A Follow Up on Words

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

The day before I wrote yesterday’s blog, I read the following from the devotional book, JESUS CALLING and it was so right on:

Watch your words diligently. Words have such great power to bless or to wound. When you speak carelessly or negatively, you damage others as well as yourself.

This ability to verbalize is an awesome privilege, granted only to those I created in My image. You need help in wielding this mighty power responsibly.

Though the world applauds quick-witted retorts, My instructions about communication are quite different: Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.

Ask My Spirit to help you whenever you speak. I have trained you to pray—“Help me, Holy Spirit”—before answering the phone, and you have seen the benefits of this discipline. Simply apply the same discipline to communicating with people around you. If they are silent, pray before speaking to them. If they are talking, pray before responding. These are split-second prayers, but they put you in touch with My Presence.

In this way, your speaking comes under the control of My Spirit. As positive speech patterns replace your negative ones, the increase in your Joy will amaze you.

Young, Sarah (2010-03-02). Jesus Calling: A 365 Day Journaling Devotional (Kindle Locations 2664-2672). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

How are you using YOUR words today? Think about it! – Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: Psalm 74-76; Proverbs 8; Romans 9:16-23

Motivations: The holiest moment of the church service is the moment when God’s people go out of the church door into the world to be the Church. Ernest Southeon

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 3:7-8; Level 2: Philippians 2:25-30

Powered Up:  In our praying we draw on our memories, on our past experiences, on our present desires. We only learn to draw on the grace of God by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering. Oswald Chambers

Words Seasoned with Salt

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Colossians 4:6

I am frustrated. No, I am actually more than frustrated – I am mad. Now do I have your attention?

We’ve talked about the use of our words many times in the Freedom Fighter blogs. But I want to lay this out there as a blogger and get you to think about it with me.

I am really getting tired of the way so many people use their social media privileges to tear down the body of Christ rather than build up. I continue to read some of the most hurtful blogs, Facebook posts and Tweets.

I know all about “free speech.” Yes, I understand that I can hit “delete” when I wish I could click “unlike” instead.

But why do we have to always be so mean and ugly? We take statements that speakers and authors make/write and so often take a sentence totally out of context and then build a case/argument based on what someone else heard that they said or wrote. We don’t check it out for ourselves, which by the way is what we get upset about the main stream media for doing all the time.

Last week a prominent preacher who has spent much pulpit time criticizing and telling his congregation what other Christian leaders should or shouldn’t say or be doing, was dismissed from his historic church because of infidelity and misuse of money.

I would like to think that we could do far more to draw people to Christ by using our words to encourage people to read the right books, give them resources for biblically based teaching without feeling the need to tear down others at the cost of being “right!”

Yes, there is a place for exhortation and exposure of error. But is there not also the need to expose truth and exhort the body to be Christ-like in what we say/write?

Maybe more people would desire to be members of the family of God if we would demonstrate with our mouths that there is a difference in our lives. Something to think about. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: Psalm 72-73; Proverbs 7; Romans 9:1-15

Motivations: I would rather pay to preach than be prayed not to preach. Samuel Chadwick

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 3:7-8; Level 2: Philippians 2:25-30

Check out this month’s Discovering Victory podcast with Dr. Tony Hart: www:americaskeswick.org

A Giant of the Faith Has Gone Home

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:6-8

Another one of my heroes went home to be with the Lord this weekend. Bob Palmer, son of the late Dr. George A. Palmer, was a hero and a great mentor.

Bob’s like impacted thousands of people through his leadership and oversight of the ministry of Hilltop Ranch for teens. Thousands of teens will be in heaven because of Uncle Bob’s faithfulness in presenting the gospel on a weekly basis during the summer season.

Years later, Uncle Bob would become the President of Sandy Cove Ministries and under his leadership the Chesapeake Lodge was built which placed Sandy Cove on the map as one of the premiere Christian conference and retreat centers on the East Coast.

I learned many leadership lessons from Uncle Bob:

1. He taught me the value of building relationships with people. He not only signed ever receipt letter – he wrote a personal note. I follow this practice today.
2. He taught me how to “work a crowd” in the right sense of the word. His father taught him the value of going through the Dining Room to greet every guest. When Uncle Bob entered a room, the lights went on! He was a great lover of people.
3. He taught me the value of loving God’s Word and to dig out the gems. He could take a passage of Scripture and make it come alive.

The last couple of years, Uncle Bob has struggled with dementia. But today he is whole and in his right mind. He taught me the lesson of finishing well. May we all learn that lesson – and learn it well. Thanks, Lord, for the life and legacy of Uncle Bob Palmer. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: Psalm 70-71; Proverbs 6; Romans 8:22-39

Motivations: You determine the depth of your relationship with the Lord and He determines the width of your ministry. Anonymous

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 3:7-8; Level 2: Philippians 2:25-30

Powered Up:  We are not at liberty in calling upon God to follow the suggestions of our own mind and will, but must seek God only in so far as he has invited us to approach Him. John Calvin

 

 

 

PLAYING CHURCH

“You make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.” (Matthew 23:25)

            When I was a very young boy my sister and I used to play church.  Because we lived on a farm and transportation was limited, we did not attend church.  Later when we moved to town, we did go to Sunday School regularly.  But apparently my sister, who was older than me, had attended earlier.  I can remember singing a hymn that she taught me and we went through the motions of playing church.

I recently read where a man posed as a decorated U. S. Marine.  He had been attending the funeral of a Marine and he was in full regalia with twenty-four medals.  It turned out that he had never been in the Marines, let alone win medals.  He was “playing Marine” and he was charged with a felony.  It made me wonder how many of us appear to be something that we really are not in God’s eyes.

Jesus seemed to save His most scathing condemnation for people who professed to be what they were not.  While all sin is wrong in God’s sight, there is much in the Bible that warns us against hypocrisy.  Also, in the Old Testament, God had some very critical accusations against Israel because, while they practiced the religious rituals, their hearts were far from Him.

When God chose David to be king He said that He was looking on the heart.  It causes me to ask myself if I am having the same relationship with God that I seem to have on the outside.  I have often said that there is a bit of hypocrisy in all of us.  Another saying of mine is that it is easier to be religious than to be spiritual.  That is, it is easier to simply go through the motions or do religious things than it is to have a sensitive relationship and communion with God.  Jesus reminded the woman at the well that those who worship the Father must worship Him in Spirit (from the heart) and in truth (without hypocrisy).  Let us be sure that we are not wearing a fake uniform or simply playing church.  Rev. Thomas D. Murray was a pastor in this area for many years. He was a giant of the faith and went home to be with Jesus several years ago. His devotional is featured in REAL VICTORY FOR REAL LIFE.

Team YOU: Psalm 63-65; Proverbs 3; Romans 6

Motivations: The world, it seems to me, is divided into the wise, who know they are fools, and the fools, who think they are wise. Peter Kreeft

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 2:16; Level 2: Philippians 2:19-24

Powered Up:  Prayer is not a convenient device for imposing our will upon Go, or bending His will to our, but the prescribed way of subordinating our will to his. John R. Stott

PREPARING YOUR SOIL

“But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it…”(Matthew 13:23)

As a young Christian, I often struggled with wanting to walk in victory.  I often remember thinking, “I’ll never have what they have.”  After years of seeking the Lord and the victorious Christian life, God revealed to me a very important aspect that was missing – my responsibility to respond to God’s Word.

The parable of the sower gives us four examples of a person hearing God’s Word.  This parable was responsible for waking me up and understanding that I have to prepare myself to receive what God would have for me.  Preparation, for me, begins with a personal inventory of my priorities.  What am I allowing to get in the way?  Am I hardening my heart with resentment, pride, or anger?  Am I being distracted by the cares of the world during devotions or Bible studies?

As I start to “put away” these things that corrupt, I can feel my heart being tilled to good soil and find that God can now plant His Word in a place where it can take root.  God speaks through Ezekiel in chapter 11:18, 19 and says once the people take away the detestable things and all it’s abominations He would replace their heart of stone with a new heart of flesh.  I am often convicted of areas of my life that can become distractions.  What may be, for some, harmless, for me begins a process of letting my guard down and, before long, weeds are gathering and the ground in becoming hard.  Salvation is a free gift and there is nothing we can do to earn it.  However, victory, as in any sport or battle, will only be won when we take responsibility and take action. Ezekiel continues in verse 20 by saying, “that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.”

The Apostle Paul has become a great teacher for me by helping me to know what not only to “put off,” “flee from,” etc., but also what to “put on,” “allow,” etc.  We all struggle with similar but also different areas that can put us into broken fellowship with the Lord Jesus.  Ask Him to search your heart and to show you where you might be allowing weeds to grow. Rob Russomano is a graduate and a member of the Keswick full-time staff. His devotional is from our daily devotional, Real Victory for Real Life

Team YOU: Psalm 60-62; Proverbs 2; Romans 5

Motivations: Many will charge that dragging up the past is fruitless and wastes time on things that are best forgotten…but emotional wounds are like physical ones: They do not heal if they are neglected; they only become infected and can become life damaging. The hurt must be brought into the light and treated. Albert Haase

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 2:16; Level 2: Philippians 2:19-24

Powered Up:  The marvelous and supernatural power of prayer consists not in bringing God’s will down to us, but in lifting up our will to Him. Robert Law

 

 

Draw Near to God

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8

Did you know that there is an EXPERIENCING GOD devotional? I have been using this powerful tool for many years and it has been a big part of my journey. You can hear Dr. Richard Blackaby tonight at America’s Keswick. Come meet him personally, or watch live at www.americaskeswick.org.

Here is the devotional for  July 28^th that I so needed to hear:

There may be times when God seems far away. You may feel as if your prayers go unheard. James said there is a simple reason for this and a solution. If you are far from God, it is because your sin has separated you from Him.

God is unchanging. His character stays absolutely holy. His faithfulness remains constant; it is we who change. We allow sin into our lives. We choose our own direction. We spend less and less time with Him in Bible study and prayer. Then one day we realize that we have gradually grown distant from God. The solution, according to James, is straightforward. We are to draw near to God.

As we realize our need to be closer to the Father and we begin to return to Him, He meets us even as the father hurried to greet his prodigal son (Luke 15:20). Drawing near to God requires you to take two actions.

First, you must cleanse your hands (Isa. 1:15). You must cleanse your way of living. If you have been actively engaged in sin, you must renounce it. If you have done anything to offend or hurt someone, you must make it right.

Second, you are to purify your heart (Ps. 51:10). You must make certain your attitudes, thoughts, and motives are right in God’s eyes and are in harmony with God’s Word. Jesus warned that you cannot serve two masters (Matt. 6:24). It is impossible to love anything else as much as you love God and still please Him. If God seems distant, do what is necessary to cleanse your hands, purify your heart, and draw near to Him.

Blackaby, Richard (2006-12-01). Experiencing God Day By Day (Kindle Locations 3649-3657). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Isn’t that powerful? Maybe your heart is distant – do what Dr. Blackaby suggests: cleanse your hands, purify your heart, and draw near to Him. – Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: Psalm 57-59; Proverbs 1; Romans 4

Motivations: I’ve noticed something. Nowhere in the bible does God ever say. “Oh no!

I wasn’t expecting them to do that! Now what am I going to do!” Nothing catches God by surprise and no circumstance is beyond his power to redeem. Katherine Walden

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 2:16; Level 2: Philippians 2:19-24

Powered Up:  In prayer, while we seek in appearance to bend God’s will to ours, we are in reality bringing our will to his. J. M. Neale

Another Amazing Miracle

Make a joyful noise unto God, all the earth; sing forth the honor and glory of His name; make His praise glorious! Say to God, How awesome and fearfully glorious are Your works! Psalm 66:1-3a

It has been an amazing couple of weeks for us at America’s Keswick. Amazing in that we still see God perform mighty miracles every day. Miracles of transformation of life as a man, women, teen or child surrenders his or her heart and life to Jesus and they are set free to experience the exchanged life – Christ is you, the hope of glory.

This past week we experienced God as he provided some amazing financial blessings. For the past several months we have praying that God would provide the financial resources to get new chairs for the Dining Room at the Colony of Mercy. This week, thanks for some special partners, that prayer was answered and the new chairs were ordered.

Since January we have been asking our partners to help us raise the funding to build a new playground that will serve our guests and their families for years to come. The Lord had brought in $55,000+ which was amazing, but we still have $24,000 to go.

For the past two weeks the Lord laid on my heart to present the need to a specific individual, and I must confess I kept putting off taking the step of asking this brother for help. The prompting of the Spirit became so intense and heavy that I finally took the step and wrote him an email. Very quickly he replied that he was unable at this time to help, and how hard it was for him to say “no.”

I couldn’t understand why the prompting was so intense and yet the answer was not what I expected. On Thursday morning while on the way up to make announcements, a couple leaned out into the aisle and asked for five minutes of my time after the service.

We stepped into our “Green Room” and they blew me away by committing to cover the remaining $24,000 of the project. Quite frankly, you could have picked me up off the floor – but I have to tell you, my heart was overwhelmed with praise and gratitude to our great God.

I know my friend was disappointed that he couldn’t help – but I somehow think he is rejoicing too. Could it be that God honored my obedience to step out to trust Him by asking a brother for help? Some may call it coincidence – but I am thankful that God is always at work around me and He invites me to join in that work! What steps might He be asking YOU to take today? Be obedient and follow Him. – Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: Psalm 54-56; Proverbs 31; Romans 3

Motivations: Joy is that deep settled confidence that God is in control of every area of my life. Paul Sailhamer

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 2:16; Level 2: Philippians 2:19-24

Powered Up:  A sensible thanksgiving, for mercies received, is a mighty prayer in the sight of God; it prevails with him unspeakably. John Bunyan

Experiencing God

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

I am really excited that we have two very powerful speakers at America’s Keswick for our Victory Week #4.

Dr. Roger Willmore has been coming to America’s Keswick every year for the past 16 years and has become a good friend to many. He opened the door for us to have Dr. Richard Blackaby join him for the week.

Probably 25 years ago I was given the challenge to go through the Experiencing God study written by Richard and his Dad, Dr. Henry Blackaby. It was and is a very powerful study.

If you have never gone through it, here are the seven realities that they share about experiencing God:

1. God is always at work around you.

2. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you  that is real and personal.

3. God invites you to become involved with Him in His work.

4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible,  prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal  Himself, His purposes and His ways.

5. God’s invitation for you to work with Him always  leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.

6. You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing.

7. You come to know God by experience as you obey  Him and He accomplishes His work through you.

You could really camp out (no pun intended) on these for weeks, but take a look at the list and allow them to penetrate your mind.

If you can’t come each evening, remember that you can watch live right from our website: www.americaskeswick.org. Come join us as we learn to experience God! The morning sessions with Roger begin at 9:30 AM and the evenings are at 7:00 PM – Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: Psalm 51-53; Proverbs 30; Romans 2

Motivations: God clears the underbrush ahead and guides us down special paths beaten just for us through thickets of time and uncertainty. Leslie Williams

 

 

 

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 2:16; Level 2: Philippians 2:19-24

Powered Up:  Father, I wait thy daily will;
Thou shalt divide my portion still;
Grant me on earth what seems me best,
Till death and heaven reveal the rest. – Isaac Watts

 

The ABC’s of Kindness

And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:29 (Amplified Bible)

I am convinced that if we started demonstrating kindness all around us, we could make a huge impact in our self-centered world. Kindness is becoming a lost art.

John Kimbrough offers these suggestions:

Affirm a value.
Beam a smile.
Convey a compliment.
Drop a line.
Encourage a good deed.
Forgive a mistake.
Grace a presence.
Honor a preference.
Initiate a conversation.
Join a celebration.
Keep a promise.
Lend a hand.
Meet a need.
Nurse a hurt.
Open a door.
Plan a kindness.
Quiet a conflict.
Remember a special day.
Share a gift.
Touch a shoulder.
Unwrap a gratitude.
Voice a greeting.
X-press happiness.
Yoke a partner.
Zap a suspicion.

These are pretty simple to do. Let’s start a kindness revolution! – Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: Psalm 43-45; Proverbs 27; Acts 27:27-44

Motivations:. Our worship must be biblical. Yet, our biblical worship is not what makes our worship acceptable in the sight of God. Only Christ himself makes our worship, however biblical, acceptable in the sight of God. For even biblical worship is offered by sinners.

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 2:14-15; Level 2: Philippians 2:12-18

Powered Up:  Prayer is a mighty instrument, not for getting man’s will done in heaven, but for getting God’s will done in earth. Robert Law

God’s Initiatives

Now the Lord had said to Abram, “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.” Genesis 12:1

The most dramatic changes in your life will come from God’s initiative, not yours. The people God used mightily in Scripture were all ordinary people to whom He gave divine assignments that they never could have initiated.

The Lord often took them by surprise, for they were not seeking significant mandates from God. Even so, He saw their hearts, and He knew they were trustworthy. The Lord spoke to Abram when He was beginning to build a nation dedicated to His purposes.

Through this nation would come the Savior. God appeared to Moses at the very time He had purposed to deliver Israel out of slavery in Egypt. God found in Jesse’s youngest son David a godly man who could lead His people. God surprised Mary when He told her she would be the mother of the Messiah. God’s Son selected the twelve disciples, all ordinary, uneducated men, when He was ready to take the good news of His salvation to the world.

Through the ages God has taken the initiative in the everyday lives of people to accomplish things through them that they never could have imagined. The Lord may be initiating some new things in your life. When He tells you what His plans are, trust Him and walk closely with Him.

Don’t let the busyness of your present activity keep you from experiencing all that God has in store for you. You will see Him accomplish things through your life that you never dreamed were possible (Eph. 3:20).

Dr. Richard Blackaby will be speaking at America’s Keswick, July 29-August 3. Check it out: http://www.americaskeswick.org

Blackaby, Richard (2006-12-01). Experiencing God Day By Day (Kindle Locations 3520-3526). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Team YOU: Psalm 40-42; Proverbs 26; Acts 27:1-26

Motivations: When your burden becomes too heavy, when life’s ways become too dark, when the heart is too sore, when you are ready to perish, it is not amiss to pray to God to open the heavens, and through a rift in the sky to shine down into your heart some of the light of the Glory World. Benajah Harvey B. H. Carroll

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 2:14-15; Level 2: Philippians 2:12-18

Powered Up:  Did not God sometimes withhold in mercy what we ask, we should be ruined at our own request. Hannah More