One Man’s Sin – Oucher No. #2

Get up, sanctify the people, and say, “Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because says the Lord God of Israel: ‘There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take way the accursed thing from among you.'” Joshua 7:13

This is one of those devotionals that snaps us from the mundane to the reality of life. It is one of those “wake up, you dunderhead” reminders that all of need to keep posted in the forefront of our minds. Listen to the powerful reminder from Dr. Henry Blackaby’s daily devotional, EXPERIENCING GOD – THE DEVOTIONAL (Broadman and Holman):

Just as the obedience of ONE Christian can bring blessing to others, the sin of ONE Christian can bring harm to many others. The children of Israel were rapidly advancing into the Promised Land. They had experienced a miraculous victory over the city of Jericho, and they were continuing toward their next conquest.

To their surprise they met a decisive defeat as they attempted to capture the small town of Ai. They sought God’s explanation for their failure, and He provided it. He revealed that someone among them had disobeyed His clear command not to keep any possessions from Jericho. The disobedience of one man and his family had paralyzed an entire nation!

Achan though he could conceal his sin and it would not affect anyone else. God chose to demonstrate the destructive power of one sin to His people. One act of disobedience cost Achan and his family their lives. It caused his countrymen to lose the battle; innocent soldiers were killed. His sin had serious repercussions for others, denying them the blessing, power, and victory of God.

Your sin will have an impact on others. Choosing to disobey God may cost your family God’s blessing. The power of God may be absent from your church because you are living in disobedience. Your friends may suffer because you are not living righteously.

Diligently seek to obey every word from God, for you do not know how YOUR disobedience could affect those around you. Scripture promises that if you will obey the Lord, your life will be a channel of blessing to others. (Psalm 37:25-26)

I needed to be reminded of this principle this morning. How about you? We are in this thing together, guys. Let’s purpose as Freedom Fighters to obey Him in every area of our life. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 17; Isaiah 50-52; 1 Thessalonians 5

Think about this: We stay busy at work, while people around us are ripe and ready to be harvested; we do not reap even one of them, but simply waste our Lord’s time in over-energized activities and programs. — Oswald Chambers

NEVER TOO BUSY

“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.” Luke 10:33

This is an “oucher” from Dr. Henry Blackaby’s daily devotional, EXPERIENCING GOD:

“If anyone could understand the temptation to let busyness distract Him from the Father’s activity, Jesus certainly could! He told a parable that clearly illustrated this danger: A certain Jewish man was on his way to Jericho when he was brutally attacked by thieves and left to die by the road.

First a Levite, then a priest passed by. These were religious leaders; surely they would show compassion to a wounded person! But they had places to go and appointments to keep, so they passed him by. Surely someone else would come along who had more time to help the wounded man!

Then a Samaritan, despised by the Jews, came along. Of all people, this man had reason to look the other way, since the wounded man was his enemy. But wherever he was going could wait, for someone needed his help.

It’s easy to become so busy that you are oblivious to those in need. Your schedule can become so full of accomplishing GOOD things that you are of no help to the people around you. God is at work in the lives of your friends, your neighbors and your family members. He may ask you to interrupt your day long enough to join Him as He ministers to them.

Nothing on your agenda, no matter how pressing, is reason enough to ignore the voice of God when He tells you to stop and help. If you have become too busy to minister to those around you, ask God to establish your priorities so that you do not miss opportunities to serve Him.”

What a powerful reminder. I know I needed to be reminded of that today. How about you? – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 16; Isaiah 47-49; 1 Thessalonians 4

Think about this: No matter how dark the sky, how discouraging the circumstances, how
desperate the situation, God is there–a God who is too good to forget and too great to fail. God is there, his mighty arm ruling this universe for him, redeeming all who will let him, and reinforcing any who respond to him in faith and obedience! — Leo Green

11:59

“Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.” – Acts 12:7

“After midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God … suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.” — Acts 16:25-26

God is NEVER late. He always shows up on time. His timetable is not necessarily the timetable that I want — but He is precisely on time. Often I have found that He shows up at 11:59. Today’s devotional from STREAMS IN THE DESERT” was timely and addresses this very issue:

“This is the way God works. In our DARKEST hour, He walks to us across the waves, just as an angel came to Peter’s cell when the day of Peter’s execution dawned. And when the scaffold was completed for Mordecai’s execution, the king’s sleeplessness ultimately led to his action favoring God’s favored race (See Esther 6).

Dear soul, you may have to experience the very WORST before you are delivered, but YOU WILL BE DELIVERED! God may keep you waiting, but He will ALWAYS remember HIS promise and will appear IN TIME to fulfill His sacred Word that CANNOT be broken.

God has a simplicity about Him in working out HIS plans, and yet He possesses a resourcefulness equal to ANY difficulty. His faithfulness to His trusting children is unwavering, and He is steadfast in holding to His purpose. In Joseph’s life, we see God work through a fellow prisoner, later through a dream, and finally through lifting Joseph from a prison to the position of governor. And the length of Joseph’s prison stay gave him strength and steadiness he needed as governor.

IT IS ALWAYS SAFE TO TRUST GOD’S METHODS AND TO LIVE BY HIS CLOCK. God in His providence has a thousand keys to open a thousand different doors in order to deliver His own, no matter how desperate the situation may have become. May we be faithful to do our part, which is simply to suffer for Him, and to place Christ’s part on Him and then LEAVE IT THERE!

Now my brothers, are you in the midst of a challenge and a difficult spot? Are you facing a situation where you are waiting for God to show up? Trust Him completely. He is NEVER late. His timetable is different — but HE WILL SHOW UP RIGHT ON TIME — it may be 11:59 — but you can count on Him to be RIGHT ON TIME. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 15; Isaiah 45-46; 1 Thessalonians 3

Think About This: In response to “I have difficulty praying.” Why then, do you not try this? As you go to your inner chamber, however cold and dark your heart may be, do not try in your own might to force yourself into the right attitude. Bow before Him, and tell Him that He sees in what a sad state you are, and that your only hope is in Him. Trust Him, with a childlike trust, to have mercy upon you, and wait upon Him. In such a trust you are in a right relationship to Him. You have nothing – He has everything. — Andrew Murray

Check out George Hutchison’s latest STEWARDSHIP INSIGHT on our newest blog: http://keswickgeorge.blogspot.com/

My Father, My Father

“All who follow the leading of God’s Spirit are God’s own sons. Nor are you meant to relapse into the old slavish attitude of fear – you have been adopted into the very family circle of God and you can say with a full heart, “Father, my Father.” The Spirit himself endorses our inward conviction that we really are the children of God.” Romans 8:14-15 (J.B. Phillips translation)

I shared with you yesterday that I arrived in New Hampshire early Saturday morning for my grandson, Tanner’s, fourth birthday. He kept asking if I was coming, and because of things happening at America’s KESWICK, I was not able to attend. God rearranged my schedule so that I could go.

I crawled into the sofa bed with Jan around 1 and when Tanner came downstairs on Saturday morning, he wanted to climb in bed with “Granny” to snuggle. I was hiding under the covers when he climbed on the bed, which he told Jan was lumpy. She told him to get under the covers. I wish you could have seen the look on his face when he pulled back the covers and there I was. He yelled, “Pop-pop! My Pop-Pop!” It was one of those moments that will be forever etched on the hard drive of my brain.
It erased the memory of the 8.5 hour drive through the traffic.

Through the next couple of hours he was attached to me like a fly on honey. He wasn’t about to let me out of his sight. He was taking delight in me, and I was taking delight in him.

Several weeks ago I was talking with one of my staff members who is a grandfather. His “grands” are in the teen years now and he shared this advice with me. “Take advantage of this time now when your grandkids are young. Right now they think you are everything. They can’t wait to see you and be with you. You light up their lives. Something happens when they hit their teen years – all of a sudden their world is different. They are busy with their stuff and all of a sudden you aren’t quite as important or as special as you used to be.”

Unfortunately that is a picture of what the Christian life is for so many of us. When we first get saved, we are so excited about our relationship with the Lord. He is our everything. We have fallen head over heels in love with Him. We seem to discover Him everywhere. Every time we turn around He is showing up, and we find ourselves say, “My Poppa – My Poppa!”

But then the joy seems to wane and we get wrapped up in our own little worlds. Instead of spending time with Him consistently, we find ourselves busy with the stuff of life. Before long, we find ourselves in love with other things and people. He moves from being first place in our lives to second, third, and sadly, sometimes he’s not even on the list.

He longs to be the delight of your life. He wants you to long for Him.
He wants to spend time with you. He delights when we pull back the covers of life and discover he is there in the expected places and you cry out with glee, “My Father, My Father!” It’s not too late to get back to that point in your life. He’s still there. He’s waiting. Tell Him. Open your heart to Him. Fall back in love with the Savior. It will be worth it, my friend. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 14; Isaiah 43-44; 1 Thessalonians 2

Think about this one: “Books can take a person all over the world – a driver’s library card will take you further than a driver’s license.” Rueben Martinez

HE IS WITH YOU

“And the Lord is the one who goes AHEAD of you; HE will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.. Do not fear, or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8

Some of you will remember that back 20+ years ago, I struggled with panic attacks. I did a pretty good job of covering it up so that people around me didn’t know that I had them, but it was a very frightening time in my life.

The three major times they surfaced were when I was having to direct major concerts/events, being in crowds, or being stuck in traffic. I was crippled enough by them that I was unable to drive by myself for any length of distance. I can remember when we moved to Sandy Cove praying my heart out just driving from work to our house which was about four miles away.

Coming to serve at America’s KESWICK has been a tremendous blessing in my life. One of the byproducts of serving here is that for whatever reason, the Lord took away the panic attacks. No I certainly don’t get stuck in traffic, though driving in Whiting can be a scary thing, but monthly I am in front of large crowds and groups of people. It has been so wonderful to be “free” in this area.

Several years ago I was put to the test regarding driving by myself, and with God’s help and the prayers of several friends, I drove two hours on my own. Since then I don’t even think about it much. Every once in a while I ask myself the question, “Are they gone?”

This weekend our grandson Tanner was celebrating his 4th birthday. My wife, son and daughter and her kids drove up on Thursday since I was not able to be there because of our Board meetings and several commitments. I was really feeling down because of missing Tanner’s party. Long story short, the way was cleared for me to go, however, that mean driving to New Hampshire by myself – a six hour drive.

I paced the bedroom for about 20 minutes trying to decide what to do, then I found myself saying, “Do I really believe Deuteronomy 31:8 is true?” I packed my bag by faith and headed for the car. Two of my friends, Chaplain Robert Roman, and my COO, Jim Kennedy, met me and had prayer with me. Our good friends, Brian and Donna Bitler called to say they were praying.

Well the trip SHOULD have taken six hours – however, due to MAJOR traffic jams along the way, it took 8.5 hours. I am a living testimony that Deuteronomy 31:8 is true. You might be saying, “I don’t get it – what’s the big deal about driving 8 hours alone?” Unless you’ve had a panic attack, you will never understand what a big deal this was for me. God WAS with me every step of the way. HE DOES GO BEFORE YOU!

Friend, are you facing a difficult challenge today in your life? Then by faith, claim this promise. It’s yours! Memorize it. Burn it on the hard drive of your mind. Let HIM show you how BIG He is! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 13; Isaiah 41-42; 1 Thessalonians 1

A quote worth pondering: It costs to be faithful. It cost Abraham the yielding up of his only son. It cost Esther to risk her own life. It cost Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego being put into a fiery furnace. It cost Stephen death by stoning. It cost Paul his life. Does it cost you anything to be faithful to your Lord and King? – Anonymous

“It’s the Lord’s Day!”

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:23-25)

It’s Sunday! Are you going to church this morning? I don’t know a single pastor who is not concerned about the flippancy (and I don’t think that’s too strong a word) with which church people ignore the importance of being in church on the Lord’s Day. Too many of us think nothing of skipping church for a ball game, a fishing trip or some project that needs to get done at home.

A reading of Hebrews 10:23-25 doesn’t seem to give us that freedom. We live in a difficult world. Our brothers and sisters in church need us, and we need them. The instruction of this section of the Bible tells us that we must consider more than our own desires when making decisions about church. We’re to consider those who worship with us before making a decision to absent ourselves from fellowship on the Lord’s Day.

Let me suggest three insights you need to consider before you choose to skip church for some family occasion or non-required work or repair project. First, remember that we still call it “The Lord’s Day.” It’s NOT just another day. The Old and New Testament principle is that one day of the week should be reserved for worship, reflection and rest. Do we really want to tell the Lord that our own plans are more important than worshiping with our brothers and sisters?

The second insight to think about is what your absence says to those who are in church. One can wonder if a lot of us are ever going to learn that “it’s not about us!” We live so selfishly that we don’t think about others. Faithful attendance in the Lord’s house is faithful ministry to those in our faith community. Less than faithful attendance tells our brothers and sisters that our agendas are more important than encouraging them in their walk with the Lord.

Finally, let me share a third insight that warrants your attention. The world isn’t getting better; it’s getting worse. And, it will continue to get worse. The increasing degeneration of our world demands that we intensify our commitment to one another in the Body of Christ, the local church. To do otherwise is to put the whole Body in danger of further seduction by the wicked one.

I invite you to think about your commitment to “The Lord’s Day” in light of the clear teaching of Scripture. — John Strain is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Toms River

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 12; Isaiah 39-40; Colossians 4

A Quote Worth Pondering: If a house should be taken for us by a friend, and we were told it was ready, and that the lease and all the necessary papers were duly attested and signed, we should not ask how we could get into it. We should just pack up and move in …. God says that He is our dwelling place, and the Bible contains all the necessary papers, duly attested and signed. And our Lord invites us, nay more, commands us to enter in and abide there. In effect He says, God is your dwelling place, and you must see to it that you take up your abode there. You must move in. — Hannah Whitall Smith

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“Spiritual Passion” (Psalm 119:5)

God’s Word reminded me again of the benefit of reading it through every year. During my reading earlier this week, I came across one little line that captured my attention. “O that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes.”

The words struck me with their passion. They reminded me of the need for commitment and obedience to the Word of God. This one line of inspired Scripture confronts the apathy and disinterest so many believers display toward God’s Word. Perhaps you need to join me in thinking about the psalmist’s spiritual passion.

Let me share some of the questions that came to my mind as I meditated on these ten words. “Do I share this kind of passion for obedience to God’s Word?” I contemplated my own attitude toward God’s Word and what I know it teaches me about walking with God. God’s Spirit prompted me to think about the error of selective obedience. Genuine passion for matching my walk with God’s instruction demands that I pursue obedience in all things.

Another question also came to mind. “Do I know God’s statues well enough to allow them to “direct my ways?” I thought about my biblical literacy. If the instruction that comes from God’s Word will direct my life, I’ve got to know that instruction. That realization led me to think about my ongoing effort to know God’s Word and apply it to my life. I had to review my interest in and efforts to go deeper in the
Bible.

What about you? How passionate are you about knowing and living out God’s Word? Do the words of Scripture consistently direct your life? None of us who read the Freedom Fighter will know genuine freedom apart from ongoing immersion in and application of His statues. It just won’t happen.

The 119th psalm is the longest single section of the Bible. The writer revisits this need for a passionate application of God’s Word to our lives throughout the psalm. I invite you to spend time through the next week reading and thinking about the influence of God’s Word in your life. – John Strain is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Toms River

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 11; Isaiah 37-38; Colossians 3

A Quote Worth Pondering: Our society is filled with runaways, dropouts,and quitters. The epidemic of walking away has hit our land with effects as devastating as the bubonic plague, and it has destroyed millions of effective lives and relationships. We are so self-centered that we have ceased to lay down our lives for others. We have seen others faint or walk away and we have followed in their weakness. We have fainted when we could have persevered by exchanging our strength for His! With His
strength, not only could we have kept on walking, we could have run! —
Kay Arthur

Worldliness and the Media (Part 3)

I trust that the insights this week from C.J. Mahaney’s book, “Worldliness – Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World”, have been challenging and thought-provoking. It is one of those little books that I believe is a MUST READ for every Freedom Fighter.

Today is the third part on how I can analyze my involvement with media, whether it be TV, movies, Facebook, Myspace, or other things related to the internet. Yesterday I gave you a list of questions to consider regarding time and the heart. Today’s list relates to the CONTENT.

Here is the list from the Chapter: God, My Heart, and Media:

* What worldview or philosophy of life does this program or film present? What’s the view of man’s nature? What’s the view of sin? Is sin identified as such? What’s the view of God-ordained authority figures? And how do these views relate to God’s view?
* What does this program or film glamorize? What is valued or considered important?
* Who are the heroes of the story? Why are they heroic?
* Is sin shown as having negative consequences? Or is sin glorified or rewarded? Is sin presented in an appealing or seductive way?
* What is humorous in this work? How are people made fun of? What is mocked?
* Does violence appear as a natural part of the story, or is it used gratuitously to entertain?
* What’s the sexual content? Is there nudity? Sensual or seductive dress? Are there images, language, or humor that are sexually impure?
* Is sinful self-sufficiency honored? Are the heroic characters concerned for others or merely for themselves?
* Does the program or film portray materialism as “the good life”?
* Would seeing this help me better understand God’s world? Would it help me understand my surrounding culture better without tempting me to sinful compromise?
* Will I benefit in any way from viewing this program or visiting this website?
* Online, do I communicate graciously, patiently, and humbly? Do I use crude or arrogant speech? Is my speech consistent with the gospel, or does it reflect worldliness?

My guess is, that some of us bristled when we read through this list of questions because it rubbed a nerve. “Bill, are you being too legalistic?” “Isn’t this list going a bit too far?” Maybe the greater question is this: “Have a become desensitized to the influence of the world around me?” Remember the key verse from this discussion: “Love not the world or anything in the world.” – 1 John 2:15.

I think that the discussion is worth having. I would love to hear from you. It has sure caused me to think. What about you? – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 10; Isaiah 34-36; Colossians 2

A quote worth considering: In a way I wish I could take to heaven my old, tattered Everest and Jennings wheelchair. I would point to the empty seat and say, “Lord, for decades I was paralyzed in this chair. But it showed me how paralyzed You must have felt to be nailed to Your Cross. My limitations taught me something about the limitations You endured when You laid aside your robes of state and put on the indignity of human flesh.” At that point, with my strong and glorified body, I might sit in it, rub the armrests with my hands, look up at Jesus, and add, “The weaker I felt in this chair, the harder I leaned on You. And the harder I leaned, the more I discovered how strong You are. Thank you, Jesus for learning obedience in your suffering…You gave me grace to learn obedience in mine.” — Joni Eareckson Tada

Worldliness — Media (Part 2)

Yesterday I shared with you some thoughts from a powerful book, WORLDLINESS – Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World.

Pastor Craig Cabanis, who wrote the chapter, God, My Heart, and the media, quoting pastor Kent Hughes says:

“Today the all-pervasive glow of the television set is the single most potent influence and control in Western culture. Television has greater power over the lives of most Americans than any educational system, government or church.”

So how do we bring control in our lives in regards to the things we watch (TV, DVD’s, movies, etc) so that we don’t get sucked into the world and all its powerful allurements?

Pastor Cabanis offers a series of questions that are worth our consideration:

Time Questions
* Am I skipping or delaying something important in order to watch this now?
* What are my other social/entertainment options besides watching television or going out to see a movie?
* How much time have I already spent on media today?
* How much time have I spent surfing the Internet? How much time have I spent blogging or maintaining an online presence through social network sites?
* In the last week, how much time have I spent on the spiritual disciplines, building relationships, or serving in my local church compared to time spent consuming media?
* After investing the time to view this, will I look back on it as time well spent?

Heart Questions
* Why do I want to watch this program or movie? What do I find entertaining about it?
* Am I seeking to escape from something I should be facing by watching this? Am I seeking comfort or relief that can be found only in God?
* What sinful temptations will this program or film present?
* Do I secretly want to view something in it that’s sinful? Am I deceiving myself by saying, “I’ll fast-forward through the bad parts?”
* Similarly, am I telling myself, “I’ll just visit this website once, and I won’t click on any other links I find there?”
* Am I watching because I am bored or lazy? If so, what does that reveal about my heart?
* Am I watching simply because others are? Am I trying to be relevant or to fit in?
* How have my online relationships impacted my face-to-face relationships? How has my online activity impacted my soul? For better or worse?
* What motivates me to create and maintain a blog, Myspace or Facebook presence? Am I attempting to impress others? Am I being prideful, slanderous, deceitful, or self-righteous?

Good questions, my brothers. They have sure caused me to think. I trust you will give serious consideration to them. Tomorrow I will give you his list of CONTENT questions. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 9; Isaiah 32-33; Colossians 1

A quote worth thinking about: We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and cancelling our plans by sending us people with claims and petitions. We may pass them by, preoccupied with our more important tasks, as the priest passed by the man who had fallen among thieves, perhaps – reading the Bible….. it is part of the discipline of humility that we must not spare our hand where it can perform a service and we do not assume that our schedule is our own to manage, but allow it to be arranged by God. — Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Can’t make our Men’s Fellowship Night tonight? Watch it live right from our website. The program will air around 7:15 PM — http://www.americaskeswick.org

Worldliness and the Media – Part 1

“Do not love the world or anything in the world …” 1 John 2:15 (NIV)

I really tried to hang with the debate last night – but it was putting me to sleep. Don’t shoot me or write letters. The good news is that I was reading C. J. Mahaney’s book on “Worldliness” and that helped.

Chapter 2 was written by Craig Cabaniss and is entitled: “God, My Heart and Media.” This chapter was powerful in many ways. Craig shares the power of the media and the damaging effects of it on our lives. There is an erosion that takes place that can be disastrous if we are not careful.

He reminds us that in everything we do and WATCH we are doing so “before the face of God.” “All aspects of our existence – from private thoughts to public words and actions – are lived out before His face. Properly regarded, living “before the face of God” arouses our fear of God … We make our choices – with God’s holy face in view. It’s not the gaze of our pastor, parent, fellow small group member, or unbelieving neighbor that matters most. We’re accountable to God in ALL things, including our entertainment … God is holy, and we are not.”1

“Before the face of God” – we realize we are in trouble – our eyes have lusted, our imaginations have trespassed, our time has been squandered. We must run to the cross where God’s holiness and mercy intersect decisively. “Before the face of God,” – we find grace. Grace that forgives. Grace that empowers us to change. Grace that leads us to desire and pursue obedience. Any discussion of biblical obedience, including entertainment guidelines, must spring from a robust understanding of grace.”2

“Applied to our entertainment, God-pleasing discernment involves remembering his grace to us in the death and resurrection of our Savior, then responding to his grace with a heart eager to please him by taking pleasure in what is good and right and true. Discerning what pleases the Lord requires critically evaluating media content at all times.”3

I want to share with you the next couple of days, the guidelines that Craig suggests that address time, heart, and content issues in regards to our handling media in our lives. I liked the questions he suggests we ask, as I believe it is an area in which many of us not only struggle, but have made subtle compromises.

As always, I welcome the opportunity to dialog with you. Watch for the questions/guidelines tomorrow and Friday. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 8; Isaiah 30-31; Philippians 4

A quote worth pondering: The habit of judging is so nearly incurable, and its cure is such an almost interminable process, that we must concentrate ourselves for a long while on keeping it in check, and this check is to be found in kind interpretations. We must come to esteem very lightly our sharp eye for evil, on which perhaps we once prided ourselves as cleverness. We must look at our talent for analysis of character as a dreadful possibility of huge uncharitableness. We are sure to continue to say clever things, so long as we continue to indulge in this analysis; and clever things are equally sure to be sharp and acid. We must grow to something higher, and something truer, than a quickness in detecting evil. — Frederick W. Faber

You still have time to register for our Men’s Fellowship on Thursday night with Chaplain Jim Freed. Call today for information and registration. Come and bring a friend.

Notes: 1/2/3 – C. J. Mahaney, “Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World” (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008)