Killing Two Birds with One Stone

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17

I have struggled most of my life with weight issues. In elementary school I was chubby, and into adult life I have battled with my weight. I moved from being called chubby to being called “rotund” and last year my grandkids called be “fat.”

Over the past year I have been working at the weight thing and have made progress with the eating issues and have dropped some significant weight. But I am a long way from getting to where I believe I need to be.

I have also done battle with exercise. I have all the tools at my disposal, but they won’t do me any good if I never use them.

So this year I set a goal to exercise regularly. I am not telling you what that means for me – that’s between me and the Lord. But like any other goal, having it on paper doesn’t mean a hill of beans if I don’t move it from a goal to an action item.

So during my vacation I took the plunge and I am on a roll.

Now being the obsessive compulsive that I am, I now have had to figure out how to fit it all into my day without stressing so it doesn’t become a drudgery, or fall by the wayside.

This week I had an amazing discovery. Could I combine my Bible and devotional reading with my exercise, particularly my walking on the treadmill! Yes! I found a neat app on my IPad called Bible.is. This week I have done my daily Bible reading (Keswick list), a chapter in Proverbs, and reading through a book of the New Testament.

I was amazed at how quickly the time passed, but more importantly, I was amazed at the benefit of both hearing and reading the word. It forced me to slow down (I tend to be a speed reader) and in slowing down, connecting what I heard with what I read = greater comprehension for me.

I read that we remember 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, and 50% of what we see and hear. Wow.

So I am going to try to add the audio link for you for the Bible Reading Plan listed below. It will be from the ESV – so give it a try and let me know what you think. My guess is that like me, some of you will benefit from this approach to your daily time with God.

What are some of the ways that you have found to help you in developing your time with God? I know that we would all benefit from hearing your ideas.

Running the race with joy,

Bill Welte
President/CEO America’s Keswick

Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 34-36; Mark 9:1-29

Quote of the day:  With God our trust can be abandoned, utterly free. In him are no limitations, no flaws, no weaknesses. His judgment is perfect, his knowledge of us is perfect, his love is perfect. Eugenia Price

Bible Memory: Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word. Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things from your law. Psalm 119:17-18

A Prayer about Ordained Days and Thoughts of God

In your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. (Ps. 139:16–18)

We are at the end of another week, but starting a new month! Today’s Gospel prayer couldn’t be more fitting for today.

Heavenly Father, it’s my birthday, and the number just keeps getting bigger. Yet as “vast” and “great” as the sum of my years seems to me today, vaster and greater are my thoughts of you. The number of my years is calculated merely in terms of decades, but if I tried to “do the math” concerning your glory and grace, I’d have to count every grain of sand on every beach that has ever existed. With David I can honestly say, “How precious to me are your thoughts” (Ps. 139:17).

Father, keep on rescuing me from all wrong thinking about you. Keep showing me how little I really see and understand about the greatness of your love for us in Jesus. That won’t embarrass me; it will truly thrill me. May the gospel keep on getting bigger and bigger and bigger.

It’s a source of incredible peace and freedom to know that you’ve ordained all of my days for me. That feels not like unfair fatalism but rather Fatherly affection. I’ll not live one day more or one day less than you decree, by your sovereign purposes and eternal pleasure.

There’s a part of me that would like to turn the clock back for a possible “do-over,” especially for certain stretches of my life. But then again, not really. Your name is Redeemer, and you’re the God who restores years eaten away by locusts. I choose to rest in your love rather than stew in my regrets. I have great confidence and hope in your commitment to make all things new.

All I ask is that each additional day, week, month, or year you appoint for me in this world will be filled with a greater grasp of the only love that will never let go of us. By your Spirit, Father, continue to reveal to me how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ—the only love that surpasses knowledge (Eph. 3:18–19). Everything else will take care of itself. I make my prayer in Jesus’ matchless and merciful name. Amen.

Smith, Scotty (2011-09-01). Everyday Prayers for a Transformed Life: 365 Days to Gospel-Centered Faith (Kindle Locations 1005-1030). Baker Book Group. Kindle Edition. Daily Bible Reading:

Have a great weekend, my dear brothers. I love and appreciate you. Thanks for joining me on the journey.

Running the race with joy,

Bill Welte
President/CEO of America’s Keswick

Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 28-29; Mark 7:1-13

Quote of the day: The heart is rich when it is content, and it is always content when its desires are fixed on God. Miguel Cordero-Munoz

Bible Memory: I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. Psalm 119:15-16

A God Who Forgives and Forgets

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: “I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”  (Hebrews 10:16-17)

            The writer of Hebrews states that it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sin.  However, in Hebrews 9:13-14, the writer reminds us that blood is required for forgiveness of sins.  He writes, For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve a living God. 

God cannot just arbitrarily say, I forgive you.  His justice and righteousness and holiness demand that a price be paid for sin.  That price was paid by God’s own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.   God stands upon the shed blood of Jesus to pronounce sinners forgiven.

The question before us now is What sins can God forgive?  The answer is, All sins and every sin.

Sometimes someone will tell me he has committed a sin that is too horrible, too bad, and too great for God to forgive.  I take great delight in telling that person that the blood of Jesus Christ has the power to cleanse a sinner of all sin and every sin.

You can also have assurance of forgiveness.  Did you notice the words in Hebrews 10:17?  Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.  What God forgives, He forgets.  You do not have to worry about God tapping you on the shoulder and reminding you of a past sin.  If you have confessed that sin and repented of that sin, it is forgiven and forgotten.

Micah 7:19 says, You will cast our sins into the depths of the sea.  Someone said that after God cast our sins into the depths of the sea, He put up a “No Fishing” sign.

The psalmist says, As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us  (Psalm 103:12).  Why did the psalmist say east to west rather than north to south?  Because God has removed our sins from infinity to infinity, never to be found again.

Have you experienced the forgiveness of God?  Dr. Roger D. Willmore is Senior Pastor of Deerfoot Baptist Church and a popular conference speaker at America’s Keswick. He has written extensively for our new devotional, Real Victory for Real Life

Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 26-27; Mark 6:30-56

Quote of the day: The fruit of the Spirit is not something we achieve by our hard work; it is something we receive because of Christ’s hard work for us. Tullian Tchidvijian

Bible Memory: I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. Psalm 119:15-16

Wait

But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Psalm 37:11

We’ve been asked to adopt a word that God would want us to focus on and hope that it would be transformational in our lives.

My word is meekness, and as I have been considering my word and looking into the meaning I’ve already become aware of how far I have to go. My search has leaded me to a study of psalm 37. It’s a Psalm that emphasizes on not letting injustice cause you to fret, to just let go, trust God and wait.

I was taught early in my Christian walk to be careful when praying for patients, good advice. A wise man wouldn’t tell you not to pray for it but to be careful.

I’m learning through conflict with other so called believers (see, here I go) that although I’ve been watching from a distance to “let God” handle it, I become weary.

Meekness can be defined as strength under submission of an authority, not to be confused as weakness.  For example, they don’t repay evil for evil; they rely on God for justice (vv. 1-3).

The bottom line is I’ve been using meekness more as transactional rather than transformational.

Transactional, meaning if I do this than I receive that which “I” desire.

Transformational, meaning If I do this I “wait” for God’s perfect timing.

I’ll be sharing more in the weeks to come, pray for me.

Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 23-25; Mark 6:1-29

Quote of the day:  Prayer is not an argument with God to persuade him to move things our way, but an exercise by which we are enabled by his Spirit to move ourselves his way. Leonard Ravenhill

Bible Memory: I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. Psalm 119:15-16

What’s that smell?

 An offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Ephesians 5:2b

My big brother in the Lord Wayne often uses the word aroma when describing a situation or an event.

He has really helped me describe an otherwise puzzling circumstance or to take inventory on my reactions. He’ll say “What did it smell like?” I can then properly discern between odor or fragrance. This word “aroma” is used 46 times in the NKJV of the Bible and each time it is preceded by sweet or soothing.

I’ve shared previously that I’ve adopted the word meek or meekness as my assignment from Bill. There are many definitions of this word and none of which seem to be something that comes natural to man. It’s not what you do, it’s who you are. It doesn’t have to be advertised, it just is or it isn’t, you are or you aren’t.

I’m going with the meaning strength under control or self-control. Meekness is associated with the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. It would fall under gentleness but is only attainable by the power of the Holy Spirit and is present when “self” isn’t. The antonym would be prideful or selfish.

I believe God would have us “To walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1b-3

So the next time you “act out”, take a whiff. What does it smell like?

Rob Russomano is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and serves on the full-time ministry team of America’s Keswick

Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 20-22; Mark 5:21-43

Quote of the day:  Life works better when we know how to glance at things but gaze at God. Seeing Him clearly will enable us to see all other things clearly. Selwyn Hughes

Bible Memory: I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. Psalm 119:15-16

Are My Words Acceptable to Him?

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

I am writing this while on vacation in Williamsburg, VA having just watched the inauguration of the President of the United States.

Regardless of our political persuasion, it was a day to celebrate the freedom that we have as American citizens in electing a president in a free America.

While I have major issue with the policies and philosophies of our President, I am very concerned at the nasty un-Christlike rhetoric that so many of my brothers and sisters have been involved with in recent days.

Yes, we have freedom of speech in this democracy. But do we have freedom to be vicious and unkind in the things that we say about the President and his family?

Certainly we need to stand up for our positions as we see many of the issues we hold dear eroding. We have a right as citizens of the United States to express our opinions even though that may be different then someone else.

But as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, does this give me the RIGHT to attack, name call, or be downright nasty and ugly about what we write on Facebook and Twitter?

I was very grieved in my spirit to see Christians sharing a picture of Mrs. Obama comparing her hairstyle to Wookie? That’s just not right, is it?

How do we maintain our credibility with the world when we act just like the world? How do we expect people to respect what we believe when we are no different than the world in our speech.

I am not saying that I have never said unkind or un-Christlike words when referring to our President. I would be a hypocrite to state that knowing in my heart of hearts I am guilty.

The Holy Spirit continues to convict me about my words. It’s even more convicting because I have preached about the use of words.

I want to be more Christ-like in the way that I speak because as Chuck Swindoll has said, “Every time I speak, my words are on parade.”

Maybe that is why David ended Psalm 19 with those powerful words: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in YOUR sight …”

How are you using your words today?

Running the race with joy,

Bill Welte
President/CEO of America’s Keswick

Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 17-19; Mark 5:1-20

Quote of the day:  If ever you wish to see how great and horrid an evil, sin is, measure it in your thoughts, either by the infinite holiness and excellency of God, who is wronged by it; or by the infinite sufferings of Christ, who died to satisfy for it; and then you will have deeper apprehensions of its enormity. John Flavel

Bible Memory: I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. Psalm 119:15-16

A Prayer for Freedom from People-Approval

We speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else. (1 Thess. 2:4–6 NIV)

We’ve completed another week of Freedom Fighter blogs. I trust the entries were helpful to you in your walk with the Lord. Today’s prayer really strikes at my heart as I have struggled most of my life being a people-pleaser.

Patient Father, it’s not just apostles who need freedom from living for the approval of people; it’s all of us . . . it’s me. We can’t serve people well if our need for affirmation or fear of rejection is greater than our love for you. I need your help in this matter this very week.

As I look at my relational brokenness and sin, I can see how “people pleasing” plays out in two directions. On one hand, there are people to whom I attach my umbilical cord (metaphorically speaking) and expect them to give me life. On the other hand, there are people whose umbilical cords I grab and plug into me, assuming the role of life giver. I grieve both of these patterns, Father.

Because the gospel is true, I can freely confess these things. Because the gospel is powerful, I have hope for change. Because the gospel is entrusted to me, I take this matter very seriously.

Lord Jesus, I don’t want to live as an “approval suck.” I want to love others as you love me—and as you love them. It’s flat-out wrong for me to give anybody the power to control me through their affirmation or their rejection. It’s because of your life of perfect obedience that I can be free from living as a poser, pretender, and performer. It’s because of your death for me on the cross that I can live with the absolute assurance of God’s everlasting approval and his steady kindness.

So, God the Holy Spirit, keep “gossiping this gospel” to my heart. Keep bearing witness with my spirit that I’m a beloved child of Abba, Father. Keep giving me the power to repent of all forms of living for the approval of people, a life-sucking snare indeed. I pray in Jesus’ liberating name. Amen.

Smith, Scotty (2011-09-01). Everyday Prayers for a Transformed Life: 365 Days to Gospel-Centered Faith (Kindle Locations 809-829). Baker Book Group. Kindle Edition.

Do you struggle in the area of being a people pleaser? If so, share with us how God has helped you in this area.

Running the race with joy,

Bill Welte
President/CEO of America’s Keswick

Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 9-10; Mark 3:20-35

Quote of the day: If thou thinkest twice before thou speakest once, thou wilt speak twice the better for it. William Penn

Bible Memory: With my whole heart I seek you;    let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:10-11

The Pride Nobody Confesses

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

From mentoring lots of believers over the years, especially grace-junkies, I’m struck by the prevalence of unconfessed self-contempt.  Why is self-contempt not viewed as the prideful sin it is?  I think it’s because it seems right to hate yourself when you sin.  But it’s not.

A humble believer extends grace to self, just like Jesus extends grace to believers as we sin.  And we never stop sinning, because there’s a dark side of our motivation to every seemingly-selfless thing we ever do.  We’re much-more likely to extend grace to other believers, than to ourselves.   Especially other believers we like.  But not to self.  Pride.  We wannabe different.  Whyzat?  Good motive: for the glory of Jesus.  Dark motive: so we can feel good about self.  But Satan works hard at keeping us from seeing our dark motives.  Why are we so vulnerable to Satan’s deception?   Worthiness addiction.  Dissatisfied with the imputed worthiness of Jesus.  Dissatisfied with Jesus Himself.

Believers with self-contempt for every failure, don’t really care that God loves us unconditionally.  We want something more.  A humble believer cares not one iota for having zero worthiness of his own.

Jesus and His worthiness are enough.  Humble believers don’t mind being considered losers, failures, nobodies.  Don’t mind being pitied.  And aren’t enamored with their own successes, somebodiness.  Enamored with Jesus, no matter what.  And are not deflated by getting new large glimpses of their pride.

–DumbSheepDave, more self-aware than ever, confessing more than ever, enjoying Jesus, others, self, and circumstances more than ever, because folks have been praying. – Dave McCarty is the Executive Director of GospelFriendships – a gospel-centered discipling/mentoring ministry

Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 7-8; Mark 3:1-19

Quote of the day: What a sad mistake we sometimes make when we think that God only cares about Christians. Corrie Ten Boom

Bible Memory: With my whole heart I seek you;    let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:10-11

Epic Flow
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.  For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. ~ Paul, The Least of The Apostles, near the epicenter of the Gospel in Romans 6

You’re dead ya know.
And this is some of the best news you have ever been given.
We (you and i) were the foulest sort.  We were awful, dreadful and painfully self-sufficient, but radically short of fully human.
And we know it.

And one day this One pours Himself into our Lives.  As the dam of our damned heart breaks down, His dread blood pours through the breech and begins a work both at once impossible and impossibly beautiful.

The fetid pools of our lives are washed away.  And though places for water remain in our lives, the way they are filled is completely different.  The Source of the inflow has no throttle and no lack of supply.  And we, to our delight, find that we can allow this same Water to flow out of us with no constraint – for we somehow know we will never run dry again.

And in the strangest of mysteries, we realize that we are both completely dead, and now completely, abundantly, and profoundly Alive.  The Life Blood of the One having done the bleeding works a real miracle in us – for we surely needed one.

We come up out of this flood gasping for the new air of the new Life we have been given.  And as we learn to breath anew, we find that it is He who is are very breath.  We no longer are given some medium to breathe – for now it is in Him that we live and move and have our being.

And in but a moment, the epic flow of this change begins to make itself known in our new minds.  We are now real.  We are now fully human.  We are Living as Designed.  We have a renewed spirit and we are completely united with the only Power able to actually run an actual human being.

And suddenly, we see it.

This was always supposed to happen to us.  And He made it possible.  He did the impossible, so that we could simply become real and be His friend.  Forever.

Oh my.

Yeah.

We have no idea, yet, where this flow is going.  But every fiber of the new man we are knows, really knows that this is going in a very good direction. – Makala Doulos is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy

Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 5-6; Mark 2

Quote of the day:  How dread are thine eternal years, O everlasting Lord! By prostrate spirits day and night incessantly adored! How beautiful, how beautiful the sight of thee must be, Thine endless wisdom, boundless power, and awful purity! ~Frederick William Faber (1814-1863)

Bible Memory: With my whole heart I seek you;    let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:10-11

Unique Inheritance

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Matthew 5:5

I’ve been spending my devotional time looking up the word meek or meekness ever since Bill challenged us to adopt a word. He told us that once we focused in on our word it would be showing itself everywhere. Of course I can’t pick a simple word like prayer or commitment; mine has to be one of those hidden words or synonymous with other words.

In the verse in Matthew 5 we read that the meek “shall inherit the earth”. Some translations use the word “humble” or “gentle” as a description of meek.

As I thought about this idea of inheriting the earth it brought me back to Sunday’s message. We are in Matthew 9 and Pastor Dave is impressing on us to take on an attribute of Jesus which is compassion. He questioned us as to what we see when we look at the multitudes? Now I may be off on this but if I inherit something my thought is I’m now responsible or a better word “burdened” to it.

Two People come to mind in scripture when I think of meekness, Jesus and Moses. Both inherited a burden and I believe their meekness brought them to a point of compassion. When I am willing to yield to the Spirit of God my thoughts of judgment towards others turn to compassion for those who wonder like sheep without a Shepherd. How about you? – Rob Russomano is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and serves full-time at America’s Keswick

Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 3-4; Mark 1:23-45

Quote of the day: If you’re going to worry, there’s no need to pray and if your going to pray, there’s no need to worry.Tiffany Berry

Bible Memory: With my whole heart I seek you;    let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:10-11