Are You Anxious? Worried? Filled With Care?

01/30/201701/31/20171 Comment

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. 1 Peter 5:7 Amplified Bible

It seems like so many people are hurting right now and going through some pretty serious stuff.

Financial instability. Job insecurity and even loss after years of serving. Kids and family members battling addiction. Concerns for our country. I thought things were going to get better? Health issues. Loss of loved ones. Some because of serious illness. Some because of overdoses.

Life can seem to be out of control and worry and anxiety begin to take control of our minds and thoughts. We have a feeling of hopelessness. We even may question does God really care?

I had one of those days recently and God spoke to my anxious, worry-filled heart. A friend gave me a book by one of my favorite younger devotional writers – in other words, not one that is dead! It is called Fret Busters by Roy Lessin.

God used His Word and this timely devotional to speak peace to my anxious heart. Last week I shared a prayer for when you are facing spiritual battles. Ray shared this prayer for when you are feeling anxious:

Heavenly Father, I release to You the burdens that I’ve been carrying—burdens that You never intended for me to carry. I cast my cares on You—all my worries and all my fears. You’ve told me to not be anxious about anything, but, instead, to bring everything to You in prayer with thankfulness.

Father, calm my restless spirit, quiet my anxious heart, and still my troubling thoughts with the assurance that You are in control. I choose to let go of my grip on the things I’ve been hanging on to. With open hands I come to You. I release to Your will all that I am trying to manipulate. I release to Your authority all that I am trying to control.

I release to Your timing all that I have been striving to make happen. I thank You for Your promise to sustain me, preserve me, and guard all that I entrust to Your keeping. Protect my heart and mind with Your peace—the peace that passes all understanding. Father, may Your will be done in my life in Your time and in Your way. Amen.

My guess is someone needed this besides me! So let me know how I can be praying for you.

Rejoice! Pray! Give thanks!

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: Genesis 16-19| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: One of the most astonishing keys of effective prayer is to not hold back in our asking – and to keep asking and anticipating, persistently and patiently, day after day. From Living the Battle Plan

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, For You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities. Psalm 31:7

Sacrificial Love

01/27/201701/23/2017Leave a comment

Christian cross with Jesus Christ statue over stormy clouds

Jesus Christ Son of God over dramatic sky background religion and spirituality concept

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.” – 2 Timothy 4:6

Paul is an excellent example of the sacrificial love of Christ. Furthermore, it’s overwhelming to listen to his testimony and zeal for the saints. His desire was to depart and be with Christ, but he stayed and became a living sacrifice for the people. He was resolved, putting his comforts and personal life aside for the sake of the gospel. Sacrificial love.

“Too many Christians have a commitment of convenience. They’ll stay faithful as long as it’s safe and doesn’t involve risk, rejection, or criticism. Instead of standing alone in the face of challenge or temptation, they check to see which way their friends are going.” – Charles Stanley

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” – 2 Timothy 4:7

The commitment to Christ allows you to finish the race that God has equipped you to do. But first, understand that God is committed to you in such a way that he gave his only begotten Son. And the Son was so committed to you that he died in one the most shameful ways to provide you with eternal life. Sacrificial love in contagious.

Written by Juan Mendez:

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: Isaiah 18-22| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “Love always involves responsibility, and love always involves sacrifice. And we do not really love Christ unless we are prepared to face His task and to take up His Cross.”

– William Barclay

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him. Psalm 28:7

Hiding Will Not Give Us Peace

01/26/201701/23/2017Leave a comment

“I am afraid to tell you who I am, because if I tell you who I am, you may not like who I am, and it’s all that I have.”
~ John Powell

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, Who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
~ Paul, The Least of The Apostles, in Ephesians 2

Oh beloved, it is true.

Each of us can – and usually do – live in the deepest of fear. We are afraid that if people come to know us as we really are, then they will turn away. They will reject us. The problem is that, even if they do reject us, we will not be safe.

Because really, what boils underneath us in our flesh is a boiling cauldron of failure and pain and a willingness to hurt others. Our sickness is deep. And the only true way to kill the sin is to kill the old man trying to call the shots.

We are afraid to be real. We are afraid that if we just let it all hang out, and share our struggles – people will look at us, turn their backs and walk out of our lives. And the truth is, that this will indeed sometimes happen.

But it is the only way out. There is nowhere to hide. And trying to keep our flesh under control is the worst way for us to lose control.

If we try to hide our lust, we will be consumed by the internal desire to have whatever we want right now.

If we try to hide our fear, we will be drawn into its dark hole that keeps out the G_d-pleasing light of faith.

If we try to hide our pain, we are slowly eaten away by the ache.

If we try to hide our brokenness, it serves us no purpose.

If we try to hide our doubts, we allow them to fester instead of finding the truth.

If we try to hide our failure, we only delay the day when victory becomes permanent.

If we try to hide our worry, we only amplify this negative and false feedback loop.

Can we see it?

Hiding the worst of ourselves is just like the problem that Adam and Eve had in the garden. They had become convinced that they had to hide from G_d. They had been so blinded by the lie that they had to go away and make peace with themselves; get fixed up before they came back to Him, that they would rather avoid His Presence than be made whole in it.

We do the same thing.

We think that we have to go and make peace with ourselves before we can be at peace with anyone else, especially G_d. And it is here that we miss the most bedrock of truths: We are poor beyond belief. We cannot do this on our own. We REALLY need help.

And the only way to actually get the peace we are looking for is to accept the terms of peace that the Prince of Peace has put forth. His terms are clear: The flesh avails for nothing. It will never be fixed. The new Life He provides in the Spirit avails for everything. In Him, He breaks do the terrible fight we have been having with ourselves, and with everyone else.

He Himself is our Peace.

So, are you struggling with the desire to hide your failures to try to get some peace? It won’t work. Never has. Never does. Never will. However, His Peace is available. But, you (and this fool of a writer), must not be afraid to come out into the light. Tonight is your night beloved. Time to find the Peace you have always been looking for.

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: Job 7-8 | You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

“Dear Abba, To spiritually photoshop, or not to spiritually photoshop: that is a recurring question. I’ve gotten pretty good at cropping and resizing to keep an impressive façade, but the emptiness behind it is the telling thing, telling me that something about the life I’m living is off the tracks. I’m not the biggest fan of mirrors but I realize they do serve a purpose: showing me the reality, the real me. I’m a ragamuffin, always have been, and yet You love me, the real me. Amazing.”
~ Brennan Manning, Dear Abba: Morning and Evening Prayer

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

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

Faithful in a Little

01/25/201701/23/2017Leave a comment

“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler of many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” – Matthew 25:21

God rewards those who are faithful. Throughout your life, God will seek to grow you in your faith. He will continuously bring you to times when you must trust Him. He will lead you into situations that require a “little” faith, and if you are faithful, He will then take you into situations that require even greater trust in Him. Each time you are able to trust God at a higher level, God will reveal more of Himself to you. Your faith and experiencing God are directly linked.

The best way to tell if you are prepared for a greater revelation of God is to see how faithful you have been with what God has given you. This is a foundational principle in God’s relationships with us: If you have been faithful with the little He has given you, you are ready to be entrusted with more. If you failed to trust God with the little He has given you, He will not trust you with more. God will not lead you beyond your present level of trust and obedience to Him. He will return you to your area of unfaithfulness until you are prepared to trust Him. The children of Israel were unwilling to trust God to lead them into the Promised Land, and their generation never again was able to move forward with Him.

You stand at an exciting new door of opportunity to know God more intimately every time you believe Him. Every step of faith leads you to a deeper relationship of faith with Him. It is an open invitation to know God more intimately.

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: Psalms 9-11 | You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “Faith, which is trust, and fear are opposite poles. If a man has the one, he can scarcely have the other in vigorous operation. He that has his trust set upon God does not need to dread anything except the weakening or the paralyzing of that trust.” – Alexander MacLaren

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him. – Psalm 28:7

Throw THEM To The Lions (see if they like it)!!!

01/24/201701/23/2017Leave a comment

“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred.” – 2 Timothy 3:1-2 (NLT)

Every morning that I am allowed to arise, I realize one simple truth…I really ain’t nothing too special. Oh, I may be privileged with being one of Bill Welte’s Freedom Fighter writers but in the very basics of the day … I am nothing too special. I wake up telling myself it’s a good day to die to self, but in that I’ll have a moment of failure. I will understand that I am to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God. But then I find myself huffin’-n-puffin’ towards somebody’s Grandmother at the grocery store while she sifts through her coupons after they ring her up (don’t go to Wal-Mart with me). I’ll love the LORD my GOD with everything I got, but loving that coworker is gonna be the end of what little bit of patience I got. Who can save me from this body of death?!

Then I turn on the news…I may not be so bad after all (now don’t quote me on that).

First thing I gotta acknowledge is today’s passage of Scripture. It was written a really long time ago by a guy who once thought himself the bees-knees when it came to Kingdom principles. But one encounter on the road to Damascus with the Jesus later and his life was radically changed. His ministry focused in on how to follow what Christ taught and how to apply His principles in your everyday life. Now this warning that he wrote to a younger man had been written during a time period in history when the Roman Empire’s methods of attrition were considered worthy of a Saturday afternoon matinee, all done to entertain some poor excuse of a god/Emperor named Caesar and those who were to worship him. Now it’s a few thousand years later … and ya know what? This kinda behavior hasn’t gone away.

So, with that, I can’t say that everything’s bad out there in Hollywood, but what I can say is the theology that is coming out of there is idolatry on steroids. It truly believes that it is the compass pointer for good moral conduct and is in a tizzy over the President-elect. Now in the world of politics we’ve got “elected public servants” who have forgotten they are “elected public servants” and are right in step with that Hollywood mentality. They both argue the definition of “role model” without regard to what behavioral pattern they’re attaching to and both Hollywood and Washington D.C. are acting like the rest of us will fall apart without them. I say…THROW THEM TO THE LIONS and see if their god/gods will save them.

Alright, so maybe that won’t happen to them (still…might do them some good) but it did happen to a guy named Daniel. Daniel lived in time that can pretty much reflect our own. A law was signed that ALL praise and worship was to be given to King Darius the Mede but was really intended to remove Daniel from his position in King Darius’ government. Daniel had a moral code that was God honoring and he did whatever he could to maintain it. Of course, those of us who know the story remember that Daniel was thrown into a lion’s den. But the coolest part of this is that the GOD he gave his praise and worship to protected him and convinced King Darius that Daniel’s God was truly GOD.

And I believe this is the position we’re gonna have to take. Things are looking pretty iffy out there in Secularland. It seems that they are willing to devour their own just to have a say so but that doesn’t mean and shouldn’t mean it has to be us. If we open The Book that the citizens of Secularland wish we would keep closed, we will find this encouragement; “They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:8b-9)

Remember my brothers (and sisters) that this race isn’t meant for the swift, its meant for the strong and if your strength has its foundation built on the ROCK that is Jesus Christ you will run until it’s time to go home. 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: Joshua 16-20 | You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “Now brethren, this is one of our greatest faults in our Christians lives. We are allowing too many rivals of God. We actually have too many gods. We have too many irons in the fire. We have too much theology we don’t understand. We have too much churchly institutionalism. We have too much religion. Actually, I guess we just have too much of too much.” —A.W. Tozer

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him. – Psalm 28:7

Are You In the Midst of a Struggle

01/23/201701/23/20172 Comments

Good morning and welcome to this new week of Freedom Fighter blogs. We are so thankful that you partner with us and trust each day you are encouraged in your walk with God.

I have talked to so many people recently who have shared that they are in the midst of some intense struggles. We are in the midst of some challenges at America’s Keswick.

This week I was reading a blog from Sermon Central and a pastor shared this powerful prayer that they have been reading together as a church. It was one of those things too good to not pass on.

So if you are finding yourself in the heat of the battle, I would encourage you to pray this prayer. It’s a little long, but I believe it is worth your time this morning.

BELIEVER’S WARFARE PRAYER

(To be read aloud)

Heavenly Father, I bow in worship and praise before You. I cover myself with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ as my protection. I surrender myself completely and unreservedly in every area of my life to You. I take a stand against all the workings of Satan that would hinder me in my prayer life. I address myself only to the True and Living God and refuse any involvement of Satan in my prayer.

(I command Satan, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to leave my presence with all of his demons. I bring the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ between Satan and myself.)

Heavenly Father, I worship You and give You praise. I recognize that You are worthy to receive all glory and honor and praise. I renew my allegiance to You and pray that the Blessed Holy Spirit would enable me in this time of prayer. I am thankful, Heavenly Father, that You have loved me from past eternity and that You sent the Lord Jesus Christ into the world to die as my substitute. I am thankful that the Lord Jesus Christ came as my representative and that through Him You have completely forgiven me. You have adopted me into Your family; You have assumed all responsibility for me; You have given me eternal life; You have given me the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ so I am now justified. I am thankful that in Him You have made me complete, and that You have offered Yourself to me to be my daily help and strength.

Heavenly Father, open my eyes that I might see how great You are and how complete Your provision is for this day. I am thankful that the victory the Lord Jesus Christ won for me on the Cross and in His Resurrection has been given to me and that I am seated with the Lord Jesus Christ in the heavenlies. I take my place with Him in the heavenlies and recognize by faith that all wicked spirits and Satan himself are under my feet. I declare, therefore, that Satan and his wicked spirits are subject to me in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am thankful for the Armor You have provided. I put on the Girdle of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Sandals of Peace, and the Helmet of Salvation. I lift up the Shield of Faith against all the fiery darts of the enemy; and take in my hand the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. I choose to use Your Word against all the forces of evil in my life. I put on this Armor and live and pray in complete dependence upon You, Blessed Holy Spirit.

I am grateful, Heavenly Father, that the Lord Jesus Christ spoiled all principalities and powers and made a show of them openly and triumphed over them in Himself. I claim all that victory for my life today. I reject all the insinuations, and accusations, and the temptations of Satan. I affirm that the Word of God is true and I choose to live today in the light of God’s Word. I choose, Heavenly Father, to live in obedience to You and in fellowship with Yourself. Open my eyes and show me the areas of my life that do not please You. Work in me to cleanse me from all ground that would give Satan a foothold against me. I do in every way stand into all that it means to be Your adopted child and I welcome all the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

By faith and in dependence upon You I put off the old man and stand into all the victory of the Crucifixion where the Lord Jesus Christ provided cleansing from the old nature. I put on the new man and stand into all the victory of the Resurrection and the provision He has made for me to live above sin.

Therefore, today I put off the old nature with its selfishness and I put on the new nature with its love. I put off the old nature with its fear and I put on the new nature with its courage. I put off the old nature with its weakness and I put on the new nature with its strength. I put off the old nature with all its deceitful lusts and I put on the new nature with its righteousness, purity, and honesty.

In every way I stand into the victory of the ascension and glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ, whereby all the principalities and powers were made subject to Him. I claim my place in Christ as victorious with Him over all the enemies of my soul. Blessed Holy Spirit, I pray that You would fill me. Come into my life, break down every idol and cast out every foe.

I am thankful, Heavenly Father, for the expression of Your will for my daily life as You have shown me in Your Word. I therefore, claim all the will of God for today. I am thankful that You have blessed me with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. I am thankful that You have begotten me unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I am thankful that You have made a provision so that today I can live filled with the Spirit of God with love and joy and peace, with longsuffering, gentleness and goodness, with meekness, faithfulness, and self-control in my life. I recognize that this is Your will for me and I therefore reject and resist all the endeavors of Satan and his wicked spirits to rob me of the will of God. I refuse in this day to believe my feelings and I hold up the shield of faith against all the accusations and distortion and insinuations that Satan would put into my mind. I claim the fullness of the will of God for my life today.

In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I completely surrender myself to You, Heavenly Father, as a living sacrifice. I choose not to be conformed to this world. I choose to be transformed by the renewing of my mind, and I pray that You would show me Your will and enable me to walk in all the fullness of Your will today.

I am thankful, Heavenly Father, that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, to the casting down of imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and to bring every thought into obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, in my own life today I tear down the strongholds of Satan and smash the plans of Satan that have been formed against me. I tear down the strongholds of Satan against my mind, and I surrender my mind to You, Blessed Holy Spirit. I affirm, Heavenly Father, that You have not given me the spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind. I break and smash the strongholds of Satan formed against my emotions today and I give my emotions to You. I smash the strongholds of Satan formed against my will today, I give my will to You, and choose to make the right decisions of faith. I smash the strongholds of Satan formed against my body today, I give my body to You recognizing that I am Your temple. I rejoice in Your mercy and goodness.

Heavenly Father, I pray that now and through this day You would strengthen and enlighten me, show me the way Satan is hindering and tempting and lying and distorting the truth in my life. Enable me to be the kind of person that would please You. Enable me to be aggressive in prayer and faith.

Enable me to be aggressive mentally, to think about and practice Your Word, and to give You Your rightful place in my life.

Again, I cover myself with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and pray that You, Blessed Holy Spirit, would bring all the work of the Crucifixion, all the work of the Resurrection, all the work of the Glorification, and all the work of Pentecost into my life today. I surrender myself to You. I refuse to be discouraged. You are the God of all hope. You have proven Your power by resurrecting Jesus Christ from the dead, and I claim in every way this victory over all Satanic forces in my life. I pray in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ with thanksgiving. Amen.

© Victor Matthews, Emeritus Professor of Theology at Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary.

I will be praying for you, too.

The Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 8-11 | You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: Do not work so hard for Christ that you have no strength to pray, for prayer requires strength. ~J. Hudson Taylor

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him. Psalm 28:7

It’s Not Too Late

01/20/201701/16/2017Leave a comment

“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.”- Matthew 21:28

How do you do when the battle is raging? I mean, when we have our moments of flesh vs Spirit. I am grateful for an Advocate we have to the Father that allows the the Spirit of God to work in our lives.

One of God’s attributes is He is long suffering, patiently waiting for the process of conviction to have its way with us. Our first response to God should always be “Yes Lord,” but the truth of the matter is when there is a delay, He is willing to wait for us to turn and respond to His calling and direction.

The parable Jesus presents to the chief priests and the elders is a story of two sons, one whom his father told “son, go, work in my vineyard,” in which the first sons response was “‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went.” It goes on to say, “Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go.” This parable was told to compare the tax collectors and harlots (first son) to the chief priests and the elders (second son) and lays out preference between the two.

“Which of the two did the will of his father?” If you have heard God tell you to do something and it’s eating you up inside, turn around, go back and do it. When you do you have done the will of the Father. The alternative is a state of denial which usually leads us to confusion. We can sometimes in our mind be saying “I will go” but in our hearts we never intended to show up. It’s the same old story of lip service vs actions. I believe God takes pleasure when He sees one of His children turn back and be willing to obey.

I can only imagine the mixed emotions this father had when he saw the resistant son at work and the willing son a “no show.” Sometimes it’s not the way we get there, it’s that we end up where we need to be. There is an aroma of sweetness when the outcome is in line with the will of the Father.

So, if you are still headed in the wrong direction, turn around, go back and fulfill the call of God. 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: Isaiah 12-17| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “There’s some task which the God of all the universe, the great Creator, your redeemer in Jesus Christ has for you to do, and which will remain undone and incomplete until by faith and obedience you step into the will of God.” – Alan Redpath

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, And my soul, which You have redeemed. Psalm 71:23

To Love At All Is To Be Vulnerable

01/19/201701/16/2017Leave a comment

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” ~ C.S. Lewis

We use the words from time to time.. ‘I love you’.. but what do we mean by them? Is it that we are happy you are there for us, that you provide stuff that takes the pressure off of us? Do we mean ‘you give and I receive and that makes everything alright’? When we say we ‘love’ someone is there any understanding of the sacrifice they made to provide for us? Do we comprehend the time they forfeited even to listen to our struggle or worries? Is there gratitude in those words… sincerity or even authenticity? It’s easy to say the words, ‘I love you’ but the authenticity of them lies not in the words themselves, but in our actions.

John writes to the Believers – those enjoying the fruits of God’s gift of His Son who died in our place, bearing God’s wrath towards all sin, he testified, “But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him.” (1 John 2:5)

Love and obedience are inseparable, intertwined in a way that you can’t have one without the other. The true measure of our love is exposed through our willingness to make ourselves vulnerable to another’s word. We do this by putting off our own desires and making a priority, those ‘words’ or ‘ideas’ of another. John explains that the evidence that we truly know or understand the gift of God, in His Son, is that we not just enjoy His benefits, but put into action His will in obedience to His Word.

Love is a choice to make yourself vulnerable to another. It’s not a reckless choice to abandon your welfare, but to be consumed by another who has proven worthy of such a response. As for God… He so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life… and He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things.” (John 3:16, Romans 8:32)

Is God worthy of your love? Does your life reflect that love?

Written by David Brown: David Brown is a husband, father, and grandfather with a Masters of Religious Studies and a Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religions. Dave is a member of Pemberton’s First Baptist Church.

The Daily Bible Reading: Job 5-6 | You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “Power, no matter how well-intentioned, tends to cause suffering. Love, being vulnerable, absorbs it. In a point of convergence on a hill called Calvary, God renounced the one for the sake of the other.”– Philip Yancey

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, And my soul, which You have redeemed. Psalm 71:23

The Blessing of the Latter Rains

01/18/201701/13/2017Leave a comment

We always make the fatal mistake of thinking that it is what we do that matters, when really what matters is what we let God do to us. God sent the angel to Mary, not to ask her to do something, but to let something be done. Since God is a better artisan than you, the more you abandon yourself to him, the happier he can make you.
~Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things! Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and vine give their full yield. “Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for He has given the early rain for your vindication; He has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. “The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, My great army, which I sent among you. “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you. And My people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else. And My people shall never again be put to shame. “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out My Spirit.
~ from Joel 2

Oh beloved, it is true.

The Christian Life seems to be two different things. Or, at least something like two different seasons.

The first season is better understood. This is when we come to understand that we have indeed fallen short of the glory of G_d. We are broken about this. And in coming to understand that our sins are many, and our need is great, He meets us right there. He forgives our sins, and our eternal destiny is made secure in Him. Some people stop there, and never move into this next season. This is a tragedy.

The second season is where the mystery comes in. Oh, it is real. But, it can play our very differently in different people’s lives. Theologians across various traditions have spoken to this along the lines of “being filled with the Holy Spirit,” or “a second act of grace,” or “holiness,” or “baptism of the Holy Spirit.” However, this part of the mystery of the gospel is just that: a mystery.

Still, it is possible to see what the mystery looks like. We can see it within our own lives and the lives of others.

Before we first met Him, our entire lives were an ongoing process of destruction. Our sins were taking our lives and making them into chaos. We devoured our relationships and our potential. But, in our first sincere act of repentance and belief, He rains down on us mercies that continue to be new every day.

However, G_d being G_d, He always has something more for us.

Somehow, by His grace, we come to understand that the sins we committed were indeed bad. But, we at first did not understand that those sins had a factory that was manufacturing them. We came to find that the problems was not sins, but sin. Sins (the things we have done wrong) were promoted first, by sin (that condition within myself, the “me” within myself that rebels against his creator).

It is here, where the second mystery of our salvation can be seen.

Can we see it?

The problem is not the sins we have committed. The problem is the me that is generating the sins. It is a terrible discovery. And even though we have been saved from our sins, we sense our complete helplessness. We need more. So then, herein comes the latter rains of His Spirit.

In our terrible plight; in our understanding of our need for more, we come up on another decision. But this one is harder than just realizing that we have done great wrong and need SomeOne to forgive us. No, we come to understand we need to not only be saved from our sins, we need to be saved from our very own self.

However, in coming to this understanding, we see that there really is only one decision to make. We are faced with the reality that the only way is for me to actually give up my rights to my own life and plans and existence and everything else. I am faced with the need of total and abject surrender to the One who has forgiven me.

It is here, where it gets different for everyone, but the point is still the same. For each of us, there is that one last thing that we need to put into His hands. We need to give it all away, that we might be able to receive the freedom His Spirit can bring to us.

But when we do. Oh!!! Everything is different. We now find that it is not I who am living my life, but the very Author of Life Himself, living Life in and through me. And this life brings fruit and abundance and freedom I never thought possible.

So, are you one of those guys who have just been forgiven of your sins? This is a vital and wonderful start. However, many of you are sensing that there is more. There is. Oh beloved, the early rains of His mercy have washed your sins away, but the latter rains of His amazing grace are waiting to set you free from that old man who has dogged you to this moment.

Tonight is your night. Time to enter the second season of your salvation.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 6-8| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote:

In true worship the Father must be first, must be all. The sooner I learn to forget myself in the desire that HE may be glorified, the richer will the blessing be that prayer will bring to myself. No one ever loses by what he sacrifices for the Father.
~Andrew Murray

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, And my soul, which You have redeemed. Psalm 71:23

A Child’s Perspective

01/17/201701/13/2017Leave a comment

He said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”- Matthew 18:3

While in Orlando, I took my 3 year old on a walk to enjoy the gorgeous landscape. Unfortunately, we were in a medical district and the location was overwhelmed with medical buildings. However, she gazed at the buildings, appreciated the structure, and mentioned God made that building and Jesus made that building. She went on to declare that Jesus made the whole city. She taught me to accept Christ through the works of man. She is right; all the great abilities and capabilities are from the God.

Children possess various degrees of humility, simplicity, and faith. Over the years, we develop unhealthy pride, skepticisms, and become blind from our first love. We become too smart for our own good. We become self-seeking and self-focused. “We must be brought to a place where, naturally gifted though we may be, we dare not speak except in conscious and continual dependence on Him.” – Watchman Nee

The term ‘born-again’ is the beginning of our new life in Christ and not the reshaping of our previous endeavor. Our new life is not the sum of our earthy knowledge, talents, or mixed with our ideology. We are babes in the Kingdom. Thank you Jesus that as we grow in understanding, that we realize that we know less than we perceive. “Like newborn infants, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation”(1 Peter 2:2)

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: Joshua 11-15| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “As well might a gnat seek to drink in the ocean, as a finite creature to comprehend the Eternal God. A God whom we could understand would be no God. If we could grasp Him, He could not be infinite. If we could understand Him, He could not be divine.” – Charles Spurgeon

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, And my soul, which You have redeemed. Psalm 71:23

Freedom Fighters

A Daily Email Encouragement for Men!

Author: America's Keswick

Are You Anxious? Worried? Filled With Care?

Sacrificial Love

Hiding Will Not Give Us Peace

Faithful in a Little

Throw THEM To The Lions (see if they like it)!!!

Are You In the Midst of a Struggle

It’s Not Too Late

To Love At All Is To Be Vulnerable

The Blessing of the Latter Rains

A Child’s Perspective