THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF A CHANGED LIFE
September 25, 1897

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things
have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians
5:17)

Someone once said to Dwight L. Moody “that the world has yet to see what
God will do with and for, through and around the man who is fully and
wholly consecrated to Him.” That statement is certainly true of the
life of William Raws, founder of the Colony of Mercy.
William Raws’ life was radically changed on February 17, 1886 when he
trusted Christ as his personal Savior in the Germantown section of
Philadelphia. His bondage to alcohol was broken and Raws was gloriously
saved. In his own words William Raws said, “One day, fairly dying from
the effects of rum, unable even to keep hot rum brandy on my stomach, I
staggered penniless too my room and fell against an old arm
chair…Although under the influence of drink, a poor dying drunkard, a
swearing, lustful, sinful man, I cried unto God. He heard my cry and
save me. For days and nights thereafter I could neither eat nor sleep. I
was on the verge of delirium tremens…But peace came at last and
victory through our Lord and Savior.”
Raws went on to begin the Whosoever Gospel Rescue Mission in
Philadelphia but was burdened years later to begin a work in the country
for men to escape city life and get alone with God. On September 25,
1897, the family and some friends met around an old pump organ and sang
ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS’ NAME. The crowd pooled their resources of
$1.87 and claimed the promise from Philippians 4:19 — But my God shall
supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
God birthed the ministry of THE COLONY OF MERCY. And the rest is
history.
Thousands of lives have been transformed by the power of the gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ because of the transformed life of William Raws.
The ministry continues over a hundred years later with the good news
that Christ can set men and women in bondage to sinful addictions and
through Christ, can live victoriously.
God used the ordinary life of William Raws to impact thousands. He wants
to take your ordinary life and doing extraordinary things. Are you
willing to allow your life to have a ripple effect on others? Surrender
you ALL to Him today.

Today’s devotional was taken from REAL VICTORY FOR REAL LIFE -365 Daily
Devotionals published by CLC and America’s KESWICK. Order a copy today
from the KESWICK BOOKSTORE.

MEAN WHAT YOU SING

“Nothing touches the human heart deeper than music. This is never more
true than when a group of Christians sings heartily unto their Lord.
Many a cold heart on skid row has melted as the strains of some old hymn
lingered steamy streets and sleazy alleys surrounding a gospel rescue
mission.

When congregations sing the praise of the King, even demonic hosts stand
at attention. “The powers of darkness fear when this sweet chant they
hear: May Jesus Christ be praised!”

Such moving melodies hold out warm welcome to strangers, comfort to the
broken, refreshment to the lonely, and affirmation to the discouraged.
Great music from God’s people instructs, reproves, blesses and relieves.

Who hasn’t nodded in agreement while singing, “Prone to wander, Lord, I
feel it, prone to leave the God I love”? Who hasn’t stood taller or felt
more confident after all the stanzas of “And Can It Be” or “Am I a
Soldier of the Cross?” or “A Mighty Fortress is Our God?” And who hasn’t
found himself lost in wonder, love, and praise while declaring, “My Hope
is in the Lord’? Or received fresh strength from “It Is Well with My
Soul?”

Charles Wesley, perhaps the most prolific hymnist of all times, realized
the value of corporate singing as he wrote, “Oh for a thousand tongues
to sing my great Redeemer’s praise.” There is nothing to compare to that
sound. Nothing.

But have you noticed the fly in our melodic ointment? It is not a lack
of beauty or harmony, nor is it insufficient volume or intensity. It is,
plain and simple, the presence of WORDS with an absence of MEANING. We
sing well, but we fail to heed the message hidden behind the bars.

Stop and think. There’s a line in “Take My Life and Let it Be” that
always makes me pause as the words stick in my throat: ‘Take my silver
and my gold, not a mite would I withhold.’ Imagine! Not even a mite! We
all sing that with such ease, yet I have known few who wouldn’t withhold
something. Including me.

And how about this one:

Have Thine own way Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou are the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Really? Truly yielded? Genuinely still? Absolutely willing to be molded
after His will?

Think of the songs you will sing today as you gather with God’s people
to praise and worship Him. Think of each song or hymn as a promise to
God, a binding statement of your commitment. Picture the results of this
commitment as you sing it with gusto. Then, after the song has ended,
apply it with the same gusto.

God not only loves a cheerful giver, he honors a sincere singer.”
Adapted from A FINISHING TOUCH – BECOMING GOD’S MASTERPIECE by Charles
R. Swindoll – Word Publishing

Great quote: We are so utterly ordinary, so commonplace, while we
profess to know a Power the Twentieth Century does not reckon with. But
we are “harmless,” and therefore unharmed. We are spiritual pacifists,
non-militants, conscientious objectors in this battle-to-the-death with
principalities and powers in high places. Meekness must be had for
contact with men, but brass, outspoken boldness is required to take part
in the comradeship of the Cross. We are “sideliners” — coaching and
criticizing the real wrestlers while content to sit by and leave the
enemies of God unchallenged. The world cannot hate us, we are too much
like its own. Oh that God would make us dangerous! Jim Elliot

JESUS LED ME ALL THE WAY

Another one of my great heroes has gone home to be with Jesus. For over
years I have been involved with church music, and one of the great
composers and arrangers of the past several decades was John W.
Peterson. Much like Martin Luther did during his lifetime, John Peterson
brought music back to the church through his choruses and Christmas and
Easter cantatas. John loved to get people together to sing and worship
the Lord, and many of his songs have made it into our modern hymnals,
including: Jesus is Coming Again, Heaven Came Down, Over the Sunset
Mountain, and Shepherd of Love.

John worked with many wonderful composers/arrangers like Don Wrtyzen, Al
Smith, Roger Strader, Don Marsh, and if you listen to Christian radio,
many of his songs and arrangements have been recorded by your favorite
gospel musicians.

John’s signature song was JESUS LED ME ALL THE WAY which has been one of
my all-time favorites. This song truly reflects the leading of Jesus in
our lives from the moment we place our faith and trust in Him as Savior,
until we see Him face to face:

Someday life’s journey will be o’er,
And I shall reach that distant shore;
I’ll sing while ent’ring heaven’s door,
JESUS LED ME ALL THE WAY .

If God should let me there review,
The winding paths of earth I knew,
It would be proven clear and true
JESUS LED ME ALL THE WAY .

And hither to my Lord hath led,
Today He guides each step I tread ;
And soon in heav’n it will be said ,
JESUS LED ME ALL THE WAY .

chorus:
Jesus led me all the way ,
Led me step by step each day ;
I will tell the saints and angels
As I lay my burdens down ,
“JESUS LED ME ALL THE WAY.”

Thanks, John, for teaching us to sing again. Thanks for teaching us how
to worship. I wouldn’t be surprised that the heavenly choir isn’t
already singing your songs!

John W. Peterson (1921-2006)

MAKE LOVE YOUR GOAL – Part 2

“We know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere
within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts
with love.” Romans 5:5 (Living Bible)

“The Lord wants us to reproduce His love in your life and mine. Let us
consider more characteristics of that love.

Love “is not touchy” (1 Corinthians 13:5). Love is not irritable,
bad-tempered, resentful or sensitive. A woman apologized to a friend for
something at which her friend could have taken offense. The friend just
laughed it off. ‘I am honest,’ she said. ‘I never pick up things that
don’t belong to me – not even slights.’

Love “does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of
other people” (v.5). Love doesn’t keep a record of wrongs done against
it but will keep a record of kindness. It is never glad when others
fail.

“On the contrary, it is glad with all good men when truth prevails” (vs.
5). Love will look for and be delighted with what it sees of good in
others. It does not expose the weaknesses of other people.

Love “knows no limit to its endurance” (vs. 7.). Love endures patiently.
It bears its load to the limit. It bears slights and wrongs – even from
friends and relatives – without retaliation.

Love knows “no end to its trust” (vs. 7). Love is not suspicious but
believes the best in people as long as it can. It always looks for the
good.

Love knows “no fading of its hope” (vs. 7). Love never despairs of
anyone. The Lord never gives up on anyone.

Love “can outlast anything (vs.7). When all else is gone, love endures
to the very end. Love is permanent, for God is love.

Does this type of love seem impossible? Can anyone live that way all the
time? There was ONE of whom this love-filled life was completely true:
Jesus Christ Himself. Perhaps you are saying, ‘If only this were true of
me. But I am impatient. I say things I am later sorry for. Can I love as
Paul has described? Can it be real in my life?”

We cannot do it in our own strength. It is not the result of our own
effort. We can only love in this way by submitting to the work of the
Spirit of God in us. “The fruit of the Spirit IS love!” (Galatians 5:22)
– from HE IS REAL – 365 Daily Devotions – Millie Stamm – published by
our good friends at Zondervan.

Check out the courses that you can be a part of beginning next week by
joining us this semester at the Keswick Institute of Biblical Studies @
http://www.americaskeswick.org.

MAKE LOVE YOUR GOAL

“In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion
and attains perfection with us.” (1 John 4:17 Amplified)

“Paul paints a picture of a love-filled life in 1 Corinthians 13. It is
the picture of Jesus Christ’s inner character. He is the ORIGINAL, but
her desires many reprints.

“This love of which I speak is slow to lose patience.” (1 Corinthians
13:4 – Phillips) In the rush of life today, we see little patience
exhibited. We are impatient if an appointment is delayed, impatient to
be waited on in a shop, impatient with our families. Genuine love,
however, is slow to lose its patience. Even though treated unjustly, it
doesn’t strike back. It refuses to be resentful even though it may have
a reason. Peter writes of Jesus, our example, ‘Who, when he was reviled,
reviled not again.’ (1 Peter 2:23)

“Love is kind” (vs.4). The Phillips paraphrase reads, ‘It looks for a
way to be constructive.’ This is not just being kind to those who are
kind to us. It is being kind to those who are unkind. This love is quick
to return good for evil – being kind to someone who has wronged us. It
does not retaliate. Love not only takes the wrong but shows kindness to
the person responsible.

“Love never is envious or boils over with jealousy (vs. 4). Love does
not begrudge another what they HAVE or what they are DOING. It rejoices
in their success and advance. It is not possessive. Love is content with
God’s will.

Love “is neither anxious to impress nor does it cherish inflated ideas
of its own importance” (vs. 4). It does not parade or display self. It
doesn’t boast or brag. If self is prominent, love is lacking. Love is
not arrogant or proud, but humble. Love cannot coexist with a
superiority complex.

Love “does not pursue selfish advantage” (vs. 5) Such love is
self-forgetful. It is not rude but courteous. It lives to serve others.

Love “does not demand its own way” (vs. 5) or seek its own rights. Love
has good manners. It is always thinking of what is best for others. And
love is more important that knowledge. “While knowledge may make a man
look big, it is only love that can make him grow to his full stature.”
(1 Corinthians 8:1) Bottom line: make love your goal.

How’s your love level today? With your spouse? Kids? Employees?

Great quote: Life is the journey. It isn’t always the destination. As we
walk this path of life, we will make mistakes, stumble many times, fall
once in a while. But a hand will reach down and pull us back up, perhaps
a friend’s hand, perhaps the hand of God. But always there is hope, and
as long as there is a single breath left in you, there is the chance for
success, not defeat. Anonymous

SIN

“The chief of sinners.” “And the grace of our Lord was exceeding
abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy
1:14-15

“Never forget for a moment, as you enter the secret chamber, that your
whole relation to God depends on what you think of sin, and of yourself
as a redeemed sinner. It is sin that makes God’s holiness so awful. It
is sin that makes God’s holiness so glorious, because He has said: “Be
holy. I am holy.”

It is sin that called forth the wonderful love of God in not sparing His
Son. It was sin that nailed Jesus to the cross, and revealed the depth
and the power of the love with which He loved. Through all eternity in
the glory of heaven, it is our being redeemed sinners that will tune our
praise.

Never forget for a moment that it is sin that has led to the great
transaction between you and Christ Jesus; and that each day in your
fellowship with God His one aim is to deliver and keep you fully from
its power, and lift you up into His likeness and infinite love.

It is the THOUGHT of sin that will keep you low at His feet, and give
the deep undertone to all your adoration.

It is the THOUGHT of sin, ever surrounding you and seeking to attempt
you, that will give fervency to your prayer, and urgency to the faith
that hides itself in Christ.

It is the THOUGHT of sin that makes Christ so unspeakably precious, that
keeps you every moment dependent on His grace, and gives you the claim
to be more than conqueror through Him that loves us.

It is the THOUGHT of sin that calls us to thank God with the broken and
contrite heart, which God will not despise, that works in us that
contrite and humble spirit in which He delights to dwell.

It is the inner chamber, in secret with the Father, that sin can be
CONQUERED, the holiness of Christ can be IMPARTED, and the Spirit of
holiness take possession of our lives.

It is the inner chamber that we shall learn to know and fully experience
fully Divine power of precious words of promise: ‘The blood of Jesus
Christ cleanses us from all sin.’ ‘He that abides in Him sins not.’ (1
John 1:7; 3:6)

Good words from the pen of Andrew Murray – GOD’S BEST SECRETS

Great Quote:
“Our proper guilt is God’s methodology of bringing us to himself. Just
as sickness sends us to a physician, guilt sends us to God-and keeps us
there. In fact, it is that guilt (and here I use the word guilt in it
broadest possible understanding of ‘helplessness’, ‘discomfort’,
’emptiness’, ‘disunity’, ‘fear’, ‘shame’, and ’embarrassment’) that is
the impetus of prayer. It is guilt that builds a fire of love in our
hearts. It is guilt that makes us more like Christ. It is guilt that
becomes our greatest blessing, because something happens when we come to
God for his grace and mercy-something that is so radical and so amazing
that it can only be described as death to our old selves. It is the
overwhelming desire to please the One who has loved us with such amazing
and unconditional love.” Steve Brown, Approaching God

GOD INCOMPREHENSIBLE

“Behold God is great, and we know Him not. The Almighty, we cannot find
Him out: He is excellent in power.” – Job 36:37

“This attribute of God as a Spirit whose being and glory are entirely
beyond our power of apprehension is one that we ponder all too little.
And yet in the spiritual life it is of the utmost importance to feel
deeply that, as the heavens are high about the earth, so God’s thoughts
and ways are infinitely exalted beyond all our thought.

With what deep humility and holy reverence it becomes us to look upon
God, and then with childlike simplicity to yield ourselves to the
teaching of His Holy Spirit.

“Oh the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out.”
Romans 10:33

Let your heart respond, “Oh Lord, God of gods, how wonderful You are in
all Your thoughts, and Your purposes how deep.” The study of what God
is, ought to ever full us with holy awe, and the sacred longing to know
and honor Him aright.

Just think …

His greatness . . . . . INCOMPREHENSIBLE

His might . . . . . . . .INCOMPREHENSIBLE

His omnipotence . . . IN COMPREHENSIBLE

His wisdom . . . . . . .IN COMPREHENSIBLE

His holiness . . . . . . INCOMPREHENSIBLE

His mercy . . . . . . . .INCOMPREHENSIBLE

His love . . . . . . . . . INCOMPREHENSIBLE

As we worship, let us cry out: What an inconceivable glory is this Great
Being who is MY God and Father! Confess with shame how little you have
desired to know Him, or to wait on Him to reveal Himself. Begin in faith
to trust that in a way passing all understanding, the INCOMPREHENSIBLE
and ALL-GLORIOUS God will work in your heart and life, and give you in
ever-growing measure to know Him aright.” From the pen of the great
devotional writings of Andrew Murray – GOD’S BEST SECRETS

Great quote: “Walking in faith brings you to the Word of God. There you
will be healed, cleansed, fed, nurtured, equipped, and matured.” Kay
Arthur

STAND AT THE BOW

“Forgetting those things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal.” (Philippians 3:13-14)

“Always stand at the bow! Leave the stern with its backward look and make for the bow. To spend time in sad review of past sins and failures is not to put them to the best account. Confess them, and believe that for Christ’s dear sake they are absolutely forgiven! Failure often provides the material for success, and our dead selves may become the stepping-stones to better things. Did not our Lord say to His disciples: ‘Sleep on now and take your rest’ — the past is irreparable — but immediately added: ‘Arise, let us be going!’ — the future is available. Therefore, leave the stern with its backward look, and make for the bow.

True, the sky before us may be dark with storm-clouds. The weather forecasters say that the world is shedding its old sanctions without replacing them with better ones; the seven civilizations have already passed, and we are to see the death of the eight. Be it so, but they forget that God holds the stormy waters in the hollow of His hand; that Jesus walked the threatening billows to aid His friends. They forget that when the earth was without form and void, the Spirit of God brooded in the chaos and darkness, creating the heavens and the earth. They cannot detect the voice of the Creator saying, ‘Behold, I make all things new!’ Out of chaos is born the cosmos. Each age ends in travail, out of which a new age is born.

Look to the vast circle of the horizon, and prepare for the new lands to be explored, the wonderful discoveries that await us, the great missions hidden in the future which are waiting to be fulfilled. Never doubt that the clouds will break. Never dream that wrong will triumph. Never count yourself God-forsaken or forgotten. The Master may SEEM to be asleep on His pillow, oblivious and uncaring, but His hand is on the helm. He guides your course. He rules the waves and they obey Him.” from the pen of the great devotional writer, Dr. F. B. Meyer — OUR DAILY WALK

Great quote: Character is not made in a crisis – it is only exhibited. Anonymous

Someone needs to hear this today. I trust that it will encourage your heart. And if you are blessed with the ministry of FREEDOM FIGHTER, why not share it with a friend. They can sign up today by visiting our website: http://www.americaskeswick.org.

IS THERE SOMETHING GOOD IN TEMPTATION?

“The word TEMPTATION has come to mean something bad to us today, but we tend to use the word in the wrong way. Temptation itself is not sin; it is something we are bound to face simply by virtue of being human. Not to be tempted would mean that we were already so shameful that we would be beneath contempt. Yet many of us suffer from temptations we should never have to suffer, simply because we have refused to allow God to lift us to a higher level where we would face temptations of another kind.

A person’s inner nature, what he possesses in the inner, spiritual part of his being, determines what he is tempted by on the outside. The temptation fits the true nature of the person’s being tempted and reveals the possibilities of his nature. Every person actually determines or sets the level if his own temptation, because temptations will come to him in accordance with the level of his controlling inner nature.

Temptation comes to me, suggesting a possible shortcut to the realization of my highest goal — it does not direct me toward what I understand to be evil, but toward what I understand to be good. Temptation is something that confuses me for a while, and I don’t know whether something is right or wrong. When I yield to it, I have made a lust god, and the temptation itself becomes the proof that it was only my own fear that prevented me from falling into sin earlier.

Temptation is not something we can escape; in fact, it is essential to the well-rounded life of a person. Beware of thinking that you are tempted as no one else — what you go through is the common inheritance of the human race, not something that no one has ever before endured. God does not save us FROM temptations — He sustains us IN THE MIDST of them (See Hebrews 2:18 and 4:15-16).” from MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST

“NO temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man …” 1 Corinthians 10:13

Powerful words from the pen of Oswald Chambers. Someone needed to hear this today!

Great Quote: Every evening I turn my troubles over to God – He’s going to be up all night anyway. Donald J. Morgan

Arguments or Obedience

“Simplicity is the secret of seeing things clearly. A saint does not THINK clearly until a long time passes, but a saint ought to SEE clearly without any difficulty. You cannot THINK through spiritual confusion to make things clear; to make things clear, you must first OBEY.

In intellectual matters you can THINK things out, but I spiritual matters you will only THINK yourself into further wandering thoughts and more confusion. If there is something in your life upon which God has put HIS PRESSURE, they obey Him in that matter. Bring all your “arguments … and every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” regarding the matter, and everything will become as clear as daylight to you (2 Corinthians 10:5). Your REASONING CAPACITY will come later, but reasoning is how we see. We see like CHILDREN, and when we try to be wise we see nothing (Matthew 11:25).

Even the very SMALLEST thing that we allow in our lives that is not under the control of the Holy Spirit is completely sufficient to account for SPIRITUAL CONFUSION, and spending all of our time thinking about it will still never make it clear. Spiritual confusion can only be conquered through obedience. As soon as we obey, we have discernment. This is humiliating, because when we are confused we know that the reason lies in the state of our mind.

When our NATURAL power of sight is devoted and submitted in obedience to the Holy Spirit, it becomes the very power by which we perceive God’s will, and our entire like is kept in simplicity.” from the pen of Oswald Chambers — My Utmost for His Highest

Great quote: Some say if only my fears and doubts will leave then I will get to work. But instead you should get to work and then your fears and doubts will leave. Dwight L. Moody
Our fall semester of the KESWICK INSTITUTE OF BIBLICAL STUDIES is about to begin. We’d love to have you join us for an 8 week course that is certified through Lancaster Bible College. For information, visit our website at www.americaskeswick.org.