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.

God Is Sovereign

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God Is Sovereign

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.” 1 Chronicles 29:11

The sovereignty of God is something that each of us must come to understand. God is in control of all things! The late preacher and author, Arthur W. Pink, helps us to understand this most often confused doctrine:

The sovereignty of God is an expression that once was generally understood. It was a phrase commonly used in religious literature. It was a theme frequently expounded in the pulpit. It was a truth which brought comfort to many hearts and gave strength and stability to Christian character.
But it many quarters today, to make mention of God’s sovereignty is to speak in an unknown tongue. Were we to announce from the average pulpit that the sermon topic would be the sovereignty of God, it would sound very much as though we had borrowed a phrase from one of the dead languages. How sad that the doctrine which is key to history, the interpreter of providence, the warp and woof of Scripture, the foundation of Christian theology, should be so sadly neglected and so little understood!

When we speak of the sovereignty of God, we mean the SUPREMACY of God, the KINGSHIP of God, the GODHEAD of God. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that GOD IS GOD. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the MOST HIGH, who does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of earth, so that no one can hold back His hand or say to Him: “What have You done?” (Daniel 4:35).

To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the ALMIGHTY, the possessor of all power in heaven and earth, so that NO ONE can defeat HIS plans, thwart HIS purposes, or resist HIS will (Psalm 115:3). To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is “the blessed and ONLY Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords. (1 Timothy 6:15) Such is the God of the Bible. — from HOW GREAT THOU ART — Multnomah

By the way, Arthur W. Pink was a Bible teacher and commentator who lived from 1886 – 1952! Today, you and I can rest in the fact that we have a God who is sovereign, not just in some things, but in ALL things. All this truth to burn in your heart as you prepare for the Lord’s day. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 20; Joshua 4-6; Luke 1:1-20

Dig This Quote: The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of Christians is a God of love and comfort, a God who fills the soul and heart of those whom he possesses, a God who makes them conscious of their inward wretchedness, and his infinite mercy; who unites himself to their inmost soul, who fills it with humility and joy, with confidence and love, who renders them incapable of any other end than himself. Blaise Pascal

Determined Digging: Level 1 — Psalm 46:10; Psalm 46:1-7

Israel — Nothing Like It in History

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ISRAEL — NOTHING LIKE IT IN HISTORY

“I will surely gather all of you, Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people.” Micah 2:12

I read this article several weeks ago and thought it was a good reminder to all of us as to why God has such a heart for Israel:
In all the records of kings and nations, is there anything to match the history of the Jews? Never was there any other such high calling with such deep sinning; never such unique privilege with such big responsibility.

Never has any race or nation suffered such recurrent slaughterings and scatterings without disintegrating into extinction. If the Jewish people could have retained at least some small territorial foothold somewhere on earth, there might have been some explanation for their continual survival. But for over two thousand years they have had no throne, no kingdom, no colony, no land, no city, no laws of their own. YET THEY ARE STILL HERE!

From the time of Xerxes about 500 B.C., down to the demon-possessed Adolph Hitler, they have been hounded, tortured, burned alive, or buried alive together in hundreds or thousands by maddened Jew haters determined to stamp them out completely. YET THEY ARE STILL HERE!

Today they are back in their own land — “Eretz Yizrael” — with their own government, their own laws, their own legal system, their own coins, their own language and their own institutions. After an historical hiatus of 2,300 years, they are again acknowledged by the nations as a self-governing state. There has never been anything like it in all of history.

What does this say to you and me? It says that God is sovereign in history. Is says that whatever God may allow to happen in His present, permissive will, He overrules all so as ultimately to fulfill His purposive will. It says that God does not violate the free will of men and nations, while at the same time He overrules all to a final, righteous outcome. NOTHING can ultimately defeat God. His purpose ALWAYS triumphs in the end! — J. Sidlow Baxter — from HOW GREAT THOU ART — Multnomah

Brothers, God is sovereign. As He loves Israel, HE LOVES YOU! A good reminder on this 19th day of March! Pray for peace in Jerusalem. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 19; Joshua 1-3; Mark 16

Dig This Quote: There is always time to look up to Him for His smile. — F. B. Meyer

Determined Digging: Level 1 — Psalm 46:10; Level 2 — Psalm 46:1-7

From Futility to Forgiveness

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From Futility to Forgiveness (Psalm 32:1-11)
An early church father, Cassiodorus, said, “foolish people believe that God remains ignorant of their actions.” One of David’s psalms helps us understand that God does know all that we do. Further, he teaches us that what we do will bring either consequences or blessings to our lives. Let’s think about it.

David speaks of the futility of trying to avoid his sin, to try to keep his failures undercover so God wouldn’t know about them. Read Ps. 32:3&4, and you will see what that got David. You will also see what it gets us, when we try to hide our deeds from God. It was an awful way to live, and he felt the heavy hand of God on his life.

How did he get from futility to forgiveness? David describes a process that includes recognition of his sins (vss. 3&4), acknowledgement of those sins (vs. 5a), confession of his sins (vs. 5b), and forgiveness of his sins (vs. 5c). We don’t know how long the process took, but it brought him to his senses and moved him from futility to forgiveness.

Once past the process, the psalmist makes some encouraging discoveries. When we live forgiven, God takes care of us in some specific and special ways. David discovered that God protects those He has forgiven. (vss. 6&7) God’s powerful presence surrounds and sustains those He has forgiven. He also provides instruction for those He has forgiven. (vs. 8a) We don’t have to live by our own devices because God promises that He will give us all the instruction and teaching we need to walk in “the way.”

Finally, the psalmist learns of an intimate, personal kind of relationship he has with God since being forgiven: I will guide you with my eye. (vs. 8b) This forgiving God chooses to live close enough to us that it is as though we can see His eyes and know how to stay in “the way” by watching His eyes move one way or another.

Whether a follower of Jesus or one considering becoming a follower, these words ring true for all of us. We who follow Jesus can allow sin to creep into our lives. We try to ignore it, and we discover the same futility David experienced. Only in living out the process of Psalm 32 can we move to forgiveness and the promises that are ours when we walk in “the way” with our Savior. May God help us move from futility to forgiveness! — Pastor John Strain is the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Toms River, New Jersey

Dig This Quote: We are God’s own; therefore let every part of our existence be directed towards Him as our only legitimate goal. – John Calvin
Determined Digging: Level 1 — Psalm 46:10; Level 2 — Psalm 46:1-7

Yielding

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Yielding

” … you are the one’s slaves whom you obey … ” Romans 6:16

Yesterday we talked about giving Him your ALL. This is a great follow-up to yesterday’s devotional. It comes from the writings of Oswald Chambers in MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST …
The first thing I must be willing to admit when I begin to examine what controls and dominates me is that I am the one responsible for having yielded myself to whatever it may be. If I am a slave to myself, I am to blame because somewhere in the past I yielded to myself. Likewise, if I obey God I do so because at some point in my life I yielded myself to Him.

If a child gives in to selfishness, he will find it to be the most enslaving tyranny on earth. There is no power within the human soul itself that is capable of breaking the bondage of the nature created by yielding. For example, yield for one second to anything in the nature of lust, and although you may hate yourself for having yielded, you become enslaved to that thing. (Remember what lust is— “I must have it now,” whether it is the lust of the flesh or the lust of the mind.) No release or escape from it will ever come from any human power, but only through the power of redemption. You must yield yourself in utter humiliation to the only One who can break the dominating power in your life, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. “. . . He has anointed Me . . . to proclaim liberty to the captives . . .” ( Luke 4:18 and Isaiah 61:1 ).

When you yield to something, you will soon realize the tremendous control it has over you. Even though you say, “Oh, I can give up that habit whenever I like,” you will know you can’t. You will find that the habit absolutely dominates you because you willingly yielded to it. It is easy to sing, “He will break every fetter,” while at the same time living a life of obvious slavery to yourself. But yielding to Jesus will break every kind of slavery in any person’s life.
Brothers, what are you yielding to today? Is the Holy Spirit tapping you gently about an area of your life that you need to yield to Him? If He is, purpose to do it right now! — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK
Dig This Quote: Biblically, waiting is not just something we have to do until we get what we want. Waiting is part of the process of becoming what God wants us to be. John Ortberg

Determined Digging: Level 1 — Psalm 46:10; Level 2 — Psalm 46:1-7
Check out this week’s STEWARDSHIP INSIGHT from George: http://keswickgeorge.blogspot.com/

Lord of All

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LORD OF ALL

“In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.” 1 Peter 3:15

At a recent hymnsing, we sang several songs written by Southern Gospel (I confess it was in a weak moment) artist, Audrey Mieir. One of her songs is entitled, ALL HE WANTS IS YOU. One phrase in that songs reads: “Not just a part, He wants ALL of your heart …”

One of the reasons that so many of us struggle is because we struggle with complete surrender. We will give God 75% or maybe even 95% of our lives. But He doesn’t settle for partial surrender — He wants to be Lord of All!

Listen to the words of Chris Tiegreen: When we became Christians, we confessed Jesus as Lord. When we pray, we call Him Lord. But as we live, is He really Lord in our hearts? The words of our mouths do not tell the whole story. There is a depth in most of our hearts to which Jesus’ Lordship does not go. As much as we call Him Lord, most of us have held back a corner of our heart to ourselves. His Lordship extends only so far.

The work of the Holy Spirit is bringing us to maturity in Christ to extent the Lordship of Jesus to EVERY INCH OF OUR LIVES. It is a contentious process. We want the benefits of being a Christian — such as salvation, peace, joy and the like — but we want to retain a little autonomy as well. We have internal struggles that our friends and family do not see. There are places in our hearts that we guard, holding the Holy Spirit at a distance. We like to control the tempo of our discipleship.

To the extent that we do this, we base our lives on a false supposition — that we have the RIGHT to govern ourselves, even after we’ve supposedly laid our all on the altar. It is an unwise position to try to manage Jesus’ Lordship over us. In fact, it isn’t His Lordship at all when we control even a portion of our lives.

The question is this: Is Jesus Lord of 100 percent of your heart? Your thoughts, your behaviors, your dreams? What corners of your being have you retained for yourself? Whatever they are, they are footholds for the enemy and shelters for the sinful flesh.

Jesus desires more of you that you have given to him at this point. HE WANTS IT ALL! This seems like painful surrender to us, but from HIS perspective, it is a happy day when one of His people lays it all on the altar. Blessing is the result. He is trustworthy with EVERYTHING we give to Him, and HE will manage our lives better than we ever have. At no point resist Him; set Him apart as Lord. — from ONE YEAR DEVOTIONAL — WALK WITH GOD –Tyndale House

Well brothers … have we surrendered some, most or all? Remember: not just a part — He wants all of OUR hearts! How about it? — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 16; Deuteronomy 28-29; Mark 14:54-72

Dig This Quote: Christ is either Lord of all or He is not Lord at all. — Hudson Taylor

Determined Digging: Level 1 — Psalm 46:10; Level 2 — Psalm 46:1-7

Blessed Beyond Measure

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BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE

“I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore …” Genesis 22:17

Well my brothers, spring is just around the corner. It has been a long, hard winter. But it is almost over. And we survived. Some of you are a little bleary eyed this morning because you lost and hour of sleep, thanks for Daylight Savings time.

Today is a good day to be reminded of how blessed we are. In fact, if we really took the time to do an assessment, we would all end up coming to the same conclusion: WE ARE BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE!

The great preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon said this about God’s blessing: The greatest blessing God gives us is His presence. If I could choose any of life’s blessings, I certainly would not ask for wealth, because wealth cannot bring freedom from pain, concern, or anxiety. I certainly would not ask for popularity, because there is no rest for the world’s leaders. My choice, my highest honor, would be to have God always with me!

When God is with us, there is no difference between Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace (Daniel 3:19) and a comfortable bed. It does not matter! We will be happy in either. If God is for us, if His divine love surrounds us, then we carry our own atmosphere and residence wherever we travel, and we can say with Moses, “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.” (Psalm 40:1)

The individual who can say this is full of heaven, full of God, and blessed beyond measure. The is the privilege of all who truly believe in Jesus, of all who come out from the world, and of all who like Abraham, life a life of faith (Genesis 12:4). Bow your head, believer, and let the Lord God pronounce His blessing: “I will bless you!”

If you are sorrowing, suffering, weary or burdened, receive this blessing from God’s own mouth, “I will bless you!” If you are poor, despised, or slandered, this blessing is not shortened. Take it with you, and go on your way rejoicing! — from BESIDE STILL WATERS — Words of Comfort for the Soul –Thomas Nelson (Thanks, Eddie, for giving me this book!)

Brothers …. rejoice! You have been blessed BEYOND MEASURE! — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 15; Deuteronomy 25-27; Mark 14:27-53

Dig This Quote: Bad will be the day for every man when he becomes absolutely contented with the life he is leading, with the thoughts he is thinking, with the deeds he is doing; when there is not forever beating at the doors of his soul some great desire to do something larger, which he knows that he was meant and made to do because he is still, in spite of all, the child of God.
Phillips Brooks

Determined Digging: Level 1 — Psalm 46:10; Level 2 —Psalm 46:1-7

A Prayer for Unity

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Prayer for Unity

“But you are … a people set apart to sing the praises of God.” 1 Peter 2:9

Good morning, brothers. Today is the Lord’s Day! A day to celebrate and worship Him. All across the globe the body of Christ will be gathering together to worship HIM — our Audience of One!

For the past two weekends we have had several hundreds of our Hispanic brothers and sisters here for our annual Hispanic Weekends. The fellowship has been sweet — and what is amazing — everything is in Spanish. I have no clue what they are saying. And the singing — oh my! What a sweetness as they worship the Lord.

Even though I cannot understand what they are saying or singing, we are one in Christ. Unity was important to our Savior. There is a big need for unity in the body of Christ. Here is a powerful prayer for unity.

Our Father, we thank You for the privilege of being together at this time and in this place.



As Your people, we pray that Your love will unite us into a fellowship of discovery.



Cleanse us from everything that would sap our strength for togetherness.



Unravel the knots in our spirits.

Cleanse the errors of our minds.

Free us from the bondage of our negative imaginations.

Break down the barriers that sometimes keep us apart and cause us to drift along without a dream.



As we go from here —

Explode in us new possibilities for service.

Kindle within us the fires of Your compassion so that we may not wait too long to learn to love.

May we be a people of loving purposes —

Reaching out …

Breaking walls …

Building bridges …

Let us be Your alleluia in a joyless, fragmented world.

In the name of Jesus, our Lord, we pray. Amen — Champ Traylor



May it be the prayer of our hearts as we gather today to worship Him. May we put aside the pettiness that so often affects our worship. Make us one, Lord. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 14; Deuteronomy 22-24; Mark 14:1-26

Dig This Quote: When you resort to shouting in conflict, you are reacting in the flesh. You have lost control of the only person you can control: yourself. Neil T. Anderson

Determined Digging: Level 1 — Psalm 46:10; Level 2 — Psalm 46:1-7

God’s Honor Roll

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God’s Honor Roll

“The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.” Hebrews 11:2 — The Message
God is looking for men who are willing live life above the average. Men that are willing to forsake all and follow Him no matter the costs. Men who are willing to trust HIM even when life doesn’t make sense.
Thankfully, the Bible is filled with examples of men and women who rose above the average to trust Him and live for Him. Think about these examples:

ABEL rose above the average by giving God His best, instead of his leftovers.

ENOCH rose above the average by living a “Yes, God, yes! Anything for You” life.
NOAH rose above the average by building a boat at God’s command even though there was no water.
ABRAHAM rose above the average by going without knowing and trusting God to provide.
SARAH rose above the average by believing God would do the impossible.
ISAAC rose above the average by determining what was right rather than doing what he wanted.
JACOB rose above the average by passing the faith of his fathers along to his family.
JOSEPH rose above the average by living victoriously even in the face of temptation and death.
MOSES rose above the average by choosing commitment over convenience.
RAHAB rose above the average by risking personal harm to protect the people of God.

How about us, brothers? Could our names be added to God’s honor roll because we were willing to rise above the average? Let’s purpose by His grace to break with mediocrity and impact our world. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 13; Deuteronomy 19-21; Mark 13:21-27

Dig This Quote: What then are we afraid of? Can we have too much of God? Is it a misfortune to be freed from the heavy yoke of the world, and to bear the light burden of Jesus Christ? Do we fear to be too happy, too much delivered from ourselves, from the caprices of our pride, the violence of our passions, and the tyranny of this deceitful world? — Francois Fenelon
Determined Digging: Level 1 — Psalm 37:23; Level 2 – Psalm 40:1-5

HOW HONEST ARE YOU?

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HOW HONEST ARE YOU?

“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.” Proverbs 12:22

I am at the point where I don’t even like to watch the news anymore. It has nothing to do with the important stuff going on in our world. I am tired of hearing all the pundits talking about who’s lying and not telling the truth. We live in a political world were lying and dishonesty abound, and it is on both sides of the aisle!

Listening to our grand kids talk at age 3, you realize how quickly we learn to lie and not tell the truth. It’s a habit that starts when we are very young, and if we don’t see lying from God’s point of view, it can become a besetting sin that will eventually reap havoc in our lives.

Listen to what commentator, Dr. Jerry Bridges, says about lying in his book, THE FRUITFUL LIFE:

On Christmas Eve, our doorbell rang. Answering it, I found a little four-year old neighbor girl holding out a plate of cookies. “My mommy sent you some cookies,” she said with a big smile. I thanked her and put them down someplace — and promptly forgot about them for we were just leaving fro a church service.

A few days later as I was walking out to my car, the little girl came down the sidewalk on her tricycle and asked how I liked the cookies. “Oh, they were fine,” I said, though I hadn’t even tasted them.
As I drove away, I began thinking about this. I had lied. Why? Because it was expedient; it saved me embarrassment and the little girl’s disappointment (though mostly I was concerned about myself). Sure, it was of little or no consequence. But God says without qualification that He detests lying.

Thinking further, I realized this wasn’t an isolated incident. The Holy Spirit reminded me of other occasions of exaggeration and manipulating a story’s facts just a bit. I had to face the fact that I wasn’t quite as honest as I considered myself to be. God taught me a valuable, though humbling lesson.

As I’ve told the story of the cookies to some audiences, I’ve gotten a troubled reaction from a few people. Some sincere Christians think I am nit-picking. But consider Daniel. The record states that his enemies could find NO corruption in him (Daniel 6:4). It seems clear they would have seized upon any inconsistency. regardless of how small or insignificant, to bring Daniel into disrepute. But they could find NONE! Daniel had evidently mastered this matter of absolute integrity. We should have the same goal.

Wow! Would my enemies be able to say the same thing about me — “They could find no corruption in him?” How about you? Lord, take control of my tongue! — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 12; Deuteronomy 16-18; Mark 13:1-20

Dig This Quote: The holiness of God must cause us to walk continually in the fear of the Lord and to take careful inventory of all the complex desires of our hearts – and even to how we behave when we come near to Him in holy worship. – Richard Baxter

Determined Digging: Psalm 37:23; Psalm 40:1-5

HE IS ABLE

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HE IS ABLE

“I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He IS ABLE!” — 2 Timothy 1:12
When I woke up this morning to the birds singing and the sun shining brightly, my heart was overwhelmed with praise. I love spring — and I know it is just around the corner.
As I opened the Word and worked through my daily devotionals, my heart jumped for joy because I needed to be reminded of this truth today: HE IS ABLE.
I have so many dates listed on March 8th of my copy of THE DAILY LIGHT (remember I write a couple of days ahead! 🙂 ). I once again needed to be reminded that I serve a God WHO IS ABLE:
1. Able to do exceedingly abundantly above and beyond all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).
2. Able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, having all sufficiency in all things, may have abundance in every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8).
3. Able to aid those who are tempted (Hebrews 2:18).
4. Able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25).
5. Able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy (Jude 24).
6. Able to keep that which I have committed to Him until that Day (2 Timothy 1:12).
7. Able to subdue all things to Himself (Philippians 3:21).
And the reading closes with these verses: “Do you believe that I AM ABLE to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” “According to your faith let it be to you.”

Wow! It doesn’t matter WHAT circumstances we might be facing — HE IS ABLE! We are facing a HUGE financial need in the next week. We have been there before. Five of my devotionals this morning, all written years ago, all have the same message — HE IS ABLE! I think God is trying to tell me something! How about you? Are you facing a mountain in your life? Be reminded this morning, my brother — HE IS ABLE! — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 11; Deuteronomy 13-15; Mark 12:28-44

Dig This Quote: God doesn’t make suggestions. He speaks with the full determination to see that what He has said will come to fruition. – Henry Blackaby
Determined Digging: Level 1 — Psalm 37:23; Level 2 — Psalm 40:1-5