Author: America's Keswick

The purpose of America's Keswick is to model and teach Biblical victorious living in Christ Jesus, to provide an environment in which Biblical life transformation takes place and to foster active personal involvement in the local church.

12.3 Billion Light Years

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12.3 Billion Light Years

My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8

This one will blow your minds, guys. I recently read this in Mark Batterson’s book, ID: THE TRUE YOU …
Spatial distances are almost incomprehensible, but let me give it a shot. Light travels at 186,000 miles per second. Light waves are so fast that you can have a real-time conversation with someone halfway around the world.
The sun is approximately 93,000,000 miles from Earth. If you got into your car and started driving 65 mph, twenty-four hours a day, it would be a 163 year trip. But traveling at the speed of light, our sunshine is only 8 minutes old.

Astronomers have discovered galaxies 12.3 billion light years away. That means it takes light, traveling at 186,000 miles per second, more than twelve billion years to reach the outer edge of space. And God says in Isaiah 55:8 that’s about the distance between our thoughts and His thoughts.

The Psalmist says in Psalm 145:3 that “There are no boundaries to His greatness; His greatness no one can fathom! You and I underestimate God by approximately 12.3 billion light years.

Sometimes we analyze and categorize and theorize instead of just letting God be God. I think God is looking for people who don’t tell Him what He can’t do. Mark Nepo said, “Birds don’t need ornithologists to fly.” Birds don’t need ornithologists to fly and God doesn’t need theologians to do miracles.

God knows NO boundaries. He isn’t limited to four dimensions of time and space. Psalm 36 from The Message says, “His love is meteoric, his loyalty astronomic, His purpose titantic, His purposes oceanic. Yet in His largeness, NOTHING gets lost.

Wow, my brothers. How big is YOUR God today. Is there a situation you are facing that seems HUGE? Guess what — He is bigger than any situation you may be facing today. Read that verse from Psalm 36 today and remind yourself how big He really is. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Dig This Quote: We do not develop habits of genuine love automatically. We learn by watching effective role models – most specifically by observing how our parents express love for each other day in and day out. Josh McDowell
Determined Digging: Level 1: Proverbs 4:23; Level 2: Psalm 66:16-20

Jesus What A Friend for Sinners

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JESUS! WHAT A FRIEND FOR SINNERS

Today is the Lord’s day, brothers, and I trust that you are planning to be in the house of the Lord worshipping HIM.

I am writing this on Friday morning in anticipation of our Colony Grad Reunion Weekend and the Family Freedom Walk. You’ll have to wait until next week to find out if I am bald or still have my hair! It will be exciting to see what GOD does. Thanks to everyone of our Freedom Fighter family for your help.

I share with you one of my favorite hymns as you ponder worshipping HIM today — your audience of ONE!

Jesus! What a friend for sinners! Jesus! Lover of my soul!
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
HE, my Savior, makes me whole.
Jesus! What a friend in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him;
Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
He, my strength, my victory wins.
Jesus! what a help in sorrow!
While the billows ‘oer me roll;
Even when my heart is breaking,
He, my comfort, helps my soul.
Jesus! what a guide and keeper!
While the tempest still is high;
Storms about me, night o’er-takes me,
He, my pilot, hears my cry.
Jesus! I do now receive Him,
More than all in HIM I find;
He hath granted me forgiveness,
I AM HIS AND HE IS MINE
Refrain

Hallelujah! What a Savior! Hallelujah! What a friend!

Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
HE is with me to the end.

My guess is that this morning your heart can resonate with one of the verses of this great hymn. Take some time to re-read the words and allow them to speak to your heart. Hallelujah! What a Savior! — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Dig This Quote: To excuse what can really produce good excuses is not Christian charity; it is only fairness. To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. This is hard. It is perhaps not so hard to forgive a single injury. But to forgive the incessant provocations of daily life – to keep on forgiving the bossy mother-in-law, the bullying husband, the nagging wife, the selfish daughter, the deceitful son – how can we do it? Only, I think, by remembering where we stand, by meaning our words when we say in our prayers each night, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We are offered forgiveness on no other terms. To refuse it means to refuse God’s mercy for ourselves. There is no hint of exceptions and God means what He says. C. S. Lewis
Determined Digging: Level 1: Proverbs 4:23; Level 2: Psalm 66:16-20

What is Truth?

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It’s not too late to make a gift for a Family Freedom Walk. Today is the day we walk for the Colony of Mercy. To shave my head or not to shave my head! That is the question 🙂 Will you help? Call 732-350-1187 and make that gift!

What is Truth?

“Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world— to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.” John 18:35-38 (ESV)

A friend of mine once said to me, “Yeah they really didn’t give us a manual for this new creature stuff.” My friend, Rob Russomano, was trying to break me out of a moment I was having with myself. He succeeded and to this day I still have the photograph of that moment. And everyone once in awhile I look at it and it helps with my today moment that I still have with myself. Maybe you know the feeling, no one likes what you had to say, and no one agrees with a decision you have had to make or my personal push over the edge, no one understands the frustration you have to endure in order to make things work.

I have recently been to a Men’s Conference at Babcock Community Church in Belcoville New Jersey and in the first session their senior pastor, Pastor George Sanders, brought up a very interesting illustration. Did Pontius Pilate approach Jesus as a cynic and went, “What is truth?” or after all the chaos and disorder that surrounded the Praetorium that day did he approach with a heavy, pleading sigh and asked Jesus, “What is truth?” After all what was he to do? He had already offended the Jews of the time by bringing his design a god /moral system from Rome and by killing Galileans while they were at worship and letting their blood mingle with the sacrifices on the altar.Let’s not forget some of that “temple tax” money that went to build an aqueduct or better yet, his wife, Claudia Procula, who said “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” Matt 27:19 (ESV)

You could read this list and think Pilate says to himself “I need to shut these people up” and you would be right but I think he has having a moment with himself like I get. No one was liking anything Pilate was doing, not even Caesar, but he to do something even if it was wrong. He was running on his authority and had no guide.

For us as Christian men (and women) we were promised that if we followed Jesus Christ a guide would be provided. “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” John 16:12-15 (ESV)

The truth for me in this is quite simple and clear. I cannot walk this narrow road without a “G.P.S.” My friend, Pastor Robert Roman, once wrote about how we need to use God’s Positioning System. Maybe that system would just happen to be Spirit of Truth and the cool thing is he does not speak on his own authority.

So if your G.P.S sounds like your voice speaking to you, you have the wrong model, because quite frankly it will be your own authority that may leave you like Pontius Pilate. And his final act of authority was to suppress a small of religious rebel rousers and ended up, once again, killing the innocent.

Pilate followed a truth that was not absolute. He was from a design your god, design your own sense of morals and profit from the two kind of society. Sounds pretty close to the world around us today doesn’t it? Over time the absolute truths that once shaped our society has faded into a sea of grey and not very refreshing water. But it doesn’t have to be that water we drink.

Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life and gave us all an open invite to freely drink the living waters that only He can provide. I am praying that this morning I am guided to those streams of living waters because I can’t get there myself and I am thirsty. Are you? — Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a frequent contributor to Freedom Fighter

Dig This Quote: Proverbs 8; 2 Kings 4-6; Luke 24:26-53

Dig This Quote: “We are to bring all our ways under His scrutiny, deeply confident that He knows better how to live than we do. Flowing from this wellspring of trust will be the marks of wisdom: teachability, marital faithfulness, gracious speech, generosity, hard work, honesty, and loyalty in friendship. The wise child learns gladly and humbly from his parents, knowing that submission leads to the knowledge of God. The wise man bows to God’s discipline, confident that “the Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in.” the Ancient Love Song
Charles D. Drew

Determined Digging: Determined Digging: Level 1: Proverbs 4:18; Level 2: Psalms 63:1-5

We Share Journey Week 1

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WE SHARE — WEEK ONE

Last week I shared a devotional from George Hutchison’s blog, STEWARDSHIP INSIGHTS which is another blog ministry of America’s KESWICK. If you haven’t signed up to get it, you should. I wanted to give you this follow-up devotional:

Last week I did receive a few verbal suggestions of sacrifices for the weShare campaign. The first two “sacrifice” suggestions I received were to give up a car payment for the month, and to give up taking hot showers and donating the money saved from the soap and hot water to the missionaries. Not exactly what I was thinking, but at least they were ideas.

Here is what Joyce (my wife) and I decided to sacrifice. After continually griping about the cost of purchased beverages when we go out to eat, we decided to do two things. First, we will give up purchasing individual beverages during the month of May. This will include coffee, ice tea or soda that we get with our meals along with the coffee I buy on the way to work and any bottled water or other drinks that we might buy during the day. After two days, I am realizing this is a bit more difficult than I anticipated.

In addition to the beverages, we are planning on putting any single dollar bills that I have in my wallet at the end of the day in our weShare jar. We were going to put just change in, but since we are not buying any coffee or sodas, there isn’t that much change any more.

We started on our weShare journey on Saturday morning (12:01 am May 1st). As is our custom on Saturday mornings when we can, we go to a coffee shop (Hatchers in Lebanon) to get breakfast. It is a very nice local version of Starbucks. We love to go there; the people are nice and the food is great. But it might not have been a great choice to kick off our weShare2010 journey. Since basically they make money by selling beverages, it is not the best place to be when you find yourself on a “purchased beverage fast”. Since this was our first day on the weShare journey and we were all pumped up about our journey, we were able to choke down our bagels with no beverages. It was like eating a plate of sawdust after running a 10K marathon, but we made it.

We then looked unsuccessfully for a drinking fountain and found that they have all been replaced by people selling bottled water. We quickly realized this weShare journey is going to take a little planning. As soon as we got home from the bagel experience, Joyce went out and bought enough bottled water to put out a five alarm fire. We knew that our bottle of water was going to be like our American Express cards during our weShare journey and we could never leave home without it Saturday evening we went out to eat at a sandwich shop. We were ready this time. We had our bottles of water and carried them proudly. Quite frankly we looked like eco-friendly, health conscious 22 year olds (of which we are not even close to being any of these). But we were prepared. Except for the looks of people thinking we were a bit tacky and cheap, dinner was a much better experience.

Maybe God is dealing with an issue of pride on our weShare journey. So after the first weekend on the weShare journey we are making progress. Between the loose dollar bills from my wallet and the savings on the beverages we have $16 in our weShare jar. But even more importantly we have two days of experience under our belt and we are ready for the next 29 days.

From a personal example side, last Halloween, my daughter found a very cute ladybug outfit for my granddaughter (Chloe) to wear. Chloe loved it and was very excited to wear it. When Taylor (her cousin) came to visit she too really wanted to dress up as a ladybug. After my two daughters went shopping they quickly realized that the ladybug outfits were all sold out. Without hesitation, Chloe gave her ladybug outfit to Taylor and found something else to wear. We can learn and see sacrificial giving in all ages and sizes.

John 6:9 says “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” We all know the rest of the story and the answer to that question. That boy’s sacrificial gift fed over 5000 men women and children. My $16 in my weShare jar may not be much, but just like God used the boy’s sacrificial gift to feed thousands, He can use our sacrificial gift to spiritually (and physically) feed thousands. Our sacrificial gift is an indication that we understand that God can do so much more with what we have than we can.

I would really enjoy hearing your examples of sacrificial giving from the Bible or your personal life. I also would be interested in hearing your thoughts on what the greatest example of sacrificial giving in the Bible is. Also, please share your experiences on your weShare journey. — George Hutchison is a instructor with Crown Financial and serves on the America’s KESWICK Board of Trustees. You can subscribe to his blog by visiting the KESWICK website: www.americaskeswick.org

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 7; 2 Kings 1-3; Luke 24:1-35

Dig This Quote: You all have by you a large treasure of divine knowledge, in that you have the Bible in your hands; therefore be not contented in possessing but little of this treasure. God hath spoken much to you in the Scripture; labor to understand as much of what he saith as you can. God hath made you all reasonable creatures; therefore let not the noble faculty of reason or understanding lie neglected. Content not yourselves with having so much knowledge as is thrown in your way, and as you receive in some sense unavoidably by the frequent inculcation of divine truth in the preaching of the word, of which you are obliged to be hearers, or as you accidentally gain in conversation; but let it be very much your business to search for it, and that with the same diligence and labor with which men are wont to dig in mines of silver and gold.Jonathan Edwards

Determined Digging: Determined Digging: Level 1: Proverbs 4:18; Level 2: Psalm 63:1-5

We are one day away from our second annual Family Freedom Walk Event. If the Lord brings in the $60,000, they are going to shave my head! Yikes! Right now the gals from the Victory Call blog are ahead. Will you help push the Freedom Fighter guys over the edge? Call today to make your pledge! 732-350-1187. Thanks.

What Are You Craving (Part 3)

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We are one day away from our second annual Family Freedom Walk Event. If the Lord brings in the $60,000, they are going to shave my head! Yikes! Right now the gals from the Victory Call blog are ahead. Will you help push the Freedom Fighter guys over the edge? Call today to make your pledge! 732-350-1187. Thanks.
WHAT ARE YOU CRAVING (Part 3)

As the deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. Psalm 42:1

Yesterday morning I opened the freezer in our kitchen to get out blueberries for my cereal. I saw the bag in the freezer — tilapia! For whatever reason, I went to work thinking about that tilapia and all day long I had a craving for it. The funny thing was that I sent Jan and email later in the day. She was trying to figure out what to do for dinner, and guess what — she opened the freezer door and saw the bag of tilapia!
And I have to tell you — it was REALLY good!

We crave all kinds of stuff. And I am sure you have discovered this truth: the more stuff you have the more stuff you want. I resisted getting an Iphone — but recently acquired an Itouch. Now I can’t wait to get an Ipad. Stuff. Stuff — and more stuff.

The Psalmist David had cravings just like you and me. Much of his writings is his journaling of the ups and downs of his life. David puts craving into perspective in today’s verse: our craving should be for God and Him alone.

Listen to the words of Puritan preacher, Thomas Manton, as he talks about craving for God:

Those who enjoy God are in pursuit of still MORE. They are always breathing after Him, and desire to enjoy more communion with Him. The wicked are always running from God and seek refuge away from His company.

The whole tendency of our soul towards God is expressed by verbs of motion: running, our earnestness to enjoy God; and seeking, our diligence in the use of means.

The great care of our souls is to find God, that He may direct, comfort, strengthen, sanctify, and teach us to sweetly enjoy His grace. If we are to find Him, we will find Him where He is to be found: in His Word, prayer, and in the assembly of His people. Enjoying fellowship with Christ is the goal of ALL our effort. To serve God is one thing, but to seek Him is another. To serve God is to make Him the object of our worship, to seek God is to make Him the end of worship. (from Voices from the Past — Banner of Truth)

That fruit punch that I talked about the other day — it didn’t quench my thirst. It made me thirstier! And guess what — it is the same with my relationship with God. While He is the ONLY one that can fill the emptiness and longing of my soul, loving Him, worshipping Him, serving Him, only makes me hungrier and thirsty for more of Him.

I want to be like David. Lord, I want to crave for more and more and more of you today! Brothers — what are you craving? I pray it will be God and God alone! — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 6; 1 Kings 21-22; Luke 23:26-56

Dig This Quote: Focusing on Christ, keeping his all-sufficiency and his love in view rather than my needs, desires, or weaknesses is the answer to victorious living. If I believe that God is who he is, then even wondering if He knows my need and will meet it is blasphemous. Let all that he is fill my spirit. I must stop crowding Him out with self-reliance, self-interest, and fears. – Mary Morrison Suggs

Determined Digging: Determined Digging: Level 1: Proverbs 4:18; Level 2: Psalms 63:1-5

The countdown to our Family Freedom Walk is in its final days. Have you made your pledge? Your gift helps us to minister to men and their families who are struggling with addiction. Help us share the message of VICTORY IN JESUS. Can I count on your pledge today? Thanks, brothers. Call 732-350-1187 and make that pledge today.

What Are You Craving For Part 2

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What Are You Craving For? (Part 2)

As the deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. Psalm 42:1

I shared with you yesterday that this was not the devotional I was planning to share. But the Lord is working me personally through this, so you are getting some insight into my own heart and life.

What are you really craving for today? An honest answer to this question is the beginning of opening your heart to the truth. How I answer that question is really important. How would I answer that question in a small group session with men that are holding me accountable? Would I really be willing to be honest with them — honest about what is REALLY going on in my heart? Would I be willing to be totally honest with Jan about what is REALLY going on in my heart?

James 4: 1-2 has an interesting perspective about what we so often are craving for: “Where do you think all the appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it. (The Message)

Wow! I read these verses yesterday in the Daily Light: Keep yourselves from idols (remember: we become what we worship!) Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry! For where your treasure it, there your heart is also. The Lord looks at the heart!

Now those verses were put together many years ago — but I found that the Holy Spirit really used those verses to target my heart as they were grouped together. The bottom line is that what I crave (covetousness) becomes the idol of my heart. And according to the verses above, the idols of my heart will almost always cause me to stumble into sin. What I worship, I become. What I treasure in my mind is where my heart is!

So my question for me is this: what am I craving for in my heart? Are the idols of my heart more important to me that my love for HIM? Can I really say that I love the Lord my God with my whole mind, heart and strength? Is HE the One I worship and adore? Am I craving more and more of Him (set my mind on things above where Christ is) or am I craving the idols of this world?

I am searching my heart today. Will you join me in the journey? Can you identify the idols of your heart, my brother? Remember this: “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” And this is even more important: The Lord looks at our hearts! (1 Samuel 16:7) — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Dig This Quote: An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered. G. K. Chesterton
Determined Digging: Level 1: Proverbs 4:18; Level 2: Psalm 63:1-5
We are coming down the home stretch! Our Family Freedom Walk is this Saturday, rain or shine. Have you made your pledge. And I forgot to tell you — if the Lord brings in $60,000, they get to shave my head!!! Call today and make your Freedom Fighter gift: 732-350-1187. God bless.

WHAT ARE YOU CRAVING

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Good morning, brothers. Have you made your gift for the Colony of Mercy Family Freedom Walk? Don’t let the girls beat us! Call today: 732-350-1187. Thank you!

WHAT ARE YOU CRAVING?

As the deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. Psalm 42:1

Jan’s mom mad a special fruit juice drink for our Sunday School picnic. I was a mixture of orange juice, lemonade and Welches grape juice. On a hot day, it was supposed to quench your thirst. But it really did just the opposite. It made you even thirstier and you wanted to just keep on drinking more and more of the drink.

In the negative, that is what happens when we yield to sin in our lives. It creates in our lives a thirst for more. I don’t care what your besetting sin is — you know it is true. If you are honest with me, and most importantly, yourself, you know it is true. When we yield to sin its tentacles latch on to our hearts. We say in our heads, “Just this one time …” and before we know it, we are in its grips and the chains of it wrap around us to the point that if we are not careful, we will be in complete bondage to it.

That sin becomes the thing that is on our minds. At first, it might be just a fleeting thought. But then it begins to manifest itself in our minds, and before we know it, we are seduced and that sin gives birth in our hearts.

I wasn’t planning to write this today because I wanted to share a devotional from a different perspective. But obviously God had other plans. As you are reading Proverbs (and if you aren’t reading a chapter a day, you can begin today!!!), you will see many references to being careful how you walk. The first step in defeating a negative craving in your life is to rebuke it. Turn it over to God. Don’t even dabble with the thought or allow your mind to entertain it. Before you know it, you will find it occupying your every thought. You know its true.

As men, we need to be reminded of our identity — who we are IN CHRIST! We must have our hearts firmly fixed on the grace of God. We must continually remind our flesh that it was crucified with Christ on the cross (Galatians 2:20) and live in the victory.

The bottom line is that just as we crave bad things, we can train our hearts and minds to crave RIGHT things. God things. In fact, that will be the theme of tomorrow’s devotional — we must get to the place where the psalmist was: “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for YOU, O God.” (Psalm 41:1). What are you craving for today, brothers? Think about it! — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 4; 1 Kings 16-18; Luke 22:47-71

Dig This Quote: It is the failure, in season and out of season, to proclaim these great doctrines that accounts for their fading from sight and from faith. Every doctrine of the Bible that is not continually preached dies out of the faith of the people. Our fathers had to fight for every inch of ground on which they advanced these great truths, and this age requires a loyal and militant campaign for God’s great truths. An unsheathed sword is the only preserver and defender of God’s truth. The truth of God will flourish and conquer if its preachers have faith to boldly proclaim and courage to fight for it without compromise or wavering. Edward McKendree (E. M.) Bounds

Determined Digging: Level 1: Proverbs 4:18; Level 2: Proverbs 63:1-5

Treating Others Gently

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Treating Others Gently

“Learn from Me, for I am gentle.” Matthew 11:29

I got hammered today in my time with God. It is amazing how HE knows exactly what I need, when I need it, and why. When we open our hearts to Him to do what He wants to do in our lives, He takes us at our Word and does what we ask.

Gentleness is not a subject that most men want to think about. It can be construed as not being manly or macho. But Jesus wants us to model His life and be gentle with others: our spouses, our kids, our co-workers. And yes, with those all around us.

Teacher/author Dr. Jerry Bridges gives powerful insight into treating others gently:

A profile of gentleness as it should appear in our lives will first include actively seeking to make others feel at ease, or “restful,” in our presence. We should not be so strongly opinionated or dogmatic that others are afraid to express their opinions in our presence.

Instead, we should be sensitive to others’ opinions and ideas. We should also avoid displaying our commitment to Christian discipleship in such a way as to make others feel guilty, taking care not to break the bruised reed of the hurting Christian or snuff out the smoldering wick of the immature Christian.

Second, gentleness will demonstrate respect for the personal dignity of the other person. Where necessary, it will seek to change a wrong opinion or attitude by persuasion and kindness, not by domination or intimidation. It will studiously avoid certain coercion by threatening, either directly or indirectly (as Paul for example, avoided it in his appeal to the Corinthians).

Gentleness will also avoid blunt and abrupt speech, instead seeking to answer everyone with sensitivity and respect, ready to show consideration toward all. Gentle Christians do not feel they have the liberty to “say what I think and let the chips fall where they may fall.” Instead they are sensitive to the reactions and feelings of others.

When gentle Christians find it necessary to wound with words, they also seek to bind up those wounds with words of consolation and encouragement.

Finally, gentle Christians will not degrade or belittle or gossip about the brother or sister who falls into some sin. Instead they will grieve for him or her and pray for that person’s repentance. If it’s appropriate to become personally involved, they’ll seek to restore the person gently (Galatians 6:1), aware that they too are subject to temptation. — from Holiness Day By Day — Transformational Thoughts for Your Spiritual Journey — Dr. Jerry Bridges, NavPress

Ouch! So the question is, am I willing to learn from Jesus how to be gentle. I know exactly the areas that He is pointing out to me right now. And my guess is if you’re honest, you know where He is tapping on your shoulder! The real question is this — am I going to be a willing learner? And not just a learner, but a learner who will take and apply the truth. By God’s grace and with His help, I want to learn to be more gentle. How about you? — Bill Welte is President and CEO

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 3; 1 Kings 14-15; Luke 22:31-46

Dig This Quote: It is not necessary to maintain a conversation when we are in the presence of God. We can come into His presence and rest our weary souls in quiet contemplation of Him. Our groanings, which cannot be uttered, rise to Him and tell Him better than words how dependent we are upon Him. Ole Kristian O. Hallesby

Determined Digging: Level 1: Proverbs 4:18; Level 2: Psalm 63:1-5

We Are Hungry Lord

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WE ARE HUNGRY LORD

“For He has satisfied the thirsty and filled the hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:9

Good morning, brothers. Today is May 1st and it is the Lord’s day! Today you will be worshipping HIM, our audience of ONE, with like-minded brothers and sisters.

My question for you today is this: Are you hungry for HIM today? Thirsty for HIM? There is NOTHING that can fill you today but HIM! We try everything else to fill the hunger in our souls but HIM. Some try drugs. Alcohol. Porn. Work. But the ONLY thing that can fill that hunger deep within our souls is God, and God alone.

I came across this prayer in HYMNS FOR THE FAMILY OF GOD. I trust that it is your prayer today as you gather to worship HIM:

We’re hungry for something, Lord.
We have so much rich food and cake and candy for ourselves,
but we’re hungry.
People around us are so stiff and tight and hard to reach.
And they make us that way.
But we’re hungry for something more.

People we know keep talking about great ideas, brilliant questions,
and the problem of God’s existence.
But we’re hungry for YOU, not ideas or theories.
We want YOU to touch us, to reach inside us and turn us on.

There are so many people who will counsel us to death.
But we’re hungry for someone who REALLY knows YOU and has YOU,
someone who can get so close to us that we can see YOU there.

We have so many things, but we’re hungry for YOU!
Deep, deep down inside we’re hungry, even if we appear to be silly, lazy, or unconcerned at times.
We’re hungry for YOUR kind of power and love and joy.
Feed us, LORD, feed us with YOUR rich food.

Brothers, as you gather together today to worship HIM, are you hungry for HIM? If so, allow Him today to feed you with HIS food! Allow HIM to speak to your heart and transform your life. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 2; 1 Kings 12-13; Luke 22:1-30

Dig This Quote: There is power in praise. When we focus on the greatness, love, mercy, care, presence, and power of God, we are lifted above our own limitations. Our minds are directed to a source of strength beyond ourselves. We gain perspective for our own time and circumstances. Problems are seen in a different light, perplexities untangle, confusion often vanishes. Maxie Dunnam

Determined Digging: Level 1: Proverbs 4:18; Level 2: Proverbs 63:1-5

And Now It’s Coming for Us

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“And Now It’s Coming For Us”

“But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may exult in you. For You bless the righteous, O Lord; You cover him with favor as with a shield.” Psalms 5:11-12 (ESV)

“It was a dark and stormy night”…That’s how all the stories that have been written by the beloved dog of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, begin. Well this night was dark and it was kind of stormy but we went to watch the Phillies play the Marlins anyway. My wife had got tickets to this baseball game and we went as a family. We do this once a year and the girls, Kathy my wife and Karen my daughter, are done with going to Phillies games for the rest of the season. We always seem to go early in the season…so it’s always chilly when we go.

It had gotten to the point of the game where it had become clear to me that it was time to go. My daughter wanted to stay until the game was over but “My Father Knows Best” took over and I said that between the weather and folks that may have had too much to drink and then get behind the wheel we needed to get a jump on leaving so nothing goes wrong. I wasn’t ready for what happened next. On the way to the Walt Whitman Bridge a car cut us off making an illegal left turn and was hit by a drunk driver who really had the right of way. And then the car with the drunk driver came right at us…HEAD ON!! And he hit us head on…BUT God had his hand on us!!

The passengers in the car making said turn needed an ambulance, the drunk driver needed stitches in his head and all that happened to us was a very small amount of damage to my wife’s car. The license plate looks like a piece of aluminum foil. God had his hand on us. When we got done looking around and seeing how bad it really had been for the other people involved we publicly praised God that we were ok and that no one had been killed. Even the tow truck drivers that were there (and there was five of them before the police got there) acknowledged that this must have been God’s work. Well in their own special South Philly way. And I do miss that part of growing up in Philadelphia.

Now I’ll tell there was much in the way of a joy from being saved from this destruction of metal and machine. In the book of Philippians, Phil 4:4-6 (ESV), we are told, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” So really our focused joy must be placed in our Savior, Jesus Christ! There is no mistaking that God favors the righteous; He will surround them with grace like a protective shield.

Had we not been a family or for all I know families that knew that God has His hand in everything, things on this kinda dark and sorta stormy night could have turned out a lot worse. There was an accident up the street and that one didn’t go very well for those folks. We had to wait for those police officers at that accident to come to ours. And when they came onto our scene they didn’t look so good but were glad that this accident wasn’t as messy as it could have been. Even though the insurance companies are trying to be the killjoy’s in the aftermath of this night our family has once again seen the mighty hand of Righteous God hold His people in His grip. — Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a frequent contributor to Freedom Fighter

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 1; 1 Kings 10-11; Luke 21:20-38

Dig This Quote:“If we had strength and faith enough to trust our selves entirely to God and to follow Him simply wherever He should lead us, we would have no need of any great effort of mind to reach perfection. But since we are so weak in faith that we need to know the entire way rather than simply trust in God, our road is lengthened and our spiritual affairs get behind. Abandon yourself as absolutely as possible to God, and continue to do so to your latest breath; and He will never desert you. Letter 26 — Absolute trust is the shortest road to God — Fenelon

Determined Digging: Level 1: Proverbs 3:5-6; Level 2: Psalm 62:5-8

We are coming down to the home stretch approaching our Family Freedom Walk on May 8th. Have you made your pledge today? Are we going to let the VICTORY CALL ladies beat the FREEDOM FIGHTER guys? Call today and make your pledge. It can mean the difference of life and death for a man who needs the Colony of Mercy: 732-350-1187 ext. 22. Please let Ruth Schmidt know you are a Freedom Fighter! I appreciate you!