Be Joyful Attitudes

How are you doing with your ONE WORD? Mine was put to the test this week. I was reminded of the words of Jesus when He gave His disciples what is referred to as “The Beatitudes.”  (Matthew 5)

Somebody recently took these timeless words of Jesus and substituted the word “blessed” with “joyful” which is one of the meanings of the word “joyful.”

3 JOYFUL are those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

4 JOYFUL are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 JOYFUL are those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.

6 JOYFUL are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.

7 JOYFUL are those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

8 JOYFUL are those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

9 JOYFUL are those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.

10 JOYFUL are those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

11 JOYFUL are you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.

12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

Tyndale (2008-06-01). Holy Bible Text Edition NLT (Bible Nlt) (Kindle Locations 48565-48588). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Read through the words of Jesus again. How have you been or not been joyful in these areas during the past week? What is God teaching you about YOUR word?

Running the race with joy,

Bill Welte
President/CEO America’s KESWICK

Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 1-2; Mark 1:1-22

Quote of the day:  The true Christian reaction to suffering and sorrow is not the attitude of self-pity, fatalism or resentment; it is the spirit which takes life’s difficulties as a God given opportunity, and regards its troubles as a sacred trust, and wears the thorns as a crown. James Stewart

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

A Prayer about Voicing Our Groans and Hope

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. (Rom. 8:22–24)

We’ve reached the end of another week of Freedom Fighters. Thank you for joining me on the journey. Today’s gospel prayer from the pen of Pastor Scotty Smith is very timely for where we are in our world today …

Loving Father, I’m feeling many different things as this day begins. Images of horror and heartache in third and fourth world countries simply will not go away—and they shouldn’t go away. People being loaded into trucks for mass grave burials . . . infants desperate for formula . . . tens of thousands of newly orphaned children. . . . As much as I would like to tune out, numb out, and check out, the gospel compels me to keep my heart present in the overwhelming distress and dimensions of this crisis.

Paul’s words about the intense painful groaning of childbirth seem appropriate to the situation. And there’s no epidural, there’s no anesthesia, there’s nothing to diminish the raw pain of what’s going on in many nations of the world’s poor, and even in our own nation.

We have only our hope that you, our God, do not lie. In the cries of a whole nation of people, in the moaning of its fragile land, you bid us hear the faint but sure cry of hope. Though to some degree it mocks my sensibilities, I abandon myself to your promise that one day the whole earth will be covered with the knowledge of the glory of God; one day the barren places will have trees again and those trees will clap their hands; one day desolate hills will seem like dancing mountains.

One day you will wipe away every tear from the eyes of your people, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things will have passed away for your world in waiting (Rev. 21:4). How long, O Lord? How long until that increasingly longed-for day? Oh, that it could be today . . .

But because of this hope, we will not tune out, numb out, or check out. We will seek to show up. Lead us, King Jesus. Lead us into your work of redemption and restoration. What will it mean to love mercy, do justice, and walk humbly with you in the broken places of your world?

We praise you that you do not despise our confusion, our despair, or even our railings against heaven and the mysteries of hard providence, but you give us all the gospel sanity we will need to follow you into the heart-wrenching brokenness and chaos. I pray in Jesus’ tender and trustworthy name. Amen.

Smith, Scotty (2011-09-01). Everyday Prayers for a Transformed Life: 365 Days to Gospel-Centered Faith (Kindle Locations 656-680). Baker Book Group. Kindle Edition.

Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 43-45; Romans 15:1-13

Quote of the day:  Faith does not look within; it looks without. It is not what I think, nor what I feel, nor what I have done, but it is what Jesus Christ is and has done, and so we should trust in Him who is our strength, and whose strength will never fail. D L Moody

Bible Memory: “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. Psalm 119:9

A Clear Conscience

This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men. (Acts 24:16)

Today’s devotional is from REAL VICTORY FOR REAL LIFE VOLUME 2. Rev. Chris Hodges is the President of Abiding Above Ministries. Chris will be speaking at America’s Keswick this summer.

Have you noticed that you get an unsettled feeling deep down inside of you when you say or do something wrong?  This is your conscience speaking to you when you sin. The Holy Spirit works through your conscience to direct you in matters of right and wrong.  To enjoy unhindered communion with God, you must have a clear conscience.

A clear conscience gives you an inner freedom of spirit and soul that comes from knowing that you are right with God, and right with other people. Does your track record show that you are frequently in conflict with others?  Do you subtly control others – manipulating friends and family members with your silence, withholding approval, making them perform to your expectations, and playing them one against the other?  This is clear evidence of a soul that is sick, and one who has a defiled conscience.  These personal traits may seem to be for a lost person, but they can be true of a Christian, even someone in ministry faithfully ministering God’s Word to others.

This is what Paul meant when he said, …. I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men. This verse shows that a clear conscience involves being right with God. We must know in our heart that there is no sin between God and us. But it also involves being right with our fellow man.  My friend, we must know that we have made things right with others. You simply cannot be right with God if you are in carnal conflict with anybody in the world.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:23-24, Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way.  First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

If we want to have a clear conscience, we must allow the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and show us our offenses against others.  When you have faithfully confessed your sins to God, and faithfully dealt with your sins against others, it will seem as though a great burden has been lifted from you. Maybe your new motto can be, “Stay close and clean.”  Rev. Chris S. Hodges

Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 41-42; Romans 14

Quote of the day:  With God, if we give in order to get, we give amiss. We are then thinking of ourselves first and of God second – a dangerous order of priorities.

John Garmo

Bible Memory: “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. Psalm 119:9

Can We See It

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.  Jesus, King of the Universe, and Son of His Father.

Oh beloved, it is true.  He gives it all back… His Way for sure.  But most surely His way is better than any way we could ever even hope to expect.

He has redeemed us from a dark, dark pit from which there is no escape, but for Him. And upon this release, we find the entire landscape around the hole into which we fell is completely different.  It is a bright and high cairn, gorgeous in expanse, and lush in its beauty.

We are not just free from the penalty of sin, He has indeed set us free from the propensity to sin.  For we are now free to simply live rightly and act with justice as He has written His law on our now-soft hearts.

We are not just free from the need for material wealth, He has freed us from the willingness to become slaves to the lender.  For our riches are Him, and He is beyond exhaustion.

We are not just free from the fear of death, He has freed us from the sting of its constraint.  For death is no longer free to reap its harvest in a believer’s life.

We are not just free from the guilt of our sin, He has freed us from the shame and condemnation altogether.  We are so incredibly justified that we actually have a new past in Him.  For He was slain for us before the very foundations of the earth.

We are not just free from the wishing that things would go well in our lives, He has freed us from wishing and replaced it with assurance and hope.  For we now converse with the Owner and Maker and Mover of everything – and He delights to share with those who delight in Him.

We are not just free from the pit of sickness and disease, He has freed us from the consequence of “rips in our tent” altogether.  For we are united with the One whose name is Healer.

We are not just free from the fickleness of our past, He has freed us from any allegiance to any creed or person.  For we are holy unto Him.

We are not just free from the need for approval by others, He has freed us from the need to even care what other people think.  For we now have an audience of simply One – and we are His friend.

We are not just free from the desire to have people love us, He has freed us from the egocentricity that drove this perverse and idolatrous pride of life.  For we now have the ability and desire to Love in the right direction.

We are not just free from the solitary confinement of our minds, He has freed us from isolation altogether.  For we are betrothed to a Husband with Whom we will enjoy intimacy and companionship forever.

We are not just free from the depression of fleshly existence, He has freed us from ourselves that our minds may be conscious of His Presence.  For in His Presence is the fullness of joy.  And in this joy we find a most-incredible strength to live out the impossible path He has set before us.

Can we see it?

We have not just had the prison door of our past life unlocked.  We have been delivered from our past altogether into a completely different life.  It is as if we have become a completely different person.  For surely, in Him, we have.

Feeling the darkness closing in around you?  It is a lie friends.  For we are free from it.  And not just a little bit.  For He is mighty to save.  And, oh by the way… the list above is really only the beginning.  Really. – Makla Doulos is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy

Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 39-40; Romans 13

Quote of the day:  Freedom! A fine word when rightly understood. What freedom would you have? What is the freedom of the most free? To act rightly!~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

Bible Memory: “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. Psalm 119:9

Do Good to Please God

Matthew 6:3

But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

            How do you reconcile these two verses together?

Are we supposed to not let anyone know when we do good? The second passage says that the world needs to see our good works but my right hand should not know what my left-hand is doing

If you notice in the first verse only our father needs to see what we do. We are not to try to impress others in our giving. That is always and only between the Christian and is God.

But the world, however, needs to know that the Christian cares for others and looks for ways to do good. The world today thinks only government can help the needy. That is not so!

Throughout all of history government and people in power have neglected the hungry and the weak. Many religions speak of alms and seem to care but they do it to earn credit in the eyes of people and whatever God they serve not so the Christian. We do it for two reasons, because we care about people and because we are commanded by our Heavenly Father to do so.

Our good works should lead those who know about them to “glorify God”. By this we learn that it is not just our good works because of our goodness but because of our good God. Our testimony must accompany our good works.

Should we need to help someone with their rent and they want to pay us back we need to tell them that they cannot repay us for it is God’s money and a need to give him by helping others with the money. Thus our good works will help them to look beyond us and to see our great God.

Our offerings in church are nobody’s business but God’s. The good works are everybody’s business and they need to know when we do it, why we do it, so that they can glorify God. – Dr. George Van Sandt is a Christian counselor and Pastor

Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 36-38; Romans 12

Quote of the day:  You can often help others more by correcting your own faults than theirs. Remember, and you should, because of your own experience, that allowing God to correct your faults is not easy. Be patient with people, wait for God to work with them as He wills. Francois Fenelon

Bible Memory: “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. Psalm 119:9

No Condemnation – But Wait

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

I sat with a young man last week who had made some serious bad choices that resulted in the potential of his whole world being turned upside down. He had to go an attorney who happens to be a Christian and the attorney reminded my friend that he needs to remember that in Christ there is no condemnation.

Positionally speaking, this attorney is absolutely correct. If we are in Christ we no longer need to fear condemnation. BUT I believe there is another side of this that we need to look very carefully.

I know that this is so true in my own life – I blow it – I make mistakes – I fail. For some of us who have grown up in legalistic backgrounds we have wallowed in the pit of despair when we mess up. For some it has crippled them severely.

Yes, there is grace. Yes there is God’s mercy. Yes there is forgiveness.

So what’s the but? I speak from experience when I tell you that the enemy knows Scripture and can certainly use it to twist our thinking to lead us further into our sin if we are not careful.

Maybe you have been there too – you blow it, repent and confess your sin, pick yourself up and move forward. Somewhere out of nowhere comes that thought that is planted in your mind. “Well, I made it through this one.  The repercussions weren’t as bad as I thought.”

The temptation to sin comes again and probably even stronger – sin is crouching at the door. The trap is set. You take the bait and this time you find yourself going to the next level, reminding yourself of God’s mercy, grace, forgiveness and no condemnation.

Grace junkies we need to be reminded that before Romans 8:1 there is Romans 6:1 & 2 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who have died to sin still live in it?

Remember what Dr. John C. Maxwell said years ago: “Sin will always take you further than you want to go; it will keep you longer than you want to stay; it will cost you more than you are willing to pay.”

God hasn’t changed his position on sin. Neither should we. That’s why it is important to keep your heart grounded in the Word on a daily basis. Lord, help me to keep Your perspective on sin and stop listening to the enemy. Help me today to make right choices.

How you found this truth to be true in your life? I’d like to hear from you.

Running the race with joy,

Bill Welte
President/CEO America’s Keswick

Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 33-35; Romans 11:19-36

Quote of the day:  The person without self-control is easy prey to the invader. He yields himself to the first assault of his ungoverned passions, offering no resistance… Having no discipline over himself, temptation becomes the occasion of sin, and hurries him on to fearful lengths that he had not contemplated. Charles Bridges

Bible Memory: “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. Psalm 119:9

A Prayer About Gospel Parenting

Unless the Lord builds the house, Those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. (Ps. 127:1–3)

We’ve reached the end of another week of Freedom Fighter blogs. Thank you for joining me in the journey. Today’s prayer is timely for all of us who are parents.

Heavenly Father, it’s a joy to address you today as the architect and builder of your own house—including the household of faith and my children’s place in your family.

As I look back over the years of my pragmatic parenting, I’m saddened, but I am also gladdened, for you’ve always been faithful to your covenant love, even when I was overbearing and underbelieving. The move from parenting by grit to parenting by grace has been a fitful but fruitful journey. Take me deeper; take me further.

You’ve rescued me from parental “laboring in vain”—assuming a burden you never intended parents to bear. Father, only you can reveal the glory and grace of Jesus to our children. Only you can give anyone a new heart. You’ve called us to parent as an act of worship—to parent “as unto you,” not as a way of saving face, making a name for ourselves, or proving our worthiness of your love.

Oh, the arrogant pride of thinking that by my “good parenting” I can take credit for what you alone have graciously done in the lives of my children. Oh, the arrogant unbelief of assuming that by my “bad parenting” I’ve forever limited what you will be able to accomplish in the future. Oh, the undue pressure our children must feel when we parent more out of our fear and pride than by your love and grace.

Since our children and grandchildren are your inheritance, Father, teach us—teach me—how to care for them as humble stewards, not as anxious owners. More than anything else, show us how to parent and grandparent in a way that best reveals the unsearchable riches of Jesus in the gospel. Give us quick repentances and observable kindnesses. Convict me quickly and surely when I do not relate to your covenant children “in line with the truth of the gospel” (Gal. 2:14 NIV). I pray in Jesus’ faithful name. Amen.

Smith, Scotty (2011-09-01). Everyday Prayers for a Transformed Life: 365 Days to Gospel-Centered Faith (Kindle Locations 476-504). Baker Book Group. Kindle Edition.

Have a great weekend. Has this prayer touched your parent heart today? If so, how?

Running the race with joy,

Bill Welte
President/CEO America’s Keswick

Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 27-28; Romans 9:16-13

Quote of the day:  The Bible was written not to satisfy your curiosity but to help you conform to Christ’s image. Not to make you a smarter sinner but to make you like the Saviour. Not to fill your head with a collection of biblical facts but to transform your life. Howard G. Hendricks

Bible Memory: “Blameless are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!” Psalm 119:1-3

 

Returning to Base Camp

 

Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal. (Joshua 10:15 NIV)

 

Today’s devotional is from the brand new Keswick Devotional – Real Victory for Real Life Volume 2. You can order your copy by calling today – 732-350-1187 or order online: www.americaskeswick.org.

 

Following the stories of Jericho and Ai, and the deception of the Gibeonites, the narrative pace of the conquest of the Promised Land as recorded in the book of Joshua picks up considerably.   Chapter 10 records for us the decisive battle in finishing off the conquest of the southern half of Canaan, and chapter 11 summarizes the defeat of the northern half of the land.  God had powerfully fulfilled his promise to Joshua in chapter 1 that no one would be able to stand against him.

 

In the middle of chapter 10, and again at the end of the chapter, we see these words, Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.   If you think about it, it makes a lot of sense.  Gilgal was their “permanent” base camp.  It was the staging area for their conquests.  It was probably also home for the women and children of Israel while the men were carrying out the battle to conquer the land.

 

But Gilgal was also more than that.  It was the place where Joshua had erected the memorial stones to remind the nation of God’s intervention in crossing the Jordan River.  It was the place where the nation had renewed their covenant with God, and He had renewed His covenant with them.   This was a place where the nation did business with God.

 

Where is your Gilgal?  Where do you take refuge from the rigors of battle to renew yourself both physically and spiritually?  Where do you do business with God?  There is nothing magical about an individual place.  God is willing, and waiting, for us to come to Him wherever we are.  But it is absolutely vital that we learn the discipline of returning on a regular basis to that place of deep communion with Him for replenishment, refreshment and new marching orders. Rev. Robby Richardson is Pastor Bill Raws’ son-in-law, Executive Director of the Internet Evangelism  Network and teaching Pastor of at Bridge Bible Church Grand Rapids, MI.

Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 25-26; Romans 9:1-15

 

Quote of the day:  “I am not what I ought to be; I am not what I would like to be; I am not what I hope to be. But I am not what I once was, and by the grace of God, I am what I am.” – John Newton

 

Bible Memory: “Blameless are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!” Psalm 119:1-3

 

I Wanna Be One of “Those Guys”

“That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” Colossians 1:10

I like to read the powerful prayers in the Gospels. Paul inspires me when I read his letters which after he exhorts or warns he goes into prayer for his readers. It’s as if he gets to the end of his himself and with nothing else to say he petitions on our behalf.

“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.”vs 9

I wanna be one of those guys. I believe that prayer has to be born from desire, and desire should come from God’s word. It’s not enough for me to pray but than to act. The other day I was talking with a man in the Colony and he shared with me that he has been praying that he would not go back to doing drugs or selling them. He told me he goes to the Chapel everyday with this petition. I asked him if he erased all his contact numbers from his cell phone and changed his number? He hadn’t thought of that. I said well don’t just pray about it “do something”.

In 2013 I wanna be one of those guys who practice God’s word, “being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God”.

Later on in the chapter we read

“ And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled  in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard.” Vs 21-23a – Rob Russomano is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and serves full-time at America’s Keswick

Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 23-24; Romans 8:22-39

Quote of the day:  Repentance was perhaps best defined by a small girl: It’s to be sorry enough to quit. C. H. Kilmer

Bible Memory: “Blameless are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!” Psalm 119:1-3

How About Your Word? Part 2

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice.” Philippians 4:4

You’ve had it happen. You start to think about your dream car. Then you start to see that vehicle everywhere. You’ve never noticed it before. Psychologists call it “perceptual vigilance.”

I believe that when we start to fill our minds with the thoughts God would have us think, we will begin to experience the transformation of our minds. Rather than seeing our vehicle of choice, we will begin to see pictures of the character he wants to build into our lives.

Paul talks much about joy in his letter to the church at Philippi and blogger, Paul Tautges suggest 23 Reasons to Be Joyful from the Paul’s letter. I shared the first 13 yesterday, here the other 10:

14. The Lord Himself is reason to rejoice (3:1; 4:4)

15. The surpassing value of knowing Christ (3:7-8)

16. Pressing toward the goal of Christ (3:13-16)

17. Your true citizenship is in heaven (3:20)

18. True brothers and sisters who are loved by God and who love you (4:1)

19. God hears your thankful prayers and gives you peace (4:6-7)

20. Developing godly thought patterns is possible in Christ (4:8)

21. You are loved by other believers (4:11)

22. Contentment is yours in Christ (4:12)

23. God faithfully meets your needs and the needs of your fellow believers (4:17-19)

You can add to the list. What are the reasons you have to be joyful today? Let me hear from you?

Running the race with joy,

Bill Welte
President/CEO America’s Keswick

Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 20-22; Romans 8:1-21

Quote of the day:  To be filled with the Spirit is to have the Spirit fulfilling in us all that God intended Him to do when he placed Him there. To be filled is not the problem of getting more of the Spirit; it is rather the problem of the Spirit getting more of us. Lewis Sperry Chafer

Bible Memory: “Blameless are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!” Psalm 119:1-3