NOTHING CAN SEPARATE YOU

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” Romans 8:35

“Nothing you could ever experience, no matter how terrible or frightening, could EVER separate you from the love of God. No tribulation and distress you might suffer could be so intense that God’s love for you is not even more fervent. No persecution could be so painful that God’s love cannot bring comfort. Famine might starve you of food, but you will never hunger for the Father’s love. Poverty cannot strip you of God’s compassion, just as even death itself is incapable of robbing you of your heavenly Father’s infinite love.

If you base YOUR view of God’s love on YOUR circumstances, you will become confused. There may be times when you will ask, “How could a loving God allow this to happen to me?” You may begin to question what you find CLEARLY stated in the Word of God. God promised that you would NEVER be separated from His love; He did not say that you would never face hardship, persecution, poverty, or danger. IF YOU DOUBT GOD COULD LOVE YOU AND STILL ALLOW YOU TO EXPERIENCE DIFFICULT EXPERIENCES, consider the life of Jesus.

If you allow the death of Jesus on the cross to forever settle any questions you might have about God’s love, you will approach difficult circumstances with CONFIDENCE. Knowing that there will never be ANYTHING that could separate you from God’s PERFECT love, you will watch to see how God expresses His love in each circumstance. Don’t ever judge God’s love based on your circumstances. Instead, evaluate your circumstances from the perspective of God’s love.” from the pen of Dr. Henry Blackaby — EXPERIENCING GOD DAY BY DAY, published by our good friend at Broadman & Holman.

Great Quote: “Jesus shines the light of the gospel on us both to expose our brokenness and to bring us to brokenness. I guess we should call this gospel brokenness, because only the gospel of God’s grace can enable us to be completely honest about our stuff without falling into toxic shame or self-contempt. And only the Gospel can humble us, soften us, and give us the power to repent-or at least, not run away or rant. When followers of Jesus walk openly in this kind of brokenness-gospel brokenness-angels in heaven rejoice, and people without faith, or those with much cynicism about Christians, are likely to reconsider who Jesus is. Write this down: no greater beauty can be found at any point or any place in God’s story than the times when God’s people manifest this gospel brokenness-for that is where God’s glory is revealed most clearly.” Scotty Smith, Restoring Broken Things

MY GREATEST HERO

It is truly hard to believe how quickly time flies. Twenty years ago today at around 7:00 PM, my greatest hero slipped into eternity and went home to be with Jesus. There are times that I must admit that I really feel cheated. Cheated because Zach, Tanner, Lindsay, Emma Grace (soon to be born) and Baby Welte (soon to be born) will never know their “Pop-Pop” Welte on this side of heaven.

From the world’s perspective, he was really a nobody. Yet at his Memorial service over 450 people stood in line for hours to greet our family. The local funeral director told us later that in all his years of doing funerals, he never saw one like this.

His childhood was a difficult one. He was raised in an abusive family with a Dad that beat him and sexually abused his kid sister for many years. He was sent to live with an Aunt and Uncle for survival. He became an alcoholic and lived a life of sin. Somehow in God’s sovereignty, he met my Mom. They fell and love, and by her the example of her life, Dad wanted what she had. Pastor Walter J. Dick, former Executive Director of Montrose Bible Conference and now with the Lord, had the joy of leading my Dad to Christ and then married them. Under his ministry my Dad grew in his Christian walk and began to use his God-given gifts for the Lord.

He loved to sing and was encouraged to develop his gift. Throughout his lifetime he sang in various churches in the Philadelphia area as well as ministering in the prisons with the Salvation Army.

Back when we were young kids, Dad and Mom took us to Wildwood, New Jersey for a week. Walking down the Boardwalk we discovered the BOARDWALK CHAPEL. We stepped inside while a service was going on and the rest is history. Before we knew it, Dad was asked to share his testimony and sing, and that began an over 35 year involvement with that ministry.

Despite two heart attacks, strokes, colon cancer, and other physical challenges, Mom and Dad spent several summers as house parents at the Boardwalk Chapel. The week before Dad went to heaven, he was asked to give his testimony and sing. The song he chose was WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS. The last line of that great hymn reads: “Love so amazing, so divine! Demands my soul, my life, my all.” After finishing the hymn, Dad sat down on the front row and had a massive stroke that affected the brain stem and never regained consciousness.

My Dad wasn’t perfect, but he sure left us a wonderful legacy about the joy of serving Jesus. In the world’s eyes, he was a nobody — but because of what Jesus Christ did in his life, my Dad was a SOMEBODY. Dad, you are still my greatest hero! I love you.

THIS WEEK ON KESWICK TODAY, Colony of Mercy graduate, Tom Paschke, shares how God has been at work in his life. Listen on-line at http://www.americaskeswick.org.

GOD’S PROTECTIVE HAND

I need to praise the Lord for his protection of America’s KESWICK during the storms that impacted our area the past 48 hours. It was pouring when we left the Activity Center on Friday night after the evening service. Rather than park our car in its normal spot at our house, we parked it right by the back door so that we could avoid getting drenched.

It rained right on through the night and when I got up Saturday morning, I decided that I wasn’t going to chance walking to work in the rain, and it certainly was raining hard enough that riding in my golf cart would result in being totally drenched. So I was prompted to take the car and would come home for Jan and Zach to get them at lunchtime. Little did I know that this prompting was a part of God’s protective hand.

Thirty minutes later, Jan was in the shower and heard the odd sound of electric sizzle. She thought she was about to be electrocuted. A large tree near our house fell ripping the electric wires right off the side of the house. The amazing thing is that three landed right where we had parked our car on Friday night. Had I not taken the car, it would have been crunched. Thank You, Lord, for your protective hand in the midst of the storm.

I was reminded of these words from the old hymn, A SHELTER IN THE TIME OF STORM

The Lord’s our Rock, in Him we hide,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide,
A Shelter in the time of storm.
Refrain
Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A weary land, a weary land;
Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A Shelter in the time of storm.
A shade by day, defense by night,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
No fears alarm, no foes afright,
A Shelter in the time of storm.
The raging storms may round us beat,
A Shelter in the time of storm
We’ll never leave our safe retreat,
A Shelter in the time of storm.
O Rock divine, O Refuge dear,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Be Thou our Helper ever near,
A Shelter in the time of storm.
GREAT QUOTE: The more you praise God, the more you become God-conscious and absorbed in His greatness, wisdom, faithfulness, and love. Praise reminds you of all that God is able to do and of great things He has already done. Faith comes through God’s Word and through praise. Faith grows as you praise the Lord. Wesley L. Duewel

FROM “WITHOUT HOPE” TO “A LIVING HOPE”

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy as begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4).

Almost all of the New Testament was written to people who were in trouble in one way or another, who were unhappy for various reasons, who were tempted to look back to the live out of which they had been saved. They were unhappy and troubled even though they were Christians. They didn’t know what to do or believe, and they needed help. In other words, the apostles were writing to real people just like us and giving them God’s answers to the same kinds of problems we face.
What did they tell them? One of the primary questions they answered over and over had to do with God’s forgiveness. Apparently, these people had committed so much sin so many different times, they were worried and wondered if God would still love them, forgive them, and let them into heaven.
Like these people, maybe there is some sin in your life that makes you think God couldn’t love you and He just wouldn’t forgive you: “God couldn’t love me. After all, I stole something. I had an abortion. I’ve told a lot of lies. I’ve had premarital sex. I’ve committed adultery or been involved in homosexuality.”
Well, the Bible says you are wrong about God! He knows all about your sins and still loves you. He wants you to come to Him for complete forgiveness and for His help and guidance.
In Ephesians 2:11-12 we read that we were sinners “without hope and without God in the world,” totally undeserving and unworthy of God’s favor and forgiveness. But He extended His kindness to us and instructed us to gladly and humbly accept it and believe that He loves us.
The Apostle Peter writes, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4).

Dr. John Ankerberg Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 21-22; Luke 18:24-43

Today’s devotional is taken from our daily devotional REAL VICTORY FOR REAL LIFE now in its second printing. You can purchase a copy from the KESWICK BOOKSTORE by calling 800-453-7942. Dr. John Ankerberg is speaking at America’s KESWICK on Saturday and Sunday evening as a part of our Labor Day Weekend conference.

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 dependant upon our knowing the power of the Blood of Christ. (Reuben Archer) R. A. Torrey

AT THE THRESHOLD OF TEMPTATION

“The grace of God has appeared to all men instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age.” Titus 2:11,12

“Yielding to temptation is another step toward a stronghold being established in your mind. Whenever you are stimulated to conform to PLAN B instead of God’s PLAN A for your life, you are experiencing temptation. The essence of all temptation is the invitation to live independently of God and fulfill legitimate needs in the world, the flesh, or the devil instead of Christ. That’s the great contest. And Satan knows just what buttons to push to tempt you away from dependency on Christ.

The moment you are tempted to get your need met in the world instead of Christ, you are at the threshold of a decision. If you don’t immediately chose to take that thought “captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5), you will begin to consider it as an option. And if you begin to mull it over in your mind, immediately your emotions will be affected and the likelihood of yielding to that temptation is increased.

The Scriptures teach us that God has provided a way of escape from every temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). But the escape is right at the threshold of the temptation. If you don’t control the temptation at the threshold, you run the risk of allowing the temptation to control you. Rare is the Christian who can turn around after directing his will toward Plan B.

For example, a man sees a pornographic picture and is tempted toward lust. He has the opportunity to respond by saying something like, ‘My relationship with sin has ended. I chose to take this thought captive to the obedience of Christ. I’m not going to look at it or think about it.’ And he separates himself from the picture immediately and escapes the lust.

But if he hesitates at the threshold, stares at the picture, and begins to fantasize about it, he will trigger and emotional landslide producing a physical response which will be difficult to stop. He must capture the tempting thought in the threshold or it will probably capture him.” from Dr. Neil Anderson DAILY IN CHRIST published by Harvest House.

Good principle to apply to your life today.

THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER

” . . . One of His disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray.’ ” (Luke 11:1)

Prayer is not a normal part of the life of a NATURAL man. We hear it said that a person’s life will suffer if he doesn’t pray, but I question that. What will suffer is the life of the Son of God in him, which is nourished not by food, but by prayer. When a person is born again from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve or nourish that life.

Prayer is the way that the life of God in us is nourished. Our common ideas regarding prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer simple as a means of GETTING THINGS for ourselves, but the biblical purpose of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself.

‘Ask, and you will receive …’ (John 16:24) We complain before God, and sometimes we are apologetic or indifferent to Him, but we actually ASK Him for very few things. Yet a child exhibits a magnificent boldness to ask! Our Lord said, ‘ . . . Unless you … become as little children …’ (Matthew 18:3) Ask and God will do. Give Jesus Christ the opportunity and the room to work.

The problem is that no one will ever do this until he is at WIT’S END. When a person is at WIT’S END, it no longer seems to be the cowardly thing to pray; in fact, it is the only way he can get in touch with the truth and the reality of God Himself. Be yourself before God and present Him with your problems — the very things that have brought you to your WIT’S END. But as long as you think you are self-sufficient, you do not need to ask God for anything.

To say that ‘prayer changes things’ is not as close to the truth as saying, ‘PRAYER CHANGES ME and then I change things.’ God has established things so that prayer, on the basis of redemption, changes the way a person looks at things. Prayer is not a matter of changing things EXTERNALLY, but one of working miracles in a person’s inner nature.” from the pen of Oswald Chambers — MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST
Good quote: When we in prayer seek only the glorification of the name of God, then we are in complete harmony with the Spirit of prayer. Then our hearts are at rest both while we pray and after we have prayed. Then we can wait for the Lord. Ole Kristian O. Hallesby

Good words for your consideration today.

GUARD YOUR MOUTH

“He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from trouble.” Proverbs 21:23

I feel like I am in really good company. Yesterday could have been one of those embarrassing moments. This morning as I was waking, the Fox News team were laughing about an incident that occurred to a CNN reported during President Bush’s news conference yesterday. Apparently a reporter went to the ladies room and didn’t know her mic was still on. Rather than the tech team turning it off — they left the mic run! Yikes.

Well that happened to me yesterday. During the morning service we were waiting for someone to come make an announcement and they were not there. I introduced the man from the Colony who was to give his testimony, walked off the platform and proceeded to walk out of the Raws Auditorium to find the person who was to make the announcement.

Little did I know that the mic was still on! Little did I know the long distance range of a remote mic! Thankfully what I said was minimal for my sanguine mouth. But everyone in the room heard my remarks. As I talked later with Robert and Joyce Hayes, we thought about how the Lord protected me … it is scary to think what I MIGHT have said. And I am even more thankful that I WASN’T in the restroom.

As I reflected on this throughout the day, I was reminded again that my words can have devastating effects. The things that we say to others may not necessarily get broadcasted over a PA system, but think how many times our words are repeated to others — sometimes the words can get twisted and taken out of context — and people are hurt and offended because of the misuse of our tongues.

Sometimes we say things that we don’t want anyone else to hear. Have you ever been in a situation where you were talking about someone thinking they weren’t there only to discover that they were standing right there or in close proximity?

Next time you are ready to say something unkind, untrue or unnecessary — ask yourself this question … would I say this if I knew that my words were being broadcasted over the PA system in my church? Or in the boss’s office?

Well think about it … You may think no one hears what you say — but God does! He hears it all — a sobering thought.

Good words to consider today.

Great Quote: ” . . . The great test of a man’s character is his tongue.” Oswald Chambers

TRANSFORMED

The Lord blessed us with a wonderful gift from a dear friend — a 18 year old motor home! We haven’t named her yet, but she has become a work in progress. We have had a good time the past few weeks working on her from the inside out. It started with removing all the old curtains and blinds which then led to peeling off some of the old “Sana toss” (not sure if that is even spelled right …) wallpaper that has become bubbled from sheer old age.

Then we ripped up the old carpet and began the task of laying new floor tiles on the wooden floor. We started laying the tiles on Saturday afternoon and finished the task late Saturday night. While the floor looks great for two amateurs, as we stepped back to admire it, there is still work to be done. Our skills are limited so we still need some finishing touches like moldings and carpet treads where the upfront carpet meets the tile. The more we are into in, the more we realize that the trailer is a “work in progress.”

As I was laying in bed this morning trying to shake off the sleep cobwebs, the thought struck me that the trailer reminds me of our lives as Christians — we are works in progress. God is in the process of conforming and transforming our lives for HIS glory … we are a work in progress … Paul writes about this is several of his letters:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works that no one would boast. For we are His WORKMANSHIP, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

“But 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 from the Lord, the Spirit.” — 2 Corinthians 3:18

I am reminded of the illustration that Bill Gothard uses that our lives are like a painting that is still on the easel. The Master artist is painting the portrait of our lives and one day the masterpiece will be complete. My friend, rejoice today that the Master is at work in your life — transforming you from the INSIDE OUT. Your life is a work in progress.

Good words to ponder today.

Great quote: “Gracious souls are never perfectly at ease except they are in a state of nearness to Christ; for mark you, when they are not near to Christ they lose their peace. The nearer you are to Jesus, the nearer to the perfect calm of heaven; and the further from Jesus, the nearer to that troubled sea which images the continual unrest of the wicked. There is no peace to the man who does not dwell under the shadow of the cross; for Jesus is our peace, and if he be absent, our peace is absent too. I know that being justified, we have peace with God, but it is ‘through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ so that the justified man himself cannot reap the fruit of justification, except by abiding in Christ Jesus, who is the Lord and Giver of peace.” Charles Spurgeon, Sermon, “The Bride and the Bridegroom”

REDEEMING THE TIME

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16

“These days we are bombarded with opportunities that entice us to invest our time and energy. Each day the voices of urgency cry out for every available moment. So many causes promise that time spent on them will reap great rewards; how can we recognize God’s voice among so many competing voices?

A fool makes unwise choices with his time. With every new opportunity that comes along, the fool chases off in a different direction, not questioning whether that is the best choice. The loudest voice gains his attention. At some point the fool discovers to his dismay that he has squandered the investment of his time.

The days in which you live are evil. Marriages are under tremendous pressure; families are disintegrating. Multitudes are dying each year without hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Investing your life wisely is critical to you and to those around you. Foolishly spending your time in sinful or wasteful pursuits can you and others dearly.

Often, it is not evil pursuits that rob your time. Rather, the temptation is to sacrifice what is BEST for what is good. The enemy knows that blatantly tempting you with evil will be obvious, so he will lure you with distractions, leaving you no time to carry out God’s will. He will tempt you to so fill your schedule with GOOD things that you will have no time for GOD’S BEST. You may inadvertently substitute religious ACTIVITY for GOD’S WILL, pursuing your OWN goals for God’s kingdom instead of waiting for HIS assignment. Time is a precious commodity. Be sure to invest it wisely.” from the pen of Dr. Henry Blackaby — EXPERIENCING GOD DAY BY DAY — Devotional.

Several weeks ago I had a brief conversation with a 91-year old retired doctor who served in Africa for over 50 plus years. He was observing my schedule and activities and pulled me aside to give me some “grandfatherly” advice. He told me that early on in his ministry of medicine as Chief of Staff of the hospital, he was headed for burn-out. It was overwhelming to him that there were so many people that demanded his time and attention. One day he began to pray, “Lord, please only bring into my life today the people and things that I must handle for YOU today.” For fifty plus years he prayed that simple prayer and God answered. He was able to accomplish God’s purposes for his life and never experienced burn-out or fatigue. Good advice for those of us that face the pressures of life on a daily basis.

GREAT QUOTE: Work is a blessing. [YES! A BLESSING!] God has so arranged the world that work is necessary, and He gives us hands and strength to do it. The enjoyment of leisure would be nothing if we had only leisure. It is the joy of work well done that enables us to enjoy rest, just as it is the experiences of hunger and thirst that make food and drink such pleasures. – Discipline: The Glad Surrender — Elisabeth Elliot

AMAZING GRACE

I just finished reading a historical fiction book based on the life of John Newton, the “slave-ship captain turned pastor” and composer of the hymn AMAZING GRACE. Most of our hymnals include five of the seven stanzas from the original hymn. May these words penned by one who was overwhelmed by the grace and mercy of God, be a stimulant to you this morning as you prepare to worship HIM — the Author and Perfector of AMAZING GRACE.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear.
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, Who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun;
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.

The following epitaph penned by John Newton himself, is inscribed in marble resting beside the pulpit in his church:

John Newton
Clerk
Once and infidel and libertine,
A servant of slaves in Africa,
Was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ,
Preserved, Restored, Pardoned,
And appointed to preach the faith
He had long labored to destroy!