Nothing seemed all that different as we entered the auditorium for chapel. It was my first year of Bible College, the first semester. We sang a song, and a thousand Bible college students can sing well. Then our president called on one of the professors to lead an opening prayer.

Dr. Peter Connolly, an elderly man who became a Christian in Ireland when just a young man, stepped to the microphone. I’d heard him pray at the beginning of class, but this seemed different. He was passionate, eloquent but subdued. His prayer continued with a growing sense of awe spreading through the auditorium. No one moved. No one coughed. All of us sensed we were experiencing something special. I don’t know if any of us had ever heard anyone pray like he prayed that morning.

No one remembered whether or not the prayer was long. No one remembered specific things for which Dr. Connolly prayed. When we talked about it later . . . even years later . . . we remembered the passionate nature of the prayer. We remembered that we were almost breathless when he finished praying. It seemed that he brought us directly into the presence of Jesus.

When he finished praying our president came back to the microphone and dismissed chapel. We wouldn’t hear a speaker. The student scheduled to sing wouldn’t sing. Our hearts were stirred, fed and challenged with one prayer from on old man who had walked with Jesus for years. Even more, we clearly had been in the presence of Jesus that morning. One thousand college students and the faculty and staff left that chapel service without saying a word. I didn’t know that many people could be that quiet.

As I think about that morning (It’s been more than forty years ago), I remember a man who talked to God that morning as though they were face to face. He modeled intimacy with God driven by humility and gratitude.
I hope some day to pray like Peter Connolly. I hope some day you’ll pray like Peter Connolly. It will only happen for all of us if we choose to spend time with the triune God.

The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16b). John Strain – First Baptist of Toms River

Great Quote: God hath given to man a short time here upon earth, and yet upon this short time eternity depends. Jeremy Taylor

Who I Am In Christ

Some of you are thinking like this:

OLD LIFE (Lies) – Channel 1
What I think or feel about myself.
1. I am unworthy/unacceptable.
2. I feel like a failure/inadequate.
3. I am a fearful/anxious person.
4. I am a weak person.
5. I am in bondage.
6. I am not very smart.
7. I am unloved.
8. I am unwanted or
I don’t belong to anyone.
9. I feel guilty.
10. I am depressed & hopeless.
11. There is nothing special about me.
12. I am not good enough.

Replace those thoughts with these truths:

NEW LIFE (Truth) – Channel 2
What is true about me.
I am accepted and worthy.
Psalm 139:13-24; Romans 15:7
I am adequate.
2 Corinthians 3:5-6; Philippians 4:13
I am free from fear.
Psalm 34:4; 2 Timothy 1:7;
1 Peter 5:7; 1 John 4:18
I am strong in Christ.
Psalm 37:34; Daniel 11:32; Philippians 4:19
I am free.
Psalm 32:7; John 8:36; 2 Corinthians 3:17
I have God’s wisdom.
Proverbs 2:6-7; 1 Cor. 1:30; James 1:5
I am very loved.
John 15:9; Romans 8:38-29;
Ephesians 1:5; 1 John 3:2
I have been adopted by God as His child.
Romans 8:15-17; Galatians 4:5-7;
Ephesians 1:5; 1 John 3:2
I am totally forgiven.
Psalm 103:12; Ephesians 1:7;
Colossians 1:14, 20; Hebrews 10:17
I have all the hope that I need.
Psalm 16:11; 27:13; 31:24; Romans 15:13
I have been chosen, set apart by God.
Psalm 139:1; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:11;
Hebrews 10:10, 14
I am perfect in Christ.
Colossians 2:13; Hebrews 10:14
13. I am defeated
14. I have no strength.
15. I feel condemned.
16. I am alone.
17. I have no one to take care of me.
18. I can’t reach God.
19. I am afraid of Satan.
20. I have no confidence.
I am victorious.
Romans 8:37; 2 Corinthians 2:14;
1 John 5:4
I have God’s power; I am indwelt by the
Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:8; Romans 8:9,11; Eph. 1:19; 3:16
I am blameless.
John 3:18; Romans 8:1
I am never alone.
Romans 8:38-39; Hebrews 13:5
I am protected, safe.
Psalm 27:1-6; 32:7-11; 41
I have access to God.
Matthew 7:7-8; Ephesians 2:6; 1 Peter 2:5,9
I have authority over Satan.
Colossians 1:13; 1 John 4:4;
Revelation 12:7-11
I have all the confidence I need.
Proverbs 3:26; 14:26; 28:19;
Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 10:19-22

To print out the complete list: http://www.americaskeswick.org/addiction/documents/WhoIAmInChrist.pdf

“Finally, brethren … whatever is of good repute … think on these things.” Philippians 4:8

You’ll know his name … but here is a cool story. He grew up in Philly and attended the same church that I did (thought obviously he is MUCH older!) as well as the same elementary school. He was the church terror. In fact, his grandmother made him sit right up front and was known to whack him on the head with a hymnbook when he misbehaved.

In school, he graduated from grade to grade, not because of his academic abilities, but because each teacher wanted to get rid of him. When he reached sixth grade, his teacher decided to sit him down. She shared with him the folder containing comments from his previous teachers and told him that there were some horrible statements said about him. She looked him in the eye and said, “Young man, I don’t believe these comments.” She took the folder and ripped it up and dumped it in the trash. And Dr. Howard Hendricks said that was the beginning of a new life for him.

Some of you have listened to things that have been said about you and you have allowed the garbage to fill your mind and destroy you. In your early days you were called a failure. Maybe someone told you that you were stupid . You might have grown up in a dysfunctional family with a father that was not what he should be and someone told you that you were going to grow up to be just like your Dad. What we think we believe – what we believe, we become.

It’s time to stop the cycle of thinking negatively and replacing those thoughts with WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST! Tomorrow I will share a list with you that you can tuck in your Day-Timer or your Bible. Pull it out often. When you begin to think negatively about who you are … replace those thoughts with what God thinks about you!

Howard Hendricks was told he was a failure and would never amount to anything. But at 83, he has impacted the lives of thousands of men and women for the Kingdom. Let your mind dwell on WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST! I’ll give you the list tomorrow!

Great Quote: Who is it that is your Shepherd? The Lord! Oh, my friends, what a wonderful announcement! The Lord God of heaven and earth, and Almighty Creator of all things, He who holds the universe in His hand as though it were a very little thing. He is your shepherd, and has charged himself with the care and keeping of you, as a shepherd is charged with the care and keeping of his sheep. If your hearts could really take in this thought you would never have a fear or a care again; for with such a Shepherd how could it be possible for you ever to want any good thing?
Hannah Whitall Smith

THINK ON … WHATEVER IS LOVELY

” Finally, brethren … whatever is lovely … think on these things.” Philippians 4:8

We have been looking at Paul’s prescription on the things that we are to fill our minds with. We’ve looked at dwelling on things that are true, honorable, right, pure, and today we come to dwelling on things that are lovely.

There are so many things in life that we can think about that are lovely. The word means things that are pleasing or acceptable. I remember when I was having my emergency appendectomy the doctor told me to think about the nice place in the world I had been or wanted to go.
My mind went to Bermuda – one of my favorite places. (I didn’t remember a thing during the surgery …)

One our first trip to Bermuda, I remember riding a moped with my wife Jan and my former boss and his wife. He was showing us parts of the island that the average tourist wouldn’t normally see. We came to a spot where everywhere we turned there was beauty beyond description. Looking towards the ocean we say that beautiful greenish water that was magnificent and the pink sand. Looking up we say beautiful palm and banana trees and these gorgeous hibiscus plants that were in full bloom.
I remember making the statement, “If this is what beauty is after the fall – what must the earth looked like before it took place.” It was almost breath-taking.

When I hear the phrase “dwell on what is lovely” I am reminded of my wife. Solomon in both Proverbs and the Song of Solomon instructs us on the importance of enjoying the “wife of our youth.” In recent days I have heard numerous stories of men who have decided to check out on their marriages because they have lost interest in the wife God has given them. They have allowed their hearts and minds to stray, and the results have been disastrous. Several years ago Jan gave me a picture of her that sits on both of my desks. It is a constant reminder to me of her love for me and my love for her. Throughout the day my eyes see that picture and I am able to captivated by her.

In a world that is trying desperately to capture the minds of men to stray, we need to be reminded to allow our minds to dwell on what is lovely. What are you thinking about today? Are you dwelling on what is lovely? Or have you allowed your mind to wander into places it should not be going? If so – take those thoughts captive.

Great quote: Sin arises when things that are a minor good are pursued as though they were the most important goals in life. If money or affection or power are sought in disproportionate, obsessive ways, then sin occurs. And that sin is magnified when, for these lesser goals, we fail to pursue the highest good and the finest goals. So when we ask ourselves why, in a given situation, we committed a sin, the answer is usually one of two things. Either we wanted to obtain something we didn’t have, or we feared losing something we had. Augustine

THINK ON WHAT IS PURE

“Finally, brethren … think on what is pure …” Philippians 4:18

We continue to dissect this powerful verse that Paul gives us in helping us think on proper things. In the early days of computers, we often heard the phrase GIGO – “Garbage in – garbage out …” That is absolutely true when it comes to our minds. If we feed it garbage, that is what we will dwell on – and then the stench will eventually spill out of our very lives.

Webster has several definitions of pure: free from anything of a different, inferior, or contaminating kind; free from extraneous matter: pure gold; pure water; free from foreign or inappropriate elements; free from blemishes; clear and true; clean and spotless, untainted with evil, innocent …”

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what Paul is trying to teach us in this passage. He wants us to rivet our minds on this that are free from those pollutants that would contaminate our thinking and affect our behavior. The enemy will try his dead level best to take our thoughts and have us dwell on un-pure things. The eye-gate is the entrance into our minds.

One of the dangerous tools in his arsenal is to bombard us with sensual and erotic images that play over and over in our minds. Forget about looking at pornography at the moment – we can be confronted with this was walking down the boardwalk, picking up a newspaper, or just in watching TV. That is why it is so important that we feed our minds with proper things.

In one of the longest chapters of the Bible that focuses on the power of the Word in our lives, the question is asked, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Thy word … Thy Word have I treasured in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” Psalm 119:9, 11

David found that meditating on God’s Word was the most effective tool in keeping him from sin. It is indeed effective in helping us guard our minds from thinking un-pure thoughts.

You and I will be bombarded with impure thoughts. We can either fuel them or “take them captive to the obedience of Christ.”

Purpose and make a determination today that you will only dwell on what is PURE! It’s worth it.

Great quote: This quote was powerful this morning: My dear Jesus, my Saviour, is so deeply written in my heart, that I feel confident, that if my heart were to be cut open and chopped to pieces, the name of Jesus would be found written on every piece. – Ignatius Could that be said of you this morning?

Clarence Schrader was retired and seemed quite old when I met him. He and his wife were faithful members of Grace Bible Baptist Church in Flint, MI. He was tall, thin and stately in appearance. His smile warmed everyone who received it, and his clear blue eyes were alive with love for people and Jesus.

Clarence and Jeanette never missed church. If it snowed, they came. If there was ice, they came. If we had tornado warnings, they came. They came Sunday morning. They came Sunday evening. They came Wednesday evening. They came for weekly visitation nights. They never missed.

With that kind of faithfulness to Christ and His church, they always stood out to all of us in the church. I knew more about them since I was on staff at the church, and one other quality made Clarence Schrader stand out even more.

Once in awhile I’d have to fill in as an offering counter on Monday morning. I happened to open the Schrader’s envelope one Monday morning, and I noticed that their offering was in cash (not a check). I also noticed that all the bills were brand new. When I commented on that to the other counter, she told me something I’ll never forget.

Every Friday morning, Clarence Schrader when to his bank. He would write a check for the amount of his offering, cash it at the bank and ask for new bills. Those brand new bills always went in their offering envelope. Our church secretary, the other counter, told me that she asked Mr. Schrader about it one Sunday.

“I want God to have the very best I have to offer Him. He deserves new money, not old, dirty, wrinkled money.” He went on to say that Scripture taught Him that whatever he did, he was to do everything to the glory of God. Giving God the best money he could lay his hands on was just one way to give God glory.

I also remember that I never saw Mr. Schrader in church without a suit and tie. That same mindset about doing everything for the glory of God governed how he dressed for church. “If I’m coming to meet God, then I ought to be dressed my best.” So Mr. Schrader told me one Wednesday evening when he was one of the few men who showed up with a suit and tie.
I don’t give God new money in my offering envelopes. I don’t wear a suit and tie to every church service. Still, I learned the lesson from Mr. Schrader. Everything I do should be the best I can do. God deserves nothing less.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

A FATHER’S LOVE

I loved this story I read this week about a six year old little boy that was trapped in pile of rubble after an earthquake in Turkey. Dr. Gary Smalley writes: ” …[the little boy’s father] knew the location of where his son, Armon’s school class should be, and the man started digging and lifting broken bricks off the spot he thought his child might be. Friends and rescue workers kept trying to persuade Armon’s father to give up the dig. He would always say, “Either join me or leave me alone.” After forty-some hours and bloody hands, the father heard a faint voice. It was Armon, “Daddy is that you?” Then Armon shouted to the other trapped kids, “See, I told you my daddy would find us!”

Sometimes when we feel like we are trapped under the pile of the stuff of life, feeling like there is no hope or way of escape, we need to be reminded that our Daddy in Heaven is right there. He knows where we are every moment of every day. He has a master plan that we might not understand – but we can trust Him completely. Thank Him today for His “Daddy-love” for you!

Great Quote: The only Christianity powerful enough to penetrate and change society is that which is derived from the work of the Spirit of God. – Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

THINK ABOUT WHAT IS RIGHT

” Finally, brethren … whatever is right … think on these things …” Philippians 4:8

We have been unpacking this profound prescription given by the Apostle Paul on the things that we should dwell or think on. I have been working at memorizing this verse because I know full well that if I allow my mind to dwell on the wrong things – it can spell disaster.

Paul says that we are to think about things that are right. The word is derived from the word “just” and if you follow the root, it reminds us that we are justified by faith through our Lord Jesus Christ. But the word goes deeper than that. It means “guided by truth and justice” and relates to “standards and requirements.”

I go back to my thought earlier this week. In order to understand how we should be thinking biblically, we need to immerse ourselves in the study of God’s Word. If I am going to think RIGHT thoughts, then I need to understand how God expects me to live. Proverbs addresses every area of life, from money, to the discipline of my kids, to how interact with people in relation to how I speak.

One of the things that we taught our kids was to be honest in every area of life. On several occasions when we were shopping, we were either not charged for an item or given the wrong change. I can remember several instances where we were given the wrong amount of change, and one time it was significant. We were already in the car, and Jan realized that there was an error. We drove back to the store and the clerk was absolutely baffled by our honesty and didn’t know how to “fix” the transaction. We knew her cash drawer would be short … It was the RIGHT thing to do.

It has been cool to hear our kids tell us their stories of similar situations and how neat it was for them to do the RIGHT thing. If our minds are not thinking RIGHT, we could begin to justify and say, “Well, thank You, Lord, for Your provision! After all, I have been praying for You to meet my needs!” WRONG! Or the self-righteous person might think, “When will these stores hire competent people … oh well … there loss!”

God’s Word and RIGHT -living go hand in hand. If you want to dwell on RIGHT thinking – take some time to search how HE wants you to live.

Great quote: Our God is often too small because he is too religious. We imagine that he is chiefly interested in religion – in religious buildings (churches and chapels), religious activities (worship and ritual), and religious books (Bibles and prayer books). Of course he is concerned about these things, but only if they are related to the whole of life. According to the Old Testament prophets and the teaching of Jesus, God is very critical of ‘religion,” if by that is meant religious services divorced from real life, loving service and the moral obedience of the heart. John R. W. Stott

THINK ABOUT THIS – What is honorable …

” … whatever is honorable … think on these things.” Philippians 4:8

We are looking about Paul’s exhortation from Philippians 4:8 about the things that characterize men who THINK VICTORY! Yesterday we looked at thinking on truth. Today we look at thinking or dwelling on what is honorable. Dr. John MacArthur, in his commentary of Philippians, says that “believers are to think on whatever is honorable, whatever is noble, dignified, and worthy of respect. The word honor comes from a word meaning ‘to revere,’ or ‘to worship.’ In its other New Testament uses, it describes the dignified lifestyle required of deacons (1 Timothy 3:8), deaconesses (1 Timothy 3:11), and older men (Titus 2:2) Believers must not think on what is trivial, temporal, mundane, common, and earthly, but rather on what is heavenly, and so worthy of awe, adoration, and praise. All that is true in God’s Word is honorable.”

In his companion letter to the church at Colossae, Paul wrote, “Set your mind on things above …” (Colossians 3:2) Literally that phrase means “keep on thinking about.” A.T. Robertson says, “It does matter what we think and we are responsible for our thoughts. Paul does not mean that we should never think the things upon earth, but that these should do be our aim, our goal, our master. The Christian has to keep his feet on the earth – but his head in the heavens. He must be heavenly-minded here on earth and so help to make earth like heaven.”

You’ve met men like this whose thoughts are riveted on the honorable not the junk of life. My friend, Pastor Newton Conant, lived life dwelling on the honorable. He forced himself to think godly thoughts and to dwell on heavenly things. He was not a stuffy, snooty old saint – but a man whose life was characterized by humility and love for people. When in his presence, you felt like you were in the presence of the Lord. He was vibrant, joyful, and always expectant of living the “Christ-centered” life.

His daily practice was to immerse himself in the Word and in prayer. He exhibited to me what it means to think about what is honorable. Reading the book of Proverbs every day will help you learn to think about RIGHT things … the things of life that God says are honorable.

How is your thought life today? Purpose to memorize this important verse: Philippians 4:8.

Great quote: In heaven we shall appear, not in armor, but in robes of glory. But here these are to be worn night and day; we must walk, work, and sleep in them, or else we are not true soldiers of Christ. William Gurnall