to be a king. ~ Bruce Cockburn

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I have hoped in Your ordinances. Psalm 119:43

 

 

 

“Without a heart transformed by the grace of Christ, we just continue to manage external and internal darkness.”  ~ Chandler

When I consider the challenges I face on a daily basis… obstacles like doubt, fear, anxiety, temptation, and pride, I become keenly aware of my weakness and how sufficient God’s grace really is. Jon Bloom tells a story of Joshua describing how He must depend on God in facing his enemies. In the story, several young men are trying ‘one up’ each other about what they would do in battle. Joshua, startling them when he steps into the light of their fire, begins talking of the fears that cause his heart to melt as he has faced great armies. Bloom writes, “Then Joshua looked up at us and said, ‘That’s why the Lord has had to tell me many times to be strong and courageous. He knows the fears I’m vulnerable to. And what I’ve learned is this: it requires real strength both to remember what the Lord has promised to do for us and to move my trust off myself and back on him. And it requires real courage to act on what the Lord’s promises tell me and not what my doubting fears tell me. It takes strength to trust the Lord and courage to obey him.’”

To those of us like Joshua who understand our vulnerabilities, Paul proclaims, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:19) How vast those riches are, and they are all available to each one of us whose faith is in Jesus, having put on His righteousness. When I think back over all the obstacles I have faced, I can see where I stumbled being blinded by my own pride; and where God abundantly provided because I entrusted myself to Him and relied on His Word.

What is it that you need today, maybe even this moment…? I pray you hear the Word of God to Joshua, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”” (Joshua 1:9) Trust His Word and He will see you through everything.

Choose wisely…

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” (Joshua 1:7-8)

Praying you choose Christ today

Written by David Brown: David Brown is a husband, father, and grandfather with a Masters of Religious Studies and a Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religions. Dave is a member of Pemberton’s First Baptist Church.

The Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 28-31, Psalm 18|You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: Only he who can say, “The Lord is the strength of my life” can say, “Of whom shall I be afraid?” – Alexander MacLaren

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I have hoped in Your ordinances. Psalm 119:43

Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: — Matthew 5:2

Probably one of the most common phrases used to someone going through a tough time is “Don’t worry, everything will be ok” or the heartless phrase “Get over it already.” It’s like our default cliché whenever we don’t know what to say. It’s also one of the most ineffective ways to comfort someone.

So, how do we prepare ourselves for the inevitable times of sorrow or disappointment? Is there a way to prevent our souls from becoming downcast? In preparation for the long journey of ministry Jesus is about to encounter, He takes the time to build into His disciples the ability to see the trials they will encounter as a preamble of the benefits of enduring such unappealing circumstances. He is giving them the foresight of how to respond instead of react. He wants them to know that the benefit of having the right attitude is beneficial and rewarding.

Our journey with the Lord is filled with experiences that can be enlightening if we are prepared to accept them. When we are willing to meet the word of God head on, we can expect to be challenged in our walk. The attitude we possess will determine the outcome. Jesus sits His followers down and speaks to them things that probably caused more conflict than understanding. How can anyone consider themselves “Blessed” by the list of verbs and adjectives that are either unpleasant or contrary to our normal reaction?

If I am willing to apply the scriptures to my heart and not my intellect, then I can understand the circumstance as a trial that will build into my character the traits that are a part of the nature of God, to be conformed into His image. Over and over I am confronted with the idea of the battle between flesh and spirit, I’m to be aware of the nature of sin and my default of being prone to wander. If I’m not careful I will misinterpret the trails I face and allow them to cause bitterness and depression. I need to know my true identity is driven by the Spirit of God that lives inside of me and allow Him to direct my path.

How can a young man cleanse his way?

​​By taking heed according to Your word.

​​With my whole heart I have sought You;

​​Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!

​​Your word I have hidden in my heart,

​​That I might not sin against You.

Let us be reminded today that we will face uncertainty, but the grace of God will carry us through to the heart of God that will make sense of it all. So, in the words of someone who doesn’t know what to say, “Don’t worry, everything will be ok.” Amen!

Written by Rob Russomano: Rob Russomano is married to Terri, and serves with her as full time staff members. He is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and is also available as a speaker of the grace of God with a message of Hope for church events. You can contact him at rrussomano@americaskeswick.org.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 17, 35, 54, 63|You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Think About This: The plans of God are only revealed in the presence of God. — Mark Batterson

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I have hoped in Your ordinances. Psalm 119:43

 

 

 

 

 

“They were trying to trap Him into saying something they could use against Him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with His finger. They kept demanding an answer, so He stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then He stooped down again and wrote in the dust.” — John 8:6-8 (NLT)

The one problem that I had with the word judgement was an underlying belief that the next word that followed was punishment. I guess that stemmed from my being on the wrong side of rules and regulations for so long that I always thought the one followed the other. But when I became a new creation in Christ Jesus, my view on judgement began to change radically. It happened at such a rapid rate that I literally offended those around me who basically came right out and said to me, “Who are you to judge?” After a while, when those offenses were beginning to add up, I did what every “good” Christian did and tried to “say not, judge not” then with a heavy sigh I would utter “C’est la vie.”

Not to say that, in my heart of hearts, I wasn’t seething about things. On the contrary, silence for me is an oxymoron so taking this position was as uncomfortable as it could get. However, over the past year and half I have had to re-examine that position of pseudo-silence and come to the realization that judging, or maybe a better word would be assessing, does come with the territory of being a Christian. But if you don’t do this with grace that Jesus Christ provided you’ll do damage that sometimes will linger on longer than you anticipated. Hear this out…

The story of the woman who was caught in the act of adultery can be an example of this. Sometimes we’ve heard this preached as Jesus getting yet another one over the Scribes and those wacky Pharisees, but what He had done is judge both parties and He did it with grace. The first group of folks, the Scribes and Pharisees, well let’s just say that they’re so rigid in their judgment passing that they only bring one of the two parties needed to complete the accusation. Yes, this is done to test Jesus (now we all should know that this ain’t a good idea) but Jesus quickly “assesses” the situation and after drawing in the sand He draws this conclusion…let him without sin throw the first stone.

Now, by assessing the reaction we read about, the only thing left to judge is the sound of stones making their impact on the ground, but we ain’t done yet. Jesus now turns to the woman, “Dear woman, where is everyone? Are we alone? Did no one step forward to condemn you?”

Her reply is simple, “Lord, no one has condemned me.”

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” He does not say “Well, I’m kinda uncomfortable with what you did, but if its not bothering you, have at it. Hope it works out for you.” (That would be something that the “New Tolerance Revelation” would have us say.) Jesus may not condemn her but He doesn’t let it stay at that. “Go and sin no more” was His judgement call. There is no question that He called it what it was, sin. But Jesus will confront her with grace as well as truth and tell her to make some serious changes in her life.

How about us? Are we gonna just stop judging others, because we personally think it’s a proper course of action, or are we gonna take a look at what Jesus and the Scriptures actually say about this thing called judging? Its no surprise that some of us, who already find judging others as easy as breathing, go on to do it and then do it in ways that do more harm than good. You may know who they are. Aren’t they the ones who we tell to “take the 2×4 outta your eye first?” Now, to give them the benefit of the doubt, they may be right in their assessment, but their presentation is a little lackluster.

The Apostle Paul at one time had to say to the church in Corinth, “It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning” (1 Cor 5:12). In order for us to do just that it’s gonna take proper discernment and much prayer. When I’m with you next time I will hopefully have something that will speak to this and give us an insight on how we should judge others as we would want to be judged…if we say we are a child of the Most-High God, this shouldn’t be an issue. Amen?

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris, a graduate of The Colony of Mercy (11-2003) is married (Kathy) with two grown children (Kevin and Karen) and has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008.

The Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 25-27|You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “If we were forbidden to make moral and spiritual judgments, we would have no objective way to distinguish between truth and error.” — Larry Osborne

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I have hoped in Your ordinances. Psalm 119:43

 

 

Judging is a curse too.

Last week I shared a blogpost from my friend, Dave McCarty. This one was VERY convicting

Just like getting-or-wanting-my-way is a curse, that I discussed last week.

Analyzing/critiquing/judging is a failed strategy for happiness — a horrible way to live, but it’s so natural for all of us humans, non-Christian AND Christian.  We do it unconsciously as we go through our day, looking at this or that, online, TV, people watching/analyzing/critiquing/judging. It’s ADDICTIVE. Easier to get off opiod’s than to get off judging.  Judging is mostly internal, not outside-the-cup like gossip, so it’s a respectable sin inside the organized Church, but not inside the Bible. “Judge not and you will not be judged.” You will not be judged BY YOURSELF.  YOU are the harshest judge of yourself. Nobody judges others without unmercifully judging self.

So what’s the payoff from judging?  Why the buzz? It feels so good to have an opinion about others, to feel superior to another, by noticing any weakness.  Dun get much better’n being a professional movie critic, sports critic, political critic. Expert. Ahhh, artificial LIFE.  That is…until I need another fix. And I always need another fix.

Miserable way to live, being the harshest judge of myself.  Too painful to feel the judgment I have for myself, so the temptation is strong to live in denial of what my harshest critic thinks of me, because I can’t stand being judged a failure along any line.

Judging is a curse.  Half the solution is recognizing the problem.  Judge, judge, judge, judge all day long. Until I see the impossibility of me NOT judging, I won’t be humble enough to run to Jesus for my identity, forsaking my own feeble attempts at reform, forsaking my need to feel good about myself, forsaking my quest for worthiness of my own.  Jesus has been painfully, humiliatingly, growing me by baby steps, at accepting/enjoying myself just as I am — a great example of a bad example. S’wunnerful. I’ve never known such peace, patience, enjoyment of others just as they are. But I’m still a toddler so far. My flesh is a monster.

Confessing helps when I’m aware of judging, and so does repeating over and over throughout my day, “Judging is a curse, but enjoying is a blessing.”  Thankfully Gospel-awareness has become foundational to my life over the years, as part of His genius plan. “Grace is for sinners” is woven into the fabric of my soul.  I QUALIFY for grace!

— Dave McCarty, GospelFriendships, championing Gospel-awareness, self-awareness, and sovereignty-awareness, that we Christians might have something the seculars around us want

This one I want to plaster this one on the hard-drive of my mind. Seal my lips, Lord.
Overflowing and abounding in hope,

Bill Welte, President/CEO of America’s Keswick

Written by Bill Welte, President/CEO of America’s Keswick: Bill has been married to his child sweetheart for 40+ years and has four married kids and 11 amazing grand kids. He loves music and is an avid reader.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 56, 120, 140-142|You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Think About This: The plans of God are only revealed in the presence of God. — Mark Batterson

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I have hoped in Your ordinances. Psalm 119:43

 

 

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18)

In my little time as a child of God, I have seen many different and amazing things that only can be explain by God’s handiwork. I have seen medical miracles, people delivered from a life of addiction, marriages restored from extreme hopelessness, and the list goes on…

As I was studying the 10 most influential church movements in the 20^th century, I was amazed at God’s handiwork through His people. But one the most controversial and skeptical events was the old saint’s testimony of the work on Azus street. It’s the testimony of a prayer meeting lead by a non-educated, one-eyed African American pastor. The prayer meeting began 1906 and ended almost 10 years later. A 10-year prayer meeting where reporters found Seymour, the pastor, spending the majority of his time on his knees chanting the word repent. Out of the box and seemed crazy for most, but thousands came to Christ and began a huge charismatic movement.

However, another controversial movement and one of the most amazing books of the Bible is the work of the Holy Spirit that happened in Acts. People were being saved, the church was growing, Christian were faithful to the risen savior. These believers were serving their God unto death; seems a little out of the box and crazy for most.

Being filled with Holy Spirit is communicated different in many denomination and can get confusing. However, after studying the 10 most influential church movements of the 20^th century, they had these things in common: Less of self, more of God, inward transformation, prayer, surrendering, unity amongst the believers, and reaching out to a lost world. Are you filed with the Holy Spirit and is it evident in your life?

Written by Juan Mendez: Juan is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and full-time staff member at America’s Keswick. 

The Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 18-20 , Psalm 11, Psalm 59| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “If we give God service it must be because He gives us grace. We work for Him because He works in us.” – Charles Spurgeon

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments; Psalm 78:7

 

 

This is true joy in life, the being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.
~George Bernard Shaw

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of My people? And they made His grave with the wicked and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, and there was no deceit in His mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush Him; He has put Him to grief; when His soul makes an offering for guilt, He shall see His offspring; He shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. Out of the anguish of His soul He shall see and be satisfied; by His knowledge shall the righteous one, My servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the many, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
~ The Death of Jesus, The King of The Universe, foretold in Isaiah 53

Oh beloved, it is true.

There is something that we absolutely have to believe, before we understand that Jesus died for us. Jesus Christ of Nazareth had zero desire to die. He was (and is, and will be) Life Itself. And what this Author of Life did was to set His face towards Jerusalem to do something that was completely UN-supernatural for Him.

But, beloved, He did it anyway. Jesus walked straight into the jaws of death for us. Now, of course we now understand that His walking into the jaws was not for His own destruction. Rather, we see that Jesus wrenched the jaws closing around Him right out of their sockets. He crushed death in His dying. And this has made all the difference for all of us.

Now, all throughout The Word we find that in putting our trust in Jesus, some pretty amazing things happen. We are drawn down through that death, into His Life. We are raised with Him that death would never have dominion over us.

However, the ‘being raised to eternal life’ does not mean that we are done suffering. No. Actually, now that we are indestructible, we are now set to actually get into situations that are a lot like what Jesus did for us.

Said more simply: we may need to die (figuratively or literally) that others might be healed.

What Jesus did, and what our lives might need to do is to create a space where something wonderful can happen. What happens is analogous to what happens when metal is soldered. In soldering, the craftsman uses a material called ‘flux’ to clean the area that is about to be bonded together. Without the flux, the two metals might not bond under heat, and even if they do, the contaminants will compromise the strength of the bond.

When the flux works properly, it is burned up. But, in being vaporized, it cleans the surfaces and creates a perfect environment for the two metals to bond.

Can we see it?

You and this fool of a writer may find ourselves in situations where we are about to be burned up. However, if we are discerning, we may find that the destruction of our lives or our situation may actually be setting others up for great success.

Now, just like Jesus had no desire for His Life to be crushed, there is no reason for us to desire it either. However, just like Jesus, our desires can and should also be overwhelmed by our Love for others. We might just need to get burned up, that others might get to where they need to go.

So, are you feeling like maybe your life is about to be destroyed? Fear not, you really are indestructible in The Spirit. However, your natural life might need to be used as a flux that others might be healed or made better.

Tonight is your night. Time to be willing to be used up.

Written by Makala Doulos: Makala Doulos is a child of G_d, a husband to his wife, a father to his children, and a teacher to his students. But mostly, he is a prisoner set free by Jesus. Love has invaded his life, crushed it, and made it new. Now, G_d’s Love is what constrains him to live in full surrender to the freedom The Father and Son and Holy Spirit have bought for us all. Grace and Peace to you all.

The Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 15-17| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: My mama always used to tell me: ‘If you can’t find somethin’ to live for, you best find somethin’ to die for.’ ~Tupac Shakur

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments; Psalm 78:7

Men’s Fellowship Night is TOMORROW, April 12 at 6:15PM — See you there!

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.

— Psalm 23:2

Some of my fondest memories growing up was laying down in high grass in the summer staring at the clouds and trying to see if they resembled anything. Maybe you never did that, but I bet you saw it done on TV. It creates a calming perspective that allows you to escape the reality of the horizontal world we live in.

The Psalmist uses the Hebrew Verb Tense, Hiphil, “to cause to lie down”. This picture can instill a vision of a desire to lay down to rest. I can relate to that time at night when all is quiet and I roll back the covers and “take a load off.”

When I think about the term “Cause and Effect” it helps me to see that each action I perform has an effect that is either positive, neutral or negative. So, what causes you to do what you do? Or in other words, what motivates you? I’m a people watcher, I am drawn to examine the reason why people do what they do. The phrase “What were they thinking?” comes to mind several times a day. Even more confusing is the self-evaluation of my decisions, “What was I thinking?”

When I read Psalm 23 and it says “He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside the still waters“, it causes me to rest in the comfort of my Shephard. After a “What was I thinking” kind of day, it’s good for me to reflect on the Lord and His presence in my life. After a long day in a horizontal world, it’s important to lay down and “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth”.

When I see the destructive behavior that causes so many problems, I’m encouraged that the Holy Spirit inside me can convict and instruct me to a path that will cause me to be obedient to God’s word. When I’m aware of the Spiritual things in life, I’m directed by conviction which leads to the righteousness that God provides us to walk in as His representative,

“He restores my soul, He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake”.

He also provides us with the Grace needed to lead me to repentance when I fail and the trials and temptations of this life get the best of me,

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me”.

So, what “Causes” you to do what you do? Let’s lay down in green pastures and reflect on the goodness and guidance of God and I’ll bet the “Effects” of our decisions improve. Amen!

Written by Rob Russomano: Rob Russomano is married to Terri, and serves with her as full time staff members. He is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and is also available as a speaker of the grace of God with a message of Hope for church events. You can contact him at rrussomano@americaskeswick.org.

The Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 13-14| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “Our lifestyle, language, attitudes, and manner of dress reflect on His name. He leads us in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Unless you are honestly convinced that the thing in question will bring glory to God, then don’t do it.” – Curtis Hutson

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments; Psalm 78:7

 

 

 

Men’s Fellowship Night is THIS Thursday, April 12th at 6:15PM — Come Hungry!

“Do not judge lest you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” — Matthew 7:1-2 (NASB)

There is something going on in today’s world that has gotten outta hand. It is spreading like a cancer and is leaving everyone in its wake. It’s the popular pastime known as “Tolerance.” This activity is so ingrained and widespread that it is being done as reflex instead of what it was intended for. “What was it intended for?” you may ask, but I’m not really too sure that I have an answer for that simply because ‘tolerance’ gets redefined as fast as what is to be tolerated changes.

Basically, tolerance today means that we allow others to believe and live in ways that we don’t agree with AND support their right to do so. We don’t judge their viewpoint or their actions as being either right or wrong, just tolerated. To think otherwise means you are ignorant or arrogant and you just might be…deplorable. This is a far cry from what the original idea of tolerance meant. What was once meant to grant others the freedom to be wrong, that didn’t prevent critique or criticism and allowed for evaluation with grace has now become an affirming that EVERYONE is right, no matter what the believe or do. This takes “itching ears” to a different level, doesn’t it?

In Secularland, when a Christian gets themselves involved in a conversation where, at some point, something gets called a “sin” someone, who just maybe a resident of Secularland, will come out and accuse us of judging. They may even say to us “Really? Is that what you think?” and then follow it up with, “Didn’t Jesus tell you not to judge?” It’s like at that moment they, all of sudden, know the Word of God and follow it with the comment “judge not lest you be judged!” The actual irony of this is the person who just spoke up about it has no idea where in Scripture you’d find this and that its being taken outta context. This is the part where I think to myself, “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.”

And if I’m gonna think that to myself, my next course of action should be taking the time to walk them through what Jesus has actually said in full context, because He didn’t stop with “lest you be judged.” On the contrary, Jesus went on to talk about the standard of measure in which you use. This is the opportunity to explain that when we God’s standards to judge, and not our own, we can then give credence to where we failed in perhaps a similar way and go on to explain what Biblical action was taken to correct our thinking and behaving.

This would be a great way to illustrate why Jesus would need to remind us about the 2X4 in our eye against the speck in theirs. But as with all things that Jesus said to us there comes a warning, so know your audience. In Matthew 7:6, we are told “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” Now this is where the new definition of tolerance can turn on us and leave us decimated.

18^th century theologian John Gill would reference Proverbs 9:7 as something to keep in mind when thinking of judging the actions of others. “He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, and he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.” This a great reminder that the Word of God is to be treated as precious as a bead of pearls. When we try to impart wisdom to what Gill calls “impudent blasphemers” (how’s that for a judgement call?) we stand a good chance of getting our “Holy Spirit wings” clipped and being trampled underfoot by the new tolerance revolution.

In closing today, I would encourage us to not think that it’s too far gone to critique or criticize what I call the New Tolerance Revolution. It is understandable that, though the Word of God hasn’t changed, Secularland has and with that there has to come a change of methodology. As long as we also keep this in mind, “For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another” (Titus 3:3,  we should maintain a good footing because, “when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” (Titus 3:4-6) Amen?

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris, a graduate of The Colony of Mercy (11-2003) is married (Kathy) with two grown children (Kevin and Karen) and has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008.

The Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 9-12| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “We must judge ourselves, and judge of our own acts, but not make our word a law to everybody. We must not judge rashly, nor pass judgment upon our brother without any ground. We must not make the worst of people.” — Matthew Henry

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments; Psalm 78:7