A TABLE FOR TWO

We thought about aspirations and the table reserved for two yesterday.
We considered Revelation 3:20 where Jesus invites us to sit down at the table with Him. What can you and I do to make sure we spend time at that table in 2008? Allow me to give you some suggestions.

It all begins with a choice. You can open the door and invite Jesus in, or you can choose not to. I’ll assume that most who read Freedom Fighter have come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. If my assumption is correct, then what possible reason could we have for choosing not to allow Him time at the table with us? Nothing any of us has going on in our lives is worth missing table time with Jesus. So, we begin with a choice. We choose to spend time at the table.

Then discipline kicks in. We determine that we’ll make the time and not let other things interfere with our time at the table. That may mean getting up a little earlier. Or we may have to turn the TV off earlier to have time before we close out the day. Because we believe table time with Jesus is important, we discipline ourselves to make it happen.

We also need nurturing to make the time profitable. In addition to reading the Scriptures, we need to read good Christian writers that can nurture our souls and enrich our time at the table. The little book I mentioned yesterday, “The Table of Inwardness,” by Calvin Miller might be a good place to start. If enough of you request it, Bill Welte can have it ordered for the Keswick Bookstore.

Finally, accountability will help us in the pursuit of fulfilled aspirations. I have people in my life (like Bill Welte) who regularly question me about my walk with Jesus. For the last several months I’ve met with a Spiritual Director who has become a companion on my journey with Jesus. He helps me think through my time at the table and asks hard questions that help me keep focused.

Remember, however, that it starts with a choice. Don’t forget the invitation. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20)

I pray that, by God’s grace, many of us will spend time at the “table reserved for two.” Just Jesus and you. Just Jesus and me. (Pastor John Strain – First Baptist of Toms River)

Great Quote: We should go into His presence as a child goes to his father. We do it with reverence and godly fear, of course, but we should go with a childlike confidence and simplicity. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

JUST A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE

Most hymnbook indexes will separate songs by subject matter. Almost all hymnals will have one section under the heading of “aspiration.” The songs in that category will push us to think about “aspiring” to a better walk with the Lord. Our hymnal at FBC has songs of aspiration like “Close to Thee,” “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” “More Love to Thee, O Christ,” and “Just a Closer Walk with Thee.”

These songwriters expressed in the lyrics of their songs what many of us sense in our own spirits. We aspire to be more like Jesus in our daily lives. Something within us pushes us to walk in that yoke with Jesus.
We know a hunger for more of God in all we do. Many who read these Freedom Fighters also feel frustration because the “more of God” doesn’t seem to happen.

Let me encourage you. Just the fact that you sense those aspirations is cause for hope! Those of us who are hungry for that “closer walk with Thee” wouldn’t have that hunger apart from God’s Spirit working in us.
Acting on that hope is the next step.

I just finished reading a wonderful little book by Calvin Miller. “The Table of Inwardness” is Miller’s effort to encourage readers to nurture their inner life in Christ. It’s about communion with Jesus. He creates a beautiful word picture of a table set for two. Just Jesus and you. Just Jesus and me. At that table, Jesus meets with us, loves us, and helps us become all we’re designed to be.

The table is of no benefit to us, however, until we choose to sit down.
“Choose” is the operative word. Many of us have unfulfilled aspirations because we “choose” not to act on them. We “choose” other things that push the aspirations for fellowship with Jesus to the back burner.
Until we “choose” the table with Jesus, our aspirations will remain unfulfilled.

Jesus says to us “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20) That’s not an invitation to salvation; it’s an invitation to Jesus’ followers to sit down at the table reserved for two. Jesus and you. Jesus and Me. Will you spend time at that table in 2008? You and I have to make that choice. It’s the only way to fulfill our aspirations for a closer walk with Jesus.
(Pastor John Strain – First Baptist of Toms River)

Great Quote: The sovereign God wants to be loved for Himself and honoured for Himself, but that is only part of what He wants. The other part is that He wants us to know that when we have Him we have everything – we have all the rest. A. W. Tozer

YEAR END EVALUATION QUESTIONS (Part 2)

Here are the next ten questions given by my friend, Dr. E. Glenn Wagner in his new book FIRE IN YOUR BONES! These questions will help determine if you are living the extraordinary NORMAL Christian life, or a fake imitation. The full list is downloadable from the Keswick website:
http://www.americaskeswick.org/conf/documents/FireinYourBonesQuestions.p
df

11. Have you heard other believers speak of these things as an ordinary part of daily life, yet you’ve never really lived in such a reality yourself?

12. Do you feel the presences of the Holy Spirit?

13. Do you experience supernatural power?

14. Have you felt a compassion for those with no faith?

15. Do you feel a desire to assist the poor and suffering?

16. Have you found yourself filled with joy and praise even in the midst of heartache?

17. Have you been propelled by an inner desire to know God in all His glory and to bring honor to Him?

18. Do you have moments of victory and inspiration, but they are sporadic and inconsistent?

19. Have you felt compelled to have a personal fellowship with the Lord?

20. Do you feel the need to ask God to set your soul on fire for Him?

Great quote: “My life must be full of God, my flesh His dwelling place, working through me in such a way that I know He is at work, going beyond what I could imagine.” – Dr. E. Glenn Wagner

YEAR END EVALUATION

My good friend, Dr. Glenn Wagner, recently sent me his new book “FIRE IN YOUR BONES.” In his book he says that many Christians have settled in for a cheap, imitation of the “normal” Christian life, rather than be all that God wants us to be.

He includes a great list of 20 questions to help determine if we are experiencing the “real” deal or a fake imitation. These are good questions as we approach the end of the year to think about and to visit often during the new year. I will share the first ten today and the rest of the list tomorrow:

During the last three days:

1. Have you been driven by a desire to sacrifice your personal
preferences on behalf of someone else?

2. Did you walk with spiritual authority, not afraid to utilize
God’s power to free others?

3. Have you been filled with a sense and understanding that your
decisions, choices and behavior were all being empowered by what can only be explained as supernatural?

4. Did you enter into someone’s life with a wisdom that surprised
you and was beyond what you have previously known?

5. Has God’s Word leaped off the pages as the Lord Himself was
speaking to you?

6. Were you compelled to run toward a ‘sinner’ rather than run away?

7. Were you repulsed by the merely ‘religious?’

8. Did you risk your reputation on behalf of another?

9. Did you weep for those who don’t yet understand God’s power?

10. Did you speak truth in love and grace rather
than judgment or in retribution?

Watch for the rest of the list tomorrow. Good questions to ask yourself as this year comes to an end. Are you living the REAL DEAL or a fake imitation?

Great Quote: “It should disturb us that compared to the early church’s spiritual power and authority we appear to be spiritually uncoordinated weaklings!” – Dr. E. Glenn Wagner

A PRAYER OF WORSHIP

One of my many collections is copies of prayers of great Christians.
They have become a great teaching tool for me in developing my prayer life that is still a work in progress.

On this day after Christmas, I thought you’d enjoy this Celtic prayer written between A.D. 790 and 820.

“Father, all powerful and ever living God, We do well always and everywhere to give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord.
You (O Father), with your only begotten Son and the Holy Spirit are God.
You are God, one and immortal;
You are God, incorruptible and unmoving; You are God, invisible and faithful; You are God, wonderful and worthy of praise; You are God, strong and worthy of honor; You are God, most high and magnificent; You are God, living and true.

We believe you,
We bless you,
We adore you,
And we praise your name forever more.

We praise you through Christ who is the salvation of the universe, through Christ who is the life of human beings; through Christ who is the resurrection of the dead.

Through him the angels praise your majesty; the dominions adore; the powers of the heaven of heaven tremble; the virtues and the blessed seraphim celebrate in exultation; so we grant, we pray you, that our voices may be admitted to that chorus, in humble declaration of your glory.
Amen.

(From THE PATH OF CELTIC PRAYER by Calvin Miller)

Have a great – “the day after Christmas.”

Great quote: ” … much of our worship today as exemplified in megachurch ‘entertainment evangelism,’ has become so ‘lite’ that Jesus is trivializaed as a congenial host who smiles a lot.” – Calvin Miller

We count on our friends to partner on us as we approach the end of the year. Your gift today of any size will be a big help towards helping us end this year in the black. If you’d like to make a year-end, tax-deductible gift to the ministry of America’s KESWICK, you can call
(800-453-7942) or make your donation on-line by visiting www.americaskeswick.org.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I have read this verse hundreds of times and totally missed this truth:
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given … and His name shall be called, Wonderful Counselor (the Holy Spirit) , the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace (Jesus – the Prince!) …”
Isaiah 9:6

God in flesh – born in a manger! As the hymn writer said – “veil in flesh the Godhead see – Hail the Incarnate Deity” — Father, Son, Holy Spirit – all wrapped up in swaddling clothes and lying in the manager – born to die so that you and I might live – not just abundantly, here and now – but to enjoy zillions of Christmas’s for all eternity!!!!!!!
Wow!!! Incredible. Don’t miss the opportunity to worship Him today.

From the Board and staff of America’s KESWICK – Merry CHRISTmas!

You can read the Welte Family Christmas letter by opening this link:
http://www.americaskeswick.org/conf/documents/Christmas2007Letter.pdf

Great Quote: Christ was born in the first century, yet he belongs to all centuries.

He was born a Jew, yet He belongs to all races. He was born in Bethlehem, yet He belongs to all countries. George W. Truett

An Early Christmas Present

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of darkness, the lightness has dawned.” Isaiah 9:2

On Saturday we had the blessing of traveling to “The Hood” in New York to attend a production of “Scrooge Revisted” that was presented by the congregation of Manhattan Grace, a daughter church of the Brooklyn Tabernacle. Our good friend, Damaris Carbaugh, was the lead actress in the production, playing the part of “Ebony” Scrooge.

Manhattan Grace is located right in the middle of a neighbor surrounded by several high rise apartments that have to house thousands of people.
They meet in a local school and the outreach of this church was refreshing. Because we arrived early, we had dinner at an incredible Spanish restaurant located right in the “neighborhood.”

I was so blessed in seeing where Damaris and Rod serve. I was so blessed to think that this high profile Christian artist who has sung around the world, was serving right in the heart of her local neighborhood, doing what she loves to do – sharing the love of Christ with people walking in the darkness.

The hospitality of the church members was unbelievable. The warmth and caring of the people was very refreshing and touching. In fact, the program was supposed to start at 7:00 PM and because of the people needing seats, the Pastor finally got up and asked the people of the church to give up their seats for the guests needing seats. Now when was the last time that happened in the average American church?

The production was every bit as good as any off Broadway show you could see. The music, acting, and staging was very well done. But the most amazing thing was that you could feel the love of Christ from every person involved. When the invitation was given over 60 people came forward. I couldn’t help but think of all the people who were finally experiencing THE LIGHT prophesied by Isaiah hundreds of years before the birth of Christ.

The final blessing afterwards was trying to find Damaris. She was back in the counseling room sharing the gospel and making sure people understood the commitment they were making this Christmas.

Thanks Rod and Damaris and Pastor and Mrs. Rodriquez for loving the people of “The Hood” and for modeling for all of us how to love people “who walk in darkness” with the love and light of Christ! Merry Christmas.

Great Quote: Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, Simeon and old Anna, and the Magi all looked upon the babe and he melted their hearts. Jesus was a Savior born, the prince of peace and God with us. Let him melt your heart this Christmas. John Reed

SUNDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Today is the last Sunday of Advent. Yesterday we thought about Mary’s’
willing to relinquish everything so that God’s plan for her could take center stage. We all know the details of that plan. Mary, a virgin, would supernaturally conceive and give birth to the Son of God.
Emmanuel-God with us-is about to come into the world!

In this concluding day of Advent, let’s think about Emmanuel.
Everything about His life speaks, like Mary’s, of relinquishment. Do you remember the Apostle Paul’s words about Jesus’ entry into our world?
Look at Philippians 2:5-8. He tells us that Jesus “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond-servant and coming in the likeness of men.” He relinquished all He had been in heaven and became like us.
He lived His life in the flesh without the preeminence He had in heaven.

The story doesn’t stop there, however. At the end of His life, just before He went to the cross, Jesus relinquished even more.
His prayer in the garden ends with Him saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) The entire story of Jesus’ entrance into our world revolves around relinquishment!

Jesus calls us to the same thing. He calls us to give up our paltry plans for His eternal plans. He invites us to give up our dead end journeys to walk with Him. We receive the invitation to relinquish our way for His way. He models relinquishment for us, as did His mother. Without both of them choosing relinquishment instead of holding onto their own desires, we would not know freedom from sin. We would not possess the gift of eternal life.

I ask you again–what might the Lord Jesus want you and I to relinquish to more fully pursue our walk with Him? Christmas is just two days away. Listen for God’s Spirit during these days. If He leads us to relinquish something of lesser value to pursue that which has ultimate value, let’s do it! Let’s give Jesus the gift of relinquished agendas and desires. We don’t have a better gift to give Him than more of ourselves.

Let’s enjoy a blessed Christmas marked by less of us and more of Him! (Pastor John Strain – First Baptist of Toms River)

Great Quote: Forgiveness is the key which unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred. It breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness. Corrie Ten Boom

ADVENT MEDITATION

I appreciate Bill Welte allowing me the privilege of writing the weekend Freedom Fighters-especially during Advent. This is a wonderful time of the year when we stay focused on its origin and purpose. The season is all about Jesus and His arrival in our world.
Losing that focus disallows us of the hope, peace, love, and joy that Jesus intends us to know.

Mary didn’t lose focus. We’ve focused our Advent thinking on her and her responses to Gabriel the Angel. During these last two days of Advent, I want us to think about those responses in a particular way.
Most of us are far too self-willed. We want our way. We want what “the Joneses” have. We want makes us feel good. We’re convinced we know best what we need. All those “we’s” keep us from hearing God ask us to let Him do His best for us.

While talking with a friend earlier this week, he described Mary’s words to the Angel, “Let it be to me according to your word,” as “relinquishment.” Mary “relinquished” her plans, her agenda, even her reputation to God’s plan for her life. Nothing mattered as much to Mary as God’s plan for her life. In her willingness to “relinquish” all that was important to her, she discovered the truth that her son, Jesus, would later teach. Jesus said “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39)

We may not have a more important lesson to learn from the Advent season. All of us who crave control and think we know best how to run our lives can learn to “relinquish” everything for the sake of Jesus. We’ll never find the abundant life Jesus promises us without yielding our lives to Jesus’ agenda. That’s always a wise decision.

Christmas is just a few days away. What do you and I need to “give” Jesus? What do we need to “relinquish” to Him so that we can discover His best for our lives? Mary made the right decision. May God help us make those same right decisions. (Pastor John Strain – First Baptist Toms River)

Great Quote: You can never truly enjoy Christmas until you can look up into the Father’s face and tell him you have received his Christmas gift.

John W Rice

JESUS: A GIFT OF PEACE

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

(Luke 2:13-14)

If I could give you a gift, it would be peace. If I could give the world a gift, it would be peace – not just the lack of war, but personal, inner peace. I find so many of us looking to settle our lives. We chase after all sorts of things to calm the turmoil but the relief never lasts. What do you want this Christmas? What gift is it that would really benefit you? Is it winning the lottery, or receiving a special gift from somebody, or restoring some relationship, or getting that job promotion, or getting a big bonus?

While those things may be okay, what many have discovered is these things never settle us. They’re never enough to bring peace to our hearts. The angels announced that God had given his gift to us to bring peace. Yet peace doesn’t seem to be what we have today. If we conducted an honest appraisal, we’d admit that many of us are still looking for something. Running to or running from something.

Jesus didn’t come to give us a holiday. He didn’t come so we could have a festive celebration. He came to reconcile the world to Himself.
“‘Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.'” (Acts 4:12) If we know God, we can know peace. Give yourself the gift of peace that comes from making a connection to God, for allowing God to begin to do His work in your life. All of those others things, some that may even be important,
won’t ultimately settle us. Only God can do that. Dr. Glen Martin

Scripture Reading: Nahum; Revelation 14

Today’s devotional is from REAL VICTORY FOR REAL LIFE. This 365 daily devotional is available from the Keswick Book and Gift Shop. Call today for your copy: 732-350-1187.

Great quote: I have discovered that the people who believe most strongly in the next life do the most good in the present one. (Clive Staples) C.
S. Lewis