All I Want is to have a Peace of Mind

08/11/201708/06/2017Leave a comment

“That I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you. Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.” – Romans 15:32,33

I think if you were to ask the average person what their utopia would look like, they would begin with a change in their circumstances or a place where everyone is in perfect harmony. If we are dependent on other people’s actions to determine our “peace of mind” we put ourselves in a vulnerable position.

In a way, we find peace and joy when we fulfill the role of a believer in Christ. The Apostle Paul starts off Romans 15 with a picture of the body of Christ uniting by edifying, “We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.” He’s telling us the road to contentment is not looking out for our own interests, but in being others-centered, seeing someone else’s needs and building them up.

I do believe that we must first be in a place where we are able to help. It may be that you or I need to be on the receiving end of the blessing, not to serve ourselves, but to become a part of the body in an effective way. When our motives are to “be better to make better,” then we can experience that peace of mind and comfort knowing we are a part of a healthy body.

This aspect of our walk can be an important part of the welfare of our inner man. The part that experiences the peace of God and fills our heart with joy. It’s not until we are convinced that God is able to preserve us and sustain our well-being that we then in turn edify one another.

Paul wraps up this powerful letter to the Romans after building a symbolic road that runs thru the issue with sin, the way to salvation, our sanctification process along with struggles, security, service and sacrifice. It’s a perfect set up to a maintenance of the church by keeping ourselves Christ-centered and others-centered in order to be salt and light to a lost world.

I believe before we can reach a world in need of such a great salvation, the church needs to do some housekeeping of its own. We are too quick to draw people into our fellowships that are not yet healthy. Maybe first get our house in order so we are well equipped to deliver a message without hypocrisy.

So, my prayer for you today is to experience that “Peace of mind” that only comes from a right relationship with Jesus. Amen!

Written by Rob Russomano: Rob Russomano is married to Terri, he is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a full time staff member. He is also available as a speaker of the grace of God with a message of Hope for church events. You can contact him at rrussomano@americaskeswick.org.

The Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 43-48| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “A born-again person ought to possess unspeakable peace in the spirit.” – Watchman Nee

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. Mark 11:25

The Principle of 7:47? It’s Smell.

08/10/201708/06/2017Leave a comment

“I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown Me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” – Luke 7:47 (NLT)

Maybe you already know the story that is found in Luke’s Gospel about the woman who was forgiven much and the Pharisee who was really awful when it came to showing Jesus any Middle Eastern hospitality. If you haven’t, then I suggest that you open the Bible, go to Luke 7:36-50, read it, and then come back to today’s Freedom Fighter. If you already have, then you can stay right where you are. With that outta the way, let’s get to the stench of hatred (bet ya didn’t see that coming.)

So, Dr. Charles Zimmerman was at Keswick recently and he gave a pretty good take on what it must have smelled like during the dinner party that was being thrown by Simon the Pharisee. The food smelled good while it was being cooked, and for all intents and purposes it had better been, because – after all – this guy is a religious leader in his community and serving anything that resembles McDonalds was just out of the question. But the one thing that was inescapable was the smell of body odor from all the people that came to this event…especially the odor of unwashed feet. You can read John 13 on the more important reason that we receive a foot washing from time to time. Anyway…

Now, the idea of this get together was to catch Jesus teaching blasphemies, and if that were to be found out, then fire-roasted food would be exchanged for some good ole fashioned sun baked rocks. But it doesn’t work out that way, does it? Au Contraire!! The smell of perfume, being poured on the feet of Jesus, from a woman who knows that everyone at that dinner party hates her, and hates her even being there among them, permeates the entire scene. Aahh…. the sweet smell of being loved and forgiven destroying the stench of hatred. Her sins—that were many—forgiven by The Savior!!

And it’s all because of The 7:47 Principle (as Max Lucado puts it.) This is “just like the jumbo jet, the 7:47 Principle has wide wings. Just like the aircraft, this truth can lift you to another level.” When you go back and reread the last part of today’s verse “But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love” could basically be said in this way, a person can’t give what they never received.

I gotta feel bad for that guy we read about in Matthew 18:23-35, simply because he didn’t feel as if he was truly forgiven of his debt. Even though he pleaded for forgiveness in the physical sense (like not being sold into slavery) his heart wasn’t right to receive it, hence we could say, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

Ya see, all that guy wanted was to not be punished, and since this certain king wasn’t Jesus he couldn’t see his servant’s heart, but the woman with the perfume understood something deeper. If the Savior could see His way clear to exonerate her of her moral corruption, she could drop everything that was once hers (like that expensive bottle of perfume for example) and walk worthy as a child of The Most-High God.

Sometimes when we have wronged others, all we see is the punishment that we rightly deserve coming our way. It’s the ‘not getting it’ that vexes us and if we are unwilling to receive the forgiveness that comes from it we’ll become that wicked servant who saw himself in the man that owed a few dollars or like all those people that stunk up a dinner party thinking they were okay with God.

It’s my hope today that I smell like a forgiven person. Now, that may not always be the case. After all, I can also be “human, all too human” at times and fall short of the glory of God, but that doesn’t mean I can’t receive a foot washing. Once again, Au Contraire!! “God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (1 John 4:9-10). If I have any reverence for The Most-High God like I say I do, and I allow this simple truth to permeate my life, then I too may change the scent of the rooms I inhabit…and so can you. Amen?

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris, a graduate of The Colony of Mercy (11-2003) is married (Kathy) with two adult children (Kevin and Karen) and has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008.

The Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs 14-15| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “We preachers have been guilty of skipping the first step. “Love each other!” we tell our churches. “Be patient, kind, forgiving,” we urge. But instructing people to love without telling them they are loved is like telling them to write a check without our making a deposit in their accounts. No wonder so many relationships are overdrawn. Hearts have insufficient love.” — Max Lucado

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. Mark 11:25

No Words Necessary

08/09/201708/06/2017Leave a comment

Prayer is the key… even if the only word we use is ‘help!’

In our daily lives, and even more so, when we are in ‘the crucible’ of pain, we are often at a loss for words that express our struggle. That’s not a problem when praying. Paul writes in his letter to the Romans that it’s not the words that matter as much as it’s the desire of our heart to strive with God that is important; and He handles the rest. Paul writes, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26). Paul goes on to point out how important this is to the one whose faith is in God, because what we don’t know how to verbalize, the Spirit who ‘is harmony with God’ intercedes for us. He writes, “And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will” (8:27).

Don’t let not knowing what to say hold you back; reach for Christ’s outstretched hand and let His Spirit do the rest!

Choose wisely…

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’”

(John 16:13-15)

Praying 4 U

Written by David Brown: David Brown is a husband, father, and grandfather with a Masters of Religious Studies and a Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religions. Dave is a member of Pemberton’s First Baptist Church.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 90-92 | You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “Beloved, I say, let your fears go, lest they make you fainthearted. Stop inspiring fear in those around you and now take your stand in faith. God has been good and He will continue to manifest His goodness. Let us approach these days expecting to see the goodness of the Lord manifest. Let us be strong and of good courage, for the Lord will fight for us if we stand in faith.” – Francis Frangipane

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” – James 5:16

Memorials are for Remembering

08/08/201706/12/2017Leave a comment

I wanted to share one of my favorite quotes on this day. It speaks of ideas that often get lost as we individually and collectively press forward in facing challenges in life. Those ideas are discernment, perseverance, justice, and fortitude. Plato called these the ‘Cardinal Virtues’ because every other character trait hinged on these. In this day and age when we rage against things, both past and present that we don’t like, and we respond by tearing down statues and changing definitions as if this will make the struggle go away, we forget that these ‘Memorials’ are there to remind us of what we struggled against and in many cases, overcame by resorting to the cardinal virtues. Our founding fathers knew the struggle of slavery needed to be addressed when they wrote the Declaration of Independence. They also understood that they must establish the framework of foundation principles necessary to address this, and many other issues. If they failed to do so, nothing would ever change. So they declared that ‘all men were created equal’ by our Sovereign God, who established Natural Law, by which He endowed every human being with inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It was on this precipice the both Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King struggled to raise this country up too… against all odds.

The ‘Memorials’ remind us of these struggles and what it took to play out the virtues of perseverance, discernment, justice, and fortitude. Tearing down statues and changing definitions that we don’t like and get in the way of our pursuit of our appetites, only diminishes what God intended us to be; and instead of rising to the heights of ‘virtue’, it causes us to wallow in the mud of self righteousness.

The ‘memorial’ of one ordinary man is brought to the forefront in this quote that reflects the inward struggle each of us deals with every day. That struggle is to do what’s right in the light of our Creator’s Law established in His design, or… to reject His perfect will and follow our own appetites. Obviously from the number of ‘Memorials’ we have and what each represents, this inward struggle is not an easy one, having caused individuals and nations to clash. But our God promises that “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chon 7:14)

Choose wisely….

“This is the first time in our history that this ceremony has been held on the West Front of the Capitol. Standing here, one faces a magnificent vista, opening up on this city’s special beauty and history. At the end of this open mall are those shrines to the giants on whose shoulders we stand. Directly in front of me, the monument to a monumental man. George Washington, father of our country. A man of humility who came to greatness reluctantly. He led America out of revolutionary victory into infant nationhood. Off to one side, the stately memorial to Thomas Jefferson. The Declaration of Independence flames with his eloquence. And then beyond the Reflecting Pool, the dignified columns of the Lincoln Memorial. Whoever would understand in his heart the meaning of America will find it in the life of Abraham Lincoln. Beyond dim monuments, monuments to heroism, is the Potomac River, and on the far shore the sloping hills of Arlington National Cemetery with its row upon row of simple white markers bearing crosses or Stars of David. They add up to only a tiny fraction of the price that has been paid for our freedom. Each one of those markers is a monument to the kind of hero I spoke of earlier. Their lives ended in places called Belleau Wood, the Argonne, Omaha Beach, Salerno and halfway around the world on Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Pork Chop Hill, the Chosin Reservoir, and in a hundred rice paddies and jungles of a place called Vietnam. Under such a marker lies a young man, Martin Treptow, who left his job in a small town barber shop in 1917 to go to France with the famed Rainbow Division. There, on the Western front, he was killed trying to carry a message between battalions under heavy artillery fire. We are told that on his body was found a diary. On the flyleaf under the heading, “My Pledge,” he had written these words: “America must win this war. Therefore I will work, I will save, I will sacrifice, I will endure, I will fight cheerfully and do my utmost, as if the issue of the whole struggle depended on me alone.” The crisis we are facing today does not require of us the kind of sacrifice that Martin Treptow and so many thousands of others were called upon to make. It does require, however, our best effort, and our willingness to believe in ourselves and to believe in our capacity to perform great deeds; to believe that together with God’s help we can and will resolve the problems which now confront us. And after all, why shouldn’t we believe that? We are Americans. God bless you and thank you. Thank you very much.”

~ Ronald Reagan

Praying 4 U

The Daily Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 1-4| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “God wants to see prayers that are filled with genuine praise and thanksgiving for what He has done in the past. He wants our hearts to be filled with awe and gratitude for His blessings. He wants us to set up memorials in our hearts testifying to the provisions He has given us.” – Michael Youssef

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. Mark 11:25

God-Sized Assignments

08/07/201707/31/20171 Comment

“May the God of peace make you holy through and through. May you be kept in soul and mind and body in spotless integrity until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is utterly faithful and he will finish what he has set out to do.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

I am sure you have been there. I know I have. God loves to call us to do things that are out of our comfort zones so that we find out quickly that apart from Him, we couldn’t do the assignment.

But here’s the good news – God will never call you to do something that He will not equip you to do.

Dr. Paul David Tripp in his daily devotional, New Morning Mercies, gives us some great illustrations:

Noah didn’t have the power to get all those animals into that ark, but the Lord provided what was necessary for it to happen.
Joseph didn’t have the ability to preserve his life and put himself in a position of power in Egypt, but the Lord made it happen.
Moses didn’t have what it takes to free the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt, but the Lord empowered him to lead them to the Promised Land.
The Israelites didn’t have the means to get across the Red Sea, but the Lord parted the waters for them.
The pilgrims in the wilderness had no means of feeding and sustaining themselves, but the Lord provided everything they needed.
The children of Israel had no means of defeating the walled city of Jericho, but the Lord gave them victory.
David had no personal power to overcome Goliath, but the Lord gave him courage and strength in the Valley of Elah.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had no ability to keep themselves from burning up in that fiery furnace, but the Lord preserved their lives.
The disciples had no means of feeding the hungry crowd that had gathered to hear Jesus, but he fed them well from a little boy’s lunch.
Paul had no ability to preserve himself and those who were with him from shipwreck, but the Lord exercised his power so that none were lost.
The apostles had no ability to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the known world, but the Lord gifted them and provided for them so that they could do so.

And my guess is that you could think of dozen more illustrations from Scripture.

I can think of numerous times in my life, including assuming my position at America’s Keswick 20 years ago, where I laughed at myself when called upon to do something that where I knew that I would be in over my head.

When the Board interviewed me for the position, I really didn’t think I even had a chance to make in the finals – but when it happened and I realized what I had signed on for – well, I remember thinking “You’ve got to be kidding, Welte – who are you fooling – you can’t do this.”

It was at that time I read the verse from 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 – “Faithful is He who call you, who will also do it.”

I realized that moment – I can’t, but if HE called me to this GOD-SIZED assignment, He would do it in and through me.

D.L. Moody, George Mueller, Oswald Chambers, Dr. Bob Pierce (World Vision), Billy Graham, William Raws – were all men who received God-sized assignments and learned that the God who called is the One who equipped them for the task.

Paul Tripp reminds us: “You and I have no natural abilities to rise up and do what God calls us to do, but He refuses to leave us to our own resources. He is not so unwise, unkind, or unfaithful as to ever call us to a task without enabling us to do it.”

Has He called you to do a God-sized task? Fear not, my brother – If He called you – He will also do it so that ONLY HE will get the credit for HIS glory.

Rejoice! Pray! Give thanks!

Bill Welte D.D.
President/CEO of America’s Keswick

Written by Dr. Bill Welte, President/CEO of America’s Keswick: Bill has been married to his child sweetheart for 40+ years, and has three married kids, one that is engaged, and 11 amazing grand kids. He loves music and is an avid reader.

The Daily Bible Reading: Leviticus 25-27| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Think About This: “God will call you to do what YOU cannot do, but will provide EVERYTHING you need to do it.” — Paul David Tripp

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. Mark 11:25

In The Mountains of Tioga

08/04/201707/30/2017Leave a comment

“O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.”

– Psalm 63:1-2 (NKJV)

I came to Tioga County in Pennsylvania to check out its version of The Grand Canyon. Pretty cool stuff to see and, as usual, there are the placards at the “Ooh-Aah” overlooks that explain that tens of thousands – or perhaps millions upon millions – of years were needed to carve this fantastic scenic spot out of the rock. Personally, I think I found those spots where Ancient Aliens came, carved out the rock and then taught the local Indian tribes to build temples to themselves so everything else could be worshipped …except The Most High God. Yeah, once that gets said we can pretty much sum things up that no matter what others may want to say, it’s always gonna point to El Elyon. Anything else is just lip service to elevate man’s humongous ego or express my sense of humor. Anyway…

Life as I know it at home needed to stop for a moment so I could fall back, think, and pray. There is something about being up in this high elevation that gives you the sense that you’re that much closer to El Elyon than you are at sea level. So, at the East Rim of this version of The Grand Canyon, my wife and I seized those moments to cry out to Him that created all this and tell Him we trust what He has planned and asked for the strength to endure the course that it runs. I usually find myself fitting into a Biblical character during these prayer times and in this moment, it’s King David.

It is the Second Book of Samuel and it starts off great, David becomes king, the Ark of Covenant arrives in Jerusalem, then as complacency sets in the sin with Bathsheba occurs and as the narrative goes on, we’ll see that an Absalom spirit has descended onto David’s court. David will be driven outta Jerusalem, by his son Absalom, and David’s priest, Zadok, will carry the Ark as he is following David out of the city. But David will turn to him and say, “Return the Ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of the LORD, then He will bring me back again and show me both it and His habitation.” (2Samuel 15:25) Fascinating!! Even in the treachery that was occurring all around him, David was still putting El Elyon first.

I can touch and agree with David in one aspect of this story and feel this is where his heart was the heaviest. That is to have been driven out of Jerusalem was to be driven out of corporate worship of YHVH with God’s people. Now turn to Psalm 63.

This whole psalm is directed right at El Elyon and its not asking for protection or victory but for God, Himself, to satisfy David’s soul like water to a dry and thirsty land. With all that was going on during this part of his life, David didn’t just need to know but to feel that God’s steadfast love is better than life itself. For David, it wasn’t about asking God to save his life or to rescue Absalom from his sin but to feel his God’s presence like he could during those times of corporate worship with God’s people. When everyone shared in the solid joy of an unshakable love that only could come from YHVH Himself. My guess is that, so long as David could still feel YHVH’s love engulfing him, David would make it back to Jerusalem, back to corporate worship with God’s own people and maybe, just maybe, win Absalom back.

How about you? Has there been something that has driven you away from corporate worship and all you desire is to be back in the presence of THE God who loves you? I can tell you that you are NOT alone. Sometimes things can just go so wrong that all we think we can do is flee, and if that happens we need to be as mindful as David was when he told Zadok to go put the ark back where it belonged. We need to keep ourselves that kinda God-focused so that when we finally reach that absolute moment of thirst, the presence of God will be that much more-easier to find. So, if you’re like me today maybe a trip to the mountains is long overdue. Besides, the air is fresher up here and the water is much more purer than it is at sea level. Amen?

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris, a graduate of The Colony of Mercy (11-2003) is married (Kathy) with two adult children (Kevin and Karen) and has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008.

The Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 37-42| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “Here is a great longing I have for the corporate worship in our churches—that when we meet and sing and pray and hear the Word of God, God Himself will be so manifestly present in ‘power and glory’ that in years to come, when any of you is cut off from this immeasurable privilege, the very memory of seeing God in worship will bring Him home to you again.” — John Piper

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, Daniel 9:4

Don’t Ruin Your Appetite

08/03/201707/30/20171 Comment

“But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine.” – Titus 2:1

I can still hear the echoes of my Grandmother as I would come in before dinner and reach for that tempting snack to fill my hunger, “Don’t ruin your appetite.” I heard a statement the other day that got my attention, “We are so filled up on junk food that when the main course comes, we’re not hungry”.

As I look around at all the attempts to lure people into the church I can’t help but wonder, what about sound doctrine? There’s so much excitement and entertainment to attract the lost that when it comes to the main meal, it seems like we’re not hungry anymore.

It would appear that we are falling for “Hype over Hope” as many young adults are being entertained by the latest version of Game of Thrones or Call of Duty until the middle of the night on Saturday and then wonder why Church is so boring on Sunday. We seem to have watered down the adjectives “Amazing” and “Awesome.” I can remember when someone would share how excited they were, it was because they really were excited; it was not just a marketing tactic.

So, what is keeping us from getting excited about God’s word? Maybe we have let down the guards of our household. As men, we need to be wise to what is coming in through our televisions, computers, and cell phones. Just as we make sure our doors are secured to keep out strangers, which we wouldn’t allow in to harm us or our family, we need to be guarding other ways that the enemy is creeping in, filling us with unrealistic hype. These things are competing with our minds to distract us from seeing that the real need is to be in the Truth of God’s word.

The Apostle Paul pens a short letter to Titus that gives us a picture of the “How to” be wise and discerning. We need to be “Trained by Saving Grace.”

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” Titus 2:11-14

I think there is too much hype, a way to create interest in, by flamboyant or dramatic methods; promote or publicize showily which is fleeting and unstable. This can keep us from seeing our need of Hope, a steadfast immovable aspect of what God provides to keep us content and allow us to focus on what’s true.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:1,2 and 5

So, “Don’t ruin your Appetite”, get rid of the junk food and come to God’s word hungry to receive proper nourishment, Amen!

The Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs 13| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “A man is hindered and distracted in proportion as he draws outward things to himself.” – Thomas a Kempis

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

He’s a Good, Good Father

08/02/201706/12/2017Leave a comment

In Chris Tomlin’s children’s book “Good Good Father,” the little bear, Tucker, runs to many animals asking their perception on the good king.

The raccoon said the good king is a good warrior, protector.

The owl mentioned he is a good teacher.

The foxes declares that The King is a good doctor who makes us well.

The squirrel describes him as a good farmer.

The turtle proclaims he is good musician, filling us with laughter and music.

As I read this narrative, I was reminded that how we see, moreover what we believe, about God is essential to true worship and honor. And it impacts how we live. A lot of times we limit our ideas to thoughts of God that fit our predispositions or current circumstances. Free yourself from your own biases; God’s Word has a plethora of insight to lead you to a right, well-rounded understanding of our good Father.

In the end, Tucker the bear realized that the king possessed all the great qualities the each animal shared and that he was indeed, a Good Good King, a loving King, a perfect King.

“And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:16)

A good, good Father.

Written by Juan Mendez: Juan is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and full-time staff member at America’s Keswick.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 87-89| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “Man has two great spiritual needs. One is for forgiveness. The other is for goodness.” – Billy Graham

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Faith Means Building the Boat Before you See the Rain

08/01/201706/02/2017Leave a comment

‘Faith means building the boat before you see the rain.” ~ Inrig

How much of God’s blessing have we missed out on because we stayed on the shore or in the boat? What if instead we had ‘waded in’ ‘by faith’, knowing He will act, and is just waiting for us to join Him so we can be blessed through His work?

Life is full of spectators. There are many who remain in the stands because they allowed distractions, fears, anxiety, and other opinions to sideline them from what God has so wonderfully designed for their lives. I have played sports most of my life and know firsthand the scars and wounds that do occur from being in the fight. I wouldn’t trade one of them for being a spectator… each is a reminder of what was overcome and the battles won. Life is no different… there are scars to be had there too… but when I walk by faith, following my Lord into each battle, yes I may be knocked down and even wounded, but it is in a worthy cause, for my Lord fights for the hearts and minds of those who need to hear the Gospel. For that, I will get off the shoreline and out the boat and wade into any battle.

My heart bears many scars, some very fresh and not yet healed. I have come to realize that they are not something to despair over though, but are great reminders that I am a participant in God’s work and walking with the One who bears more wounds than I could conceive of, and more than anything else, who gave His life for me… I will follow Him no matter what battle He fights.

I read often through Hebrews 11 and I am encouraged by the words, ‘by faith.’ These two words portray the obedience of those who walked with God, not knowing where that path would lead or what battles they may incur. None of that mattered to them… what did matter was that they were with the One who is ‘Absolute Perfection’. With Him they knew true goodness, justice, truth, faithfulness, beauty, security, hope, and love.

I pray you are ‘building the boat while trusting His Word that the rain is coming.’

Choose wisely….

“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?”

(Romans 8:31-32)

Praying 4 U

The Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 16-20| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “”The steps of faith fall on the seeming void, but find the rock beneath.” – John Greenleaf Whittier

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Pray Without Ceasing

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“Pray without ceasing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17

We have been unpacking our theme verse for the year, and on this first day of a new week, I want to talk about this second command of the Apostle Paul to “pray without ceasing.”

Thanks for joining us on this journey as we meet daily through our Freedom Fighter blogs and emails. We appreciate your participation.

Prayer is one of those disciplines that we take for granted too often. We minimize its power, we make it the last-ditch effort when facing issues, and quite frankly, I believe we sometimes just plain forget about it if we are really honest.

We tell people, “I’ll pray for you,” but do we really do it? We use this phrase too often as part of our “Christianeeze.”

When Paul gives this admonition, he is not asking us to do something he himself has not practiced. He often starts out one of his letters telling his receivers that “we have not ceased to give thanks” or “we constantly are praying for you.”

Paul is not suggesting that we should be a bunch of monks and praying 24 hours a day. Pastor Warren Wiersbe writes: “’Praying with ceasing’ does not mean we must always be mumbling prayers. The word means ‘constantly recurring,’ not continuously occurring. We are to ‘keep the receiver off the hook’ and be in touch with God so that our praying is part of a long conversation that is not broken. God knows the desires of the heart (Psalm 37:4), and He responds to those desires even when our voice is silent.”

This type of persistent, on-going prayer is a reminder that God never hangs up on us. He constantly keeps the line of communication open. In fact, think about this – we could be in a room with 10,000 people all praying out loud at the same time, and our big, omnipotent God hears every prayer and individually focuses on YOUR prayers giving His full attention with BOTH ears.

My take away is that God delights it when we continue the conversation with him throughout the day. I need to learn to pray about EVERYTHING – not just the big things – but even the small things that you might not feel are not important in the big scheme of things.

Last week the power went out at 5:55 AM. We had a full house of guests at America’s Keswick. I have to confess that I totally blew it. I want to tell you that at that moment, I rejoiced, prayed, and gave thanks!

Unfortunately that wasn’t my first line of defense, but it should have been. I drove out our entrance way to see if everyone else’s’ power was off. It was at that moment the Holy Spirit tapped me and I sensed Him saying, “Really? How about asking me to take care of this problem?” I quickly repented of my sin and rejoiced, prayed, and gave thanks. I called my wife and she told me the power was back on.

My desire is to get to that place where I will pray about EVERYTHING first rather then get in a jam, or when things are messed up. He’s there. He’s listening. He’s waiting for you and me to cry out to Him.

Lord, help me today to pray without ceasing – to remember that you are there waiting for me to call on You. Amen.

Rejoice! Pray! Give thanks!

Bill Welte, D.D.
President & CEO of America’s Keswick

The Daily Bible Reading: Leviticus 19-21| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Think About This: Prayer is the means by which you will be freed from your earth-bound, time-bound thinking to participate in eternity. True prayer releases His power so that His power can accomplish immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.

–Jennifer Kennedy Dean

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