THINK ABOUT WHAT’S TRUE

” … whatsoever is true … think on these things … ” Philippians 4:8

A man who is going to THINK VICTORY is one who thinks about the RIGHT things. Paul, in Philippians 4:8, gives us a prescription for what we should be thinking on. The first is to think on what is TRUE.

We are living in an age where TRUTH is up for grabs. The things that many of grew up on as TRUTH – are no longer “take-it-to-the-bank” things that I can count on, but are “we-think-so” or “I-hope-so” propositions.

Paul tells us we should be thinking on things that are genuine and real – things that are true not false. If left to wander down the wrong path, our minds can easily dwell on the false or the fake rather than the real thing.

This past weekend I hit a wall of just being plain exhausted. The summer was great, people were saved, lives were dedicated to Christ … but the days were long: 78 services plus 10 concerts! We were in more church services in the last two months than some folks attend in a whole year!
After the service on Sunday night, someone that I love and respect made some statements to me after the service that just cut me off at the knees. I was in shock at their words, and quite frankly, I was at the breaking point. As I crawled into bed exhausted, those words just kept swirling through my head, and as tired as I was, I couldn’t get to sleep. The more I thought about these harsh, cruel words, the more I stewed and fumed.

I finally had to stop myself and say, “The statements made were false!
They were not truthful nor where they genuine.” I knew the motive behind them and once I reckoned with the motive, I was able to surrender those thoughts to the Lord and fall asleep.

We are confronted with FALSE thoughts daily. One of the reasons that we need to burn the Word of God into our hearts and minds through memorization and meditation is that when those LIES come, we can replace them with TRUTH! It started back in the Garden of Eden with Eve when the enemy challenged what God said to her.

Don’t dwell on the stuff that isn’t true. Purpose in your heart to THINK ON WHAT IS TRUE … A man who THINKS VICTORY will think what is true.

Great Quote: In response to the criticism “You are going too fast” Booth replied, “If anyone still wants a reply, let him ask the lost souls in Hell whose brothers and sisters are following them there. Let him go and ask the blood-washed throng in Heaven, whose eyes are wide open at last to the value of salvation. Let him anticipate the Judgment Day, and in spirit stand before the Throne and propose, if he dares, the question to God Almighty. I think from Hell, Heaven and the Great White Throne, the answer would come back; “More speed! Go faster!” William Booth

THINK ON THESE THINGS

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8

For days now this verse has been swirling around in my mind. I listened to a message by Dr. Gary Smalley where he shared how meditating on this verse made a huge impact on his life. I have been doing that the past several days now, and for the next several days, I want to try and unpack some of the things that I have been learning as I have meditated on this verse.

Someone has said that we are what we think! Proverbs says that “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he!” (Proverbs 23:7) What we think determines how we live and act. The mind is a powerful tool which can be used in our lives for good or for evil. The birth of sin in our lives begins with the conception of it in our minds (James 1:14-15). A man who is going to live victoriously in this ever changing, crazy world, needs to THINK VICTORY!

Ever have a tooth ache? You probably discovered something I have – the more you think about it, the more pain increases. For years advertisers have used subliminal marketing to capture your minds. If they can get you to picture their product in your mind – you will eventually buy it! That is why it is important for us to understand how important it is to fill our minds with the things God delights in. You are what you think, brothers.

I want to encourage you to join me on this journey for the next few days. Take this verse and write it on a 3X5 card and begin to memorize and meditate on it. I think you will be amazed at what you will learn as you allow the Spirit of God to teach you what you should be thinking about.

Great quote: I had feelings of fear about the future…The devil kept on whispering, “It’s all right now, but what about afterward? You are going to be very lonely”….And I turned to my God in a kind of desperation and said “Lord, what can I do? How can I go on to the end?” And He said, “None of them that trust in Me shall be desolate.” That word has been with me ever since. Amy Carmichael

THE HEART OF TEMPTATION

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

For some reason the whole subject of temptation keeps coming up in my devotional reading. In my interaction with staff, guests, Colony men and Christian leaders, there seems to be an all out affront by the enemy, which is probably why there is such a need for this topic in all of our lives.

Listen to these words about the heart of temptation:

“I have learned, Lord, that Satan’s aim in tempting me is to destroy my will. That is clearly revealed in his tempting Jesus, my pattern. Once Jesus had accepted the Father’s will at His baptism, that will was immediately put to the test in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Each of the three temptations was carefully contrived to weaken Christ’s grip on the will of His heavenly Father. Once that grip is loosed, it is only a matter of time before the entire defense breaks down in sin.

Jesus was HUNGRY and TIRED when Satan met him in the desert. The needs of the body are often used as the OPENING WEDGE for an attack on the WILL, whether the need is for food, rest, relaxing or whatever. I make a mistake, however, if I think that Satan will be satisfied merely to trip me up on a physical need; he is after my WILL! The way I handle my body is only the symptom of my basic will commitment. Satan does not try to capture symptoms; he is after the thing that creates the symptoms.

The answer to Satan’s approach through the body is a reaffirmation of my will. ‘Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:10) There is decisiveness, finality! I can only be victorious over Satan and his allurements when I nail the peg of commitment further into the soil. I am strengthened by the response of Nehemiah, when asked to compromise with the enemy, ‘I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.’ (Nehemiah 6:3) Four times the temptation came, and four times Nehemiah reaffirmed his grip on God’s will for him.
So I must meet Satan head-on, not in peripheries, and send him packing by determining once again to do God’s will and stick to it, regardless.
That is victory for Nehemiah, countless others, and myself.” From DAILY WITH THE KING (Moody Press)

Great quote: The nominal Christian pays homage to something about Jesus, rather than worshipping the man himself. For this reason, nominal Christians will extol the moral teachings of Jesus, the faith of Jesus, the personality of Jesus, the compassion of Jesus, the world view of Jesus, the self-understanding of Jesus, etc. None of these worships Jesus as the Christ, but only something about him, something peripheral to the actual flesh-and-blood man. This is why when the almighty God came into the world in Jesus, he came as the lowest of the low, as weakness itself, as a complete and utter nothing, in order that men would be forced into the crucial decision about him alone and would not be able to worship anything about him. — Robert L. Short

THE HEART OF TEMPTATION

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

For some reason the whole subject of temptation keeps coming up in my devotional reading. In my interaction with staff, guests, Colony men and Christian leaders, there seems to be an all out affront by the enemy, which is probably why there is such a need for this topic in all of our lives.

Listen to these words about the heart of temptation:

“I have learned, Lord, that Satan’s aim in tempting me is to destroy my will. That is clearly revealed in his tempting Jesus, my pattern. Once Jesus had accepted the Father’s will at His baptism, that will was immediately put to the test in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Each of the three temptations was carefully contrived to weaken Christ’s grip on the will of His heavenly Father. Once that grip is loosed, it is only a matter of time before the entire defense breaks down in sin.

Jesus was HUNGRY and TIRED when Satan met him in the desert. The needs of the body are often used as the OPENING WEDGE for an attack on the WILL, whether the need is for food, rest, relaxing or whatever. I make a mistake, however, if I think that Satan will be satisfied merely to trip me up on a physical need; he is after my WILL! The way I handle my body is only the symptom of my basic will commitment. Satan does not try to capture symptoms; he is after the thing that creates the symptoms.

The answer to Satan’s approach through the body is a reaffirmation of my will. ‘Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:10) There is decisiveness, finality! I can only be victorious over Satan and his allurements when I nail the peg of commitment further into the soil. I am strengthened by the response of Nehemiah, when asked to compromise with the enemy, ‘I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.’ (Nehemiah 6:3) Four times the temptation came, and four times Nehemiah reaffirmed his grip on God’s will for him. So I must meet Satan head-on, not in peripheries, and send him packing by determining once again to do God’s will and stick to it, regardless.
That is victory for Nehemiah, countless others, and myself.” From DAILY WITH THE KING (Moody Press)

Great quote: The nominal Christian pays homage to something about Jesus, rather than worshipping the man himself. For this reason, nominal Christians will extol the moral teachings of Jesus, the faith of Jesus, the personality of Jesus, the compassion of Jesus, the world view of Jesus, the self-understanding of Jesus, etc. None of these worships Jesus as the Christ, but only something about him, something peripheral to the actual flesh-and-blood man. This is why when the almighty God came into the world in Jesus, he came as the lowest of the low, as weakness itself, as a complete and utter nothing, in order that men would be forced into the crucial decision about him alone and would not be able to worship anything about him. — Robert L. Short

WHO ARE YOU KEEPING COMPANY WITH THESE DAYS?

George served as a deacon in the church I pastored in South Jersey. He’s in heaven now, and I miss him. When I served with him, he was in his early 60’s. I was twenty-nine; his boys were both older than I. He never called me anything but “Pastor,” and he never made feel like I was as green in ministry as I was.

George never went past the eighth grade in school. Both his sons graduated from college and had graduate degrees. His parents never owned their own home. George did and paid it off several years early. He was wise. He was humble. He worked hard. He loved Jesus.

Jesus invites us to take His yoke as our own and to walk with Him and learn from Him. George decided to do that when he was just a young man. He continued to walk in that yoke until he died. He learned from Jesus. George knew the Scriptures. He knew godly principles for living. He knew how to love people with the love of Jesus. He knew how to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He learned all of that from walking in the yoke with Jesus.

When I think of the yoke, I think about the good reasons for being in the yoke with Jesus. I think of companionship with Jesus. I think about protection from the wicked one who would destroy my soul. I think of the “rest for your soul” that Jesus promises to those who get in the yoke. I think about the direction for living that comes from walking with Jesus one day at a time for all time.

George told me about how he and his wife dated when they were kids. He called it “keeping company” with Isabelle. They didn’t date; they “kept company.” It’s an old term that you won’t hear much these days. He kept company with the love of his life for more than fifty years. He kept company with Jesus for all those years, too.

Who are you “keeping company” with these days?

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Mt. 11:29)

This special weekend edition of Freedom Fighters was written by Pastor John Strain, First Baptist Toms River

Great Quote: We must know the power of the Blood if we are to know the power of God. Our knowing experimentally the power of the Word, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the power of prayer is dependent upon our knowing the power of the Blood of Christ.

SPECIAL WEEKEND EDITION: What is Capturing Your Attention?

Howard was a quiet, unassuming man. By training he was an engineer.
His skills were best used in the tool and die business he owned. Not long after my wife and I began working in the church he attended, he asked me to come over for a tour of his business.

When I got there he handed me a little piece of metal with a tiny hole running through it. I learned that it was a small valve he made to NASA specifications for the Lunar Landing Module. His firm actually made a piece of the Module that still sits on the moon! As he described it to me, I learned that it was milled to less than 0.002 of an inch.

I thought about Howard as I read Colossians 3:1-3. You don’t machine anything to 0.002 of an inch without a clear mind and focused attention.
The Apostle tells us to live life with that kind of focus. First he tells us to “Seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.” His clear teaching instructs us that some things are more worthy of our pursuit than others. Men who follow Jesus don’t need to wonder about the pursuit. Those things which are above deserve our focus more than things that have no lasting value.

The Apostle goes on to tell us to “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” We don’t need to live with divided minds that waffle between two worlds. Heaven in our goal. We choose to set our minds, to clear them of all other attractions and focus on those things that have eternal value. The instruction is clear: live by the “seek and set” principle!

Howard lived for his business; he loved it. It was his baby. I was impressed with his skill and knowledge. Something else impressed me even more. As much as he loved his business and his family, he loved Jesus more. He lived with incredible focus in his business life, and he was tenacious about doing the best possible job. His love for Jesus and his focus on eternal values never got lost in the business. Putting a tiny little valve on the moon didn’t define his life. He practiced the “seek and set” principle.

What focus captured your attention when you got up this morning?

Today’s Special Weekend Edition of Freedom Fighters was written by Pastor John Strain, First Baptist Toms River.

Great Quote: Prayer is the midwife of mercy, that helps to bring it forth. Matthew Henry

KEEP HUMBLE

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” – 1 Corinthians 10:12

Today’s timely devotional is from the pen of one of the early KESWICK THINK VICTORY! speakers who helped to found the Victorious Christian life movement at America’s KESWICK.

“The Christian who is wholly trusting the Lord for VICTORY soon realizes that many Christians about him have not seen the truth of victory, and are not thus trusting Christ.

He may be in close contact with Christians who are older, much farther along in many ways, yet not living in the victory-secret that is so precious to him. And then comes the peril of pride.

Almost without realizing it the Christian who knows Christ as VICTORY can slip some word criticizing a fellow Christian who is not in on the secret, or a condescending comment on such a one’s mistake or failure. ‘Holier than thou’ is one of the perils of the Victorious Life!

Of course the instant one speaks of another, or thinks in his heart thus of another, his victory is gone; he has sinned. And we must recognize this peril if we would be kept from it.

The Christian who is living in VICTORY is in HIMSELF no whit better than the carnal Christian who is plainly sinning, The self-nature of the two is identical: hopelessly sinful. The only good thing about the victorious Christian is CHRIST; and we deserve no credit for Christ: the glory and honor and VICTORY are all HIS! True victory, therefore, must keep us humble: and it will!” Charles G. Trumbull

Great Quote: “Our strength is never renewed in noise or bustle. These only weaken and waste it. Try it for yourself, dear Christian. The next time you find yourself in need of renewal of strength, get still before the Lord. If possible, sit down in silence somewhere and collect your restless and wandering spiritual faculties into a silent waiting upon Him, and see if strength does flow into you from HIM! This is what the old saints used to call ‘recollection,’ and it was in this way they gained the wonderful spiritual vigor for which we so envy them.” Hannah Whitall Smith

WANTED Dead or Alive Part 4

After all of the Lord’s gentle leading Bill knew in his heart God’s word was the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth! “I knew what HE wanted but I couldn’t say it, I didn’t want to be gay but I knew I couldn’t stop on my own. I was looking out the window at the big wooden cross in front of the Colony building and the Lord spoke to my heart saying; “You need to give it to Me and say it out loud.” “Ok Lord, I can’t do this so You will need to do it.” “HE said; I know Bill just give it all to Me.”

Finally…a surrender! There had to be one. One way or another. Our God is an awesome God and He loves and wants us. But there is also another whom we are wanted by. He doesn’t love us nor, despite his attempts to deceive us, is he god. He is Satan and would have taken Bill dead or alive, emphasis on dead. Interestingly enough, God wanted Bill dead as well. Dead to himself that is, and raised to walk in the newness of a life in Christ for all eternity. This cowboy can claim a true Victory in Jesus! While Bill is a new creation, he says it is a daily walk with and commitment to the Lord for him. There are still struggles he faces only this time with the Lord. Having continued Victory over his past demands a daily, whole hearted desire and obedience to be transformed and not conformed. He reflects on Ephesians 2: 1-10, (being made alive in Christ.)

Bill graduated the Colony of Mercy, stayed for its discipleship program and was encouraged by Chaplain Jim to work with Harvest Ministries. At the Lord’s direction he accepted an internship at our conference center. I’ve watched him serve our guests with such kindness and sincerity. His southern drawl doesn’t hurt either! He enjoys working at Keswick and desires to stay as long as the Lord would have him. His dreams for the future include the hope of studying biblical counseling. He looks forward to what godly relationships will grow out of his new life. Bill is thriving under the Lord’s hand and says he never in his life had a peace like he has now. As Jesus said in John 14:27; “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

It is our prayer that the following resources would be a tool for someone who may be seeking help: Know this: there is hope and help waiting for you!

America’s KESWICK Colony of Mercy
Addiction Recovery for Men
www.americaskeswick.org
1.800.453.7942 x46

Harvest USA
www.harvestusa.org
215.482.0111

Exodus International
www.exodusinternatonal.org
800.264.0877

Pure Life Ministries
www.purelifeministries.org
800.635.1866

Setting Captives Free
www.settingcaptivesfree.com
330.620.8448

This week’s series has been written by Dina Seaton based on an interview with Bill Pruitt. Bill has reviewed each day’s Freedom Fighter/Victory Call and has graciously approved their inclusion in our Week’s devotionals.

Great Quote: Only the humble are wowed by God’s love to them, wowed by the precious righteousness of Jesus. The rest of us are bored by God’s love to us, and wowed by our own righteousness. Or filled with self-contempt when we fail. Humble people have a healthy indifference to failure. Humble people work hard, but hold on loosely to success or failure, not being confident of what would be best for them, but instead, trusting that their Daddy does. Humble people believe God’s promise to work all things together for the good of His kids. Humble people thank God for everything, even the hard, the irritating. Humble people are not so agendified as to be intense, in a hurry. Humble people are not obsessive about efficiency, productivity, appearance, performance. Humble people are not self-absorbed. Humble people experience the peace that passes understanding, and a joy unspeakable. Humble people are not defensive, and they welcome criticism. Humble people are fun to be around, because they make you feel good about yourself. Humble people are compelling, to non-Christians.

Humble people get no credit for their humility, for they are humbled by God’s Spirit, freshly convicting them of sin, so that they experience newness of LIFE all over again, just like the previous time. – Dave McCarty, Gospel-Friendships

WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE Part 3

In February of 2005, Bill made an impulsive decision to leave his career, sell his home, cash in his retirement and move to Cozumel, Mexico to start a business. He said; “I knew if things didn’t get better there I wasn’t coming back, I’d just die there.” He went to Mexico alone, or so he thought. God protected him through hallucinations and hurricanes. He was in a drug induced state of paranoia and schizophrenia. After the destruction of his home and nearly his life, two men named Gabriel and Michael brought Bill through the jungles of Mexico and back to the U.S. border. He made it back and began again trying to control his addictions on his own. He also began attending another church oriented to the gay lifestyle.

Matthew 7, 21-28; “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Therefore whoever hears these saying of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

After yet another suicide attempt his mother’s church helped him find his way to the Colony of Mercy. Once here, he did not want to discuss his homosexuality, only to be freed from drugs. But God was about to begin a “special education” in Bill’s life. He was assigned to Chaplain Jim. And the first order of business that Bill had in mind was to make sure Jim understood that he was here to get clean…of drugs. As far as his homosexuality, that topic was off limits, he told Chaplain Jim that there was NO WAY! that God hadn’t created him a gay man. And he wasn’t going to listen to anyone who said differently. While he was laying down the law or should I say the lawlessness, Chaplain Jim was silently praying for God to help him minister the truth to Bill. He gave Bill a bible and simply asked him to begin studying it. God directed Chaplain Jim to let the Spirit do His work in Bill, as 2nd Timothy 2:24-26 so instructs; “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”

Bill said that had his counselor fought with him or been in his face so to speak, he would have left. Instead he says: “Keswick created an environment where I could study the scriptures myself and my heart could hear the truth of God. It wasn’t quarrelsome but gentle and kind instruction that allowed God to lead me to repentance. It was safe, calm, quiet and away from the distractions of the world. I’ve learned how to have godly friendships with other men of God. There have been some intense conversations and I admire the leadership of the men here.
I want people who are hurting like I was, to know there is hope. To be continued . . .

This week’s Freedom Fighter has been written by staff writer, Dina Seaton.

Great Quote: We need at times, some of us at most times, that Charity from others which, being Love Himself in them, loves the unlovable. But this, though a sort of love we need, is not the sort we want. We want to be loved for our cleverness, beauty, generosity, fairness, usefulness.
The first hint that anyone is offering us the highest love of all is a terrible shock. This is so well recognized that spiteful people will pretend to be loving us with Charity precisely because they know that it will wound us. To say to one who expects a renewal of Affection, Friendship, or Eros, “I forgive you as a Christian” is merely a way of continuing the quarrel. Those who say it are of course lying. But the thing would not be falsely said in order to wound unless, if it were true, it would be wounding. (Clive Staples) C. S. Lewis

WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE Part 2

The need for some type of spiritual direction led Bill to a large church in Dallas that as he put it; “explained away the bible. They aided me in believing that my lifestyle was okay in the eyes of God and I found comfort in this.” Bill shared that they presented strong arguments conforming God’s word to justify their sins. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was explained something like this: “the men trying to force themselves on the others were rapes; it was an act of lust, that’s not what we are doing. We’re people in committed monogamous relationships, families; it’s not the same at all.” He wound up meeting and entering into a long term relationship with another man at the church in whom he began to idolize.

Someone in Bill’s situation wanted to hear their version of the truth. If they were wrong then his whole life would be wrong and to Bill that just wasn’t an option. Bill knows he was deceived and that so are they. He shared this portion of scripture from 2nd Thessalonians 2 vs. 9-12 “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

While living in Texas he began to build a successful career as well. He and the man he was involved with had many things the world would consider to be “everything.” This relationship was to them “beautiful”, they traveled together, had cars and a home with all the bells and whistles. He showed me a picture of a room with a piano in it, and when I said; “oh, I didn’t know you could play the piano”. He replied; “I can’t, the piano played itself.” Sounds like they had what they thought was a wonderful life.

So why did Bill still want to die? He was trying to fill his loneliness with possessions, drugs, sex and people. He felt he had to move fast to stay in front of his thoughts of depression and death. He took medications to help him with the depression and anxiety but to no avail. One night after a party at his home he overdosed on drugs and stopped breathing. After CPR he woke up in great pain and confusion, this was what normal looked like in his life. He spent that Thanksgiving unable to move or talk and being fed by a stranger God put in his path. Everyone else ran in fear of his dying. Yet four days later Bill continued to abuse himself . . . to be continued

Today’s Freedom Fighter has been written by Keswick Staff writer, Dina Seaton.

Great quote: After a hard day scrambling to find your way around in the world, it’s assuring to come home to a place you know. God can be equally familiar to you. With time you can learn where to go for nourishment, where to hide for protection, where to turn for guidance.Just as your earthly house is a place of refuge, so God’s house is a place of peace. Max Lucado The fall semester of the Keswick Institute of Biblical Studies will begin the end of September. Join us for eight weeks of classes co-sponsored by Lancaster Bible College and earn CEU’s transferrable to LBC or PBU. Call today for our brochure or download from our website:http://www.americaskeswick.org/documents/AK7003KIBSBrochure082207.pdf