Learning to Believe That You Are Enough

03/10/201703/06/2017Leave a comment

Learn to walk in God’s perception of who you are, because yours is not good enough.
~ Graham Cooke

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her Husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”… And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” …
~ Jesus, KING of kings, and LORD of lords, in Revelation 21

Oh beloved, it is true.

We know, deep within us, that apart from G_d, we are nothing. Oh, we had the spark of the image of His Life within us, but it was only an ember, and there was nothing we could do to make the spark come alive.

Then, though, He does bring us to life. It really happens. Somehow, we turn away from the lies, and believe The Truth. And this Truth changes everything in us, as it drives the lies away. It is not a poetic phrase in the Bible. It is this place, where we become actually what we were ever Designed to be: Alive. Real. Whole. Free. Strong. Loving. Limitless. Good.

There is a beautiful transparency to honest disciples
who never wear a false face and do not
pretend to be anything but who they are.
~ Brennan Manning

And this is where we really continue to fall.

We just don’t feel like we can believe a truth that is beyond our wildest dreams.

Oh we think we know that G_d Loves us. He did, after all, come and live and die for us. This is the most heroic of Loves. There really is no greater Love than this, it is ultimate, and it is sacrificial to the nth. But, there is something in this that is incomplete. There is a break in the dying. And, unless we see beyond the break, we can miss the point of His death in the first place.

Can we see it?

If you have been a parent, you will see it more easily. Still, it is built into each of us. We, each of us, find a good relationship to be the most satisfying thing that there is. Read the passage again. We are to be the very bride of The King of The Universe. We are to be sons of The Father of All.

Fathers delight in their children.

Grooms deeply desire their brides.

And… They desire this in us.

They (The Triune G_d). Want. You.

You are enough for Him.

You (and this fool of a writer) are people who make The Author of Happiness, Happy.

You are worthy of His Love. HE is Love and Has made you the object of His Great and Steadfast Affection.

So, are you struggling to believe? Maybe it is because you are trying to believe in the wrong god. He is not far away. He is right here, and He is moving towards you. There is no need to prepare yourself. You are already enough. He has invested deeply in you, and the value is yielding its return.

Tonight is your night. Time to believe you are enough, for G_d Himself.

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

The Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 45-50| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “God is our true Friend, who always gives us the counsel and comfort we need. Our danger lies in resisting Him; so it is essential that we acquire the habit of hearkening to His voice, or keeping silence within, and listening so as to lose nothing of what He says to us. We know well enough how to keep outward silence, and to hush our spoken words, but we know little of interior silence. It consists in hushing our idle, restless, wandering imagination, in quieting the promptings of our worldly minds, and in suppressing the crowd of unprofitable thoughts which excite and disturb the soul.” ~François Fénelon (1651-1715)

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.” – Proverbs 11:10

Caught Up in the Static III

03/09/201703/06/2017Leave a comment

“You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls.” – 1 Peter 1:8-9 (NLT)

An old preacher that I use to know (Pastor William Raws) would lead us into song at the Colony Chapel that had no author attached to it. We would all sing the first, second, and last verses, but I have very rarely heard a church sing the third… “My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus; my cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus; my cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus; no turning back, no turning back.” (“I Have Decided To Follow Jesus”, Hymnary.org) Now, I realize that for the sake of time during corporate worship things are altered to keep people alert but none the matter for my own alertness, the hook in this hymn was always “no turning back, no turning back.”

The last time I was with you I had shared with you what needed to be done to begin the process of getting out of the static condition we get ourselves into as we walk this Christian life out. To completely forsake the world was the suggestion and I hope you understand that you can quit all that and still be static, in a negative sense, if you don’t do the positive thing and that thing is to turn to Jesus Christ. You can leave everything behind and head up into the mountains and be a “Captain Caveman” to the best of your ability and be miserable for doing it. I’m not saying walking away from the negativity in this world (especially during this time in history) is a bad thing, but you’ll be devoid of any radiating joy or inward glory if you don’t turn to the positivity found in Jesus Christ.

But we do have a bit of a problem here. When I suggest you forsake the things of this world, I am suggesting that you turn from what is tangible to your senses and turn to Someone who is not quite in our tangible sight, can’t be tangibly held, heard, smelled or tasted for that matter. What do you have to make this ‘forsaking and turning’ a smooth and easy motion? Well if you have your Bible open, let’s get into 1 Peter 1:3-7…

First off let me say this, if Simon Peter could hang with Jesus, I could, at the very least, bring up the rear during Christ’s travels around Judah. Anyway, when we take a look at what has been written by Peter in this Epistle we see words like obtain, imperishable, will not fade away, protected, and to seriously look at verses 6-7… “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (NASB). It boils down to faith, and if you claim Christ as Lord and Savior, you’re going to get it tested once in a while, especially when you are content in a static condition…where things aren’t going wrong but aren’t necessarily right.

Being a static Christian is almost like not being one at all. You’ll go through the motions but no one is watching, so who cares? But if you really have broken free from the things that are profitable to those who have their foundations cemented in Secularland, you’ll stand out like a city on a hill…and you’ll be doing for something far greater than your little ole self. You’ll be doing it for the cause of the Cross of Christ. And with that, this is how we will end this Freedom Fighter today… “The world behind me, the cross before me; the world behind me, the cross before me; the world behind me, the cross before me; no turning back, no turning back.” Amen?

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

The Daily Bible Reading: Job 17-18 | You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: Daily Quote: “There are those who want to preach all positives, but positives without negatives do not exist. There are those who only want to preach only negatives, a list of all the things you cannot do. But you cannot have love without hate. You cannot have light without darkness. The one follows the other.” — A.W. Tozer

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.” – Proverbs 11:10

Following The Trials into Joy

03/08/201703/06/2017Leave a comment

“Faith must pass through the furnace—it will not do to say that we trust in the Lord, we must prove that we do, and that when everything is against us.” ~C. H. MACKINTOSH

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with His blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
~ Peter, The rock, in 1 Peter 1

Oh beloved, it is true.

We do have a ways to go before we get Home, and the path to that place is fraught with dangers, toils, and snares. Much of the peril is self-induced. And, much of it is from outside of us.

We find ourselves, often, in a pitched battle. The world, the devil and our own flesh are either hitting us one by one, or as one to destroy us. Pummeled, we often are. And it feels like there is no way that we are going to be able to hold on.

The world seeks to attract us back into its gutters.

The devil seeks to devour our zeal.

Our flesh screams for relief that only brings pain.

Supposed friends stand against us.

The evil one accuses us when we fail.

The news attempts to discourage us.

Our earthly relationships are challenged, or broken.

It seems like everything is designed to test us. It feels like everything is trying to pull us away from the One Thing we know we can believe in. And the issue is not that it feels like it, the issue is that all of this is really happening. We are, to put it bluntly, in a desperate fight.

And if we lose, we face losses much greater than we experience now. There is an answer though.

Can we see it?

Look at the passage again. Peter was no stranger to trials. And he is writing about this kind of stuff from a close-up understanding of what it is to go through some VERY tough times. Less than one sentence is dedicated to the idea that we may go through trials. He does not ignore them, by any means, but he puts them into their proper context.

G_d is happily blessed that we may go through trials, because they are only going to prove both, His faithfulness, and to validate our faith in Him. And, in the midst of this, He is going to multiply towards us the two most potent tools for navigating the problems: Grace (His favor and power to do His will) and Peace (He Himself, Who breaks down division and brings agreement of central truths).

As if this weren’t enough, He adds to us His great mercy, gives us hope, stores up for us an inheritance, and promises us His protection. And, all of this mixes together to give us an incredible strength that we had never really known before. This strength is an emotional wholeness and permanent happiness about our future.

Said simply: all of the tough stuff, is accompanied by so much good stuff that we are overwhelmed with Joy. But then it gets better. Once we see it. Once we even begin to comprehend the whole package of His movement towards us, we are overwhelmed with something we never really ever expected to happen. We had always been told we were supposed to do this, but we had no idea how to do it.

We Love Him. We can’t help it. We see how incredibly in Love with us He already is, and all we can do is respond in kind.

So beloved, are you struggling with the trials through which you are passing? Don’t. G_d is quite happy that you are passing through them. He is using them to show you something you never could find before. He is preparing you for a glorious and praiseworthy union with His very Self.

Tonight is your night. Time to face right into those troubles and feel the joy.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 24-26 | You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “A saint’s life is in the hands of God as a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see; he stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says: “I cannot stand any more.” But God does not heed; he goes on stretching until his purpose is in sight, then he lets fly. We are here for God’s designs, not for our own.” ~Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.” – Proverbs 11:10

Dig Deep

03/07/201703/06/2017Leave a comment

“Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like.” – Luke 6:47

As a young man I had a choice to make in the trade I would pursue. I worked on a construction site that was building townhouses from the ground up. I had every trade known to the construction business before me, but which one?

As a laborer, I was an assistant to the developer and would be a part of the initial layout of each building. I had an opportunity to watch every trade do it’s thing from start to finish. I knew right away I didn’t want to be a mason. Their work was hard, dirty, and their finished product would be buried and never seen. What good is that?

Well, needless to say as I learned the trade of carpentry (which I would eventually follow), I found out that apart from the work of a mason’s foundation, I wouldn’t be able to build a sound and trustworthy building.

In Luke chapter 6, Jesus uses parables to describe the principles of kingdom living. Before going into the structure of kingdom living, He provides the building blocks of the Beatitudes. All the characteristics that will uphold a believer. He gives direction of how a man should begin to build, “He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.” I remember first seeing the excavators digging a deep trench of the footprint of the structure then concrete trucks pulling up and pouring concrete. Then the trucks delivering the block to bring the foundation up out of the ground to allow for the structure to be built.

When we are willing to follow the “blueprint” of God’s word and apply it to our lives, we will be able to withstand the storms of life. There were many years I took shortcuts and wasn’t willing to put in the work of putting off my building plans and began to dig deep into God’s word and abide in Him that I saw the power of a solid foundation.

So if you are being overcome by circumstances and the storms of life are overtaking you, it’s not too late to start digging. I see too many people venture out into ministry without the understanding of the whole council of God – reading in the Old Testament and seeing His character and knowing what He approves of. Too many times I see a principle being played out that was discovered in a topical book without researching the scriptures. I think we give Christian authors too much credit, especially when there’s an agenda they want to push. Let’s be Bereans, go deep and build your life on Christ and have an attitude of Victory. Amen!

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

The Daily Bible Reading: Judges 17-21 | You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “A readiness to believe every promise implicitly, to obey every command unhesitatingly, to stand perfect and complete in all the will of God, is the only true spirit of Bible study.” – Andrew Murray

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.” – Proverbs 11:10

When It’s Time to Speak Up

03/06/201703/03/2017Leave a comment

“A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak.” – Ecclesiastes 3:11

I’ve never been a good debater or have loved arguments, but I know people who thrive on it. Doesn’t make them bad people – they are just better at it than I will ever be.

There are some people who are called in life to pick apart everything and everyone because that is their “gift.” We have learned with social media that free speech is a constitutional right that you have to make a comment on everything everyone else posts – just don’t have someone comment on your post.

So I know that my blog last week probably about when to be silent caused some folks to immediately take up the challenge as to say, “Ok, then when is it time to speak up?”

So I thought I would do some study on the topic and give you some times from the Scripture when it is time to speak up or speak out. One of the most helpful things I read was from Dr. John Piper when he shared from Jonathan Edwards’s Resolutions. Here are Edwards’ twenty resolutions on the use of the tongue from the book of James. I have given you the references so you can check them out:

Resolved: To ask God for wisdom to speak and to do so with a single mind. (James 1:5-8)
Resolved: To boast only in my exultation in Christ or my humiliation in the world. (James 1:9-10)
Resolved: To set a watch over my mouth. (James 1:13)
Resolved: To be constantly quick to hear, slow to speak. (James 1:19)
Resolved: To learn the gospel way of speaking to the poor and the rich. (James 2:1-4)
Resolved: To speak in the consciousness of the final judgment. (James 2:12)
Resolved: To never stand on anyone’s face with words that demean, despise, or cause despair. (James 2:15-16)
Resolved: To never claim a reality that I do not experience. (James 3:14)
Resolved: To resist quarrelsome words as marks of a bad heart. (James 4:1)
Resolved: To never speak evil of another. (James 4:11)
Resolved: To never boast in what I will accomplish. (James 4:13)
Resolved: To always speak as one who is subject to the providences of God. (James 4:15)
Resolved: To never grumble, knowing that the Judge is at the door. (James 4:9)
Resolved: To never allow anything but total integrity in my speech. (James 5:21)
Resolved: To speak to God in pray whenever I suffer. (James 5:13)
Resolved: To sing praises to God whenever I am cheerful. (James 5:13)
Resolved: To ask for the prayers of others when I am sick. (James 5:14)
Resolved: To confess it whenever I have failed. (James 5:16)
Resolved: To pray for one another when I am together with others in need. (James 5:16)
Resolved: To speak words of restoration when I see another wander. (James 5:19-20)

So here is my challenge: FROM SCRIPTURE, what are examples of times when it IS time to speak up and not be silent? Share those with me and I will post them the following week.

Rejoice! Pray! Give thanks!

Bill Welte
President/CEO
America’s Keswick

Written by Dr. Bill Welte, President/CEO of America’s Keswick: He has been married to his child sweetheart for 40+ years, and has three married kids, one that is engaged, and 10 amazing grand kids. He loves music and is an avid reader.

The Daily Bible Reading: Gen 36-39 | You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

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Daily Quote: “Things you say in a matter of seconds are never forgotten in a lifetime.” – Ike Rieghard

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.” – Proverbs 11:10

Eternally Done: The Nature of Our Salvation

03/03/201703/02/2017Leave a comment

“How completely satisfying to turn from our limitations to a God who has none. Eternal years lie in his heart. For him time does not pass, it remains; and those who are in Christ share with him all the riches of limitless time and endless years.” ~A. W. Tozer (1897-1963)

When Jesus had spoken these words, He lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You, since you have given Him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent. I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave Me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me in Your own presence with the glory that I had with You before the world existed.
~ Jesus, King of The Universe, in John 17

Oh beloved, it is true.

We talk about getting saved, and yes – it is true that there is a moment in a believer’s life where we cross over from death into life. At least it is true from our perspective. We were conceived and born. We lived our lives in our own ways and, continuing on this path, we would have stayed separated from Him.

But something wonderful happened.

Across forever, this One in Whom we did trust, had already been standing there, gloriously excited for the moment. Oh, He had always been there. It was no guess. Nor, was it some very good prediction. No, He knew, and He knows, and He will know that we are His. And, this being made alive in Him really is something that was already done forever.

And, up until the moment where we turned away from our path on the timeline of this planet, and turned toward eternal life in Him, we were indeed stuck in four dimensions. We could move up and down, back and forth, and left and right. Plus, we could do these things along an axis called “time.”

However, time is something that we could not control. It was moving forward in some sort of unstoppable march. It was as though the dead weight of our sin and self were drawing us down and away from any hope that we thought we had.

Then, it happened.

Can we see it?

When we trusted Him for our salvation, we did not change anything about G_d. No, it was everything about us that changed. And as we were changed in an instant, we stepped into the Life that has always been bursting forth in every conceivable direction, forever. We came off the rails of the time that was drawing us down and away from Him, and were freed from this terrible, ticking taskmaster.

Said more simply: we entered into the eternal now of The Trinity. The Son held out His Beautiful and Glorious Hand… And He drew us into Their arms. The clock stopped ticking, and time became, for us, forever irrelevant. We, in coming to know Him, also entered into the way they have always lived, do live, and will live.

Eternal. Free. Whole. Real. Forever.

So, are you worried about whether G_d has changed His mind about you? Or, are you concerned about the pressing circumstances of life? He hasn’t, and the circumstances (though real) are hardly overwhelming in light of His nature. Perhaps tonight, you could again realize that it is never Him Who changes, it is you and I.

Tonight is your night, beloved. Time to experience His eternal nature, in your life. Right now.

The Daily Bible Reading: Job 15-16| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: The Cross to me is certain salvation. The Cross is that which I ever adore. The Cross of the Lord is with me. The Cross is my refuge. ~Thomas Aquinas

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“Oh, satisfy early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days!” Psalm 90:14

Shine Your Light

03/02/201703/01/2017Leave a comment

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1)

I work the night shift at the Colony of Mercy, so it is always dark when I walk home. While walking, I notice there are different noises, various animals, and many other things that cover the ground, so I shine a little light to cut through the darkness and make a pathway. In addition, it lets whatever is out there see who I am. One day, I heard a hissing sound and when I shined the light, it was a mother goose trying to protect her goslings. Light is very useful in the dark.

Isaiah was dealing with a different type of darkness. The Israelites revealed the darkness of their hearts by turning away from their God. God had miraculously delivered the Israelites throughout their entire existence and they still did what was right in their own eyes. They devoted themselves to false idols, they were consistently concerned with their own pleasure, and they invited a heathenous culture to darken their perceptions. Isaiah declares, “Arise, shine, for your light has come!”
“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” (Proverb 4:18)

Jesus became the light in of the world during his earthly ministry, now he has passed the light to us shine. Sometimes we get caught in the politics or the theology of life and forget to shine our lights in to a darken generation. “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light”(Ephesians 5:8). We were delivered for so much more then just lofty enlightenments; we are to shine this light to expose darkness, navigate thorough a dark world, and moreover let dark hearts see the light of Jesus. Shine Your lights!

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

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 21-23 | You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “We are indeed the light of the world–but only if our switch is turned on.” – John Hagee

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“Oh, satisfy early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days!” Psalm 90:14

Draw Nigh

03/01/201702/28/2017Leave a comment

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” – James 4:8a

I’ve been a part of – and in my share of – conflict. When a conflict is resolved, it usually ends in a hand shake or even a hug. Rarely do people in conflict come near enough to touch one another unless it’s in battle.

James gives us a list of things that prevent us from drawing near to God. I find that the majority are things pertaining to me getting my way. Whether it be my desires for pleasure, my being too prideful to ask, spending on my own pleasure etc., I usually receive calls from men who are struggling with bondage issues or troubled souls and the complaint is almost always “I have no peace,” or they assess their lives and feel as if they’re in a hole and can’t get out. My answer is always the same, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

It doesn’t take long before that person is already feeling better, when they realize we have together drawn close to God just by sharing scripture. I believe when we are seeking God in His Word, or when we are in fellowship with believers and acknowledging Him, we awaken the Spirit of God in our hearts and He then provides us with all the fullness of His power. I think James is guiding us through a routine of ridding the things that keep us from experiencing true peace and joy. Sometimes, if I’m speaking with someone who has been away from Godly practices and has been indulging in fleshly lust, it is better to help lead them to repentance and cleansing before they can begin to have hope. There is this process of cleansing, purifying, lamenting, and humbling that needs to take place in order to experience the peace and joy which restores Hope and we then we can truly Love.

Whenever I find myself lacking the things that I desire of God, I feel empty and want to return to the rightful place that God provides through His Son Jesus who gives us His Holy Spirit. I don’t usually equate my poor choices to my current condition. I find that when I respond to the prodding of the conviction of the Holy Spirit, that I can then turn from my sin, cleanse myself with confession, and allow the Spirit to purify me which is a humbling experience.

These practices are useful to apply to our own lives but also can aide when a brother comes to us for advice. When that happens I always say, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Amen!

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 21-23 | You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “We are only safe when we wisely make use of all good advantages that we have access to. By going out of God’s ways we go out of His government, and so lose our good frame of mind, and find ourselves overspread quickly with a contrary disposition. When we draw near to Christ (James 4:8), in His ordinances, He draws near to us.” – Richard Sibbes

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“Oh, satisfy early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days!” Psalm 90:14

Caught up in the Static (Part 2)

02/28/201702/27/2017Leave a comment

“Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” – 1 John 2:15 (NASB)

Ya know, as much as I fall back on the Book of James or Hebrews for realignment in my Christian walk, I seem to side step 1 John in those times where I find myself in a valley. I believe it is because of my headline verse for today. When I measure myself with what we read in 1 John 2:15, falling short seems to be an understatement. Why is that? Well because I own stuff. Stuff I kinda like and tell myself I kinda need. Like my 14 foot Boston Whaler w/35 hp Johnson outboard motor. “It’s just not a beautiful day out on the water without it,” I tell myself. Truth is, it’s gonna be a beautiful day out on the water without it or without me for that matter. What a wretched man I can be…C’est la vie.

Now, the last time I was with you I began a dialogue about being in a “Static Condition.”A place where nothing seems to go ‘wrong,’ but things aren’t necessarily ‘right’ either. A.W. Tozer says that there are two things that “are necessary for a Christian who wants to go on and break the static condition of his life and become a growing, moving, progressive, dynamic Christian.” And this week I’m gonna tell you that the first one is to completely forsake the world. Yeah, this is gonna be a tough one for us to achieve. Why? To quote Tozer from his book, “The Crucified Life”:

“There has never been a sport invented so violent and vicious that you will not find Christians sitting around watching it with a New Testament in their hip pocket. I do not think there is any worldly pleasure where that you will not find a Christian partaking of it.”

Once you read that, all that can be said is “OUCH.” Better sell your season tickets to those football games (as fan this one cuts close to the chest) and cancel that trip to Disney (well quite frankly, I think Disney should be eradicated, but please don’t tell Dr. Welte I said that). But really, what does this mean for us folk who wear the badge of “Christian” and yet have stuff that occupies our time, or go to places that really aren’t based in Kingdom principles?

I really think it means taking a deep look at the heart and seeing if what we occupy ourselves with has become an “idol.” You see, we can’t put on a space suit, get into a rocket, and live on Mars to get away from what is out in the world, but we don’t have to love what it loves. Idolatry says we have other gods that need our attention, and if we do get too close to making those things divine, we are in serious trouble…like Nebuchadnezzar did.

However, we do have Biblical examples of men who were in the world but didn’t let it harbor in their hearts. Noah got on the boat, Abram left that country and Lot didn’t debate with the two angels on what “escape for your life and don’t look behind you” meant. Now granted, these men did have their failing points, but if we look into the New Testament we find a guy named Saul who would later pen this example, “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake, I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ” (Phil 3:8).

One of the biggest mistakes we make is that we tell ourselves that we are separated from the world in our spirit. That we really do things with a sense of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit attached to them. That is a lie straight from the pit of Hell and it leaves us deceived, but what are we to do to maintain the pursuit of holiness and keep the world at bay?

Well, I guess I’ll have to share that with you the next time I join you, but until then ponder where you are your position is today. Are you finding things at the horizontal – occupying more space than they deserve? Or are you looking up at the vertical and feeling a sense of uplifting? If things seem too much on the horizontal, might I suggest that you petition the One that provides grace and shows mercy to give you guidance it all things worthy of praise. Amen?

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

The Daily Bible Reading: Judges 12-16 | You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “The world we are to forsake is the one that organizes and fills itself with unbelief. The world that passes to amuse itself and build itself upon doubts, unbelief and self-righteousness. Jesus was in the world but not of the world.” – A.W. Tozer

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“Oh, satisfy early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days!” Psalm 90:14

When To Keep Your Mouth Shut

02/27/201702/20/2017Leave a comment

“Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.” – Proverbs 21:23

Welcome to my world! You have probably been there too, if you’re honest. As a speaker/teacher, I have found myself saying too often, “Now why did I say that?” or “I wished I hadn’t told that story.” Or maybe you have said something to your spouse, your kids, or maybe an employee, and you say: “I have foot in mouth disease.”

Welcome to this new week of Freedom Fighter blogs. Chris Hughes, Dave Brown, Rob Russomano, Pastor Bob Wood, Makala Doulos, Chaplain Juan Mendez and others on our writing team love to share God’s Word with you.

I saw this post last week and unfortunately there is no one assigned to give the credit. But I felt it was powerful and important to share.

20 Reasons When to Keep Your Mouth Shut:

In the heat of anger. Proverbs 14:17
When you don’t have all the facts. Proverbs 18:13
When you haven’t verified the story. Deuteronomy 17:6
If you words will offend a weaker brother. 1 Corinthians 8:11
If your word will be a poor reflection of the Lord or your friends. 1 Peter 2:21-23
When you are tempted to joke about sin. Proverbs 14:9
When you would be ashamed of your words later. Proverbs 8:8
When you are tempted to make light of holy things. Ecclesiastes 5:2
If your words would convey a wrong impression. Proverbs 17:27
If the issue is none of your business. Proverbs 14:10
When you are tempted to tell an outright lie. Proverbs 4:24
If your words will damage someone’s reputation. Proverbs 16:27
If your words will destroy a friendship. Proverbs 25:28
When you are feeling critical. James 3:9
If you can’t speak without yelling. Proverbs 25:28
When it is time to listen. Proverbs 13:1
If you may have to eat your words later. Proverbs 18:21
If you have already said it more than one time = nagging. Proverbs 24:24
When you are tempted to flatter a wicked person. Proverbs 24:24
When you are supposed to be working instead. Proverbs 14:23

Wow! Ouch! Must burn on the hard-drive of my mind. Good reminders about when to keep my mouth shut. You may not have needed it, but I sure need this reminder – daily.

Rejoice! Pray! Give thanks!

Bill Welte
President/CEO
America’s Keswick

The Daily Bible Reading: Gen 28-31| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “We cannot be too careful about the words we use; we start out using them and they end up using us.” Eugene Peterson

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“Oh, satisfy early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days!” Psalm 90:14

Freedom Fighters

A Daily Email Encouragement for Men!

Author: America's Keswick

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Caught Up in the Static III

Following The Trials into Joy

Dig Deep

When It’s Time to Speak Up

Eternally Done: The Nature of Our Salvation

Shine Your Light

Draw Nigh

Caught up in the Static (Part 2)

When To Keep Your Mouth Shut