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.

September 11, 2001

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SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
“Heaven and earth may pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” (Luke 21:33)
Our nation will never forget the day that changed our lives forever. Little did we realize how personal September 11th would be for the ministry of America’s KESWICK. Like many ministries, we were getting ready to begin a service of remembrance for our community, staff and the men of the Colony of Mercy. As I was preparing to walk to the Auditorium, I received word that this tragedy had impacted our ministry.
Don and Jean Peterson were actively involved with the ministry. In addition to being conference attendees, both were burdened for the Colony ministry. Don served for a number of years as a volunteer counselor and Jean became a faithful prayer warrior. Seeing Don’s passion and vision for the ministry, we invited Don to serve on our Board of Trustees. He was a man of purpose, determination, integrity and commitment.
The Peterson’s were scheduled to leave for California for a family reunion on the morning of September 11. Arriving early at the airport, they were bumped to an earlier flight. They were assigned to Flight 93 that crashed on a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Several months after the tragedy we heard that a Bible had been found at the crash site. Selfishly we were hoping that it belonged to Don or Jean. When the rescue teams arrived at the crash site, there were only two things visible – a tire and Don Peterson’s Bible. Tucked inside Don’s Bible was a list of men from the Colony of Mercy that he would be praying for during the trip.
Don loved the Word of God. He believed that the Word was true and that it could change and transform lives. How about you? Do you love the Word of God? Are you spending time each day reading, meditating and memorizing the Word? It will change and transform your life. –Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Scripture Reading: Proverbs 10-12; 2 Corinthians 4

Great Quote: You cannot persevere unless there is a trial in your life. There can be no victories without battles; there can be no peaks without valleys. If you want the blessing, you must be prepared to carry the burden and fight the battle … God has to balance privileges with responsibilities, blessings with burdens, or else you and I will will become spoiled, pampered children. — Warren W. Wiersbe

The Normal Christian Life

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The Normal Christian Life

One of my many heroes was on campus this summer to share God’s WORD. Dr. Robertson McQuilken was the president of Columbia International University for a number of years, and if you remember his story, he stepped down from his position to care for his wife, Muriel, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Dr. McQuilken’s father, Robert C. McQuilken, was a part of the Victorious Christian Life movement that was the beginning of the conference ministry at America’s KESWICK. Both men have grasped and taught the message that is so dear to our ministry.

The victorious Christian life IS the normal Christian life. Dr. Robertson explains it so clearly in the introduction to his book, FREE AND FULFILLED:

Average is not necessarily normal. For example, the average temperature of patients in a hospital may be 100 degrees, but such a temperature is not normal. So it is with the Christian life. The average church experience of church members is far different from New Testament norms for the Christian life.

The normal Christian is characterized by loving responses to ingratitude and indifference, even hostility, and is fill with joy in the midst of unhappy circumstances and with peace when everything goes wrong.

The normal Christian overcomes in the battle with temptation, consistently obeys the laws of God, and grows in self-control, contentment, humility, and courage. Thought processes are so under the control of the Holy Spirit and instructed by Scripture that the normal Christian authentically reflects the attitudes and behavior of Jesus Christ. God has first place in life, and the welfare of others takes precedence over personal desires.

The normal Christian life has power not only for godly living but for effective service in the church. Above all, he or she has the joy of constant companionship with the Lord.

But what is the average Christian experience? Many church members typically think and behave very much like morally upright non-Christians. They are decent enough, but there is nothing supernatural about them. Their behavior is quite explainable in terms of heredity, early environment, and present circumstances. They yield to temptation more often than not, lusting when their body demands it, coveting what they do not have, and taking credit for their accomplishments.

The touchstone for their choices is self-interest, and though they have a love for God and others, it does not control their life. There is little change for the better; in fact, most church members do not expect much improvement and are little concerned by that prospect.

Scripture is not exciting, prayer is perfunctory, and service in the church demonstrates little touch of the supernatural. Above all, their life seems to have an empty core, for it does not center around constant, personal companionship with the Lord.

Well, my brother — as you read the above, the question is this: Are you living life as God intended to be? Freed and fulfilled? Are you living the NORMAL CHRISTIAN life? — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 8-9; 2 Corinthians 3

Great Quote: A saint is never consciously a saint; a saint is consciously dependent on God — Oswald Chambers

The Dance of Redemption

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The Dance of Redemption

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation.” Psalm 51:12

Most of us are afraid of the “D” word! Don’t panic — I am talking about the word DANCE. You’ve been there before, haven’t you? You remember those moments that everything in your life is going absolutely perfectly — you are so happy and fulfilled — you just want to shout, and maybe even dance?

The picture in my mind this morning after reading what I am about to share with you, is just that picture. It is a picture of my life completely free from the entanglement and bondage of sin — a life that is entirely clean before my Lord.

Paul David Trip sums it up this way in his book, WHITER THAN SNOW — Meditations on Sin and Mercy (Crossway) as he talks about the DANCE OF REDEMPTION

My sin
YOUR unfailing love.
My transgression
YOUR great compassion.
My iniquity
YOUR cleansing.
My evil
YOUR mercy.
My sin
YOUR wisdom.
My iniquity
YOUR presence.
My transgression
YOUR restoration.
My sin
YOUR salvation.
My song
YOUR righteousness.
My broken heart
YOUR delight.
My prosperity
YOUR good pleasure.
YOUR altar,
my delight.
Hide Your face
from my sins
Create in me
a pure heart
Do not
cast me from YOUR presence
Do not
take YOUR Spirit from me
Restore to me
the joy of YOUR salvation
Grant me
a willing heart
Save me
from bloodguilt
Sustain me
Fro I know
MY transgressions
and MY sin
is ever before me.

Wow. Powerful stuff for our consideration today. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 6-7; 2 Corinthians 2

Great Quote: It is extraordinary what enormous power there is in simple things to distract our attention from God. Refuse to be swamped with the cares of this life. — Oswald Chambers

Learn of Me

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LEARN OF ME

“take My yoke upon you – learn of Me” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Throughout the word of God, the word “yoke” is employed in two symbolic ways. It may be surprising to learn that the predominant usage of the word has to do with “authority” or “dominion.” For example, God repeatedly warned His ancient people that if they turned away from Him to worship idols that He would bring them under the “yoke” of the surrounding nations. Repeatedly this was the experience of the nation of Israel. Numerous other times in the Old Testament, God employed that analogy.

The word “yoke” also is employed of an agricultural instrument that joined two oxen, for example, in joint labor. When Jesus said, “take My yoke,” unquestionably He included both of these symbolic meanings. That is, Jesus was saying both to submit to my dominion and authority, submit to My Lordship, and also become a partner with Jesus Christ in fulfilling the work of God in the world.

If the church of Jesus Christ faces a vast unfinished task in the world, not doubt it is largely because so many have failed to respond acceptably to the call of Jesus Christ to “take His yoke upon us.” That is, we fail to bow to His dominion, His Lordship and authority and we thus fail to become partners with Him in the glorious task of fulfilling God’s work in the world.

The remedy to this failure is found in the next words of our Lord we He said “and learn of Me.” There are many things that we may learn from Jesus Christ. We may learn the word of God, we may learn to know God, we may learn how to pray and we may learn all about the future. But when He said “learn of Me” I believe that He meant something else. In the context of this text, He meant learn of Me how to bear the yoke. Learn from Jesus Christ how to submit to the authority of the Father and how to become a partner with Him in fulfilling God’s work in the world.

One of the greatest passages wherein we learn how Jesus bore the yoke is Philippians 2:5-8. Here we read how Jesus surrendered His rights and stooped down to become the servant and ultimately the sacrifice for our sins. That is how He bore the yoke. And He instructs us to learn from Him. As Paul wrote, “let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” So we may learn from the Lord Jesus Christ to submit to His Lordship and become a partner with Him in doing God’s will and work in the world. — Dr. Eric Crichton is Pastor Emeritus of Calvary Church, Lancaster, PA, and is an Emeritus Board member at America’s KESWICK. He has traveled the world teaching the message of the victorious Christian life.

God’s WORD for YOU — Proverbs 3-5; 2 Corinthians 1

Surrender — Whose is Your Life?

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SURRENDER – WHOSE IS YOUR LIFE?

“And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” (Romans 6:13)

God has ownership rights to the life of every Christian. He purchased us to Himself through the blood of Christ (Ephesians 1:7). In terms of the slavery practices in the days of the Apostle Paul, a purchased slave became property and lived at the bidding of the owner. Referring to this practice, the Apostle makes an application to the responsibility of Christians to realize that they do not have the right of self-determination. Life’s decisions are to be made under the direction of the Master.

In our theme verse the term members applies to the portions of the body which can be used in service to the Master. In the secular use of the term instruments it was often found in a military context and translated as weapons or armor. A spiritual application of it is found in 2 Corinthians 10:4 where the weapons of spiritual warfare are declared to be different and more highly effective that the strongholds and defenses of evil.

In our Romans passage the time elements in the verbs are important. It says, in effect, “Do not keep presenting your members…., but once and for all present yourself to God.” The first verb indicates that presentation of the members to unrighteousness had been a pattern which must be changed. In the second, there is a call for a decisive action of surrendering ourselves to the Lord once and for all. This type of turnover cannot be done on an installment plan.
The terms used to bring an end to World War II were unconditional surrender. This meant that on the basis of signed documents, the Japanese were to live in submission to the occupying forces of the United States. Following the surrender there was to be a process of yielding to the conquering ones. In the Christian life, surrender is to be followed by daily yielding. Pastor William A. Raws is the grandson of the founder of America’s KESWICK and went home to be with the Lord in July 2008

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 1-2; 1 Corinthians 16

Great Quote: Do you so love the truth and the right that you welcome, or at least submit willingly to, the idea of an exposure of what in you is yet unknown to yourself — an exposure that may redound to the glory of the truth by making you ashamed and humbled?…Are you willing to be made glad that you were wrong when you thought others were wrong?…We may trust God with our past as heartily as with our future. It will not hurt us so long as we do not try to hide things, so long as we are ready to bow our heads in hearty shame where it is fit that we should be ashamed. For to be ashamed is a holy and blessed thing. Shame is a thing to shame only those who want to appear, not those who want to be. Shame is to shame those who want to pass their examination, not those who would get into the heart of things…To be humbly ashamed is to be plunged in the cleansing bath of truth. George Macdonald

Join us live at 9:30 AM as Dr. Richard Alan Farmer shares his final message of our Labor Day Weekend conference, and the last message of our 2009 Summer Think Victory season: www.americaskeswick.org

What To Pray When You Have a Bad Day

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What to Pray When You Have a Bad Day

Have you ever found yourself thinking that God only blesses you or loves you when you are having a good day? Some of us have fallen into that trap of believing that His love for us and His blessing on our lives is only for our “good days.”

Dr. Jerry Bridges, says ” … we believe that God’s blessing on our lives is somehow conditioned upon OUR spiritual performance. If we’ve performed well and had a ‘good’ day, we assume we are in a better position for God to bless us. Oh, we know God’s blessings come to us through Christ, but we also have this vague but very real notion that they are also conditioned on OUR behavior.”

When you and I are having one of those bad days, we need to run back to the cross and see Jesus there bearing our sins. We must by faith appropriate for ourselves the blood of Jesus Christ that will cleanse our guilty consciences.

In his book THE DISCIPLNE OF GRACE: God’s Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness (NavPress), Dr Jerry Bridges suggests that we pray the following prayer:

Father I have sinned against You. I’ve been negligent in the spiritual disciplines that I know are necessary and helpful for my spiritual growth. I’ve been irritable and impatient towards those around me. I’ve allowed resentful and unkind thoughts to lodge in my mind. I repent of these sins and claim Your forgiveness.

You have said You justify the wicked (Romans 4:5). Father, in view of my sins today, I acknowledge that in myself I am wicked. In fact, my problem is not merely the sins I’ve committed, some of which I many not even be aware of, but the fact that my heart is sinful. These sins I am so painfully conscious of now are merely the expressions of my sinful heart.

But despite my sins and my sinfulness, You have said, ‘There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’ (Romans 8:1). Given my acute awareness of my sin just now, that seems to be an incredible statement. How can I be without condemnation when I have so flagrantly and willfully sinned against You today?

O Father, I know it is because Jesus bore the sins I’ve committed today in His body on the cross. He suffered the punishment I deserve, so that I might experience the blessings He deserved.

God’s grace through Christ is greater than our sin, even on our worst days. To experience that grace, however, we must lay hold of it by faith IN CHRIST and His death on our behalf …

You can pray a prayer like this whenever you are acutely aware of your need of God’s intervening grace and at the same time are painfully aware of your total undeservedness of that grace. In fact, we obviously should not wait until we have a need for God to bless us. We should pray such a prayer of repentance and faith just to have our consciences cleansed from all sin and to walk in fellowship with God.”

Good stuff, brothers. Are you having a bad day? Run to the cross! Preach the gospel to yourself. Allow Him to speak to your heart today. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 6; Psalm 148-150; 1 Corinthians 15:29-58

Great Quote: You’re worst days are never so bad that YOU are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace. — Jerry Bridges

Did you know that you can watch the conference services live? Join us today at 10:30 AM and 7:00 PM and hear Dr. Richard Alan Farmer share God’s Word from the pulpit of America’s KESWICK: http://www.americaskeswick.org.

Romans 7 — A Paraphrase

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Romans 7 – A Paraphrase

“Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” Romans 51:2

In Romans 6 we discover the truth that we have died with Christ and are now dead to sin. Through Christ we can live victoriously. In Romans 8 we see that this is only possible when we allow Christ to live out His live through us by His Spirit.

In between Romans 6 and 8 is chapter 7 where we see the frustration of trying to live this life on our own vs. Christ living His life through me.

Here is a heart-revealing paraphrase of Romans 7 penned by Dr. Paul David Tripp in his book, WHITER THAN SNOW — Meditations on Sin and Mercy (Crossway)

I am a mass of contradictions; I don’t want to be but I am.
I preach a gospel of peace, but my life isn’t always driven by peace.
I talk about a Jesus who alone can fully satisfy the soul, but I am often not satisfied.
I celebrate a theology of amazing grace, but often react in ungrace.
And if I rested in God’s control, why do I seek it for myself?
Even in moments when I think I am prepared, I end up doing what I didn’t want to do.
Irritation.
Impatience.
Envy.
Discontent.
Wrong talk.
Anger.
Self-focus.
Are not the fruit of the new life, are not the way of grace.
So there is this law operating inside of me.
When I set out with desire to do good, evil follows me wherever I go.
There is this war that rages inside of me, between a desire for good and sin that is anything but good.
There are times when I feel like a prisoner, held against my will.
I didn’t plan to be mad in the grocery store, but the guy made me mad.
I didn’t plan to be discontent, but it just enveloped me in the quietness of the car.
That discussion wasn’t suppose to degenerate into an argument, but it did.
I am thankful for God’s grace, but there is daily evidence that I’m still in need of help.
That battle inside of me cannot be solved by
Theology
Strategies
Principles
Techniques
Plans
Preparation
Helpful hints
Outlines.
I have been humbled by the war I cannot win.
I have been grieved by the desires I cannot conquer.
I have been confronted by actions I cannot excuse.
And I have come to confess that what I really need is rescue.
So have mercy on me, O God,
According to Your unfailing love,
According to Your great compassion
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions
And my sin is always before me.
I embrace the rescue that could only be found in You!
Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!

I don’t know about you, brothers, but I have been there … way too often. I am thankful that I am slowly learning that the only way to live this Christian life, is too allow Christ to live it through me. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU and ME: Proverbs 5; Psalm 146-147; 1 Corinthians 15:1-28

Great Quote: The very essence of anxious care is imagining that we are wiser than God. When we worry, we put ourselves in his place and try to do for him what he intends to do for us. — Charles Haddon Spurgeon

IF ONLY

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If Only

“Behold, I was brought forth into iniquity, and in sin did my my mother conceive me.” Psalm 51:5

I serve in a ministry that reaches men, women and teens who have allowed life dominating sin to reign and rule in their lives. I have listened to hundreds of men tell their stories over my short 12 years as President and CEO of America’s KESWICK. I have heard so many men use these two little words, “If only …”

Those words frame excuse after excuse justifying why they are in the condition they are in. There is much blame shifting. But if I am really honest with myself, I am so guilty of the same thing in my life when it comes to my sin.

I have been sharing with your from Paul David Trips book, WHITER THAN SNOW — Meditations on Sin and Mercy (published by our friends at Crossway). He addresses this “If Only” syndrome in a powerful way:

It’s so easy to slip into an “if only” lifestyle. I find myself slipping into it often. The “if only” possibilities are endless:

If only I had been from a more stable family.
If only I’d had better friends as I was growing up.
If only my parents had sent me to better schools.
If only I’d been given better intellectual gifts.
If only that accident hadn’t happened.
If only I’d had better physical health.
If only that degree program had been as good as advertised.
If only I’d been able to find a better job.
If only I didn’t have to fight the traffic every day.
If only I’d been able to get married.
If only I hadn’t gotten married so young.
If only I had a more understanding spouse.
If only I had come to know Christ earlier.
If only I had found a good church when I was young.
If only I didn’t have to struggle with my finances.
If only I could find a small group that I could be comfortable with.
If only my children were more obedient.
If only I knew my Bible better.
If only that boss hadn’t fired me.
If only I had a better place to live.
If only God seemed closer to me.
If only ….

and brothers, I am sure we could add to the list. Dr. Tripp goes on to say that the seductive thing about our “if only” is that there is a bit of plausibility in all of them. We do live in a fallen world. We all face hardships of various kinds. We all have been sinned against in a variety of ways. None of us has ever lived in ideal circumstances or in perfect relationships. The world is a broken place and we have all been touched in many ways by its brokenness. Yet the “if only” lifestyle tends to say, “My biggest problems in life exist outside of me and not inside of me.”

David wants us to understand that it isn’t the external stuff that is the issue. It is the internal thing in our hearts that is the problem — my sin and yours.

Think about it this way: it is the evil that is inside of you that either magnetizes you to evil outside of you or causes you to deal with the evil outside of you in a way that is wrong. It is only when you begin to accept that your greatest problem in all of life is not what has happened or been done to you that you begin to get excited about the rescuing grace of Jesus Christ.

It is only when you begin to accept that your greatest need is something with which you came into the world that you will begin to hunger for the help that only God can give you. It is only then that you will begin to hunger for more than changes of situation and relationship.

It is only then that you will begin to accept the most radical and personally liberating truth you could ever conceive. What is that truth? It is that what you and I need to be rescued from is ourselves! We are the biggest damage to ourselves. That is why God offers us the gorgeous promise of his grace which has the power to change us from the inside out.”

Brothers, this is life-transforming truth. I can stop wallowing in the “if onlys” of life, and for the first time, accept God’s rescuing, transforming grace! The question is am I willing to embrace it? I am. How about you? — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 4; Psalm 143-145; 1 Corinthians 14:21-40

Great Quote: A person who has the right relationship with God lives a life as natural as breathing wherever he goes. The lives that have been the greatest blessing to you are the lives of those people who themselves were unaware of having been a blessing. — Oswald Chambers

Please check out this weeks STEWARDSHIP INSIGHT from George. As always, George’s insight is right on:http://keswickgeorge.blogspot.com/

Aren’t You Glad You’re Not Like …

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Aren’t You Glad You’re Not Like …

(Read Psalm 51)

This is an “oucher,” so please read it all the way through …

Aren’t you glad that you’re not like David,
Such blazoned sin, how could he?
Aren’t you glad you’re not like Saul,
Making up his own rules; what was he thinking?
Aren’t you glad that you’re not like Cain,
Violence against his own brother?
Aren’t you glad you’re not like Rebekah,
Such planned deceit?
Aren’t you glad you’re not like the Israelites,
So easily seduced by idols?
Aren’t you glad you’re not like Absalom,
How could he be so jealous?
Aren’t you glad you’re not like Elijah;
How could he forget God, be so depressed?
Aren’t you glad that you’re not like Nebuchadnezzar;
How could he be so obsessed with power?
Aren’t you glad you’re not like Samson;
How could he be so easily deceived?
Aren’t you glad that you’re not like Jonah;
How could he run from the Father’s call?
Aren’t you glad that you’re not like the Pharisee,
So religiously right yet so spiritually wrong.
Aren’t you glad your not like Judas,
Selling the Messiah for a little bit of silver.
Aren’t you glad you’re not like the Corinthians,
So much better at division than serving the Lord?

BUT WAIT!
You are like them, and so am I.
There is simply no denying it.
Their stories are a mirror into which we see ourselves.
We too are jealous and easily deceived.
We too are proud and obsessed with power.
We are better at division while we run from God.
We get too angry and get seduced by idols.
In sorrow we must say,
We stand with David,
And Saul,
And Rebekah,
And Jonah,
And Elijah,
And the rest.
These stories are for us to look into and see us,
so that we are not able,
to buy into,
the lie of our OWN righteousness.
But instead,
Run to HIS mercy,
Hold onto HIS unfailing love,
And finally rest,
In His great compassion.
Aren’t you glad you can step out of the darkness of self-deceit, and admit who YOU are?

from WHITER THAN SNOW — Meditations on Sin and Mercy by Dr. Paul David Tripp and published by our good friends at Crossway

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 3; Psalm 140-142; 1 Corinthians 14:1-20

Great Quote: Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee. — Augustine

Violent Grace

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Violent Grace

“Let the bones that you have broken rejoice …” Psalm 51:8

Dr. Paul Tripp in is book, WHITER THAN SNOW — Meditations On Sin and Mercy (Crossway) reminds us that the grace that saves us and keeps us, is also the grace that sometimes is uncomfortable because it is part of God’s plan to work not on my comfort but on my character.

Hear these words: As sinners we all become too comfortable with our sin. The thought that once bothered becomes and action that no longer plagues our conscience. The word that troubled us the first time it was uttered now is accompanied by others that are worse. The marriage that was once a picture of biblical love has now become a relationship of cold-war detente.

Commitment to work degenerates into doing as little as we can for as much pay as we can negotiate. A commitment to a devotional life becomes perfunctory and empty duty, more like getting our ticket punched for heaven than enjoying communion with our Lord. Minor, unexpressed irritation, which once troubled our hearts, is now fully expressed anger that is easily rationalized away. Sin is like the unnoticed drips of water that silently destroy the foundation of a house …

Think about it: He sometimes uses pain to crush us because He wants us the feel the pain of our sin and run to HIM for forgiveness and deliverance. The physical pain of an actual broken bone is worth being thankful for because it is a warning sign something is wrong in that arm or leg.

In the same way, God’s loving hammer of conviction is meant to break your heart, and the pain of heart you feel is meant to alert you to the fact that something is spiritually wrong inside of you. Like the warning signal of physical pain, the rescuing and restoring pain of convicting grace is a thing worth celebrating.

So God’s grace isn’t always comfortable because he isn’t primarily working on our comfort; he’s working on our character. With violent grace he will crush us because he loves us and is committed to our restoration, deliverance, and refinement. And that is something worth celebrating!” Ouch! Is God trying to get your attention, my brother? Allow His violent grace to lead you back to the cross today. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 2; Psalm 137-139; 1 Corinthians 13

Great Quote: To the only one who sees the world as it is. I ask for clarity; and if not clarity, purity, — and if not purity, forgiveness — not because I’m so unwilling to open my eyes. When I’ve strayed, draw me in, where I’ve stumbled, lift me up, and where I’ve lifted myself, knock be down until I see your world and your love with clear, unclouded eyes. — Steven James — A Heart Exposed — Talking to God With Nothing to Hide (Revell)