THE GREATEST SOURCE OF POWER

I appreciated so much the study that Pastor Strain did for us in June from the Book of Proverbs. Proverbs is one of those books that speaks to my heart daily as I continue the discipline of reading a chapter a day. If you haven’t taken the challenge to do so, I want to encourage you on day 3 of the month of July — start reading a chapter a day and allow the Spirit of God to build character into your life.

I want to share with you some devotionals on prayer that have touched my heart during the month of June. God longs to have you and me come to him in prayer. It is one of the easiest things to do, yet one of the hardest of the disciplines.

This morning I share some thoughts from Oswald Chambers, June 7th, from MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST.

“Whatever you ask in MY name, that I will do . . .” (John 14:13)

This reading is riddled with questions that will help us look at our prayer life. Good questions to think through on this 3rd day of July:

“Am I fulfilling this ministry of intercession deep within the hidden recesses of my life? There is no trap nor any danger at all of being deceived or of showing pride in true intercession. It is a hidden ministry that brings forth fruit through which the Father is glorified.
Am I allowing my spiritual life to waste away, or am I focused bringing EVERYTHING to one central point — the atonement of my Lord?
Is Jesus Christ more and more dominating every interest of my life? If the central point, or the most powerful influence, of my life is the atonement of the Lord, then every aspect of my life will bear more fruit for Him. I must take the time to realize what the central point of power is.

Am I willing to give one minute out of every hour to concentrate on it? “If you abide in Me …” — that is, if you continue to act, and think, and work from that central point — “you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7).

Ask your selves these questions:
Am I abiding?
Am I taking the time to abide?
What is the greatest source of power in your life? Is it my work, service, and sacrifice for others, or is it my striving to work FOR God? It should be none of these — what ought to exert the greatest power in my life is the atonement of the Lord. It is not on WHAT we spend the greatest amount of time that molds us the most, but whatever exerts the most power OVER us. We must make a determination to limit and concentrate our DESIRES and INTERESTS on the atonement of the Cross of Christ . . .

“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do . . .” The disciple who abides in Jesus is the will of God, and what appears to be his free choices are actually God’s foreordained decrees. Is this mysterious? Does it appear to contradict sound logic or seem totally absurd? Yes, but what a glorious truth it is to a saint of God.”

Good thought and questions for us to ponder throughout the day.

Join me on KESWICK TODAY this week as I talk with Chris Conners, one of our Colony of Mercy graduates who is now serving in our internship program. You can listen to Chris’ testimony right from our home page — www.americaskeswick.org.

WHEN WISDOM ENTERS YOUR HEART

I trust you have enjoyed Pastor John Strain’s journey into Proverbs during the month of June. I have appreciated his willingness to share his insights from this powerful book.

Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, is it not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink’ lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice for all the afflicted. Proverbs 31:3-5

We complete our journey through Proverbs today. I thank Bill Welte for allowing me to share this month of Freedom Fighters. It’s been a privilege!

These lines from the last chapter speak to two of the issues that prompted the Freedom Fighter email. The Wisdom Writer tells us that we’re not to give our strength to women. Some who fight for freedom fight the battle of sexual addiction. Others in the fight know the power of substance abuse, especially alcoholic beverages. The Proverbs writers come back to these problems one last time.

Those who practice the sexual sins engage in that which destroys kings. If the addiction can destroy a king, what can it do to normal guys like you and me? All of us have read or heard of men who have lost everything to satisfy their sexual addictions. Some have gone to jail. I can’t remember the whole saying, but Bill Welte has told us that “sin will always take us farther than we wanted to go.” Let’s not fool ourselves. Sexual sins are seductive, but they’re also destructive.

The writer moves onto strong drink-intoxicating drink. Those who drink strong drink take the risk of forgetting the law and perverting justice. Again, we’re not kings. We’re ordinary men with all the responsibility that comes with being men. Intoxicating drink will do the same thing to us that it does to kings. We’ll forget what’s right in the pursuit of what is wrong. We may not pervert justice for the afflicted. Many of us know, however, the suffering and injustice our families experience when we pursue our addictions?

Freedom Fighters accept these instructions. We don’t explain them away as though they don’t apply to us. We think clearly about the consequences of addictive behavior, and we take every precaution to resist temptation. We build wisdom into our lives.

I pray this thirty-one-day journey through Proverbs will push you to take the trip each month. May God help all of us discover the wisdom that helps us “live life skillfully.”

Don’t forget: “When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you, to deliver you from the way of evil. . . .”

GAITHER TENOR LARRY FORD IN CONCERT TODAY AT AMERICA’S KESWICK 2:30 HYMNSING followed by the CONCERT AT 3:00 PM. Concert is free but we will receive a love offering to cover the expenses of the concert.

MODERATION

Two things I request of You (deprive me not before I die): Remove falsehood and lies from me; give me neither poverty no riches-feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny you, and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God. Proverbs 30:7-9

These three verses stand alone in chapter 30. They don’t connect with anything before or after them. The Wisdom Writer puts them here, and they hit readers like a lightening bolt. As I’ve said often during the month, Freedom Fighters need this instruction. It helps us discover at least one key to the door of true freedom.

If I understand addictions correctly, they are often a pursuit of the unattainable. There’s something more we want, and we keep going farther down the road in pursuit of something. Then we discover that the pursuit has taken over; we’re addicted but never satisfied. We always want more, no matter the cost.

These lines tell us how to avoid the “pursuit of more” trap. Let me give you the key in one word: MODERATION. The Wisdom Writer asks God for enough. He doesn’t want too much for fear he’ll become self-sufficient. He doesn’t want too little for fear that he’ll bring reproach on God in his pursuit of enough. “God, just give me what I need. Please give me enough.” That’s his prayer.

This pursuit of moderation mitigates Satan’s lie that we always need-that we have a right to-a little more. Every addiction ultimately tells us that we need more of something than we have. So, we eat more, drink more, buy the bigger cable package for more entertainment. Enough is never enough. That’s what Satan will have us believe. It’s a lie!

God’s wisdom-the ability to live life skillfully-at work in our lives will help us discover healthy moderation. We’ll know when enough has arrived, and we’ll find satisfaction in it. We’ll discover freedom from the “pursuit of more.”

We also need to see the writer’s motivation in his prayer. He doesn’t want to deny God or profane God’s name. He’s not focused on himself. God’s reputation is more important. He wants to make God look good! He chooses moderation over too much or too little just to protect his relationship with God.

Freedom Fighters will do well to pray the Wisdom Writer’s moderation prayer. Don’t forget: Moderation protects our lives and God’s reputation. (Pastor John Strain — First Baptist of Toms River)

TOMORROW: LARRY FORD IN CONCERT at America’s KESWICK 3:00 PM. Come meet one of Southern Gospel’s finest tenors.

DON’T HARDEN YOUR NECK
He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. Proverbs 29:1

This word from the Wisdom Writer strikes fear in me each time I read it. It should probably create the same response in many who regularly read the Freedom Fighter. We need to understand the consequence of stubborn refusal to hear God’s rebuke in our lives.

I’ve mentioned this earlier in the month, but please hear me one more time. My experience tells me that many who struggle with addiction don’t like rebukes. Some of us don’t want God or anyone else telling us we’re wrong. We don’t accept confrontation, even when it comes from those who love us. We keep going our own way. We keep refusing to listen. In biblical terms, we harden our necks.

Hear what the Wisdom Writer says about those who harden their necks. “Sudden destruction” awaits them. As I think of this, I remember Paul’s Lord’s Supper instruction to the Corinthian Christians. Some people in that church died because of their disobedience. While God is infinitely patient, He will not continually tolerate our “hardened necks.” This really is a fear-instilling admonition.

Think about the foolishness in all of this. Many of us who read this email every day have children. We’ve known their temper when they’re small. Can you remember holding your small child as they arch their back in defiance? Adults do the same thing to God when they harden their necks. God will put up with our defiance only so long. That stubbornness will cost us. It may cost us everything, and it may be permanent.

These short lines of wisdom offer us a warning and a reminder. That God needs to warn and remind me saddens me. It doesn’t make sense that people like us, who have received God’s grace, will sometimes choose to defy Him. He never wants anything but our best. His rebukes always come to help us, not hurt us. Hardening our necks at His rebuke is foolish, harmful to us and dishonoring to God.

Don’t forget: Freedom Fighters listen to rebuke rather than rejecting it. (Pastor John Strain — First Baptist of Toms River)

Great Quote: …the mechanics of a Spirit-filled life do not provide for a spasmodic filling that is, the Christian is not filled only when doing service such as preaching or teaching, but the Christian who is living a normal life of moment by moment yieldedness to God experiences a moment by moment fullness of the Spirit. No Christian can do with less and at the same time live a victorious life.

Kenneth Wuest

DON’T TRUST YOUR OWN HEART
He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered. Proverbs 28:26

Autonomy isn’t a word we use much these days. It’s an appropriate word for us to think about, however, as we consider this instruction. Many people who struggle with addictions consider themselves autonomous; they think they’re on their own. No one has the right to tell them what to do.

If you and I live with those thought patterns, the first line of this verse describes us. We’re not autonomous, and trusting our own hearts isn’t wise living. The prophet Jeremiah had a good read on our hearts. Here’s what he said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

The Wisdom Writers tell us that we shouldn’t trust ourselves. We’re not trustworthy in our own strength. If we think we always know what we need, we’re fooling ourselves. Freedom Fighters wake up to this reality and choose a different thought pattern.

The second part of this instruction speaks of those who walk wisely. Difficulty may still come our way, but we have the promise of deliverance. We’ve learned several things about “walking wisely” this month. Let’s review.

Men who walk wisely pursue wisdom, the ability to “live life skillfully.” This pursuit begins with discovering the “fear of the Lord.” We listen to Lady Wisdom as she speaks to us through God’s Word and by His Spirit. Wise men avoid moral failure and spiritual adultery. We discover the value of wise counsel, and we choose our friends carefully. We have a healthy fear of evil, and we hide ourselves when we see it coming our way.

Walking wisely includes listening to counsel; we understand the danger of straying from the words of knowledge. Choosing to do righteousness and the right thing marks the way of men who walk in wisdom. Wisdom leads us to apply the truth to our lives, allowing it to transform us throughout our lives. Wise men avoid “murky springs” and “polluted wells” that poison our souls. We learn to discern danger, and we don’t dance with it. Wise men know they aren’t naturally wise. They receive the ongoing gift of wisdom from the good hand of God.

Don’t forget: The true proof of foolishness is trusting your own heart! (Pastor John Strain — First Baptist of Toms River)

Great Quote: By these things examine thyself: By whose rules am I acting? In whose name? In whose strength? For whose glory? What faith, humility, self-denial and love of God and to man have there been in my actions?

Anonymous

THE DANGER OF WANDERING . . .

Like a bird that wanders from its nest is a man who wanders from his place. Proverbs 27:8

This little line from the Wisdom Writer talks to us about the danger of wandering. We may get into trouble when we wander aimlessly or carelessly from the safe place God has for us. Like a bird out of its place, we are vulnerable when we leave the safety of our place.

Freedom Fighters who know the battle with addictions need to accept this instruction. You may have known freedom from your addiction for a long time. Perhaps you’ve become too comfortable in your victories. Carelessness creeps into your life. You wander from the places that you know are safe. You may wander unintentionally, but still you wander.

Where might the wandering take you? You may go to the wrong place on the internet. You may wander back to the old neighborhood where you scored your last hit. An old affair may come to mind and you reconnect with someone who puts you in a compromising position. Hear the Proverbs Writer today: wandering is dangerous! You’re as unsafe as a little bird that falls from its nest.

As I think about the word, I believe wandering also speaks to a lack of discipline. Those of us prone to wander probably aren’t practicing good self-control. Wandering infers drifting, and I can’t think of anything more dangerous for Freedom Fighters than drifting. Drifting gives Satan an opportunity to take us places we don’t want to go, to places we don’t need to visit.

This one little line of scripture also speaks of this “place” where we belong. It implies that we have a good and right place where we belong. We also know of places where we don’t belong. All of us who choose freedom instead of bondage do well to accept the safe place, even if it sometimes feels like we’re closed in. Safety always includes come level of restraint. We should accept that restraint, not fight it.

If you’re out with your family for a Sunday afternoon drive, wandering is fun. Freedom Fighters striving for victory avoid wandering and appreciate the safety of their “place.”

Don’t forget: Birds and Freedom Fighters aren’t safe when they’re out of place! (Pastor John Strain — First Baptist of Toms River)

ARE YOU A GRACELESS CHRISTIAN?

Bible teacher and author Richard Blackaby (son of Henry, author of Experiencing God) says that “many Christians have lost the wonder of what God’s grace as done for them. They have fallen into a debilitating send of self-centered entitlement, behaving as if God exists solely to serve them and to make them happy. These people have forgot how hopeless their situation was before God rescued them by His grace. They overlook the fact that God is not obligated to redeem them or walk with them daily or to answer their prayers or even to continue loving them when they act intolerably.”

He goes on to say “that our generation may be one of the most self-centered in history. There is a chronic condition in our society that is far more widespread than is generally acknowledged. It affects most Christians. It causes are difficult to understand but its symptoms are obvious. And it seems to be contagious. It is perplexing to witness. It is inexcusable as it is pervasive. It contradicts the very purpose of Christ’s death on the cross.”

“A baffling reality is that the richest people in the world can be some of the stingiest tightwads. Those who have the most can be the least willing to show generosity to others. While ‘Amazing Grace’ may be a popular hymn among millions of believers, it is not the lifestyle of choice for many. Here are some examples of graceless Christians:

* People complain they ‘got nothing out of the service’ because the worship leader did not schedule any of THEIR favorite hymns.
* Members angrily leave the church because the pastor changed the format of the service.
* Believers become resentful toward God because He did not answer THEIR prayers the way THEY wanted Him to.
* People leave the church auditorium promptly at twelve o’clock hour whether the pastor is finished speaking or not.
* Church leaders are slandered by people who have been ‘overlooked’ for prominent positions.
* Two Christians refuse to forgive one another.
* Members leave the church because the Pastor talks too much about giving.
* Christian parents refuse to speak to their adult son or daughter because he or she did not heed their advice.”

From PUTTING A FACE ON GRACE — Living a Life Worth Passing On by Richard Blackaby. Published by Multnomah and available from the Keswick Bookstore (732-350-1187 ext. 31)

Are you a graceless Christian? I would love to dialog about this. What are some other ways that we can demonstrate that we are GRACELESS CHRISTIANS?

If Freedom Fighter has blessed your life, share it with a friend. You can sign them up from our website homepage by visiting http://www.americaskeswick.org

WISE GUYS
Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. Proverbs 26:12

Proverbs writers don’t hold fools in high regard. Their comments on the man who lives as a fool are scathing. That’s what makes this verse in chapter 26 so astonishing. The wisdom writer has just used eleven verses giving us a completely unflattering description of a fool. In one verse he paints a picture of the “smart guy.” Even the fool has more hope than the “wise guy” who thinks he knows everything.

I’ve noticed through the years that men with life-dominating sins often have the “I’m smarter than everyone else” mind frame. They don’t need help because they don’t have a problem. If they admit they have a problem, they can handle it by themselves. I’ve seen it with alcoholics, drug abusers and men with sexual addictions.

Hear me clearly: those of us who read this who think we know it all, who are “wise in our [own] eyes,” live in dangerous territory. The Wisdom Writer tells us of our lack of hope. Do you hear what he’s saying? If you or I live as “wise guys,” we’re just about hopeless! No one can help us because we don’t even know we need help!

I wonder if writing these words is something like running into a brick wall. Somebody reading this Freedom Fighter needs to hear this verse. I fear that the one or more who need to hear it won’t because they are “wise guys.” If you sense anger while reading these words, you probably need them. If you think they’re for someone else, you probably need them. If you sense God’s Spirit driving them home to you, you definitely need to hear them!

How do you respond if you’re a “wise guy?” Ask God to search your heart and show you if you qualify as a “wise guy.” Read Psalm 139:23&24. Pray those words back to God with a willing and open heart. Choose to listen as God shows you truth about you.

Wisdom Writer didn’t say no hope exists for the man who is “wise in his own eyes.” God is mightier than our biggest issues. He can free us from our bondages and from ourselves. Choose to reject the “wise guy” lifestyle. Choose humility before God. Let those who care about you help you. Hope still exists . . . even for “wise guys!”

Don’t forget: “Wise guys” become wise when they quit being “wise guys.” (Pastor John Strain — First Baptist of Toms River)

GREAT QUOTE: Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.

Charles Wesley

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CONFRONTING WICKEDNESS

A righteous man who falters before the wicked is like a murky spring and a polluted well. Proverbs 25:26

What do you do when confronted with wickedness? You and I have options. We can turn the other way. We can resist. Some encounters with “the wicked” will demand that hide ourselves (remember the prudent from chapter 22?). Some of us don’t see wickedness as dangerous, so we hang around it. We tolerate more than we should. We even enjoy it a little bit.

Wisdom Writers want us to understand the danger of wickedness and the damage it does to us. They want us to understand the consequences of dancing with the devil. I worked for a furniture company while I was in Bible college. I spent every afternoon in a delivery truck with a chain-smoker. When I returned to the college campus for dinner each afternoon, I could see other students sniffing as I walked by. I reeked of the cigarette smoke!

Wickedness does that to us. These lines paint a graphic word picture for us. If we hang around the wicked . . . if we let wickedness live close to us, we’ll discover its smell becomes our smell. Its influence will make us like a spring murky and useless. Imagine you’ve worked at a hard, dirty job all day. You come home pretty filthy, and you want a long hot bath. Think about the bath water after you’ve used it to get clean. That’s what you and I look like when we hang around wickedness!

This verse brings caution to us, and we can’t misunderstand it. It warns us about the people we hang out with. The writer wants us to think about our entertainment choices. He wants us to think about what we read. Everything we allow into our lives comes up for review after reading this verse! Wicked people and wicked things pollute our lives. Wickedness ensures our defeat in the fight for freedom.

Yesterday, the Wisdom Writer warned us about fainting from lack of strength. Today, he warns us about faltering before gross, useless, polluting wickedness. I pray every Freedom Fighter who reads this will reject even the mildest form of wickedness and avoid polluting his soul.

Don’t forget: Murky springs and polluted wells aren’t becoming to Freedom Fighters. (Pastor John Strain — First Baptist of Toms River)

GREAT QUOTE: Pride slays thanksgiving, but an humble mind is the soil out of which thanks naturally grow. A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves.

Harry Ward Beecher

HOW TO HANDLE ADVERSITY

If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Proverbs 24:10

Freedom fighting isn’t for the faint of heart. Every day won’t be a good day, and some days you’ll wonder if fighting is worth the effort. You’ll get discouraged. Some days you’ll feel defeated. When those days come, I hope you’ll remember that all of us who fight for freedom experience the same thing.

Proverbs 24:10 gives us a good reminder for those “hopeless” days. I’d like you to notice the assumption this verse brings us. It assumes adversity will come. No one lives without it. When thinking about adversity, the issue is “when,” not “if.” So, all of us should prepare for it.

We also should notice the possibility of fainting. If any of us get to the place where we think we’re beyond failure, we’ve just gotten too big for our britches! I heard just this week of a man who had been sober for more than ten years and started drinking again. It is always too soon to think we’ve arrived, since we’re never really sure what we’ll do when adversity comes knocking at our door.

We also need to think about that “your strength is small” line. Proverbs exhorts us to pursue wisdom, instruction, knowledge and understanding. The Wisdom Writer also tells us to listen to wise counsel, that it provides safety for us. The whole purpose of The Proverbs, to live life skillfully, prepares us to face adversity. If we choose to absorb all Lady Wisdom offers, we’ll have strength for the day of adversity. If we live as “the simple,” we’ll have no strength. We’ll faint when adversity hits.

I think we see a final assumption in this verse. The Wisdom Writer says “if you faint.” You and I don’t have to faint! We can live with confidence (not cockiness) when we diligently build strength of character by pursuing wisdom. Not one of us who reads this has to faint. Every one of us can choose to pursue strength by living out the daily disciplines of reading the Scriptures, prayer, practicing accountability and avoiding evil.

Don’t forget: Adversity will come. If you’re prepared, it doesn’t have to win. (Pastor John Strain — First Baptist of Toms River)

Great Quote for Today: Outside of Christ, I am only a sinner, but in Christ, I am saved. Outside of Christ, I am empty; in Christ, I am full. Outside of Christ, I am weak; in Christ, I am strong. Outside of Christ, I cannot; in Christ, I am more than able. Outside of Christ, I have been defeated; in Christ, I am already victorious. How meaningful are the words, “in Christ.”

Watchman Nee