Are You a First Responder?

12/20/201612/15/2016Leave a comment

“As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” – Nehemiah 1:4

This was Nehemiah’s response to the horrible condition of the people of Israel. He received a troubling word of Jerusalem City’s wall. The walls were burned and in those days they were intended for protection, security, and the people of Israel were vulnerable. At this point, the children of Israel never fully recovered from the time of Nebuchadnezzar and still were somewhat in exile. Nehemiah had piety and patriotism that were so closely connected that he felt compelled to do something.

A First Responder is someone designated or trained to respond to an emergency. Their job consists of an array of methodology to stabilize or assist at the scene of an emergency. Part of their job is to make specific decisions, light medical treatment, control the crowd, and the like…

Non-Christians and Christians share one common ground: we are not exempt from suffering and trials. It’s the world we live in and this is re-enforced in the Bible we read. The question is how are we to respond, what’s the Biblical mandate, and where is God leading or teaching us in this moment? These are just a few of the many questions we should ask ourselves as we assess the situation.

Nehemiah gave us a great example of a responding. He understood and got honest with himself of the current condition of his people, and he wept and mourned. We are human. It’s okay to feel. Then he fasted. A great way to hear from God is to deny your flesh or daily routine in some capacity. Following, which I believe is the most important, he prayed. Prayer is the example of humility, understanding the need for Jesus’ perspective and for Him to work it out. Nehemiah was a great example of a first responder, Are You a First Responder?

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 50; Proverbs 20

Daily Quote: “The true church lives and moves and has its being in prayer.” – Leonard Ravenhill

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

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

12/19/201612/25/2016Leave a comment

“And behold, you will conceive inyour womb and bear a son, and you shall name His Jesus!” Luke 1:31

As I have been praying through my message for Christmas Eve at the Colony of Mercy, the thoughts that keep running through my mind and heart is the name JESUS.

For centuries names have been given to children and often there are meanings attached to their names.

Throughout the Scriptures God was involved in not only giving names, but changing names that would reflect a man or woman’s character. Think about some of the name changes:

Abram became Abraham
Sarai became Sarah
Jacob became Israel
Esther became Hadessah
Cephas became Peter
Saul became Paul

Their new name was a reflection on their new identity.

But think about the many names assigned to this One known as the Baby Jesus:

Immanuel
The Son of the Most High
The Son of God
Wonder Counselor
The Mighty God
The Everlasting Father
The Prince of Peace
Alpha and Omega
Bread of Life
Chief Cornerstone
Faithful and True
Great High Priest
Lamb of God
Redeemer
The Door
The Way
The Word
The Good Shepherd
The Resurrection and the Life

The Apostle Paul wrote these words: For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11

This is the Jesus we celebrate at Christmas, but more importantly, this is the Jesus grew up, became a man, and gave His life of a cross so that your sin and mine could be taken away – completely! His death made it possible for you and me to have life – abundant life and eternal life.

If you have never trusted Jesus as the Savior of YOUR sins and received the free gift of eternal life, I have a wonderful pamphlet that I would love to send to you. You can email me @ bwelte@americaskeswick.org. From my family to yours, have a blessed and merry Christmas.

Think About This: The Son of God became the Son of Man in order that the sons of men might become the sons of God. ~John Blanchard
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: Psalm 49; Proverbs 19

Daily Quote: “You can never truly enjoy Christmas until you can look up into the Father’s face and tell him you have received his Christmas gift.” – John R. Rice

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

Our Own Personal Pearl Harbors

12/16/201612/13/2016Leave a comment

Pride blinds us not only to itself, but to every other sin tucked away in the recesses of our hearts and lives. It causes us to hate correction and reproof. It hides our sin from us, it justifies our sin, it excuses our sin, and it keeps us from repenting of our sin. It deceives us into thinking that we are spiritually well when, in fact, we have a deadly cancer and are in desperate need of the Great Physician’s Balm. ~ Lou Priolo

Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to Me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, My steadfast, sure love for David. Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. … “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. ~ Him Speaking, in Isaiah 55

Oh beloved, it is true.

Each of us never saw it coming. At least at first. We were out, engorging our flesh as we gorged on anything, anything at all to try and make our lives work. Nothing seemed to be working, though we kept on trying.

We had something totally backwards. We were letting our flesh drive our life. The impulses on the dashboard were taking control, like some form of artificial intelligence. We were on autopilot. And, after a while, we just kind of settled in and let it drive.

God and the devil are found at opposite poles. No one can turn his face to God who has not first turned his back on sin. When a man turns his face to God, all of his paths lead to God. When a man turns his face away from God, all of his paths lead to perdition. ~ St. Nicholas of Serbia

What we had forgotten, though, was that we were not just flesh and bones. Rather, the incredible biochemical and biomechanical machines that are part of us, are not really all of us. They are, in fact, more of a suit or toolset to help us take in data in the four dimensions in which we exist. Our bodies, and flesh help us understand the world around us – but they are prone to failure and to passing on very bad information to our souls and spirits.

And so, we were there, getting things totally backwards, and hardly even noticing it. It was like the quiet Sunday morning in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii so many years ago. Everyone knew there was some sort of battle to be brewing, but no one really thought it was going to come to Oahu.

But the battle came. And the results were catastrophic.

We, sitting there in our flesh, and with our course set on autopilot, were in really real danger. We were heading for destruction along one of two paths. One, we were going to keep on following our own fleshly instrumentation, and we were going to run out of options. We knew it (oh, we were ignoring it), but we were beginning to run on vapors. Even though, we had some sort of quiet during the moments of engorging our lusts, even our bodies were screaming at us to stop.

Or two, some outside force was going to come in and intervene in our affairs. At one level, we didn’t want this. We had been buying all the things that did not satisfy, but we still really did not want SomeOne to come in and take over. We still were looking at a few of our dashboard lights that seemed like they might have a tinge of green within the bright red they were flashing. At another level, something within us knew that this was our only Hope.

For Ragamuffins, God’s name is Mercy. We see our darkness as a prized possession because it drives us into the heart of God. Without mercy our darkness would plunge us into despair – for some, self-destruction. Time alone with God reveals the unfathomable depths of the poverty of the spirit. We are so poor that even our poverty is not our own: It belongs to the mysterium tremendum of a loving God.

~ Brennan Manning

Then, out of the blue, over the horizon, He came. He came in fast and low. He came in with weaponry that was unstoppable. Even as we pulled out of our beds, and tried to man the weapons we had around us, they were of no avail. G_d came in, and torpedoed our lives. We never had a chance. We had been lulled to complacency by our supposed preparation, and we were so wrong – that it saved our lives.

Can we see it? There was no other way. Our instrumentation was just too messed up. Our intelligence was just too lacking. And the only way to wake the sleeping, eternally living, giant of a man in each of us, was for G_d to deal a death stroke to our flesh and its faulty instrumentation.

Beloved, there is a deeper truth here too. His mission to destroy us – that we might survive – destroyed Him too. Jesus was the ultimate kamikaze Warrior. He was not giving up his life for some despot in Japan. No, He was volunteering for a mission that only He could handle, and this was for the very Father of The Universe, and Maker of eternity.

And He did it. He died in killing you (and this fool of a writer). But, He died so forcefully, that He went all the way down through death, and came back on the other side, Alive in a way that death can no longer touch. And – He brought you through these dark paths with Himself. So, our seeming destruction, was really the only way for us to survive and thrive.

So, are you just hanging out on a Sunday morning on some tropical island of your imagination, thinking that everything is going to be just fine? You are gravely mistaken. However, this may be some of the best news you have heard in your supposed-life up to this point. Keep listening for the attack. It is coming. It is the only way you can survive.

Tonight is your night, beloved. Time to let Him give you everything He has got.

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: Psalm 39; Proverbs 9

Daily Quote: “Then Christ cries to justice, ‘Find a fault in this man; I have put my robe upon him; I have washed him in my blood; I have cleansed him from his sin. All the past is gone; … As for the penalty, I have borne it myself; at one tremendous draught of love I have drunk that man’s destruction dry; I have borne what he should have suffered; I have endured the agonies he ought to have endured. Justice have I not satisfied thee?'” ~ Charles Spurgeon

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You. ~Psalm 5:11

You Can’t Delete Christmas

12/15/201612/13/2016Leave a comment

“Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.'” – Luke 2:10-12 (NKJV)

I asked my wife to do something with me a day after my birthday that I thought would be really cool to do and that was to go a coffee lounge – to listen to some spoken word and smooth music. I found such a place. Nestled away in a little town called Northfield there’s a bookstore that does things a bit different. The “Truth That Rocks” bookstore, which is owned Bill Link, (a very active brother who also runs radio station WXGN in the OCNJ area) has this little spot in the back of the store called “Solid Grounds Coffee Lounge.” He has had an ecliptic array of musicians come and perform and on this night, it was Dave Miller. Dave did some Christmas music and some of his original compositions. I had a really blessed time with all who came out (and, yes Kathy enjoyed it too).

As it is with a lot of Christian musicians, Dave gave those in attendance a little glimpse into the Gospel message and at one point shared something that struck a chord with me. Dave said, “If He wanted to, God could just undo creation, ya know, like hitting the delete button and that would be it.” And the first thing that hit me was The Flood. If there ever was an undo creation “DELETE” button, that would have been it. It would have been really simple. Press delete, flood earth, everything gone, with no one around to tell the tale. BUT (there’s always a BUT in God’s creation) YHVH did not do that, why? Genesis 3:15, that’s why. “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

And to touch on something from last week… It was the 11^th year of King Zedekiah’s reign and Nebuchadnezzar is at the door. He ain’t none too pleased with the attitude of the last king of Judah…neither was YHVH. YHVH would tell Zedekiah to “Remove the turban, and take off the crown; Nothing shall remain the same. Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted.” (Ezekiel 21:26) Nebuchadnezzar had other ideas. “Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes at Riblah; the king of Babylon also slew all the nobles of Judah. He then blinded Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in fetters of bronze to bring him to Babylon.” (Jeremiah 39:6-7) The rest of Zedekiah’s story can be left to history, there was a reason why this happened and it shares a place with what happened in The Garden. REBELLION…yeah maybe God should just hit the delete button.

BUT, that ain’t gonna happen at this moment in history either…there has been too many promises made for Messiah and that brings me to today’s verse.

The one thing that ran through my mind while Dave went on to perform was that last part of the Ezekiel passage, “Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted.” Many of us would look at that and say that Zedekiah had that coming, after all he was the wickedest king Israel had. But it struck me that YHVH did this Himself. “And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” The God of the universe, exalted above all others, humbled Himself to be among us to bring us salvation…through a horse stable. That’s beyond hitting the delete button. That’s beyond earthly wisdom. That’s Christmas.

Throughout our history, God has chosen to speak to us through many different vessels (almost sounds like Hebrews 1:1-2, doesn’t it?) and yet so many turned a deaf ear to Him. If He was like us, hitting the delete button would be as easy as us hitting the unfriend button on our social media sites… but He has chosen not to do that. Instead, He has chosen to give us an example of what amazing grace looks like and then tells us to do likewise. Yes, it is a high standard to go for, but when the Hebrews of Hebrews gives this encouragement, “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Phil 3:14) the best thing you can do is not quit.

After all, for all the worldly effort put out there, you can’t delete what Christmas is really all about…it is sharper than any two-edged sword, able to cut through bone and marrow, (read John 1:1-5) to get to the heart of what Elohim wanted His creation to be. “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31) 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: Psalm 45; Proverbs 15

Daily Quote: “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.” —C.S. Lewis

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You. ~Psalm 5:11

On Our Way Home

12/14/201612/13/2016Leave a comment

“To give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins.” – Luke 1:77

Have you ever been at a place where you realize everything you thought was right is wrong? That when you thought you were in control you find out you’re not? You thought you knew the way, but you were lost?

Before coming to Christ I had a plan and a purpose. It seemed to me that I was in total control, and as long as everyone cooperated, my plan was foolproof. Then reality set in. Although on the outside everything looked good, it wasn’t. Soon it all began to fall apart. I then realized I had a need. All the things I tried couldn’t fill it, and my best thinking was soon revealed as rubbish and I was lost. HELP!

Whether you’ve been there or not, God had a plan already in place for those who are willing to receive the gift of His Son. ‘Tis the season we celebrate that Gift. It’s a gift we’ve received but it’s also one we can give. The proclamation in the closing verses in Luke 1 are referring to John the Baptist, the forerunner for Jesus through Zacharias’ Prophecy. Luke finishes the chapter with these truths,

“To give knowledge of salvation to His people

By the remission of their sins.

Through the tender mercy of our God,

With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;

To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,

To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

This plan comes with the true knowledge of salvation and our place in the Kingdom of God. Peter tells us in his second epistle chapter 3 verse 18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.”

There’s a picture of us sitting in the dark, looking to the East, waiting for the Dayspring to bring light. As I’m writing this the sun is coming up and I can turn off the false lights of my house and enjoy the brightness that comes from above.

Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,

“Therefore I hope in Him!”

Lamentations 3:22-24

If you feel lost, each day is a new opportunity to adjust our thinking and align it with the Truth of His Word. God offers us comfort from this worlds troubles and a Guide to see us through til we go Home, 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: Psalm 44; Proverbs 14

Daily Quote: “Such was God’s original love for man that He was willing to stoop to any sacrifice to save him; and the gift of a Savior was the mere expression of that love.”

– Albert Barnes

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You. ~Psalm 5:11

The Abundant Christian Life (Part II)

12/13/201612/12/20161 Comment

So, this is the response I got from colony grads in regards to the abundant life. Freedom to live without a fear, and to walk with God as you’re touching heaven and walking on earth…. An unexplained Joy and Peace in which your purpose is heavenly! A life that produces fruit. True greatness in serving others for God’s glory; peace & joy that surpasses all understanding that nothing in this world bring but only Jesus Christ can fully satisfy.

Life where we are full, never empty. Jesus said give and it will be given to us, running over, pressed down, and shaken together. A source of Calmness! The Apostle Paul said ” I know what is to have plenty, and I know what’s it’s like to be in want. The secret is being content in where you’re at, knowing we have a Heavenly Father that loves us and will provide for us that which is needed. But the LOVE AND MERCY of our Father goes above and beyond what we think it can do.

Being content with what the good Lord has provided for you. It is to know Him. It is to see that He never leaves me nor forsakes me. It is to know that we are totally free; no system or worldly issue can take away the fact that, in Him, I already own everything, and will inherit the Kingdom in the world to come. It is to know that I will really and truly see His face one day and everything will be alright forever. It is to have the huge privilege of sharing this Good News with others. .

An abundant life is a life that is so filled by God’s grace that it overflows onto others. It is not to make God the top of a List of Priorities. Instead of making a numerical chart of priorities, we ought to make a spider web diagram, where God is the center bubble, which branches out to all aspects of my life. Gratitude for what Christ has done for you, to you, and through you! Everything else feeds off of that… a grateful heart will never go back to the old life!

An abundant Christian life, to me, is to make God the center of all our humanly priorities we go through on a daily basis. A life that encourages you to manifest love. A heavenly love, rather than a wordly one, unconditionally, unbridled, and free is an abundant life.

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 43; Proverbs 13

Daily Quote: “I can see, and that is why I can be happy, in what you call the dark, but which to me is golden. I can see a God-made world, not a manmade world.” – Helen Keller

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You. ~Psalm 5:11

25 Promises for Hard Times

12/12/201612/12/2016Leave a comment

Christmas is supposed to be the “most wonderful time of the year.” But for many, this is a tough time. Over 65 of our friends lost loved ones this year. Many of them are struggling with overwhelming grief.

My adopted Mom found a copy of this Freedom Fighter that I did a number of years ago and suggested I use it again. Great reminders.

1. God promises to care for me. Matt: 6:28-29

2. God promises to provide for me. Matt. 6:31-33

3. God promises to help me deal with what happens that day! Matt. 6:34

4. God promises to give me rest! Matt. 11:28

5. God promises to lift me up! 1 Pet. 5:6-7

6. God promises to give me peace! John 14:27

7. God promises to give me real treasure. Matt. 6:19-21

8. God promises to increase my faith. James 1:24

9. God promises to give me strength whatever the financial situation. Phil 4:12-13

10. God promises to meet all my needs! Phil. 4:19

11. God promises to protect me from fear! Ps. 46:1-3

12. God promises to bless me and will bless others through me. Prov. 11:25

13. God promises to give me something to look forward to! 1 Cor. 2:9

14. God promises to answer my prayers! Matt. 7:7-8

15. God promises to work for my good. Rom. 8:28

16. God promises to comfort me and others through me. 2 Cor. 3:4

17. God promises to bring me joy! Ps. 126:5

18. God promises to give me the desires of my heart Ps. 37:4

19. God promises to reward my faith. Matt. 17:20

20. God promises to reward my patience. Gal. 6:9

21. God promises to give to me as I give… Luke 6:38

22. God promises to direct my decisions. Prov. 3:5-6

23. God promises to give me wisdom. James 1:5

24. God promises to renew my strength. Isa. 40:31

25. God promises to be with me! Isa. 43:2-3

Read daily and add “and I believe it” to each one – until you do!

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: Psalm 42; Proverbs 12

Daily Quote: Objection: “Our church is too big to celebrate the Lord’s Supper each Sunday during the worship service. It’s a logistical nightmare!” Response: Somehow giant churches still manage to collect money every Sunday, and I’ve never heard anybody complain that it was a logistical nightmare!

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You. ~Psalm 5:11

Jesus Is The Abundant Life

12/09/201612/05/2016Leave a comment

“Beware of hindering yourselves with any weight of earthly cares. Examine your hearts most closely, and purge out each besetting sin with a godly prayerful jealousy. Remember that blessed rule, ‘looking unto Jesus.’ Peter did run well for a time, when he left the ship to walk upon the sea to Jesus—but when he saw the waves and the storm he was afraid and began to sink. Thus many a one sets out courageously—but after a while corruptions rise high within, corruptions are strong without, the eye is drawn off Jesus, the devil gets an advantage—and the soul begins to sink. Oh, keep your eye steadily fixed on Christ, and you shall go through fire and water and they shall not hurt you.” ~JC Ryle

“So Jesus again said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the Door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the Good Shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. So there will be one flock, one Shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from My Father.'”
~ Jesus, King of The Universe, in John 10

Oh beloved, it is true.

We are all looking for a fulfilling life. And the joy of this is that G_d has exactly the same idea. Our problem is that we often go looking for this life in all the wrong places. Because, it is not to be found in a place – it is to be found in a Person. Actually, it is not even “in” a Person. This fulfillment we are looking for, IS a Person.

Dr. Peter Kreeft says this so well: “It is so simple that it is like the center point of a circle. It is the whole circle. It contains in itself the whole gospel. The Catechism says: “The name ‘Jesus’ contains all: God and man and the whole economy of creation and salvation.” Into this name the Christian can pour all of his faith, with nothing whatsoever left over, for to be a Christian is to rest all of your faith on Christ, with nothing left over.”

But, once we realize this truth, we find it. We find that all of the fulfillment we were looking for, in all of the stupid things we used to do (and sometimes still do) were not carriers of the same. We found that, in fact, all of everything else we were doing were actually agents of the evil one, come to steal our joy – and to try and kill us in the process.

Can we see it?

Also, once we realize this truth, we find Him. We find that, though we thought He was far away, and though we thought He was stern and cool and distant – He is not. He, the very Person of Jesus, is (and has been) forever in a passionate pursuit of us. Finally, one day, we just got quiet enough to hear His Voice. And nothing has been the same ever since. He came into us so strongly that it killed us. And we have finally been truly alive from that moment forward.

We find that He is what we have been looking for all along. We find that everything else we have ever been involved in, up to this point, is actually a complete and total waste in comparison to finally just knowing someone, and not being afraid that we are going to be left alone – ever again.

So beloved, does any of this make any sense to you? If not, perhaps you have spent too much effort trying to find hope in your job or your family or your chemicals – or even in your Christianity. Because, none of these things (no matter how good they are) will ever fill you (or this fool of a writer) up. Stop for a moment. Stop, and listen. He is calling you with a voice so loving and real and powerful, that the sound of it alone will fill your heart beyond measure.

Tonight is your night. Time to listen for His voice. Time to look towards Who you hear.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 39; Proverbs 9

Daily Quote: Do you think that the man-loving God has given you so much so that you could use it only for your own benefit? No, but so that your abundance might supply the lack of others. – St. John Chrysostom

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The Honey Ham

12/08/201612/05/20161 Comment

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6 (NASB)

The last time I was with you I was buzz-sawing through lineages. Maybe you thought I left out a lot of details, but to be honest with you it was about getting to a remnant and that remnant was the tribe of Judah. When we look into the Old Testament we can see that many people and tribes fall by the wayside when it came to the things of YHVH but He kept a remnant of righteousness to ensure His plan of salvation. You can find that plan worded like this… “Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.” (Isaiah 11:1-2)

But something is gonna happen within the family of David that will clear a path to Messiah and send God’s people into exile. If you were to put the Old Testament in an order that was close to historical events, you would get this king named Zedekiah (meaning “My righteousness is Yahweh”) towards the end of David’s house rule over Israel. First thing to mention is the name change…Zedekiah was Mattanyahu at one time. It meant “gift of God” but when you do business with the king of Babylon you can get a title and a name change. Eventually YHVH would tell Zedekiah to “Remove the turban, and take off the crown; Nothing shall remain the same. Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted.” (Ezekiel 21:26) People are then sent to a land that is not their own and the ways of those people weren’t their ways…

…whatever was left of Israel had returned to the land that YHVH had promised their forefathers some 70 years later but the good old days were gone, forever. And then there would be a silence from YHVH of Biblical proportions, sshhhh….

Then came the iron fist of Rome and it was all about survival not revival.

And so here I am some 2,000 years later wondering how to illuminate my house for the Christmas season (think I’ll go with multi-colored strands of lights and the possibility of 28” snowflake as my centerpiece). Anytime I get into this “decorative spirit” I enter the zone of frustration because, well, it’s sure to be cold the day I decide to do this project, AND, not everything works the way I intent them to. GRRR… “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is about?” echo’s in my head. The answer is quite clear (when I am not trying to untangle the mess of lights I said I wouldn’t allow to get tangled last year when I did this, the total definition of insanity I might add). God does. We’ve just added a lot of nonsense to it.

The day itself is a festival of The Lord’s Anointed but in essence it is really a narrative of redemption that started when Adam and Eve thought it a great idea to eat some fruit because, according to the serpent, God was holding out on them. Now we adored each other with gifts on Christmas to show we aren’t holding out on others but that was never the intention. The intention is Jesus Christ and the saving grace we receive from Him so that we all can stand before a holy and righteous God without blemish because we’ve been cleansed through the redemptive blood of The Lamb. That it is important to understand lineages. So, when they get read out-loud in church this season I got a little advice for ya…deal with it.

Every so often I do get the “I ain’t putting up the lights—BAH HUMBUG ON YOUR COMMERCIALIZED CHRISTMAS!!” but I’m frightened by the notion that Vic Frohmeyer (Dan Aykroyd’s character in “Christmas with the Kranks) will show up on my lawn reminding me the importance of Hemlock Street (or Route 50 in my case) winning the award for best decorations. But in actually the effort I put into putting those lights helps me mediate of the words of Jesus… “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matt 5:14-16)

The redemptive narrative doesn’t have me chasing the things of the world (like a honey ham rolling through a parking only to be crushed by a passing truck) on the contrary, it has me choosing to pursue that which calls me heavenward through Christ. That’s why the lights go up. Why do ours go up…or do they go up at all? And if they don’t, do we need to give Vic a call?

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: Psalm 38; Proverbs 8

Daily Quote: “This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols, but the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift, the Christ.” — Frank McKibben

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

What Have You Done For Me Lately?

12/07/201612/05/2016Leave a comment

“Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.” – Romans 11:22

“We bend over backwards for you”, I can still hear my Dad saying as he looked down on an ungrateful and discontent child. We weren’t rich, but I had more than most kids growing up. But it was never enough. Now that I’m old(er), I can look back and see how I abused my parents.

Truth be told, I still find myself with an attitude of “What have you done for me lately” towards God. It’s usually in those times when I’m not getting my way or I’m looking around at what everyone else has or to see those who are taking advantage of God’s people and “seem” to be getting away with it.

The statement in Chapter 11 of Romans warns us to be careful to “continue in His goodness.” I take that as being thankful and content in the place God has me. I don’t have to like it but compared to most I’m blessed, and He’ll deal with the injustice in His time.

The picture I see drawn in this very difficult chapter in the Bible is to keep verses 33 – 36 as the key verse of the chapter.

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen”

This is when we decide to get on the Bus and enjoy the ride, the best part of a bus trip is the old slogan “leave the driving to us.” The difference is that God is driving and is inviting us to climb aboard, only thing is follow Jude’s instructions in verses 20,21 “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

So the answer to my question “What have You done for me lately” is “more than I deserve.” Amen!

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 37; Proverbs 7

Daily Quote: “”No matter what our circumstance, we can find a reason to be thankful.” – David Jeremiah

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

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