WHAT IS YOUR LIFE SAYING

“Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be brave and strong. Your every action must be done with love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13

Last night I saw a disturbing bumper sticker. It read: “I love God – it’s His fans that I can’t stand.” It took a few minutes for the shock value to set in, but as I have thought about it through the night, it was a good reminder to me that the world is watching our every move and action. What makes us different because we call ourselves “Christians” – followers of Christ?

Several years ago I was a part of a board meeting where an unsaved business man was asked to attend the meeting in order to get some clarity about a property he was selling to another Christian organization. The board that I was serving on used to own the property, and in fact, their name was still on the deed restriction. The man was asking us to release the property so that the transaction could proceed.

A number of the Board members asked good questions to bring clarity, but one man in particular who had a very strong personality, came out of the gate and forcefully attacked the man’s integrity and made all kinds of unkind, unfounded accusations. It was very obvious that this unsaved man was offended by what meet took place, and the discussion quickly ended.
After he left the room, the Board member who attacked this man verbally, smugly said,” “Well, I hope you are all proud of me. I sure put him in his place.”

One by one, the Board members had the courage to say, “You not only embarrassed us, you brought shame to the name of Christ.” It was one of those defining moments. Several years later we needed to solicit help from the offended party and I had opportunity to speak to the CFO of his organization to see how best to approach him. The CFO went on to explain that his boss had never forgotten the incident, and had said, “And these men and women call themselves Christians?”

We met with this man and he was very gracious, but you could sense he was holding back and not real supportive. The Lord provided the opportunity for me to mention the meeting he had with our Board and he immediately shared how bothered he was about what had happened and that he had shared this with numerous people. I humbly asked his forgiveness and apologized for what took place and told him how the other Board members had rebuked the man for his obnoxious behavior. The man graciously accepted the apology and the whole tone of the meeting turned around, and in fact, he ended up helping us in a very positive way.

There are individuals that want to make sure every “I’ is dotted and every “T” crossed when it comes to doctrine. They will contend for the faith, and rightly so, but with their actions they send a signal to the world that they are no different than the rest of the world. Our actions do speak louder than our words. What is your life saying to the lost around you? Are you living life so that people are asking, “What is it about him that makes him so different?”

Something good to think about today. Wouldn’t it be a great testimony if the bumper stick would read: “I love God and love his fans”?

Bill Welte is the President and CEO of America’s KESWICK and is the editor and founding writer of the daily FREEDOM FIGHTERS. For more information about the ministries of America’s KESWICK, visit our
website: www.americaskeswick.org

Great quote: “Guilty people make others feel guilty; free people make others free. And you can always tell how guilty a person feels by noticing how guilty you feel around him or her. Can I repeat that? You can always tell how guilty a person feels by noticing how guilty you feel are him or her. Jesus has made you free. It is important that you bring others to Him for the same surgery that He has performed on you.” Steve Brown, Born Free

MAJESTY

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.” Romans 1:20-23

By faith, we walk with God. What we first think about God when He comes to mind is how we are going to worship Him. The low view of God entertained by the world is common among Christians as well. How and what we feel about God directly reflects upon our walk with Him. The common idea that God is a being who scares people into loving Him and desperately needs our companionship is an abomination. If everyone on this planet would turn their back on God tomorrow, it would not change God in any measure. Our Heavenly Father would be the same as He was before time began. Our imaginations betray us, we composite many mental pictures. We cut and paste together a reasonable image of what God is like. In a never-ending pursuit to feel secure, we reduce God to some measurable being we can reason our self to. We ingrain a sense of security into ourselves by believing we know where He is when we need Him.

This is not walking humbly with the Creator of heaven and earth. We must adjust ourselves to His will. We must learn His truths and be obedient to them. In order to walk humbly with The Lord we must first trust and obey Him. When we accept and submit to His perfect and pleasing will, we can start bringing honor and glory to Him. We seem to have forgotten that God created us exclusively for this purpose. By His great mercy and goodness, we are able to break free from thoughts that bind us. When we walk humbly with God, our faith will support us where reason fails and we will think because we believe, not in order that we may believe.

O God of Bethel, by whose hand Thy people still are fed; Who through this weary pilgrimage hast all our fathers led!
Our vows, our prayers we now present before Thy throne of grace; God of our fathers! Be the God of their succeeding race. — Philip Doddridge

Chris Connors – Chris is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and now serves as the Director of Housekeeping.

Great Quote: Heaven is full of answers to prayer for which no one ever bothered to ask. Billy Graham

Don’t forget Men’s Fellowship tomorrow evening. Come and hear Pastor John Strain, our weekend Freedom Fighter writer. Dinner is at 6:15 PM.
Call today for reservations: 732-350-1187

GOD’S POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS)

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21)

This Christmas my daughter gave me a GPS system for my car. It is a neat little device that can keep me from losing my way. Apparently, my daughter believes I need some navigation in my life. I have a pretty good sense of direction and I do not tend to get lost often, but I have gotten lost.

As I was programming my new toy to make my way back down to the Pinelands, a trip which I have been making for several years now, I realized that I did not even know the name of the street it was on. I call it route 530, it is really Pinewald Keswick, so after about ten minutes of trying route 530, to no avail, I remembered Pinewald Keswick and sure enough it worked.

Here is what I am really looking to communicate. After putting in the necessary information, the GPS did what it is suppose to do. It mapped out the most direct route for me. I, however, decided to make a stop by my mother’s house, in the Bronx, without informing the GPS. While the GPS is telling me to go this way, I am going the other way toward my mother’s. Wouldn’t you know it, the instrument did not get mad or yell or anything, it just took a deep pause and informed me that it would reroute me, still intending to get me to my destination in the Pinelands, despite my detours. Then today’s verse spoke to me. God is our guide and His Holy Spirit is the positioning system that God has left with us to lead us to Himself.

My life has taken many different detours. But God has not wavered in directing me toward Himself. Every time I took a step in the wrong direction, He would not disown me or get frustrated with me, or forget about me. He would just map out the course from where I was to get me to Himself.

My ears have heard His voice saying to me, “…this is the way; walk in it.” How about you? Are you following God’s positioning system in your heart.

Chaplain Robert Roman (Robert is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and now serves as our Chaplain of Aftercare. He is a trophy of God’s grace.
His wife, Sandra, serves at America’s KESWICK in Housekeeping, and both are students at the Keswick Institute of Biblical Studies.)

GREAT QUOTE: “You can’t expect God’s blessing when you hold on to things that God hates.” Pastor Jim Cymbala

You’ve read his weekend Freedom Fighters, now get to hear him live at our Men’s Fellowship Night, Thursday, January 10, 2008. Pastor John Strain will be sharing God’s Word for our MFN. Come for a great dinner, enjoy the singing, testimony and challenge from the Word, and then head to the Activity Center for fun and fellowship. Dinner is served at 6:15 PM. We ask that you make a reservation in advance. Call today – 732-350-1187.

The foundation for the weekend Freedom Fighters in January is 1 Timothy
4:7b: “On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness . . . .” The intent of spiritual discipline is simple. They are practices we incorporate into our lives to help us “put off the old man,” and “put on the new man.” They help us become like Jesus. I listed the disciplines we’ll consider in yesterday’s FF.

Think with me today about silence and solitude, which are disciplines in the abstinence category. The psalmist prayed “For God alone my souls waits in silence’ from Him comes my salvation. (Ps. 62: 1&5) Sometimes we talk so much we just can’t hear what God may want to say to us. The discipline of silence is closing off our souls from “sounds,” whether noise, music or words. The intent is to still the inner noises so that we can be increasingly attentive to God.

If I have to drive some distance to keep an appointment or make a hospital call, I’ll often choose to leave the radio off and just be quiet in the car. The only sound is wind noise. I’ll say something like Lord, I give this time to you to be quiet. I’ll listen for your voice and meditate on your Word while I drive. Those times are refreshing, and I often complete them knowing that God has spoken to my heart. One of my goals for 2008 is to schedule a day of silence at least once a quarter. It’s much easier to hear God’s voice in the quiet.

A discipline that goes along with silence is solitude. Jesus is our perfect model. Each Gospel writer tells us of Jesus taking time to be alone with His Father. Consider Matthew 14:23: “And after He had sent the multitudes away, He went up to the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.”

Solitude is purposefully abstaining from interaction with other people.
We choose to be absent from people so that we can be present to God. We choose to “be still and know that [He] is God. (Ps. 46:10) This is not passive. We engage our minds in waiting on God, living in His presence and expecting to hear a word from Him. We learn in solitude that there are parts of our lives for which we need no one other than God.

Both silence and solitude will help us deepen our walk with the Lord.
They will wean us from the clutter and noise of our world and help us focus on our good God who wants time with us. Why not set aside some time in January–maybe just a half day–to be silent before God and alone with God. (Pastor John Strain First Baptist Toms River)

Don’t Miss This Great Quote: “Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness, nourishment of mind by His truth, purifying of imagination by His beauty, opening of the heart to His love, and submission of will to His purpose. And all this gathered up in adoration is the greatest of human expressions of which we are capable.” – Ravi Zacharias

DISCIPLINE FOR GODLINESS

Many of us have been reading Jonathan Edward’s Resolutions all week.
They will help us in our spiritual journey if we use them. If we read them and set them aside, they’re of no use to us at all. Like so much in our world, we must choose to put them to work in our lives. The benefit won’t occur without effort.

The Apostle Paul tells us to “discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness . . . .” (1 Timothy 4:6 NASB) Since the earliest days of the church, Christians have discovered the benefit of spiritual disciplines that help us fulfill God’s design and plan for our lives. Bill Welte has given me the privilege of writing the weekend Freedom Fighters for another month, and I invite you to think about spiritual discipline with me during January.

Dallas Willard, one of my favorite writers, defines a discipline as, “any activity within our power that we engage in to enable us to do what we cannot do by direct effort.” Growth in Christ does not occur by our own power. We can develop spiritual exercises, however, that give God’s Spirit freedom to do in us what our own effort won’t accomplish. This is not some new kind of quick-fix or legalism. The disciplines I want to share with you throughout the month have been time-tested through two hundred centuries.

While doing some research for this FF, I ran across two questions I’d like us to think about while we consider the spiritual disciplines. 1) What am I currently not doing that, if I were doing, would open myself up more to God’s work of grace in my life? 2) What am I currently doing that, if eliminated, would open myself up more to God’s work of grace in my life? The spiritual disciplines will help us add the things that will open us up to God’s graceful work in our lives. They will also help us delete those things that hinder His graceful work.

You’re probably wondering what kind of disciplines I’m suggesting. Here are the disciplines I want us to consider: solitude, silence, fasting and sacrifice are “disciplines of abstinence.” Study, worship, service and prayer are “disciplines of engagement.” We’ll consider each of them in upcoming Freedom Fighters.

For today, the question we must consider is simple. “Will we choose to ‘discipline [ourselves] for godliness’?” (Pastor John Strain – First Baptist of Toms River)

Great Quote: The air which our body requires envelops us on every hand.
The air of itself seeks to enter our bodies and, for this reason, exerts pressure upon us. It is well known that it is more difficult to hold one’s breath than it is to breathe. We need but exercise our organs of respiration, and air will enter forthwith into our lungs and perform its life-giving function to the entire body. The air which our souls need also envelops all of us at all times and on all sides. God is round about us in Christ on every hand, with his many sided and all-sufficient grace. All we need to do is to open our hearts.

Ole Kristian O. Hallesby

Staying on Mission – Edwards’ Resolutions Part 5

I appreciate Sam Sutter sharing these five Freedom Fighters with us this week. I trust that they have been a blessing for you too.

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Ecclesiastes 7:2

Jonathan Edwards in his resolutions, like the Preacher of Ecclesiastes, was able to think about his fight for freedom in the whole gamut of life. When he was happy, he thought about how joyful he would be in heaven. When he was in pain, he thought about the suffering in hell.
Like a solder on the battlefield, everything around him was interpreted through the grid of the war he was waging.

In a fight for freedom half of our battle is to remember that we are in one. Edwards was committed to using every available resource to creatively remember and to get back on mission. How can we get better at using our routine, diversions and schedules to remind ourselves of the war around and inside of us?

Jonathan Edward’s Resolutions
<http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/2007/1924_Th
e_Resolutions_of_Jonathan_Edwards/> … (arrangement and edits Sam’s)

Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the every-day circumstances that remind me of death.

10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

11. Resolved, when I think of any theological problem to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards learn about God, if circumstances don’t hinder.

37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent, what sin I have committed, and wherein I have denied myself: also at the end of every week, month and year. Dec.22 and 26, 1722.

40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking. Jan. 7, 1723.

41. Resolved, to ask myself at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly in any respect have done better. Jan. 11, 1723.

42. Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God.

43. Resolved, to never act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether belonging to God. Saturday, January 12. Jan.12, 1723.

53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer. July 8, 1723.

55. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments.
July 8, 1723.

69. Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. Aug. 11, 1723.

(Pastor Samuel Sutter, Dix Hills EFC – www.dhefc.org <http://www.dhefc.org/> )

Great Quote: Men come and go; leaders, teachers, thinkers speak and work for a season, and then fall silent and impotent. He abides. They die, but He lives. They are lights kindled, and, therefore, sooner or later quenched; but He is the true light from which they draw all their brightness, and He shines for evermore. Alexander MacLaren

Devolving Mission – Edwards’ Resolutions Part 4

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15

We’re looking at the Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards and how to stay on mission in our fight for victory against sin. Edward’s resolutions seem stringent and idealistic. One problem with resolutions is that we tend to throw them away when we find that we can’t live up to them. But part of the gospel is that we can’t live up to our righteous standing with Jesus. Failure, repentance and drinking deeply from the grace we have in Jesus in a normal part of fighting the good fight.

Edwards isn’t naïve about living victoriously. He has already admitted in the first sentence his complete dependence on God for victory. Thus he plans for failure and defeat in a way that help him to return to his mission in a way that honors God. He views his spiritual defeat and failure as a way of focusing his mission rather than ending his fight.

Jonathan Edward’s Resolutions <http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/2007/1924_The_Resolutions_of_Jonathan_Edwards/> …

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

12. Resolved, if I take delight in knowing theology as a means of pride – I will immediately repent.

14. Resolved, never to do anything out of revenge.

15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger to irrational beings.

24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.

26. Resolved, to cast away such things, as I find do weaken my assurance and faith.

27. Resolved, never willfully to omit anything, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

48. Resolved, constantly, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or no; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of. May 26, 1723.

49. Resolved, that this never shall be, if I can help it.

56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

57. Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether ~ have done my duty, and resolve to do it; and let it be just as providence orders it, I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty and my sin. June 9, and July 13 1723.

68. Resolved, to confess frankly to myself all that which I find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion, also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help. July 23, and August 10, 1723.

(Pastor Samuel Sutter, Dix Hills EFC – www.dhefc.org <http://www.dhefc.org/> )

Great Quote: We must devote, not only times and places to prayer, but be everywhere in the spirit of devotion; with hearts always set toward heaven, looking up to God in all our actions, and doing every thing as His servants; living in the world as in a holy temple of God, and always worshiping Him, though not with our lips, yet with the thankfulness of our hearts, the holiness of our actions and the pious and charitable use of all His gifts. William Law

Evolving Mission – Edwards’ Resolutions Part 3

Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if
these things were so. Acts 17:11

We’re looking at the Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards. – In his fight for victory he fights with three ideas which everyone should emulate. His mission evolves and grows as he grows.

1) Edwards is ever-creative in his fight for victory. He committed to not getting stuck in a spiritual rut. He’s willing to use whatever means or method he can think of to grow and to fight.

2) Edwards is always reminding himself of his fight and his Resolutions. You’ll notice that he doesn’t call his resolutions “New Years” resolutions. – You can’t just fight once a year, he systematically goes over his resolutions and commits, recommits and repents as a lifestyle of coming to Jesus.

3) Edwards expands the impact of the Spirit and his Fight for Freedom to every imaginable part of life. I think the temptation for us is to look for victory and freedom in segments of our lives while keeping our own private kingdoms within ourselves.

Jonathan Edward’s Resolutions

2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and creative solution to promote glorifying God.

8. Resolved, to act, in all respects – in speaking and doing – in humility, as if nobody had been so evil as I, and as if I had committed the same sins or the worst of others. I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and their failure only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God, rather than gloating in self-pride.

28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the Jesus.

30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in my relationship with Jesus, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.

44- Resolved, that my only agenda behind my actions will be my relationship with Jesus. I shall do nothing that does not advance this goal. Jan.12, 1723.

45. Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps my relationship with Jesus. Jan.12 and 13.1723.

54. Whenever I hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it. July 8, 1723.

58. Resolved, not only to refrain from an attitude of dislike, fear, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an attitude of love, cheerfulness and goodness. May27, and July 13, 1723.

(Pastor Samuel Sutter, Dix Hills EFC – www.dhefc.org <http://www.dhefc.org/> )

Men come and go; leaders, teachers, thinkers speak and work for a season, and then fall silent and impotent. He abides. They die, but He lives. They are lights kindled, and, therefore, sooner or later quenched; but He is the true light from which they draw all their brightness, and He shines for evermore. Alexander MacLaren

Good morning and Happy New Year. I am looking forward to starting the new year with you through the ministry of Freedom Fighters. If this ministry is a blessing to you, we’d love to hear from you and also encourage you to invite a friend to join you on the journey!

Defining Mission – Edwards’s Resolutions Part 2

At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11

We’re looking at the Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards. Philippians
2.10-11 summarizes the focus of Edward’s mission. In light of Christ coming back as King, we should walk in Victory. We wage this fight daily in our speech, actions, pride and gossip. Jonathan Edwards tried to see every part of life in light of the return of Christ.

We can learn from Edwards that fighting for victory is a fight that battles in every part of our lives. There is no domain of our lives that needs not be defended. To make matters worse our thinking and our perspective is of variable clarity. Edwards pledges to acts the way he thinks when he is closest to God.

Jonathan Edward’s Resolutions
<http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/2007/1924_Th
e_Resolutions_of_Jonathan_Edwards/> … (arrangement and edits mine)

16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, except for some real good.

17. Resolved, that I will live as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, to live at all times, as I think is best in my devout moments, and when I have clearest ideas of things of the gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would be less than an hour, before I should hear the last trump.

20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest control in eating and drinking.

21. Resolved, never to do anything, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more less of him.

22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power; might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.

32. Resolved, to be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that in Prov. 20:6, “A faithful man who can find?” may not be even partly fulfilled in me.

31. Resolved, never to say anything at all against anybody, unless it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.

33. Resolved, always to do what I can towards making, maintaining, establishing and preserving peace, when it can be without over-balancing detriment in other respects. Dec.26, 1722.

34. Resolved, when telling stories never to speak anything but the pure and simple truth.

36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it. Dec. 19, 1722.

(Pastor Samuel Sutter, Dix Hills EFC – www.dhefc.org <http://www.dhefc.org/> )

Great Quote: “The proof of spiritual maturity is not how pure you are, but an awareness of your impurity. That very awareness opens the door to grace. Spiritual maturity is not measured in the rules you keep.
Spiritual maturity is not measured in the Bible answers you know in small groups. Spiritual maturity is not even about what you do.
Primarily, Spiritual maturity is know who you are in Christ.” Philip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew