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.

Our Hopes and Fears are Met in HIM

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Our Hopes and Fears are Met in Him!

“Bethlehem … out of you will come for me one who will rule over Israel.” Micah 5:2

The famous preacher, Phillips Brooks, wrote this beloved carol at a time in his life when he was overwhelmed with the pressures of ministry. It was after a trip to Israel, and needing to write a hymn for a Christmas program, that God gave this six foot giant of a man, a precious Christmas carol that would be remembered for years to come.

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie;
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years, are met in THEE tonight!

For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above.
While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars, together, proclaim the holy birth;
And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth.

How silently, how silently, this wondrous Gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts the blessing of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him, still the dear Christ enters in.

O Holy Child of Bethlehem! Descend to us, we pray!
Cast out OUR sin, and enter in; Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angles the great glad tidings tell;
O, come to us, abide with us, our Lord, Emmanuel.

I love the line “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in THEE tonight.” What a comfort to us in this chaotic, ever-changing world — whatever are fears, whatever our hopes — they are met in CHRIST. 2000+ years later — the truth is still true — Christ is our hope of glory! And He, my brother, is your ONLY hope! Rejoice in that reality as you worship HIM today — your “Audience of One!” — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for US: Proverbs 20; Micah 1-3; Revelation 12

Great Quote: I have a better Caretaker than you and all the angels. He it is who lies in a manger, but at the same time sits at the right hand of God, the almighty Father. Therefore be at rest. Martin Luther

Ever Been on a Boat?

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“Ever Been on a Boat?”

“Late that day he said to them, “Let’s go across to the other side.” They took Him in the boat as He was. Other boats came along. A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused Him, saying, “Teacher, is it nothing to you that we’re going down?” Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, “Quiet! Settle down!” The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you have any faith at all?” Mark 4:35-40 (The Message)

At the last Families for Christ weekend that I attended I was introduced to the teachings of Pastor Dave Rittinger of the Whiting Bible Church. He had some great insights on the issue of Marriage and stuck around with us after his last session of teaching to enjoy the Christmas party that Stan and DeEtta Marsh put together for us every year. As a matter of fact because of Stan’s unusual way of doing the traditional gift exchange, Pastor Dave and I got the chance to trade off our gifts. I believe I got the better end of the stick but it was all God’s doing anyway. And I get the feeling that Pastor Dave is a competitor since he is an avid golfer. So I look forward to the day when the game can be played as a full contact sport. Then the playing field will be leveled enough for me to play and that little white ball turns into an oval shape and brown. Hmmmm….?

Anyway it was his Friday night teaching that had me. The men who participate in the FFC ministries get together on the first night of the weekend in the Colony chapel. And his message that night was aimed right at us. “Come with me to the Book of Mark, chapter four, verse thirty five” he says and then he asks us, “Can we trust Jesus?” Since I am one of those note taking kind of guy’s I wrote down the three one word reasons he gave us to trust Jesus.

The first reason is promise. Jesus got into the boat and said, “Let’s go across to the other side.” He didn’t say “Let’s try to get to the other side.” or “I wonder if this boat can make to the other side so let’s give it a go.” No, His statement is clear, “Let’s go across to the other side.” The next reason was presence. He might have been on the boat asleep but he was on the boat. Pastor Dave gave an analogy of what might happen when a storm comes and a boat gets full of water. In this case the disciples might have been throwing everything overboard until they finally got to Jesus. Then they say, “Teacher, is it nothing to you that we’re going down?” Now it will be after this question where the third reason comes in “the power of God”.

In 1 Peter 1:5 Peter writes “(you) who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”Jesus rebukes the disciples by basically saying “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you have any faith at all?” after He calm’s the wind and the sea. Maybe it took this moment for Peter to understand who he was with before he wrote his epistle. There are some of us who seem to need an actual demonstration of the power of God. I have been one of them. That has changed over time.

So it is the promise of, the presence of and the power of God that are three great reasons to trust Jesus. But, as Pastor Dave went on, DO we trust Jesus? If you have read about my adventures on my boat, diligently named “It’ll Do”, the opportunity to trust Jesus came up not once but twice. And the slavery to addiction came to end when I cried, “Jesus, save me.” My faith gets rocked at times but that rocking serves to strengthen my faith. Does being in a rocking boat strengthen yours? I hope so. — Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a frequent contributor to Freedom Fighter

God’s WORD for US: Proverbs 19; Obadiah; Revelation 9

Great Quote: “Anyone whose determined purpose is to become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him cannot retain the rights to his own position or place…or be anxiously preoccupied with working out the details of his own life. There must be complete and unqualified reliance on the Living Lord. In other words, one must develop the discipline of surrender.”
Intimacy with the Almighty Charles R. Swindoll

The Right Perspective on Loving Ourselves

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The Right Perspective on Loving Ourselves

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” 1 John 4:18

Today’s Freedom Fighter presents a right perspective on loving ourselves. It is a good read and a perspective that you and I need to have …

I must at all times maintain the delicate balance of attitudes toward my “self.” I must respect and love myself without becoming egocentric, for egocentricity is sin. Why not love myself? There is nothing wrong with self — as self. Jesus died for my, myself, and He did so because He loved me, that is, myself. Self becomes a problem only when I allow it to become self FIRST when it becomes preoccupied with itself, when it wants attention and worship that are due only to God.

I cannot be truly joyful if I am not a peace with myself. I do incalculable harm to my personality if I hate, despise, and reject myself. To be crucified with Christ does not mean that the self literally dies. It simply means that I must always die to my own desires if they conflict with the will of Christ or run counter to the well-being of others. When I surrender my will to Jesus Christ, I am doing the very opposite of bruising or afflicting myself; I am freeing myself to be the kind of person God intended me to be.

I must not delight in self-punishment, as if it were a virtue. It is not trust the more I suffer, the more God is glorified. Of course I must realize that my natural born self is permeated with sin, a legacy from Adam; but God’s redemptive purpose for me is to rescue me FROM sin, not to destroy me WITH sin. Spiritual victory is the proper relationship of these three things: to love God first and seek His glory; to love my fellowmen and seek their highest good; and to love myself and seek my highest expression in company with God. — Dr. Glynn Evans — DAILY WITH THE KING (MOODY PRESS)

Good perspective for us today, brothers. Have a great day. I love and appreciate you, and thank you for joining me on this daily journey. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for US: Proverbs 17; Amos 7-9; Revelation 8

Great Quote: In Matthew 28:20 Jesus says, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” In Hebrews 13:5 God says, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Jesus tells his disciples in John 14:18, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” One of Jesus’ names, Emmanuel, means “God with us.” We don’t need to ask God to be with us if we are members of his family. Instead, we need to pray that we will be aware of his presence, that we will be confident because of it. — Bill Hybels

What Do You Want for Christmas?

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WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS?

“What do you want for Christmas?”
We ask each girl and boy
As if it were their birthday
And they ask for another toy.

And thus we learn to have a want
And not just what we need
Perhaps this is the reason
We struggle so with greed.

For the merchant thinks of his ledger,
And the child some brand new gift.
Parents join the process as they struggle
Until they cause a marital rift.

Spending more than they should
Of their annual labor,
So their child can get what he wants or
Just to keep up with the neighbor.

Then what should we ask each other
As we approach Christmas day?
Not what we can expect to get
But what we would give away.

As a family, we could plan something new,
We could find a special need.
We could shop together for a certain gift
Or perhaps some stranger feed.

What joy we could find
As we change our focus!
When we think of others
And not just think of us.

For Christmas is when God gave His gift
To those who did not love Him,
Wrapped in human flesh to die
For all who are trapped in sin.

He hung His gift upon a tree
Nails and a spear they used
To open up God’s Gift and yet
Still today His Gift is refused.

How would you feel if some precious gift
Was left hanging on your tree
While others just walked away
Taking lesser gifts with glee.

Would you not feel very sad
Or would you not feel rejected,
When the only wrong they have done
Is to leave your gift neglected.

So this Christmas day make sure that
Christ, when all is said and done,
In your busyness of this Christmas,
Make sure He is the central one! — written by Pastor George VanSandt who was my Pastor growing up, a dear friend of America’s KESWICK and a contributor to Freedom Fighter

God’s WORD for US: Proverbs 16; Amos 4-6; Revelation 7

Great Quote: The person without self-control is easy prey to the invader. He yields himself to the first assault of his ungoverned passions, offering no resistance…Having no discipline over himself, temptation becomes the occasion of sin, and hurries him on to fearful lengths that he had not contemplated. Charles Bridges

God’s Wife

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GOD’S WIFE

The following story was shared with me from my cousin Joyce.

An eye witness account from New York City, on a cold day in December, some years ago, a little boy about ten years old, was standing before a shoe store on the roadway peering through the window and shivering with cold. A lady approached the young lad and said, “My, you seem to be in such thought staring in that window!” “I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes,” was the little boys reply.

The lady took him by the hand, went into the store and asked the clerk to get a half dozen pairs of stockings for the boy. She then asked the clerk if she could have a basin of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her. She took the little fellow to the back part of the store and removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet and dried them with the warm towel. By this time, the store clerk had returned with the socks and she put a pair on the boy’s feet and placed the new bought shoes on his feet. She also tied up the remaining pairs of stockings and gave them to him.

She patted him on the head and said, “No doubt, you will be more comfortable now.” As she turned to leave, the astonished child caught her by the hand and looking up into her face, with tears in his eyes, asked, “Are you God’s wife?”

Of course God doesn’t have a wife! However, this moving story illustrates how important service is to advance God’s kingdom. The true disciple and servant of Jesus Christ is an agent for God. In His limitless grace, God rewards whoever serves someone in need no matter how mundane that need seems to be.

“And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise shall lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42).

The point is that meeting the need of anyone amounts to a service to Him and the reward shall never be lost. The “little ones” could be saved or unsaved, male or female, old or young, rich or poor, a long-time believer or a recent convert stumbling in the faith.
Whenever we become the source of blessing to others, we are blessed; when others become a source of blessing to us, they are blessed. May the love and compassion of Christ fill us and move us to help others. — Dr. Henry Lutz is a retired Pastor and a frequent contributor to Freedom Fighter

God’s WORD for US: Proverbs 15; Amos 1-3; Revelation 6

GREAT QUOTE: “If we will not listen to the poor when they cry out unto us in their need, God will not listen unto us when we cry unto Him in our need.” – R. A. Torrey

Keeping the Interior Strong

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Keeping the Interior Strong

“And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he may not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.” (1 Timothy 3:7)

I shared this devotional back in 2005, and when I re-read it this morning in DAILY WITH THE KING, I thought it would be worth repeating:

I must discard the idea once and for all that Satan wants me in the junk heap. Quite the contrary! He wants me the best possible specimen of uprightness and morality, with one exception, that I do it without the life of God inside me. Satan does not care a fig about my outside appearance, but he will not tolerate my vital link with God inside.

When he tempted Jesus, Satan did not try to change His outside. He still wanted Him popular, esteemed, even a miracle worker. What he REALLY wanted was to crack His interior, like ultrasonic waves, until the inside of Him crumbled. I make a mistake if I think Satan wants me an alcoholic, a dealer in white slavery, or a con man in carnival. He wants me OUTWARDLY acceptable, a pillar of the community, a respected person. But most of all, he wants me dead to God, cut off from the life of the Almighty.

Satan jumps for joy when my lifeline to God shrivels from lack of use. He becomes positively ecstatic when he sees me go through the FORM of godliness but without its power. Is he not doing the same himself? Is he not an “angel of light”? Is he not the master of hypocrites who masquerades as one of God’s choicest messengers, and yet possesses nothing of the life of God?

What does this say to ME right now? I believe that no matter how plaster perfect my OUTSIDE may be, I may be seriously hurting my heavenly Father on the inside. After all, the REFINED SINS (such as pride, indifference, and lovelessness) are INSIDE sins, and they are the deadliest of all. I MUST NOT GIVE SATAN COMFORT REGARDING ME; I MUST KEEP MY INTERIOR STRONG! I praise Him who teaches me “to know wisdom in my inmost heart” because He desires “truth in my inward being” (Psalm 51:6). Such a God will help me keep the inside of the cup as sparkling clear as the outside! — Daily With the King — Dr. Glynn Evans (Moody Press)

Good exhortation today, brothers. How is your interior? — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for US: Proverbs 14; Joel; Revelation 5

Great Quote: We must feel toward our people as a father toward his children; yea, the most tender love of a mother must not surpass ours. We must even travail in birth, till Christ be formed in them. They should see that we care for no outward thing, neither liberty, nor honour, nor life, in comparison to their salvation…When the people see that you truly love them, they will hear anything from you…Oh therefore, see that you feel a tender love for your people in your hearts, and let them perceive it in your speech and conduct. Let them see that you spend and are spent for their sakes. Richard Baxter

STEWARDSHIP INSIGHT — Be sure and check out George’s blog. Great post! http://keswickgeorge.blogspot.com/

Of The Father’s Love Begotten

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Of The Father’s Love Begotten

“I am the Alpha and Omega … the Beginning and the End.” Revelation 22:13

Good morning on this beautiful Lord’s Day. I love reading through the Christmas hymns, and read one this morning that most of us have never read or sung. The words are incredible:

Of the Father’s love begotten, Ere the worlds began to be,

He is Alpha and Omega, He the Source, the ending He,

Of the things that are, that have been,

And that future years will see, Evermore and evermore!



At His Word the worlds were framèd; He commanded; it was done:

Heaven and earth and depths of ocean in their threefold order one;

All that grows beneath the shining

Of the moon and burning sun, evermore and evermore!



He is found in human fashion, death and sorrow here to know,

That the race of Adam’s children doomed by law to endless woe,

May not henceforth die and perish

In the dreadful gulf below, evermore and evermore!



O that birth forever blessed, When the Virgin full of grace,

By the Holy Ghost conceiving, Bore the Savior of our race;

And the Babe, the world’s Redeemer,

First revealed His sacred face, Evermore! and evermore!



This is He Whom seers in old time chanted of with one accord;

Whom the voices of the prophets promised in their faithful word;

Now He shines, the long expected,

Let creation praise its Lord, evermore and evermore!



Righteous judge of souls departed, righteous King of them that live,

On the Father’s throne exalted none in might with Thee may strive;

Who at last in vengeance coming

Sinners from Thy face shalt drive, evermore and evermore!



Thee let old men, thee let young men, thee let boys in chorus sing;

Matrons, virgins, little maidens, with glad voices answering:

Let their guileless songs re-echo,

And the heart its music bring, evermore and evermore!



O ye heights of heave, adore Him; Angel hosts, His praises sing!

Powers, dominions, bow before Him, And extol our God and King.

Let no tongue on earth be silent,

Every voice in concert ring, Evermore! and evermore!



Christ, to Thee, with God the Father, And O Holy Ghost, to Thee,

Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving

And unwearied praises be:

Honor, glory and dominion,

And eternal victory, Evermore! and Evermore!



As you gather to worship HIM this morning, REJOICE! The Lord HAS come! — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for US: Proverbs 13; Hosea 12-14; Revelation 4

Great Quote: Compassion is sometimes the fatal capacity for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody else’s skin. It is the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you too. Frederick Buechner

Have a Mount Carmel Moment

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“Have a Mount Carmel Moment”

“When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there. A quiet voice asked, “So Elijah, now tell me, what are you doing here?” Elijah said it again, “I’ve been working my heart out for God, the God–of-the-Angel-Armies, because the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed your places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I’m the only one left, and now they’re trying to kill me.”
1 Kings 19: 13-14 (The Message)

Now if you have read your Bible you know that God gives instruction to Elijah to anoint a king, then anoint a successor and then He lets Elijah know that “Meanwhile, I’m preserving for Myself seven thousand souls: the knees that haven’t bowed to the god Baal, the mouths that haven’t kissed his image.” I have heard some preachers say some stuff about Elijah in this moment in his ministry that made him sound kind of weak or weakened by the stand he made at Mount Carmel. You remember, Elijah mocked a god that didn’t exist and even in some translations saying that it had gone to the bathroom. I think he must have had a good belly at the expense of the prophets of Baal. The odds were something like 450 to 1against him.

There were many other great moments that Elijah had in his ministry but “Showdown on Mount Carmel” is my favorite and I don’t care what other preachers have said about the aftermath of this battle. So where am I going with this? Well frankly I’ll ask this…Have you had your Mount Carmel moment and when it was over went and hid in your man cave? Have you gone into a situation where you mocked the idol of someone else’s heart to the point of belittlement and the repercussions of it made you run and hide from all the others who worship the same idol?

Well if you have answered yes to this you must have ran into Ahab’s Jezebel. You must have been that someone who would have reinforced a weak king with encouragement from the Word. You must have been the person that said “Come let us rejoice the Newborn King” and then got slammed with some politically correct rhetoric that tries so hard to deny “Christ in Christmas”. Now ask yourself this, “Would Elijah have been disappointed that Ahab would not have been able to uphold the reformation that occurred on Mount Carmel?” Or how about, “Am I disappointed that despite my efforts, my attempts at defending Christmas seems to fall by the wayside?” Well Brethren do not be dismayed.

In chapter 11 of the Book of Romans, Paul writes these words of encouragement after he quotes the aforementioned verse (from The Message) “It’s the same today. There’s a fiercely loyal minority still- not many, perhaps, but probably more than you think. They’re holding on, not because of what they think they’re going to get out of it, but because they’re convinced of God’s grace and purpose in choosing them. If they were only thinking of their own immediate self-interest, they would have left long ago.”

This season let us not “Bah…Humbug!” at those who say “Happy Holidays” but use the moment to show what Christmas would be like if you took Christ out of it. Now I am not saying dare your fellow workers to cry out to Santa Clause to appear and then rib them on the possibility of him being in the bathroom when he doesn’t slide down the chimney. What I am saying is this a small divine appointment to share why Jesus died for you, the importance of His shed blood and His resurrection into Heaven. And just so you aware, some of those cashiers at Wal-mart feel the same way I do. I found that out first hand. — Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a frequent contributor to Freedom Fighter

God’s WORD for US: Proverbs 12; Hosea 9-11; Revelation 3

Great Quote: “The answer is simple. Jesus offended some people as a result of obeying the Father and serving others. His offense did not come did not come by demanding His own rights. The Pharisees were offended when He healed on the Sabbath. His disciples were offended by the truth His Father had Him preach. Mary and Martha were offended when He delayed His return to heal Lazarus.. But you will not find Jesus offending others by serving Himself.” The Bait of Satan — John Bevere

The Opposition of the Natural

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The Opposition of the Natural

“Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Galatians 5:24

This one was too good to let go and not share with you, brothers. It was the December 9th reading from Oswald Chambers, MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST:

The natural life itself is not sinful. But we must abandon sin, having nothing to do with it in any way whatsoever. Sin belongs to hell and to the devil. I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and to God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence, and my self-will. This is where the battle has to be fought.

The things that are right, noble, and good from the natural standpoint are the very things that keep us from being God’s best. Once we come to understand that natural moral excellence opposes or counteracts surrender to God, we bring our soul into the center of its greatest battle. Very few of us would debate over what is filthy, evil, and wrong, but we do debate over what is good. It is the good that opposes the best.

The higher up the scale of moral excellence a person goes, the more intense the opposition to Jesus Christ. “Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh . . . .” The cost to your natural life is not just one or two things, but everything. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself. . .” ( Matthew 16:24 ). That is, he must deny his right to himself, and he must realize who Jesus Christ is before he will bring himself to do it. Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence.
The natural life is not spiritual, and it can be made spiritual only through sacrifice. If we do not purposely sacrifice the natural, the supernatural can never become natural to us. There is no high or easy road. Each of us has the means to accomplish it entirely in his own hands. It is not a question of praying, but of sacrificing, and thereby performing His will.

What are the areas in your life today that need to be crucified? Allow His Spirit to reveal them to you — but my guess is, YOU ALREADY KNOW! — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for US: Proverbs 11; Hosea 5-8; Revelation 2

Great Quote: The Lord Jesus loves us with all His heart. He desires that we love Him with all our heart; and until we do, we will never know the sweetness of His love for us. We will have some faint concept but that is all. With how many people do we share the secrets of our heart and with whom do we share them? We will be intimate with the person we know loves us, the person we know is committed to us, the person who has given himself or herself to us, and with none besides. It is so with our Lord. There must be response of love to love. Joseph S. Carroll

Guard Your Heart (Part 3)

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Guard Your Heart (Part 3)

Yesterday I gave you an entire chapter from Proverbs 7. One of the things that you will observe as you get more familiar with the book, is that Proverbs builds chapter by chapter. Solomon lays the foundation in chapter 1 and each chapter builds on each other.

To really understand the warnings of chapter 7, you need to go back to chapter 4. Proverbs 4:23-27 are the key to understanding chapter 7:

Keep vigilant watch over YOUR heart; that’s where life starts. Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter; white lies, and gossip. KEEP YOUR EYES STRAIGHT AHEAD; ignore ALL sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither to the right nor left; leave evil in the dust.

I am not telling you anything you don’t already know, men. We are bombarded with things attracting our eyes. It’s everywhere: billboards, magazines, newspapers, Internet, TV. When was the last time you saw an ad, any ad in any media form, where the woman being advertised was just downright ugly? Now that is not a slam against women — but the slick producers know exactly where and how to hook us and suck is in!

Try walking down the boardwalk, and I don’t recommend it — or even walk down the mall — you will be amazed (not really) at how quickly and easily it is for your eyes to wander because the temptations are EVERYWHERE — unless you are blind or dead!

That is why I believe Solomon begins to lay the foundation in Chapter 4 to guard you heart. We guard our hearts several ways:

1. We immerse our minds and hearts in Scripture (wisdom and insight).

2. When we immerse our minds and hearts in Scripture, we are developing “fear of the Lord,” which Solomon tells us in chapter one is the beginning of wisdom.

3. We don’t talk about those things that will cause us to stumble. We find ourselves saying, “Well talking about it is a guy thing.” Solomon calls it careless banter.

4. We learn that we need to keep our eyes straight ahead. I love how THE MESSAGE describes it — “Ignore all the sideshow distractions!” When I read this verse, my mind immediately fast-forwarded to Hebrews 12:1-2 — “Keep your eyes on Jesus …” The runner in the race needs to keep his eyes on the finish line and ignore all the peripheral stuff that may cause him to not finish well.

5. Leave evil in the dust! Run! Flee! Get out of there. And that goes for our minds as well! Sometimes we entertain thoughts in our minds — the place where no one sees but us — and GOD!

Are you guarding your heart today? We are in this together, guys! Did you read your chapter in Proverbs today? — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for US: Proverbs 10; Hosea 1-4; Revelation 1

Great Quote: The only serious mistake we can make …. is the mistake that Psalm 121 prevents: the mistake of supposing that God’s interest in us waxes and wanes in response to our spiritual temperature. — Eugene H. Peterson