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His Strength, N…

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His Strength, Not Mine

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

I live in an interesting world – I am surrounded by very wonderful but very active grandkids and often I hear them now saying, “Let me do it ..” They are all becoming their own little individuals and want to start doing things THEIR way.

I am also surrounded by senior citizens. Thousands of them. And because of age and health issues, some of them are beginning to lose control of their “independence.” I recently heard an older couple arguing and the spouse said, “Don’t help me – I can do it myself.”

Much of our Christian life if like that if we are honest. Our independent spirits bristle against surrendering over control to someone else. So much of our difficulties and frustrations could be eliminated if we would learn the value of surrendering to Jesus and allowing Him to live His perfect life through us (Galatians 2:20). So much of what we do, even for “the kingdom” is really you and me trying to do it in our own strength vs. His.|

My friend, Dave McCarty, is the president of a para-church ministry, Gospel Friendships. His daily weekly emails always pack a punch and he writes about this topic of independence:

The ultimate blessing in this life,

is when the Spirit of Jesus opens my eyes to see how pathetically helpless I am  —  powerless to make my life work, to engineer happiness for myself and those I love.  I see this in my saner moments, and then I’m actually thankful for my pathetic helplessness.  And enjoy it!   Am comforted by it.  Usually, however, I’m in denial, needing to be rescued from the Curse of independency, the idiotic notion my ancestors Adam and Eve had, that independency produces happiness, that being free to captain my soul, master my fate, will bring me contentment in this life.   Independency brings me misery. 

Only dependency on Jesus has ever made me happy.  Independency is an illusion, a myth, perpetrated on me by the alliance of the world, flesh, devil.  Why?  So I operate by puny human power, like pre-believers, undermining my fruitfulness with them.   Why?  If I cannot see how pathetically helpless I am apart from Him, how would they know/see, and why would they be interested in Him, apart from whether there’s a Heaven or Hell?  Most don’t believe in an afterlife, and afterlife is only one of the benefits to following Jesus.  

I don’t think I’m alone in running from pathetic helplessness.  The Church seems little different than the world in the kind of leaders we seek: strong, confident, successful, make-it-happen.  Independent/agendified/driven.  Oh sure, we Christian leaders learn to put on airs of humility and camouflage our independence.  Unconsciously.  Satan could not be more pleased.  No wonder we’re no threat to the enemy’s hold over pre-believers in our day.   No wonder we’re the laughingstock of the watching world.  Without Jesus-humility and Jesus-love, how could we believers possibly be one, that the world might believe?  Human power, not Jesus power.

If you, like me, are battling with this issue – we need to run to the cross, repent, and allow Him to live His life through us so that He will increase and we will decrease. Lord, help me today to rely on YOUR power instead of Bill Welte’s power. Amen. – Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: Ezra 9-10; Proverbs 14; Acts 1

Motivations: Sometimes our congregations seem to expect too little of us, and we expect too little of ourselves. We hunker down in the pews to follow the clergy’s leadership, dole out a comfortable sum for the offering plate, and hope we don’t get button-holed at coffee hour to volunteer for a committee or project. Marian Wright Edelman

Practice to Remember: Level 1: Philippians 1:9-10; Level 2: Philippians 1:12-18

Powered Up:  The faith we bring to prayer must include a trust that God is able to hear our prayers and that He is disposed to answer them. Yet when God says no to our requests, this faith also trusts in His wisdom. R. C. Sproul

Put All Your Trust in Jesus Today

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Put All Your Trust in Jesus Today

Join us tomorrow night for our Father Son Night with Pastor John Hibbard and his son, Jack. 6:15 PM is dinner followed by a great evening of fellowship, worship and fun. Call for reservations — 732-350-1187.

Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart. Lean not on your own understanding.  In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Yesterday was an interesting/challenging day. Little did I know that what you gave me yesterday was going to be so right on for the events of the day …

Our morning prayer list was huge.
Wife of staff member very sick.
Employee still very sick and in ICU – wife very discouraged.
Friend’s dad hanging between life and death
Problems with staff
Daughter sick with bronchitis
Son-in-law dropped 800lbs on his foot — only a small fracture
Dad and his son on the edge.
Low summer numbers for first two weeks of summer
Pastor friend resigned from his church
Pastor friend embroiled over situation very difficult challenge at church

And the list goes on and on. Very overwhelming. Yet I am confident that you have it all under control.

Today is a staff member’s open heart surgery. Humanly speaking it is really hard not to get concerned with how she will do. All three procedures in themselves could be life threatening. But we come and trust you because you are in control and you are more than able to get her through.

The devotional JESUS CALLING was so helpful: Let Me help you get through this day. There are many possible paths to travel between your getting up in the morning and your lying down at night. Stay alert to the many choice-points along the way, being continually aware of My Presence. You will get through this day one way or the other. One way is to moan and groan, stumbling along with shuffling feet. This will get you to the end of the day eventually, but there is a better way. You can choose to walk with Me along the path of Peace, leaning on Me as much as you need. There will still be difficulties along the way, but you can face them confidently in My strength. Thank Me for each problem you encounter, and watch to see how I transform trials into blessings. 1 CORINTHIANS 10:10; LUKE 1:79

I have a choice today — I can fret, worry, come un-glued or I can come to you, fall into your warm embrace and rest, trust and wait expectantly for you to work — not in my strength but in yours. Most of my life I have done it in Bill Welte’s strength. Today I choose to decrease and allow you to increase. thank you for the problems and the challenges. I take my hands off of them and will wait on you.

While writing this my favorite Christian radio station, WBYN was playing this great song by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir Singers:

PUT ALL YOUR TRUST IN JESUS TODAY,
YOU’LL FIND REST WHEN HIS WILL YOU OBEY.
HE WILL ANSWER WHENEVER YOU PRAY,
SO PUT ALL YOUR TRUST IN JESUS TODAY!

JESUS HAS PROMISED TO LOVE AND CARE FOR YOU —
NO MATTER THE PAIN, NOR THE PROBLEM,
HE’LL BE FAITHFUL TO SEE YOU THROUGH IF YOU
PUT ALL YOUR TRUST IN JESUS TODAY.

Thanks, Lord, for this power reminder. I can’t wait to see what YOU will do today.

Team YOU: Ezra 6-8; Proverbs 13; John 21

Motivations: God not only plans the length of our test, but the depth of our test. Charles Swindoll

Practice to Remember: Level 1: Philippians 1:9-10; Level 2: Philippians 1:12-18

Powered Up:  If you should neglect prayer but a single day, I should lose a great deal of the fire of faith. Martin Luther

Come to Me and …

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Come to Me and TrustImage

Join us this Thursday night for our Father/Son night with Pastor John Hibbard and his son, Jack. Call for reservations: 732-350-1187. Dinner is at 6:15 PM followed by the evening program/fellowship/and activities.

Come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden – and I will give you REST. Matthew 11:28

Here is what I wrote in my journal yesterday …

Really doing battle with my quiet time right now. I feel so much like running — so much like calling it quits. I know and am aware that I have a target on my back and that the enemy wants to pound me into the ground. I can choose to let him do it — or I can live in my new identity and walk in the spirit vs. walking in the flesh. I get to choose. You don’t force yourself on me — that is what is so stupid.

The reality is that it isn’t hard — it is easy — I have to be willing to humble myself and come to you (what I read in My Utmost yesterday). I want to make it so complicated with “systems/programs/I-need to do this.” Coming to Jesus is so much easier than continuing to live in the pit. Yet my pride and my stubbornness keep me doing the right/easy thing.

Jesus Calling really helped me today: Trust Me and don’t be afraid, for I am your Strength and Song. Do not let fear dissipate your energy. Instead, invest your energy in trusting Me and singing My Song. The battle for control of your mind is fierce, and years of worry have made you vulnerable to the enemy. Therefore, you need to be vigilant in guarding your thoughts. Do not despise this weakness in yourself, since I am using it to draw you closer to Me. Your constant need for Me creates an intimacy that is well worth all the effort. You are not alone in this struggle for your mind. My Spirit living within you is ever ready to help in this striving. Ask Him to control your mind; He will bless you with Life and Peace. ISAIAH 12:2; ROMANS 8:6

All the worrying about money, summer, schedules, to-do lists — and yet what you want me to do is come to you and lean on you — fall into your arms, fall in love with you and enjoy the divine romance and TRUST!

Lord, I come to you today. i want to fall into your arms and enjoy you today. I give you all the stuff and junk that is keeping me from doing that today. Thanks for speaking to my heart this morning. I love you, Lord. – Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick 

Team YOU: Ezra 3-5; Proverbs 12; John 20

Motivations: Repentance is the biblical, correct response to guilt. The moment we committed our life to Christ, our sins-past, present, and future-were forgiven. God’s righteousness was satisfied. But now we must maintain fellowship with, dependence on, and obedience to God. This necessitates confessing our sins to our Lord as we become aware of them. C. S. Lewis said true guilt is an inner alarm system that reveals sin in our lives and shows our loss of fellowship with God. The Holy Spirit uses guilt to prompt us to turn from our sin and back to the Lord. Luis Palau

Practice to Remember: Level 1: Philippians 1:9-10; Level 2: Philippians 1:12-18

Powered Up:  Prayer and faith are Siamese twins. One heart animates them both. Faith is always praying. Faith is always believing. E. M. Bound

Great Illustration About Heaven

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Great Illustration About HeavenImage

Join us this Thursday for our Father/Son Night with Pastor John Hibbard and his son, Jack. Dinner is at 6:15 PM followed by a night of praise & worship, message from God’s Word, and fun in the Activity Center. Call for reservations: 732-350-1187

Last week was one of those very unusual weeks when a number of our partners went home to be with Jesus. I had the honor of conducting the memorial service for our friend, Myrt Newell.

Pastor Joe Scro (Easton Bible Church) conducted the graveside service and used this powerful story.

The late Harry Rimmer penned the following letter to Charles E. Fuller of the Old Fashioned Revival Hour, shortly before his death. “Next Sunday you are to talk about heaven. I am interested in that land because I have held a clear title to a bit of property there for over 50 years. I did not buy it. It was given to me without money and without price; but the Donor purchased it for me at a tremendous sacrifice.

“I am not holding it for speculation. It is not a vacant lot. For more than half a century I have been sending materials, out of which the greatest Architect of the universe has been building a home for me, which will never need remodeling or repairs because it will suit me perfectly, individually, and will never grow old.

“Termites can never undermine its foundation for it rests upon the Rock of Ages. Fire cannot destroy it. Floods cannot wash it away. No lock or bolts will ever be placed upon the doors, for no vicious person can ever enter that land, where my dwelling stands, now almost completed and almost ready for me to enter in and abide in peace eternally, without fear of being rejected.

“There is a valley of deep shadow between this place where I live, and that to which I shall journey in a very short time. I cannot reach my home in that city without passing through that valley. But I am not afraid because the best Friend I ever had went through the same valley long, long ago and drove away all its gloom. He stuck with me through thick and thin since we first became acquainted 55 years ago, and I hold His promise in printed form, never to forsake me or leave me alone. He will be with me as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and I shall not lose my way because He is with me.

“I hope to hear your sermon on heaven next Sunday, but I have no assurance I shall be able to do so. My ticket to heaven has no date marked for the journey, no return coupon and no permit for baggage. Yes, I am ready to go, and I may not be here while you are talking next Sunday evening, but I will meet you there some day.” John 14:1-3

The question is: are you ready? I trust you are, my brother. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: Ezra 1-2; Proverbs 11; John 19:23-42

Motivations: One of the tragic implications of this event (Adam’s rebellion) is that man lost his secure status with God and began to struggle with feelings of arrogance, inadequacy, and despair, valuing the opinion of others more than the truth of God. This has robbed man of his true self-worth and has put him on a continual, but fruitless, search for significance through his success and the approval of others. Robert S. McGee

Practice to Remember: Level 1: Philippians 1:9-10; Level 2: Philippians 1:12-18

Powered Up:  What God sovereignly decrees in eternity, men will always demand in time.

Rhythm of Grace

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Rhythm of Grace 

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message) 

The family and I got to spend some of the recent Memorial Day weekend with our friends at Americas Keswick. It was a privilege to be able to applaud Bill and Jan Welte for their 15 years of dedicated service to Keswick and to rib Bill for some of the practical jokes he played on me while I had my stay at the Colony during the summer of 2003. 

I was doubly blessed to have met a man named Twan-Wo. What he had lacked in sight in one aspect he made up for in our conversations. But the crux of the blessing comes in that of a book I found in the thrift store. Its title is “The Godward Gaze” by Steve McVey and it only cost me about seventy five cents. Sorry Pastor McVey…I am sure someone actually paid the cover price. 

Anyway, while sitting on the porch of Victory Hall I begin to page through this book before I seriously take to reading it. I come to page nine and in bold lettering I read a sub-title called “The Rhythms of Grace”. Having read “Grace Walk” Pastor McVey now has my attention. He mentions finding the term in The Message and I make a mental note to myself that I need to get to my copy of it and see where I can find it. (side note here…I had to Google the term) It really could be what other writers have called spiritual disciplines and they are something we may not want to think we ought to do.  

Quite frankly I am not a fan of the word discipline because I see it as more of a rod coming at me rather than a practice of living. But as I read some of what Pastor McVey states in this part of what is actually the books introduction he encourages us to consider spiritual disciplines as gifts from God. He continues to say these rhythms of grace can draw us into a greater awareness of God’s love for us. I now begin to wonder what my view of God’s grace really is. I wonder if the way I conduct myself before I approach God’s word and His will for me is something I feel I want to do or I ought to do. 

Pastor McVey includes a very informative quote from Richard Foster, who ironically wrote this book titled “Celebration of Discipline” (Do we really celebrate discipline?) Foster warns of turning spiritual disciplines into laws and writes that law-bound disciplines breathe death. How many Bible studies have we been to when this absolute thought of practicing law-bound disciplines rears its ugly head? Foster goes on to say that we are not left to our own human devices, we have Jesus Christ to be our ever-present Teacher and Guide if we are willing to listen to the heavenly Monitor.  Even McVey says to look at this concept of spiritual disciplines through the lenses of grace and not of legalism. 

So after I found out where Peterson used the term “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace”, I could only hear it straight from the mouth of The Savior himself. Then I shared it with the FaceBook world and that’s where my other brother of thunder agreed that this has the tone of grace. I found it in Matthew where Jesus is encouraging us to take His yoke upon us and learn this walk from Him. I now understand why there will be a need for me to change my lenses when I continue on with my read into ‘The Godward Gaze” or whenever I do approach a spiritual discipline I need, not ought, to practice. I also think, nah, want to re-read “Grace Walk” because I really think I missed something. Just by re-reviewing the Matthew passage has made me want to re-review the word discipline…how about you? Does this sound like a rod coming at you or an easy yoke for you to wear? Chris Hughes graduated from the Colony of Mercy and is a faithful writer for our e-devotional.

Team YOU: 2 Chronicles 25-27; Proverbs 6; John 16

Motivations: If I am afraid to speak the truth, lest I lose affection, or lest the one concerned should say, “You do not understand,” or because I fear to lose my reputation for kindness; if I put my own good name before the other’s highest good, then I know nothing of Calvary love. Amy Carmichael
Practice to Remember: Level 1: Ephesians 6:18; Level 2: Ephesians 6:21-24
Powered Up:  Patience in prayer is nothing but faith spun out. Thomas Watson

Absence of Reverence

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Absence of Reverence:
The Golden Calf 

“And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’ ”  Exodus 32:7-8 (ESV) 

And then the El Shaddai said, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.” Let me tell you something, The Book of Exodus is no joke and without all the cinema license involved, I can’t help to see Moses looking and acting the way Charlton Heston portrayed him in the movie “The Ten Commandments.” I guess this helps me see just how livid Moses gets when he sees the Golden Calf after he comes down from the mountain, especially after the Israelites were specifically told “do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.” Can you say, “Dummies!?”

In the Cecil B. Demille movie the Israelites are shown dancing and wrapping the statue with adornments while the rest of the idolaters stuff their faces with food and drink. Considering the source I am using to illustrate this we can get the picture on just how easy it becomes to worship the creation and not the Creator. These “stiff-necked people” needed something visual so it was easier to become relational. It was about as stupid as worshipping a block of wood (see Isaiah 44:9-20). What can an inanimate object do for you when life comes at you on life’s terms?

If you said “Nothing” well then let’s raise an AMEN but if you disagree and really believe a block of wood will be there to support you, just set it on fire and see how long it lasts. Or take your “golden calf” and set it ablaze. Just a thing you should you know here, when Moses did this he took the statue after it got its cooking, ground it up and made the Israelites drink it with their water. This is a far cry from what Moses did for the Israelites right after they crossed the Red Sea. The waters of Marah (Exodus 15:22-26) were bitter but the Lord gave Moses a log and their first test of yielded obedience. Guess they forgot that moment…hmmm. 


I think the part that really grabs at me is the part that Aaron plays in the making of the Golden Calf. I’ve heard discussions that Aaron went back to the camp, the Bible doesn’t say that but because it was written as “the people gathered themselves together to Aaron” I’ll just leave it at that. But there seems to be room to put some possibilities that he may have felt dealing with the mob. If we were to just leave this alone it would seem as if Aaron was quite willing to participate in the making of “gods of silver or gods of gold” but I really don’t think that this is the case. I think he had seen a vast amount of disillusioned people lost, in need of something and becoming violent. Maybe this is the side effect of one too many Manna-burgers… I can’t be sure about this but something went wrong. 

I believe the reverence for YHVH had a rough time setting in for these recently freed slaves of Pharaoh. So much time spent in Egypt being labored in the building of idols for the Egyptians, what else did those Israelites know? For the time being I would like to end my thought there but ponder this if you will. When the Israelites grew weary of waiting on Moses, they had Aaron forge them a god. That was not a good idea. When you grow weary waiting on Jesus, what is it that you have forged? Is that a good idea? I’ll be back to finish this thought tomorrow. – Chris Hughes blogs regularly for our Freedom Fighter e-devotional. He graduated from the Colony of Mercy and is involved in a local church in South Jersey

Team YOU: 2 Chronicles 23-24; Proverbs 5; John 15

Motivations: I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forego their use.
Galileo Galilei
Practice to Remember: Level 1: Ephesians 6:18; Level 2: Ephesians 6:21-24
Powered Up:  If you pray for bread and bring no basket to carry it, you prove the doubting spirit which may be the only hindrance to the gift you ask. D. L. Moody

Don’t forget to dial into this month’s Discovering Victory podcast with Dr. Richard Allen Farmer. You will be blessed as Dr. Farmer shares with you a message from the pulpit of America’s Keswick.

Check out Discovering Victory Podcast. You’ll be glad you did!

Hit Up’s From Brooklyn

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Be sure and check out the June Discovering Victory Podcast with Dr. Richard Allen Farmer. It will be a blessing to your heart and life. Share this link with a friend and get them to dial in!

Hit Up’s From Brooklyn 

“And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” John 19:2-5 (ESV)

Every once in a while I get these devotional texts from some guy I know who hails that his roots are in Brooklyn. I’ll text back my “AMEN” to him but he doesn’t seem to want to strike up any conversation with me. I guess that’s cool, it doesn’t bother me too much but sometimes it would be nice to go over the points he makes in his texts and expand on them. So with that said, I am going to do something that I have done with some of my past Freedom Fighters…I’m gonna share someone else’s words, maybe expand a few of these thoughts and pepper this with a few comments of my own. He will remain nameless but I hope he is reading this.

He starts the devotional with…”If hard work is the formula for prosperity, then everyone who works hard should be prosperous. (my comment- Not that this was ever a promise, brother!) But this is certainly not the case. Many people who work very hard are still poor. I am not advocating laziness. What I am saying is that working hard by the sweat of your brow is not how God’s prosperity comes. In fact, if you have to work overtime all the time and are stressed out, you are probably operating under the curse. (my comment-Kinda thought we were anyway, however if we are in need of finance and have prayed that God provide, overtime might be HIS provision, just sayin’)

What curse is that? It is this curse “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”(Genesis 3:19 ESV) And it refers to the stress, struggle and anxieties that come with working hard and yet producing little. (my comment-I hope this doesn’t include Kingdom work?)  Now, work itself is not a curse since God gave Adam work before the fall—Adam was to tend to the Garden of Eden. It was only after he sinned that the land was cursed and it brought forth thorns, and man had to toil to eat of it, “cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.” (Genesis 3:17b-18 ESV)


But praise God, Jesus wore the thorns on His head to show you that He has borne this curse for you and redeemed you from it. (my comment-I can say AMEN to this point, can you?) He wore the crown of thorns so that you can work stress-free and yet have the results. (my comment-And have a right position with The Father.) You don’t have to be worried and stressed out day and night like the people of the world just to get ahead in life. Your heavenly father can get you there without the worries and stress. (my comment- Never doubt this promise, brother! “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. -Matthew 6:31-33 ESV) 

Beloved, every curse that was supposed to fall on your head fell on Jesus’ head, typified by the crown of thorns. He wore the crown of thorns for and took your curse so that you can wear the crown of glory and take His righteousness, and all the benefits of that righteousness! (my comment-All the more reason that the world needs Jesus Christ in their lives!! AMEN?) 

Today, don’t labor and toil like the people of the world. Instead, expect to see the blessings of God come into your life without blood, sweat and tears because Jesus wore the crown of thorns for you!” (my comment-I hope you allow this to be a thought for this day. And a big THANX to some guy I know who hails that his roots are in Brooklyn.) – Chris Hughes is a regular Freedom Fighter contributor and a graduate of the Colony of Mercy
Team YOU: 2 Chronicles 21-22; Proverbs 4; John 14

Motivations:There is only one life that wins, and that is the life of Jesus Christ. Every man may have that life; every man may live that life—Charles Trumbull

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 1:6; Level 2: Philippians 1:1-11
Powered Up:  Patience in prayer is nothing but faith spun out. Thomas Watson

We’re Landing with the final three lessons:

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We’re Landing  with the final three lessons:

I trust you have benefited from my lessons – I am still learning – and may add to the list at a future point – but here are the last three:

15. Don’t be afraid of an examined life. I don’t know about you – but I have this reoccurring dream that I am at the end of the semester in High School and there is a class that I didn’t attend all year, and know it doesn’t look like I am going to graduate. In my dream I am frantically running around trying to figure out how to fix this problem.

For many of us, that is how we have lived life. We have spent years trying to “fix” life rather than allow Christ to BE our life. We fear condemnation and judgment, while He longs for us to know that there is no condemnation for us who are IN CHRIST. (Romans 8:1).
Because we fear His condemnation and wrath – examination scares the snot out of us. Praise God that when He took our place on the Cross, He took the wrath that you and I should have received. What we got was the great exchange – He took my sin and He gave me HIS righteousness.

Having said that, it is good for us to keep short accounts. It is good to have people in our lives that will hold our feet to the fire so that we will not be a casualty. We need to pray that God will put into our life a Nathan that won’t be afraid to ask the hard questions. I know dozens of men who wished that they had done that. Today they might still be in ministry. Accountability and examination go hand in hand.

16. Purpose in your heart to finish well. I read a verse yesterday that I don’t think I ever saw before. Dumb thing to say because I am sure I have read it during my read through the Bible. I guess it just jumped off the page yesterday:

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me —the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. Acts 20:24

Wow. Isn’t that powerful? I want to burn that verse in the hard drive of my mind – I want to finish the race and complete the task that the Lord has given me to do! All of the previous lessons shared help me to get to this one! Is your desire to finish well?
17. Don’t sweat the small stuff. In light of eternity, does “it” really matter? Sometimes we just have to step back and ask ourselves “in light of eternity, does it really matter?” Some of the junk we get hung up on, that spins us out of control, that robs of our joy – is really just that – junk that we should just let go.
When my kids were young I would never let them drink out of my soda bottle. I hated “backwash!” Yuck! My grandkids have grabbed my heart. They all drink out of my soda bottle and backwash and they get away with it. It drives my KIDS crazy! “Dad, would have never let us do that!”
Yep! You’re right. I learned that it was just small stuff – I can be free to really enjoy life when I don’t let the small stuff rob me of today! Don’t let the junk eat your lunch. Ask yourself the question – “In light of eternity does  _______ really matter.
Thanks for letting me share these lessons. I have some cool devotionals from Chris Hughes for next week, and then I will give you some of the lessons you have sent to me. I love having you on this journey with me. Your feedback is important. So every once in a while, please throw me a bone! Have a great weekend. – Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: 2 Chronicles 15-16; Proverbs 1; John 12:27-50

Motivations: The true measure of spirituality is not how angry we become toward sinners, but how Christlike; our mission is not to see men destroyed, but redeemed.
Francis Frangipane
Practice to Remember: Level 1: Ephesians 6:18; Level 2: Ephesians 6:21-24
Powered Up:  Prayer projects faith on God, and God on the world. Only God can move mountains, but faith and prayer moves God.—E. M. Bounds

Coming Down to the End of the Lessons Learned …

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Coming Down to the End of the Lessons Learned  …

I shared the lesson yesterday, BUILD CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY INTO YOUR LIFE …

Here are three more points about integrity:

3. Integrity at must take place at home before it moves into the marketplace.
“I will walk in my own house with a blameless heart (a heart of integrity).” Psalm 101:2
We ought to so live our lives that we would not be afraid to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.”
— Dr. Charles Swindoll

4. Integrity is a life-long commitment.
“Far be it from me that I should declare you right; Till I die I will not put away my integrity.” – Job 27:5
“Leaders with integrity will not only know in their hearts how they ought to live; they will steadfastly live out their convictions throughout their lives.”
— Henry Blackaby
“Compromise … it starts small, and then builds until our integrity is completely overtaken by whatever evil we surrender to in the first place.”  — Wayne Hastings
“Our spirituality cannot be divorced from any aspect of life; it infuses and permeates all aspects of our being. Our work, our play, our sexuality, our prayers, our humor, our passion, and our aggression are all a part of our spiritual life, this being a relationship with God that allows us to find our true identity, our meaning, and our life. — Dallas Willard

“Behavior has a price tag. If you choose to be untrue to yourself and dishonest with others, the initial cost will be a worried mind, troubled heart, and restless body. However, the final payment for the shortcuts of life can be a lot higher when caught in the web of self-destruction.” — Richard K Biggs, Burn Brightly Without Burning Out

5. Integrity matters to God.
“God can’t stand deceivers, but oh how he relishes integrity.” – Proverbs 11:20
“When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.”  Proverbs 16:7
“Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.” – Proverbs 13:6
“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”  — Proverbs 11:3

Are you building a life of character and integrity? Tomorrow we will look at an examined life. – Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick
Team YOU: 2 Chronicles 13-14; Proverbs 31; John 12:1-26

Motivations: Feeling better has become more important to us than finding God.
Larry Crabb
Practice to Remember: Level 1: Ephesians 6:18; Level 2: Ephesians 6:21-24
Powered Up:  The power of prayer rests in the faith that God hears it. The moment I am assured that God hears, I feel drawn to pray and to persevere in prayer. Andrew Murray

15, No 17 Lessons — Winding Down

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15, N0 17 Lessons:
14. Build character and integrity into your life.
If you want to take a good look at this lesson, check out the story of Joseph in Genesis! You’ll love it. It is a great character study. Talk about a guy who knew what character and integrity was all about.
Here is some things I have gleaned about integrity:
“Integrity is completeness or soundness. You have integrity if you complete a job even when no one is looking. You have integrity if you keep your word even when no one checks up on you. You have integrity if you keep your promises. It is the absence of duplicity and is the opposite of hypocrisy. If you are a person of integrity, you will do what you say. What you declare, you will do your best to be. Integrity also includes financial accountability, personal reliability, and private purity. A person with integrity does not manipulate others. He or she is not prone to arrogance or self-praise. Integrity invites constructive and necessary criticism because it applauds accountability. It’s sound. It’s solid. It’s complete. Integrity keeps one from fearing the white light of examination or resisting the exacting demands of close scrutiny. It’s honest at all costs. Integrity is having the guts to tell the truth, even if it may hurt to do so. Integrity is having guts to be honest, even though cheating may bring about a better grade.

1.     Like excellence, integrity is a moving target.

“You cannot maintain your integrity 90 percent and be a leader. It’s got to be 100 percent.”  — Executive Leadership Magazine
“One of the realities of life is that if you can’t trust a person at all points, you can’t trust him or her at any point.”  — Philip Brooks
“Integrity means being consistent in one’s behavior under every circumstance including those unguarded moments.”  — Henry Blackaby

2. Integrity begins with our own hearts.
“Surely You desire truth (integrity) in the inner self (heart), and You teach me wisdom deep within.” (Psalm 51:6)

“Our worth to God in public will always be determined by our own lives in private.” – Oswald Chambers

“If I am what I think, then the obvious conclusion is that I do what I think.” – Kenny Luck, Every Man, God’s Man

“When the mirror of truth is turned on a man, he will either face it or flee. If he chooses to flee, it’s because the reality of his life, with all its destructive behavior, seems too fearful to face head-on.”  — Kenny Luck, Every Man, God’s Man

“Integrity is about having sound, moral character. It’s having your heart in the right place. It means you won’t compromise your principles for any reason, including the overpayment of travel reimbursement from your employer.”  —  Richard K. Biggs, Burn Brightly Without Burning Out

“A person of integrity shows no difference between who they are on the outside as opposed to what they are on the inside.  They are completed and not divided.”
        Wayne Hastings

I’ll share the rest tomorrow. Sorry for the delay! – Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick
Team YOU: 2 Chronicles 10-12; Proverbs 30; John 11:30-57

Motivations: The three most important ingredients in Christian work are integrity, integrity, integrity. – Charles Colson
Practice to Remember: Level 1: Ephesians 6:18; Level 2: Ephesians 6:21-24

Powered Up:  If you can’t pray a door open, don’t try to pray it open. – Lyell Ryder.