ABSTAIN FROM WICKEDNESS

“Let everyone who names the name of the Lord, abstain from wickedness.”
2 Timothy 2:19

This morning I was reading through Proverbs chapter 5 and again I was
reminded of the deceitfulness of sin and its consequences. If you have
been following the news the past week, you have heard many illustrations
of the destructiveness of sin as men yield to its power and control.

I did a quick search this word abstain. Here are some of the meanings of
the word:
1. to stand off, to stand aloof
a. to go away, to depart from anyone
b. to desert, withdraw from one
c. to fall away, become faithless
d. to shun, flee from
e. to cease to vex one
f. to withdraw one’s self from, to fall away
g. to keep one’s self from, absent one’s self from
When Paul instructs Timothy in this passage, he is pretty forthright –
don’t play with sin! Martin Luther said that we so often play with sin
like playing with fire. We think we can mess around with it and not get
burned.
Pastor and author Chuck Swindoll, offers several very personal questions
to help us gain an understanding on how severe we need to be with
ourselves in order to “abstain from wickedness.”

1. Are you regularly with a person of the opposite sex in appropriate
situations?
2. Are you completely above reproach in all your financial dealings,
including your taxes?
3. Do you expose yourself to explicit sexual materials?
4. If you have a family, do you invest sufficient time with them?
5. Do you tell the truth? How often do you lie (don’t forget to count
the little white ones)?
6. How quickly do you say “I am wrong . . . I am genuinely sorry” when
you have said or done something that hurts another?
7. Do you hold grudges?
8. Are you knowingly compromising in some areas of your life, refusing
to acknowledge the consequences that you will surely have to face?
9. Have you formed a habit that is detrimental to your health or your
job or your walk with Christ?
10. Are you proud … selfish … arrogant?
11. Have you taken credit for something that someone else did and should
have been rewarded for?
12. Do you return things you borrow?
13. Have you failed to confess something to someone who should know of
your wrongdoing?
14. Are you abusing your mate or your children – physically or
emotionally?
15. Do you allow abuse to happen without seeking help?
16. Do you regularly spend time in prayer and in the Scriptures?

from THE FINISHING TOUCH – Becoming God’s Masterpiece by Charles R.
Swindoll – Word
Good thoughts to ponder today.
Great quote: Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens
with our years. — Charles Haddon Spurgeon

IT’S WRITTEN ALL OVER YOUR FACE

There are some faces that just give everything away. You know the ones I
am talking about. They don’t have to say a word – you can tell by
looking at them if they are up to no good or if they have a secret they
are dying to tell you. You can read a person’s face and tell by their
countenance if they are having a bad day and you’d better stay out of
their way.

You’ve heard the expressions: “You look like the cat that swallowed the
canary?” “You’re grinning from ear to ear … what’s up?” “Something’s
up – it’s written all over your face!”

Our face’s are often a good read of what is going on in a person’s
heart. Solomon wrote: “Just as water mirrors your face, so your face
mirrors your heart.” Proverbs 27:19 (The Message)

When we spend time with the Lord it not only transforms our hearts
(inside) but it transforms our countenance (outside).

Remember Moses? “Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone
while he talked with Him.” (Exodus 34:29)

Then there was Stephen — “All who sat in the council looking
steadfastly at Stephen, saw his face as the face of an angel.” (Acts
6:15)

And Paul reminds us that we too have transformed faces because of our
relationship with Him and the time we spend in His presence: “We all,
with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are
being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as the
Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

So tell me today – what’s your face saying? To your spouse? Your kids?
Your co-workers? Can they tell by what’s written all over your face that
you have been in His presence? Good thoughts to consider this morning.
Maybe today is a good day to allow the Spirit of God to do a face-lift!
Get alone with Him today.

Great quote: “Men are in a restless pursuit after satisfaction in
earthly things. They will exhaust themselves in the deceitful delights
of sin, and, finding them to be vanity, and emptiness, they will become
very perplexed and disappointed. But they will continue their fruitless
search. Though wearied, they still stagger forward under the influence
of spiritual madness, and though there is no result to be reached except
that of everlasting disappointment, yet they press forward. They have
no forethought for their eternal state; the present hour absorbs them.
They turn to another and another of earth’s broken cisterns, hoping to
find water where not a drop was ever discovered yet.” Charles Haddon
Spurgeon

DETERMINATION

Today is our 11th annual fundraising Golf Tournament for the ministry of
the Colony of Mercy, and we are looking forward to a great day.

I am not a golfer. In fact, I am athletically challenged. Sports has
never been my thing, so it really amazes me how determined golfers are
about their sport. The “golfers” I know are not just casual golfers –
they are committed – determined. They don’t just own clubs, they have
the socks, the shoes, the outfit … they have made it their goal to be
a GOLFER.

One of my old bosses was the pastor of a large church in Southampton,
PA. He loved golf. He played golf every Monday – rain, snow, sleet or
hail! In fact, when his wife went home to be with the Lord we were
afraid that he would have to arrange the service around his Monday golf
game! He had weather gear for any kind of weather. He was determined to
play no matter what – nothing interfered with his golf game.

The Apostle Paul to my knowledge was not a golfer. But he was a man of
determination. I love what he wrote in Philippians 3:10, “For my
determined purpose is that I may know HIM [that I may progressively
become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and
recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly
and more clearly], and that I may in the same way come to know the power
outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and
that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in
spirit into His likeness even] to His death …” (from the Amplified
Bible)

We are determined in life to do many things – but there is no greater
purpose for us that to KNOW HIM! May that be the determined purpose of
our lives today. When that happens – look out world – we will make a
difference!

Great quote: “Faith means you want God and want to want nothing else.
When God’s love is taken for granted, we paint Him into a corner and rob
Him of the opportunity to love us in a new and surprising way, and faith
begins to shrivel and shrink. When I become so spiritually advanced that
Abba is old hat, then the Father has been had, Jesus has been tamed, the
Spirit has been corralled and the…fire has been extinguished…To be
Christian, faith has to be new, that is alive and growing. It cannot be
static, finished, settled…when I conclude that I can now cope with the
awful love of God I have headed for the shallows to avoid the deeps.”
Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel

Guys – here is an opportunity to encourage your wives. Sign her up for
our new event, ReviveHer Night this Thursday from 6:30 – 10:00 PM. She
will enjoy a night out at America’s KESWICK with other women. $8.50
covers the activities and a special dessert buffet. Call today and make
her reservation: 732-350-1187. For more details, visit our website:
http://www.americaskeswick.org/rhn.htm

ATTITUDES: BALONEY OR THE REAL DEAL

I read this humorous story this morning about two construction workers
who were sitting down to have lunch. The one worker opened up his lunch
box and sarcastically and full of anger remarked, “I can’t believe it!
Baloney again! I hate baloney sandwiches. This is the fourth time this
week I have had baloney. I can’t stand baloney.

The other construction worker tried to calm him down and reason with
him. “Why don’t you take it easy. Just be honest and tell your wife that
you don’t like baloney sandwiches? Tell her what you like and maybe she
will fix something else.”

“Wife?” replied the man, “I make my own lunch!”

Dr. John C. Maxwell suggests that “most of the baloney in our lives, we
have put there ourselves.” You can I CHOOSE our own ATTITUDE every day.
No one forces us to have a good or bad attitude. We make the choice.
Paul wrote: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with
HUMILITY of mind let each of you regard one another as more important
that himself; do not merely look out for YOUR OWN personal interests,
but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude (YOU CHOOSE!)
in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:3-4

Remember”

Attitude is the advance man of our true selves.
Its roots are inward but the fruit is outward!
It is our best friend or our worst enemy.
It is an outward look based on past experiences.
It is a thing which draws people TO us or repels them FROM us.
It is never content until it is expressed.
It is the librarian of your past.
It is the speaker of your present.
It is the prophet of your future.

The bottom line – YOU CHOOSE how you will use your attitude today. Paul
made that clear in the verses above. The only way to have an attitude
like CHRIST is to spend time with him each day. That is why your OWN
daily quiet time is important. The old adage is true – you become like
the people who you spend time with. Immerse yourself today in God’s
Word. Spend time looking at the life of Jesus. The more you spend time
with Him, the more like Him you will become – and that’s no baloney!

Great quote: Oh, how few find time for prayer! There is time for
everything else, time to sleep and time to eat, time to read the
newspaper and the novel, time to visit friends, time for everything else
under the sun, but – no time for prayer, the most important of all
things, the one great essential! — Oswald J. Smith

Treat your wife to a special evening just for her. This Thursday night
we begin a new event: ReviveHER night for Ladies. She can enjoy of
evening of fellowship and encouragement with other women. Call today and
make a reservation for her: 732-350-1187. You’ll make her night!

HEAVENLY MUSIC

One of our monthly outreach events at America’s KESWICK is our community
Hymnsing. Over 500 folks gather together to sing for two hours, mostly
hymns, but we mix in newer songs and choruses. This Thursday’s theme is
choruses from the past.

I was amazed in putting together the program how many songs I have
learned in my 52 years. In fact, it was fun taking a walk “down memory
lane” and reviewing hundreds of songs that I had forgotten about. I
joked with my wife that there are enough choruses to do at least another
twenty Hymnsings just with choruses.

Did you ever stop and think about the blessing of music? Just think what
our Creator God has allowed man to do with a simple scale of eight
notes. I have been having fun putting my CD collection on my IPOD. Right
now I have over 1500 songs downloaded which equates to about three days
worth of music. I still have another hundred or so CD’s to download, but
I would venture a guess it might give me another seven or eight days of
music. My collection is just a drop in the bucket to the millions of
songs that our floating around.

One of the things that we will do in heaven for all eternity is worship.
Scripture is full of references that talk about the singing we will do
around the throne. No try and get a handle around this: we will sing for
all eternity. That’s a lot of music! That’s a long time. But the God who
created music for our enjoyment and benefit will be the One we will be
singing about!

John Newton wrote – “When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright
shining as the sun; we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise – then when
we first begun!”

As you gather together to worship this morning with like-minded brothers
and sisters in Christ at your church, be mindful that one day, we will
all be doing this together. Heavenly music will be grand!

Great quote:
“It is an odd business: the more I live, the more I fail. The more I
fail, fall forward, and am caught by the arms of grace, the more I
reveal the message of the gospel. The more I pretend to have arrived and
offer others advice on how they can do the same, the more I become like
the prodigal’s older brother, self righteous and angry. The ironic truth
that those who proclaim the gospel need it more than those who hear it
is not new. It just isn’t being said loudly and clearly enough in this
day of spin and professionalism and big programs.” Dan Allender,
Leading with a Limp

CAN YOU BE TRUSTED?

A man walked by a pet store and saw a sign that read, Talking Dog for
Sale.” Intrigued, he entered the store and asked the store owner if he
could see this alleged canine communicator. The owner led the man back
to the exercise yard behind the store, where a dog was lying on a lounge
chair, soaking up the sun.

Feeling foolish, the prospective buyer asked the dog, “Can you really
talk?”
The dog replied, “Yes, I can.”
Amazed, the buyer said, “Tell me all about it! This is fascinating!”
The dog explained. “Well, I found out when I was a puppy that I could
talk. My owner at the time immediately put me in show business, and for
several years I toured the world – entertaining every kind of audience.
Later, I went to work for the government spying on all sorts of
dangerous people who had no idea that I could understand human speech
and reporting back on their schemes. Finally, I got tired of all that.
Now I’m retired. I wouldn’t mind working a little, but I really just
want to take it easy.”
The buyer went back in to the store owner and asked him how much he
wanted for the phenomenal dog. The man replied, “Ah, I’ll give him to
you for $10 bucks.”
The buyer was astonished. “How can you practically GIVE away a valuable
dog like that?”
“Because he’s a terrible liar,” said the store owner, “who never did any
of those things.” (from The Manager’s Intelligence Report)

Bottom line question? Does your life back up your words and actions? Do
you say what you do and do what you say? Do you say what mean and mean
what you say?

Solomon said: “The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, but
the mouth of the fool spouts folly.” (Proverbs 15:2)

So can you be trusted? Good words to ponder today.

Great quote: Wherever thou goest, whatever thou dost at home, or abroad,
in the field, or at church, do all in a desire of union with Christ, in
imitation of His tempers and inclinations, and look upon all as nothing,
but that which exercises, and increases the spirit and life of Christ in
thy soul. From morning to night keep Jesus in thy heart, long for
nothing, desire nothing, hope for nothing but to have all that is within
thee changed into the spirit and temper of the holy Jesus. This new
birth in Christ, thus firmly believed and continually desired, will do
everything that thou wantest to have done in thee, it will dry up all
the springs of vice, stop all the workings of evil in thy nature, it
will bring all that is good into thee, it will open all the gospel
within thee, and thou wilt know what it is to be taught of God. —
William Law

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?

Many of my Freedom Fighter entries come right from my own personal quiet
time and what God is showing me in my own walk and relationship with
Him. This week I have been reading in my daily devotional Bible, from
the book of Job.

I came across this verse which I have read numerous times, but in The
Message, the clarity of the message hit me “right between the eyes.”
Job, a man whom God described as one of the most righteous and blameless
men who walked the earth, penned these words: “I have made a solemn pack
with myself never to undress a girl with my eyes.” (Job 31:1)

Now some of you will have a hard time with the bluntness of this
statement from the pen of Job, but it almost seems like he has stepped
foot into the 21st century and with great accuracy described where many
of us find ourselves in our world. The media and advertising gurus have
spent billions of dollars to entice and encourage us to look at women in
a perverted and lustful way. Forget about spending a buck on porn – we
just have to drive down the highway to see gigantic billboards that show
scantily-clad women sprawled across the billboard. Or you can turn on
the TV, open a newspaper, magazine, or store advertisement, and find
yourself with an eyeful of temptation.

The advertising philosophy is to get you and me to look so that we will
desire and act on our desires. I think that they have learned the truth
of advertising right from the Word. Remember the verse I shared with you
the other day from James 1:14: “But each one is tempted and enticed when
he is carried away by his own lust …” King David understands the
concept – it all started with a look! The lust of the eyes is a powerful
thing and must be brought under the Spirit’s control.

Imagine yourself standing in an art gallery and observing one of the
world’s most magnificent paintings of one of the most beautiful gardens
in the world. You are all alone and your eyes are taking it all in. You
even find yourself stepping into that garden so that you can feel the
grass beneath your feet, smell the lush pine-scented air, feel the
warmth of the sun beating on your skin.

Without you even knowing it, someone walks up alongside of you and after
several minutes says: “What are you looking at? A penny for your
thoughts!” What would you tell him? Most of us would flip him off with a
comment like, “just looking at the picture.” Come on now, be honest!
Would you describe in detail what you are seeing, thinking, or doing?”

Now let’s go to the verse I shared at the beginning of the email. What
are you looking at when you see that beautiful women on the billboard,
on the TV, in the magazine? Or what about when you are at the Mall or
the grocery store and that women walks by not appropriately attired? Are
we looking at her with Superman’s x-ray eyes? We THINK know what knows
what we are really doing – except Job drives the nail in the lid of our
coffin by making this statement: “Isn’t God looking, observing how I
live? Doesn’t He mark every step I take?”

Next time you are tempted to look, think about this: HE’S STANDING THERE
RIGHT BESIDE YOU LOOKING WITH YOU – and even more, KNOWING what you are
thinking. Allow the Holy Spirit to ask the question: “What are you
looking at?”

Good words to consider.

Great quote: “The Spirit of God works through the Word of God in the
life of the child of God for the glory of God.”
Pastor Mike Woods

I’VE GOT MY EYE ON YOU

Christian Comedian, Mark Lowry, shares with his audiences that his mom
had the greatest set of eyes. She was the church pianist and had the
ability to play and scan the audience at the same time. Mark shares that
he would sit in the balcony trying to evade her look, but somehow, some
way, she had the ability to zero in on him with precision and accuracy.
Despite his attempt to hide, she could find him within seconds.

Growing up in our church, we had a lady who was also a pianist with
supersonic vision. She would often be playing the piano which was facing
the front way, and with great accuracy, she’d say, “Tommy, stop fooling
around and sing.” We were convinced that she had eyes in the back of her
head.

I will often announce to a Colony man: “I’ve got my eye on you!” It is a
good reminder that someone is always watching us.

We often forget that the One who created us, has the ability to see
where we are any given second. With precision and accuracy, He sees
where we are and what we are doing. His eyes are piercing and
discerning. And as the old saying goes, “We can’t pull the wool over His
eyes.”

While you and I may THINK He doesn’t see us – He does! All the time!
Today be reminded of this: “The eyes of the Lord move to and fro
throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is
completely His.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)

What are His eyes seeing in YOU today? Good thoughts to ponder.

THE POWER OF A THOUGHT

I am sitting here outside our cabin overlooking the most gorgeous view
of trees beginning to transform from green to brilliant yellows, oranges
and reds over the back drop of a beautiful blue sky and lake. It is a
wonderful spot to be still and allow God to speak to your heart and
transform your life.

I just finished reading John C. Maxwell’s book The Difference Maker and
wanted to share some things I learned from it. The premise of the book
is that our attitudes affect every part of our lives. What we THINK
certainly has a profound effect on our behavior.

Temptation begins with our thoughts. James says: “But each one is
tempted and carried away and enticed by his own lust.” It doesn’t take a
rocket scientist to prove that point to you. Think about it for a
moment. When you finally commit sin it wasn’t just something you did
without thinking about it ahead of time. Much of our life-dominating
issues with lust, drugs, alcohol, food – you name it – begin with the
thoughts we allow to fester and dominate our minds.

The Apostle Paul says that our thoughts need to be brought “into
captivity”: “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing that
raises itself up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking captive
EVERY THOUGHT captive to the obedience to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Sowing a thought results in developing a habit. Habits affect our
character that ultimately leads to our destiny.
So what are the thoughts today that are dominating your life? Today
would be a good time for you to make a conscious decision to take those
thoughts captive!
Look at these words that John C. Maxwell shared about the power of our
thoughts:
I can make you rise or fall. I can work for you or against you.
I can make you a success or a failure.
I control what you feel and the way that you act.
I can make you laugh . . . Work … love. I can make your heart sing
with joy … excitement … elation.
Or I can make you wretched … dejected … morbid.
I can make you sick … listless.
I can be as a shackle … heavy … attached … burdensome.
Or I can be as the prism’s hue … dancing … bright … fleeing …
lost forever unless captured by pen or purpose.
I can be nurtured and grown to be great and beautiful … seen by the
eyes of others through actions in you.
I can never be removed … only replaced.
I am a THOUGHT.
Why not know me better.
Bob Conklin

Think on these things today.

COME APART BEFORE COMING APART

Years ago I heard the late Vance Havner say, “If you don’t take time to
come apart, you will come apart!” For weeks now I felt like life has
been one roller coaster ride. It started with our summer season and all
the stress comes with ministering to guests and staff.

If you have followed Freedom Fighters with me, you know that in the
middle of our summer season, our Director of Development, Dave Shoppy,
went home to be with Jesus. And then this month has had seven
anniversary banquets and two new grandbabies, both coming early and with
emergency c-sections, in addition to the “normal” routine.

I knew there was light at the end of the tunnel coming this week. We
planned to get away for a break. I knew that I needed it as I was
starting to get “short” (not size wise) with Jan and the kids, as well
as with my staff. I felt like I was starting to “come apart” at the
seams.

We drove on Saturday to the Lake Wallenpaupak to a timeshare place and
guess what . . . We are on top of a mountain overlooking a beautiful
section of the lake. But God has blessed us with something we didn’t
plan – we have no cell or internet access! I have to drive 5 miles into
town to get internet access and cell phone coverage.

In fact, I am writing this Freedom Fighter while we are driving back
from Walmart. (Relax … Jan is driving.)

Jesus told his disciples that they needed to “come apart and rest
awhile.” It’s easy to talk about it … but as you know, in our world,
it is not always easy to do. We continue to live life on the treadmill
thinking we are “Superman!” Well guess what – if Jesus rested, then I
need to do the same.

I may begin to twitch by the end of week from technology withdrawal, but
somehow, I know it will be worth it.

Great Quote: Our Adversary majors in three things: noise, hurry and
crowds. If he can keep us engaged in “muchness” and “manyness,” he will
rest satisfied. — Richard J. Foster