Keswick Mornings at Ed’s Desk

“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)

Over the past few years when I would spend any length of time at America’s Keswick I would make it a point to stop in and have a sit down with the guy that headed up Guest Services, Ed Weiss. Not too sure how I really got introduced to Ed but over his time at Keswick I got to know a guy who I could call a brother. Early in the morning after coming back with my WaWa coffee I would find Ed at his desk beginning his day and he would tell me to take a seat. We shared a lot of things that would always end up with the both of us saying “But for the grace of God…” Those conversations have come to end, first by Ed moving on from Keswick and then, more recently, Ed moving on into glory.

I got the news while at work and it was very difficult to keep my emotion together. God, in His infinite wisdom, chose to take another close friend from me. Month’s earlier it was James Getz and in both cases I had to find a time and the place to shed a tear. I don’t cry very much but when I hear that someone who God used to sharpen me has gone home I feel as if something inside of me has come to an end. James and I were kinda similar with our view of the world around us but Ed came from a different direction but both always ended at the foot of The Cross. The one thing I told Ed that he would always have over me was he did “The Suit” way better than I could or even feel like, but that was never meant to diminish the servant’s heart that Ed had.

I think of Proverbs 27:17 when it comes to Colony brothers who leave an impact like Ed Weiss did. The KJV put’s it like this, “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Basically saying brothers are to have conversation with each other to turn that frown…upside down. We need to keep our minds sharp so we are aware of the schemes of our adversary, to remind each other of God’s grace and the gifts that come from that so that as a band of brothers we can go out to love an unlovable world and do God’s work without prejudice. We need to be of good cheer when we do get to sharpening each other because there is a 180° turn in this and that is as “iron strikes iron and sharpens it, so a wrathful man irritates and provokes wrath in another.” So it is imperative that we remember that “as iron delighteth in iron, so a man rejoiceth the countenance of his friend”

Keep in mind that there is both the pleasure and the advantage of conversation. No man should think himself an island nor doesn’t it do him any good putting himself in a corner to read his Bible alone, thinking he is coming to any complete understanding of it.  Wise and profitable conversation sharpens men’s minds; it sharpens men’s looks, puts a briskness and liveliness into the countenance, and gives a man such an air as shows he is pleased himself and makes him pleasing to those about him. (very Matt Henry there) Good men’s graces are sharpened by talking with those that are good, and bad men’s lusts and passions are sharpened by talking with those that are bad. That’s just the long and short of it.

Even though we grew up in different worlds, Ed and I had some conversations that only could come from what Jesus Christ did in both of our lives, but what of the rest of you? Are you sitting down having coffee and conversation with a brother who is one with you in Christ even if he has come from the other side of the tracks? If you are that is absolutely bringing a smile on the face of Jesus but if that isn’t the case in your life I ask you to consider this,  “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends (John 15:12-13).  Jesus said this in His last conversation with The Apostles along with a great many things done to encourage them not to lose heart. I’ll be remembering Ed as the guy who reflected this…I hope you can say the same about a brother who encourages you not to lose heart. Amen? Chris Hughes is a weekly Freedom Fighter blogger and a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. You can email him at cphughes@verizon.net

Daily Bible Reading: Exodus 19-20; 1 Thessalonians 5

Think About This: “If you become a necessity to someone else’s life, you are out of God’s will. As a servant, your primary responsibility is to be a “friend of the bridegroom” (John 3:29). When you see a person who is close to grasping the claims of Jesus Christ, you know your influence has been used in the right direction.”—Oswald Chambers

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: The Lord judges the peoples; Vindicate me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me. Psalm 7:8

Don’t Fear Being Weak

And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Last week I shared with you what happened on the day after my friend, Ed Weiss had his fatal heart attack.

The Lord continued to speak to me about my weakness and His strength through Dr. Paul David Tripp’s new daily devotional, New Morning Mercies – A Daily Gospel Devotional. Here is what he shared on February 19th

Don’t fear your weaknesses— God supplies all the strength you need. Be afraid of those moments when you think you’re independently strong. Admit it, you don’t like being weak. It’s not fun being the last one chosen to play on the team. It’s embarrassing to be asked a question you can’t answer. It’s frustrating not to be able to figure out the directions for assembling the furniture you just bought. It’s mortifying to forget that important appointment or the name of a good friend. It’s humbling to fail at a task, to drop the ball, or to make a promise and not be able to keep it. We don’t like getting lost or forgetting a phone number. We all hate those moments when we feel unqualified or unprepared. We don’t like being confused or not knowing. We covet the muscles and the brains of others. We all hate being afraid and wish we had more courage. In the face of heroes, we feel anything but. In the face of the accomplishments of others, we wonder if we have done much that’s worthwhile. We don’t like facing the truth that we’re all weak in our own ways. It is the universal condition of humanity. In a world where you are on your own, where you have to find your own way and independently build your life, weakness is a thing to be feared.

In a world where all you have in the end is your thinking, your drive, your performance, and your achievements, weakness is a thing to be regretted. In a world where you have no one to turn to for strength and few who accept you when you don’t have it, weakness is a thing to be avoided. But here is what you need to understand. Weakness is not the big danger to be avoided. What you need to avoid is your delusions of strength. Those assessments of independent strength are much more dangerous.

Are you confused? The fact is that we are all weak. We’re weak in wisdom, weak in strength, and weak in righteousness. Sin has left us weak of heart and hands. It has left us feeble and lame in many ways. But God’s grace makes weakness a thing to be feared no longer. The God of grace who calls you to himself and calls you to live for him blesses you with all the strength you need to do what he’s called you to do. The way to enter into that strength is to admit how little strength you actually have. Grace frees me from being devastated that I can no longer trust me because grace connects me to One who is worthy of my trust and who will always deliver what I need. “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the L ORD our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright” (Ps. 20: 7– 8).

Tripp, Paul David (2014-10-31). New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional (Kindle Locations 1312-1332). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

So where are you feeling weak today? In what ways can you now rely on Him for His strength? I’d love to hear from some fellow travelers. – Bill Welte is President/CEO of America’s Keswick

Daily Bible Reading: Exodus 16-18; 1 Thessalonians 4

Think About This: Don’t fear your weaknesses— God supplies all the strength you need. Be afraid of those moments when you think you’re independently strong. Paul David Tripp

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: The Lord judges the peoples; Vindicate me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me. Psalm 7:8 NASB

The Fruit and The Vine: WAITING ON GOD

“I waited patiently for the LORD; He inclined to me and heard my cry.   Psalm 40:1 (ESV)

As I come to the end of my study into probably the hardest fruit of the Spirit I know, patience, long-suffering (however you like to envision it) I end with the hardest aspect of it…waiting on God. If I haven’t already told you I ain’t got patience too good but when it comes to waiting for God I flat out stink at it. It’s like waiting for your parents to do that one thing you want them to do with you or even that thing you want them to get for you…then it never comes through (maybe this is where the root of my problem with patience lies). Anyway, waiting on God gives a whole new meaning to long suffering because, quite frankly, God does long suffering better than all of us combined.

I mean let’s face this from The Garden view. There was disobedience, God said what He would do to make things right (Genesis 3:15) and He has been waiting for all of His creation to get in line with it. When we read Psalm 40:1-5 we should see clearly that even a guy (or a King) like David could wait patiently for the Lord’s help while being in what the ESV translates as a pit of destruction and a miry bog. David clearly expresses that it was his God that brought him outta that nonsense and place him on The Rock. Now it doesn’t take being a Biblical scholar or a being a fancy 17^th century theologian to tell me that this Rock is Jesus Christ. In just five verses David gives me the answer to what will give me a new song to sing when I am brought outta the on-site Spot-a-Pot!! And yet I sit there and do that thing we shouldn’t do…what was that thing again…some sign on the wall in the Colony Kitchen…oh yeah, complain.

It’s not that there is complaining of what is provided; it’s timing that gets me. When I played in the garage bands that I had been involved with many-a-moon ago a song sounding good depended on timing…and maybe knowing something about the instrument you played. Yes you practice until it gets right but your hope is that what you finally got was a spot-on sound that left you without words but knowing that it was right. But when you are in a band you have trust that you all are on the same page. It is in that “TRUST” where there can be difficulty after all, “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.”(Psalm 118:8) and yet I seem to still invest into something that God has already told me will fail.

I think the crux of the matter lies in Psalm 40:4, “Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!” David knew right up front that blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust. “A simple single eyed confidence in God is the sure mark of blessedness.” wrote Charles Spurgeon. When I display those moments that are lacking of long suffering, I am displaying my lack of trust in God, ain’t I? My own pride gets in the way of that and here’s how Spurgeon would respond to that… “The proud expect all men to bow down and do them reverence, as if the worship of the golden calves were again set up in Israel; but believing men are too noble to honor mere money bags, or cringe before bombastic dignity. The righteous pay their respect to humble goodness, rather than to inflated self-consequence.”

At the end of the day my whole issue with not having a complete ripening of the Spiritual fruit of patience in my life lies solely with my ability to trust God wholly and to stop squirming off the altar when the 11^th hour approaches. I need to really hold on to the truth that I am a blessed man when my trust is in God solely. My wife and I tell others that He isn’t out to makes happy but to make us holy. The thing is He never gave it a time table…He just said be ready when the time comes. That’s the benefit of long suffering, being ready. Amen? Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and is a weekly Freedom Fighter blogger

Daily Bible Reading: Exodus 9-11; 1 Thessalonians 1

Think About This: “A man may be as poor as Lazarus, as hated as Mordecai, as sick as Hezekiah, as lonely as Elijah, but while his hand of faith can keep its hold on God, none of his outward afflictions can prevent his being numbered among the blessed; but the wealthiest and most prosperous man who has no faith is accursed, be he who he may.”— Charles H. Spurgeon

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24

Please note: Yesterday’s blog was written by Doug Barger, Director of Men’s Ministries at Bethesda Mission. Somehow his name did not appear and I wanted to make sure you all knew he was the one who wrote the devotional for Tuesday, February 17, 2015

COURAGEOUS

I remember as I was growing up friends use to say things like, “come on don’t be scared “or “just do it scaredy cat.”  This implies lack of courage, which is exactly how Satan works in our heads.

If we now as men (Spiritual Leaders) don’t teach our families, both biological and extended what the word of God says about courage than our loved ones my experience some unnecessary heart aches and pain.  We have a responsibility to them and to God to help explain and grasp the true meaning of courage.

Not only do we need to teach it with words out of the Bible, but by an example in our walk.  Every time we display a lack of courage others around us might misconstrue the meaning of courage according to the Bible.  Exodus 1: 15-22, Esther 3:2, 4:13-16, Daniel 3:16-18 helps show us that courageous people risk their lives to do what is right.  Acts 5:29  “We must obey God rather than human authority”.

Courageous people risk their reputations to do what is right. Courageous people are also bold in representing Christ. We should take every opportunity to share with others about Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit for this courage so that others can see how your personal loving relationship with Christ Has provided you with the courage to preserver through what the world views as courage.  John 16:33 “I have told you all this so that you might have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trails and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

There are many verses instructing us to be strong and courageous. This is the focus this year for our Christian family; I hope you can glean from it as well.

Joshua1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

You’re Brother in Christ

Brian Ferguson

Brian Ferguson is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and serves full-time at America’s Keswick. He is an on-line student at Lancaster Bible College. You can write Brian at bferguson@americaskeswick.org

Daily Bible Reading: Exodus 7-8; Mark 16

Think About This: “The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”  ― C.S. Lewis

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24

Is it by faith or works that I am saved?

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,  and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?  So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

I love the Apostle James and those who came alongside of me in my Christian walk that helped me to understand true saving faith.  There seems to be a ton of people in the world who are banking on some type of event in their life that states that they have eternal life.  Here are some of the things that I hear from others who say that they have eternal life.

1. I prayed a prayer at church and the preacher told me that I was saved? Through all the conversions in the New Testament there is never an example of the sinners prayer. Don’t get me wrong, I have prayed that prayer in my days, and there are days when I am in touch with just how much of a sinner I am and how much I need Jesus.  The “prayer” does not save us nor does it cause the new birth in us.  What is does do, is help us to understand who we are and who God is and then as we plead for his mercy, God reconciles us unto himself.  He does the saving not the prayer.
2. I walk the aisle at a church service or crusade. Again, this is not what saves us. As a matter of speaking all of the following are just events that may happen at the time of our salvation but they do not save us.
3. Remembering a time and a date that we said a prayer or walked the isle.
4. Singing in the choir, reading the Bible, going to church, being a nice person to others, donating money to the cause of Christ. Although these are good things within themselves, they do not save us.
5. I live a good life and I am a good person. Scripture says, that my righteousness is as filthy rags. If I could live a good enough life, or be a good enough person, then I have just one question:  why did Jesus come to die for us then?  Right, we could never be that good or have that good of a life.  Perfection is what God requires, and none of us are able.
6. It is not enough to say or profess that I have faith in God, Jesus, Spirit, especially if your life does not line up with what you say you believe.

There seems to be a lot of confusion in the world today about what it takes for a person to know that he belongs to God.  If you are hanging on to one of those events, what assurance do you have that you belong to Christ.  Isn’t the Bible crystal clear that if I am born again, that the old way of life is passing away (process of putting off) and behold the new life has come (process of putting on Christ).

It is like when I was a kid growing up and on Easter my mom would make sure that we got new clothes.  As a kid, I did not appreciate getting the new clothes because getting the chocolate bunny, the jelly beans, and the kite was much more interesting than the new clothes.  As I think about that now, Easter is all about the new clothes.  I just did not get that as a kid, and quite frankly, my mom never taught us that the new clothes are what Jesus did for us while he hung on the cross at Calvary.

Some folks think that all that I have to do is believe in Jesus.  James says, “that the demons believe and they shutter”.  His context is faith without good deeds, is dead faith and that true living faith requires action.  Look at the calling of the disciples by Jesus.  When he met fisherman, in order for their faith to be real, they had to drop their nets and leave them behind (old clothes) and follow Jesus (faith in action).  The tax collector was to stop overtaxing the people (putting off the old) and follow Jesus (pay back – putting on the new).

Over and over again, faith is always accompanied by good works.  Read Acts 9, the conversion of Saul, who became the Apostle Paul, who because of faith stopped destroying the Church of Christ, and took partnership with Jesus in building and establishing his Church.  So, I would agree with James, that salvation is by faith, but my works are proof that my salvation is real.  It is one thing to believe something in my head, and it is another thing to live my life like that which I believe changes me.  Doug Barger is Director of Men’s Ministries at Bethesda Mission in Harrisburg, PA. You can email Doug at dbarger2030@comcast.net

Daily Bible Reading: Exodus 4-6; Mark 15:26-47

Think About This: Our entire being is fashioned as an instrument of praise. Just as a master violin maker designs an instrument to produce maximum aesthetic results, so God tailor-made our bodies, souls and spirits to work together in consonance to produce pleasing expressions of praise and worship. Lamar Boschman

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24

Who was right, who was wrong?

In the books of Acts, there was a conflict between Paul and Barnabas.  Prior to this issue, we know that Barnabas assisted Paul in his inauguration in the ministry (Acts: 9) Further it is recorded later in Acts that they worked alongside each other in the spreading of the Gospel, in turn, they were instrument in developing the conditions in the early church.

Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them to the next expedition. However, Paul thought it best not to include John Mark because he had left them in an earlier journey. “But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.” (Acts 15:39-40)

John Mark had left them in the midst of an earlier journey and Paul was using discernment from that experience. Barnabas, which means son of consolation or son of exhortation, son of comfort. He was doing what he naturally do, encourage. He wanted to inspire his cousin John Mark to continue in the work of the Lord.

Paul went on to do great things for God, which is recorded openly in the scriptures. Barnabas took quieter route, but I am sure he was essential in John Mark’s life. The scripture describe this issue vaguely, but these two men continue in the work of God not being moved because of their     faith push through their emotions and pain for the greater good.

This was not an argument over scripture; this was a personal opinion on the matter between two men of God filled with the Holy Spirit. Who was right, who was wrong and what can we learn for this story? First, we do not have all the complete discernment on every issue, so just because I am right, doesn’t mean if someone disagrees with me that they’re wrong. Second, they are times that God will call us to things that other Christiana might not agree. And that’s ok; we serve a God with wisdom beyond our perspectives.

If you think Paul was correct because he was more vocal in his ministry later he says, “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministering” (2 Tim. 4:11). Juan Mendez is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and is now serving as a Chaplain. You can write to him at jmendez@americaskeswick.org

Daily Bible Reading: Exodus 1-3; Mark 15:1-25

Think About This: We should not judge people by their peak of excellence; but by the distance they have traveled from the point where they started. Henry Ward Beecher

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24

Have I Not COMMANDED YOU?

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you WHEREVER you go. Joshua 1:9

This past week was very difficult for the America’s Keswick family. One of our Colony of Mercy graduates and former staff member, Ed Weiss, had a massive heart attack and went home to be with Jesus early Thursday morning.

We have had so many losses over the past year and into this one, and on Friday morning around 4:00 AM as I was waking up, I was ready to throw in the towel. Feeling emotionally drained, depleted spiritually and just weak, I told the Lord I don’t want to do this anymore. I didn’t want to be in charge. I don’t want to be responsible for stuff. I am done. People tell me all the time I am strong. I don’t want that responsibility anymore.

After I got done ranting in my head, a sweet calmness flooded over me and while I didn’t hear the audible voice of God, in my heart it was as if He was saying to me, “Let’s talk about the theme verse for 2015 that I gave to you!”

Well I knew then I was going to the tool shed! J He gently reminded me, the verse is not a suggestion. It’s not a recommendation for your consideration. It is a COMMAND! The command is to be strong and courageous.

Now lest you think the strength has to do with you? You are nothing without Me. You are only strong when you are weak? I am the One who is sustaining and strengthening you. And because of My strength, you don’t have to be afraid or even be dismayed. I am with you WHEREVER you go.

Please don’t shoot me or send me letters. This isn’t about getting new revelation from God. I believe for me the Holy Spirit was flooding back to my mind the Word of God that I have committed to memory over the years. He was speaking to my heart in a special way and the peace of God washed over me and I fell back into a sweet sleep.

Later on in the day my wife Jan sent me a list of verses. And you guessed it, it confirmed in my heart what God was saying to me in the early hours of the morning.

I have told you before, I am a slow learner, but I am very thankful that in the midst of the craziness of life, when all around us there is chaos and confusion, we are not alone. We can depend on HIM! He is MY Rock! He is my Fortress! He is my STRONG Deliver. Thank You Lord, for speaking to my heart.

Is there an area in your life where you are afraid? Dismayed? Maybe today would be a good day to write the promise of Joshua 1:9 in your heart. – Bill Welte is President/CEO of America’s Keswick

Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 65-66; Mark 14:54-72

Think About This: Great comforts do, indeed, bear witness to the truth of thy grace, but not to the degree of it; the weak child is oftener in the lap than the strong one. William Gurnall

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24

The Fruit and The Vine: LONG SUFFERING III

“Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”                                                                                                       Matthew 18:21-22 (NKJV)

In the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” there is scene where Davy Jones has had enough of young master Will Turners check. Davy Jones slaps a tea cup outta Will’s hand and exclaims “Do not test me.” Davy pretty much loses his patience with being told about losing and betraying a love of his heart, Calypso!! His circumstances in his present life are very much based in this moment he once had with her. Shame too, because he didn’t even do what he was commissioned to do as Captain of The Dutchmen—ferry the dead of the sea to their final resting place. Instead he attacks the living and finds joy in preying on their fear of him and an impending death. Biblical sight being 20/20 Jesus wouldn’t have any of Davy Jones’ check. Here’s why…

Jesus is quite clear when He tells us that good relationships require work, which includes a special kind of determination, patience and what Davy Jones lacks…mercy. Matthew 18 is full of examples of where we can see this as a reality.  Such is the case where Peter, who should know better, asks Jesus about the amount of times a brother can be forgiven. It is as if he is making sure that it is only seven times and that would be for a lifetime. But that is not how Jesus works, is it? Absolutely not, instead we get a parable about an unmerciful servant. You remember him, don’t you? A king loses his patience with the servants debt being unpaid, but shows him mercy and forgives the debt. Whereas the servant bumps into someone who owes him much less, loses his patience with the friend, throws him jail over the debt and in the end winds up having the mercy showed him removed from him. Not good!!

Let’s paraphrase my buddy Matt Henry for this—As Christians we live solely on God’s mercy and forgiveness but at times we seem to go backward to forgive the offenses of our brothers (or sisters). We’ve three things to glean from the parable as well.

1. The king’s clemency. Just like the debt forgiven by the king our heavenly Father knows that the debt of sin is too great, so great that we are not able to erase it. See here what every sin deserves; this is the wages of sin, to be sold as a slave or to be sent to Lake El-Burn-O.
2. The servant’s unreasonable severity toward his friend, very unlike the king’s clemency toward him. I mean, after being forgiven for his massive debt why did the forgiven servant refuse to be patient and merciful with his friend? I guess we shouldn’t make light of wronging our friends but it ain’t cool to aggravate the wrong done by our friends towards us.
3. The king’s rebuking his servant’s cruelty. “The greatness of sin magnifies the riches of pardoning mercy; and the comfortable sense of pardoning mercy, does much to dispose our hearts to forgive our brethren.” (Matthew Henry) Too bad that when we lose our patience this wonderful statement gets chucked out the window…bottom line, no matter how much it frustrates you, you have to forgive in the same manner that you’ve been forgiven by a God that can open the earth beneath your feet and swallow you up.

I haven’t been able to figure out what it is about me that trips me up like Peter. At times I really want there to be a limit to how I need to forgive the same person over the same thing, over and over again. I get myself all worked up over nothing (well it ain’t nothing most times anyway) with people and in reality they need to be forgiven just as much as I do. I know that seventy times seven (490 for those keeping score) isn’t enough forgiveness for what I’ve done but because of what the ultimate example of patience and forgiveness , Jesus Christ, has taught me sometimes it isn’t about what He has extended to me but what I have to extend to others. Amen? Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a weekly Freedom Fighter blogger. You can email him at cphughes515@verizon.net

Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 56-58; Mark 13:21-37

Think About This: “A sanctified Christian cannot cherish grudges and keep grievances. We dare lay up any account against a brother even for a single night, or we cannot claim His full forgiveness for ourselves.”—A.B. Simpson

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 27:14

Join us tonight, February 12^th for our Men’s Fellowship Night with Pastor Willy Winborne. Check out this link for details!!! Come bring a friend!!!

The Great Exchange

“To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;  That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”Isaiah 61:3

Isaiah 61:1, 2 are a great portion of scripture as quoted by Jesus in the 4^th chapter of Luke. It’s probably one of the most comforting things His followers ever heard.

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.”

The following verse is what I like to call “The Great Exchange”. I prefer the King James word for console, it’s “appoint unto them”, it can be defined as “to ordain or establish”. I like exchange.

I remember growing up and before I could get out the door to visit my Mom would put a halt on my exit until I was presentable. I’d have to trade my worn and dirty clothes for a set of fresh and clean ones, also the dirt that was covering me would need to come off.

God is telling us that a benefit of belonging to Him is that Jesus is able to “give beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness”. To know that when we cast our cares on Him, He cares for us in a way that prepares us to represent Him.

In the same way my Mom wouldn’t want her son to misrepresent our family God wants us to walk in victory “That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

If we’re a child of God and walk around with a dooms day mentality, it sends a confusing signal to an unbelieving world.

What is it about your walk that is appealing to someone who doesn’t know the Lord. I believe that we have an obligation to take heed to the word of God, not only for our own good but also to represent and glorify Him. In Psalm 23 we’re told “He restores my soul, He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake”.

When we do the things that glorify God we can experience “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” Phil 4:7.

So are you ready to trade in or exchange your ashes? If so, God wants to turn them into something beautiful. Rob Russomano is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and serves full-time at America’s Keswick. You can email him at rrussomano@americaskeswick.org

Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 53-55; Mark 13:1-20

Think About This: “We have been brought into an unshakable kingdom and our home in Christ is secure. And this home is established on his sacrificial love. It does not collapse under the weight of our sins, the strength of our enemies, or the assault of death itself.”~~Ed Welch

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 27:14

Join us this Thursday night, February 12^th for our Men’s Fellowship Night with Pastor Willy Winborne. Check out this link for details!!! Come bring a friend!!!

Confessions of a King!

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.”(Psalms 51:1-3)

I really love the example of humility from the King of all Israel as he recognizes his sin. David openly admits his need to resist a prideful position as King and the importance of submitting himself to the greater One. He desires nothing more than restoration between himself and God.

This reminds me that David was not perfect in all his ways, but his heart was yielding towards God and concerned with the pleasures of the Lord. The acknowledgment of his wrong was the beginning of the recovery process. Sidebar: recovery is not only in the areas of addictions.

One of the few benefits of being addicted to a life dominating sin is everything is exposed and put out into the open. When our sin is truly in the open, we receive the freedom to share our internal and external struggles that many others hold onto. As a result, we truly appreciate the deliverance accessed by God’s mercy in amazing ways.

The results of sin are devastating to our relationship with God, the ones we sin against, and to our wellbeing in general. When we stop blaming everyone and everything else, we can begin to turn away from our wicked ways.

When we get to the place where our relationship with God is more important than an image of false righteousness then we can begin traveling the road toward victory. Jesus Christ provides the ultimate atonement for our sins and if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanse of all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 – Chaplain Juan Mendez is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and serves there full-time. You can email him at jmendez@americaskeswick.org

Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 50-52; Mark 12:28-44

Think About This: There are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. ‘Good pride’ represents our dignity and self-respect. ‘Bad pride’ is the deadly sin of superiority that reeks of conceit and arrogance. John C. Maxwell

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 27:14