THE GUY IN THE GLASS

This morning during my morning walk, I was listening to a CD by Dr. John
C. Maxwell. He shared this poem which was quite powerful:

“When you get what you want in your struggle for self,
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.

For it isn’t your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
Whose judgment upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the guy staring back from the glass.

He’s the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he’s with you clear to the end,
And you’ve passed your most dangerous. difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.

You make be like Jack Horner and ‘chisel’ a plum,
And think you’re a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum
If you can’t look him straight in the eye.

You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you cheated the guy in the glass.
— Dale Wimbrow

Taken today from an INJOY LIFE CLUB lesson presented by Dr. John C.
Maxwell

Good words to consider on this Thursday, January 12, 2006

STUFF

“A life devoted to THINGS [stuff] is a dead life, a stump; a God-shaped
life is a flourishing tree.” Proverbs 11:28 (The Message)

The older I am getting the more I have realized how much STUFF I have.
Living in this Seniors community we get to see what happens when a
person dies and the family has to handle the disposition of all the
stuff. We clean out our closets, desk drawers, garages and attics
periodically to get rid of STUFF to make room for more STUFF. In fact,
we will often visit the flea markets in our community and chuckle at the
seniors who are selling their STUFF and then walk around buying more
STUFF!

Some of us fall into the trap of being consumed by and being devoted to
STUFF — we aren’t content with what we have — we need a better camera.
Someone else gets a new and better computer and we begin to drool and
covet and then map out a plan as to how we can get one that’s even
better. Some of us end up working extra jobs and hours so that we can
live a better life and get more stuff. We end up exhausted, burned out,
mad at the kids, frustrated with our spouses — and quite frankly being
miserable. We buy into the lie from the enemy that MORE STUFF =
Happiness and contentment.

The bottom line is that instead of desiring STUFF and being devoted to
it, we need to SEEK HIM! Oswald Chambers says: “As long as I have
something from God which I possess, I have not got God. God gives us
possessions in order to draw us to Himself, and when we get GOD we are
no longer conscious of our possessions, but conscious only of God. What
possesses me in a yielded life to God is God Himself.”

Jesus said it this way — “Seek first his kingdom and his righteous, and
all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:34 NIV).

Question? Are you seeking HIM today or are you trapped in the
STUFF-MODE? “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the
sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to
the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake
I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
and be found in him . . .” — Philippians 3:7-8.

Good question to answer today!

Join us tomorrow evening for our first Men’s Fellowship of the New Year!
Dinner is at 6:15 PM! Call today and make your reservation —
800-453-7942. Why not bring a friend!

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TOO?

We live in a world that bombards us with sound. Think about it — where
can you go today and find quiet? The malls, supermarkets, elevators,
doctor’s offices — there is always something playing or someone
speaking. My daughter-in-law received an IPOD for Christmas — it can
hold 70,000 songs. Now I love music — but how in the world could you
ever listen to 70,000 songs! And think of the time it would take to
download all that.

As a leader, I am bombarded with stuff to listen to — from donors to
staff to guests that want to chat and share what’s on their hearts. I
have to weigh and listen to lots of words. Sometimes it is a bit
overwhelming even for someone like me who thrives on people.

My associate and friend, Jim Kennedy, often encourages me to be careful
what I listen to. People love to tell you STUFF. Some is necessary,
often it isn’t. I find myself having to test what I hear and evaluate
what is profitable and what I need to simply ignore. If I acted on
everything everyone told me, I would really got nuts (no comments from
the peanut gallery!).

I have shared with you before that we are raising chickens. To have good
eggs you need a rooster. This morning at 4:00 AM I was ready to forget
the eggs and have roast rooster! He has been crowing for over and hour.
What we recently found out is that a rooster can hear sounds up to four
miles away — our goofy rooster is most likely responding to another
rooster that he is hearing. I wonder if they sell ear plugs for
roosters?

Some of us are like that — we are so tuned into listening to junk that
we can hear it up to four miles away. We listen to music that is not
pleasing to the Father. We listen to gossip, false reports about our
co-workers, dirty stories — well you name it.

We need to develop ears that will please the Father. We need to guard
what is coming into our ears. Do you have a plan for that? Take some
time and develop a listening plan. Start with reading through the book
of Proverbs. It’s filled with godly wisdom for godly ears!

“Does not the ear test words, as the palate tastes food?” — Job 12:10

Good words for today!

Our spring semester of the Keswick Institute of Biblical Studies begins
in just a few weeks. Have you considered working on your Bible College
Education? We have partnered with Lancaster Bible College to make
affordable and time-friendly Bible college education available to people
of all ages. Our semester is an 8 week commitment of 2 hours on a
Tuesday or Thursday evening. For details and registration information,
visit our website — http://www.americaskeswick.org.

LETTING GO

“You must let go of your restlessness, your excessive curiosity, your
longing for success and your habit of collecting things that stroke your
ego. The best way to let go of these things is to cultivate an inner
silence where you may come to experience your Lord’s presence. If you do
this every day of your life, you will make real progress in denying
yourself.

Sitting in your Lord’s presence will calm you, soften your temper,
humble your know-it-all attitude, and restrain your impatience. You will
be made aware of your Lord, and the needs of your neighbor. God has
bless you in making you so sensitive. Things that would hardly bother
other people touch you to the core. You are troubled or pleased by
nothing halfway! But I warn you to guard yourself against your likes and
dislikes since they are so passionately expressed.” — from FENELON —
THE SEEKING HEART

“What I am trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so
preoccupied with GETTING, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who
don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know
both God and how we works. Steep your life in God-reality,
God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll
find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get
worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you
deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” The words
of JESUS from the SERMON ON THE MOUNT — Matthew 6 (from The Message)

Join us this Thursday night for our monthly MEN’S FELLOWSHIP NIGHT at
America’s KESWICK. Pastor Larry Green, Senior Pastor of Shawnee Baptist
Church, will be our speaker. Dinner is at 6:15 PM followed by an evening
of praise, testimony and God’s Word. After the session, enjoy the
Activity Center for a swim, game of basketball, volleyball or the hot
tub! Call for reservations — 732-350-1187. See you there!!!

AND NEVER A BREAK IN STEP . . .

“It started at the end of a Sunday morning in an Ontario Church. The
choir began the recessional, singing as they marched in perfect unison
up the center aisle to the back of the church. The first young lady in
the women’s section was wearing a new pair of shoes with needle heels —
heels that are so slender they slip through any grating. And in the
aisle was grating that covered the hot air register.

Without a thought for her fancy heels, the young woman sang and marched.
And the heel of one shoe sank right through the holes in the register
grate. Instantly she realized her predicament. She knew she couldn’t
hold up the whole recessional while she back-stepped to pull our her
heel. So she did the next best thing in this emergency. Without missing
a step she slipped her foot out of her shoe and continued up the aisle.
There wasn’t a break in the recessional. Everything moved like
clock-work.

The first man following that young woman noted the situation and,
without loosing a beat, reached down and picked up her shoe. The entire
grate came with it. Startled but still singing, the man continued up the
aisle bearing in his hand one grate attached to one shoe.

Never a break in the recessional. Everybody singing. Everything moving
like clockwork. And then in tune and in time to the beat, the next man
stepped into the open register.”

What a great illustration of our worship. Some of us wait until Sunday’s
to worship and the hustle and bustle of life leave us empty or on
overload. We arrive at church frustrated and unprepared for our time in
HIS presence. In order for SUNDAY worship to be meaningful, worship
needs to be happening in our lives on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday and Saturday — then we will arrive on Sunday never
taking a break in our step — Worship needs to be a part of the very
fabric of our lives.

Purpose in this new year to be a worshipper each day of the week! Have a
blessed Lord’s Day!

STEADINESS

“Do not let your faults discourage you. Be patient with yourself as well
as with your neighbor. Thinking too much will exhaust you and cause you
to make a lot of mistakes. Learn to pray in ALL your daily situations.
Speak, act, and walk as if you were in prayer. This is how you should
live anyway.

Do everything without becoming too excited. As soon as you start to feel
yourself getting too eager, quiet yourself before the Lord. Listen to
HIM as He prompts you inwardly, then do only as He directs. If you do
this, your words will be fewer and more effective. You will be calm, and
good will be accomplished in greater measure.

I am not talking about continually trying to reason things out. Simply
ask the Lord what HE wants of you. The simple and short asking is better
than your long-winded debates.

Turn toward God and it will be much easier to turn away from your strong
natural feelings. Depend on the Lord within you. Your life will
eventually become a prayer. You may suffer, but it will be in peace.”
from the writings of FENELON in THE SEEKING HEART (Available from the
Keswick Online Bookstore … http://www.americaskeswick.org ).

In your heart God has excavated an immense space where he has placed a
precious treasure. From now on you have the twofold duty of receiving
and giving: sharing the treasure of the kingdom you bear within you and
stretching the area of your tent for those around you. Anonymous

Good words for this Saturday, January 7, 2006.

LOVING GOD WITH ALL YOUR SOUL . . .

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your
soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength . . .” Mark 12:30

“The soul is the ‘heart’ of personality. Loving God with all your soul
means centering thoughts on God, governing emotions by His character,
and setting the will on the Lord and His Kingdom interests,” so writes
Pastor and author, Ed Young.

“A daily spiritual exercise helps me express love for God at the soul
level. I pray using the acronym SELF. It works like this:

S = Surrender — I surrender myself to God in prayer, acknowledging His
Lordship over my whole personality.
E = Empty — I ask the Lord to examine my heart and to help me empty
myself of anything that is out of line with His character or that would
block communion with Him.
L = Lift — I ‘lift’ praise, worship, and thanksgiving to God.
F = Fill — I ask the Lord to fill me with His Holy Spirit.

Loving God will all your soul keeps you from falling into fundamental
idolatry: the worship of self or your own personality.” from 365 Days of
Total Heart Health by Dr. Ed Young, published by our good friends at
Countryman. You can order this book at http://www.americaskeswick.org
.

Good words for today.

THAT WHICH MATTERS MOST

Yesterday was one of those crazy days where I found myself saying to my
self, “Stop the world, I want to get off!” Ever have one of those days
that just seem out of control? Well in my quiet time this morning I read
this words from Dr. Mark Swenson, writer of the powerful devotional, A
MINUTE OF MARGIN . . .

“Life has a way of getting away from us, of cascading out of control.
Soon we are scrambling to keep our balance, desperately trying to keep
our head above water. At such moments, we are seldom guided by
transcendent principles but instead by survival pure and simple. When
the phone is ringing and the doorbell is ringing and the kids are
fighting and the baby is crying and we are trying to get ready for a
meeting that started ten minutes ago, it is hard to sustain lofty
thoughts. Priorities are lost in the din. And modernity, to be sure, has
lots of din.

Inherent in understanding about overload is the need to prioritize. If
our lives are besieged with excessive clutter, crowded schedules, and
continuous interruptions, then we have some choices to make. If we have
more to do than we can possibly do, then we have some decisions to make.
[And if we are too busy to spend time with the Lord — WE ARE TOO BUSY!]
And such choices and decisions, if pursued wisely, will be guided by
eternal priorities and God-honoring criteria.

Many people often do not consciously realize what their priorities are.
A French anthropologist, Claude Levi-Strauss, once remarked, ‘History is
something that happens to people; what happens is always different from
what people would rather have done.’ Upon first reading that statement,
I realized it was both true and tragic. Priorities DO matter.

The following are principles to use in establishing and guarding our
priorities:

1. Obtain priorities from God’s Word.
2. Look through God’s eyes, and then act on what is seen.
3. Seek first the kingdom of God, and everything else later.
4. People are more important than things.

‘Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that
matter last.’ (Goethe) Listen to God’s advice. Take control of each area
of your life where He has given explicit instructions. When you bring
your balancing problems to God, you will discover that He never assigns
you twice as much as you can possibly do. Instead the Father reveals the
appropriate priorities to use and then always provides whatever time and
resources are needed to accomplish His will.”

These were good words that I needed to hear, especially after a crazy
day yesterday. Thank You, Lord, for speaking to my heart.

A MINUTE OF MARGIN (NavPress) can be ordered at the KESWICK ONLINE
BOOKSTORE — http://www.americaskeswick.org.

GUARD YOUR HEART

I have shared from this verse before, but it is worth reviewing over and
over again. For those of you who read a chapter in Proverbs daily, you
are going to read these verses every month, twelve times a year!

As men of God, we need to guard and protect our hearts! Solomon wrote:
“Keep vigilant watch (guard) over your heart; that’s where life starts.
Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white
lies and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow
distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth
before you. Look neither right or left; leave evil in the dust.” —
Proverbs 4:23-27

One of the ways we guard our hearts to lay a good foundation in our
lives. That is why spending time with God each day must be a
non-negotiable for us. Many of us use Daytimers or some other
time-management program. We diligently record meetings and appointments
that we don’t want to miss or forget. How easy it is for us to miss our
time with the Father. We cannot afford to miss that time, my friends.
Reading the Word, meditating and praying help us build a firm foundation
in our lives — it strengthens and fortifies our hearts.

I just read this morning that “Frederic-Aguste Bartholdi faced two
challenges when designing the Statue of Liberty: how to hold together
100 tons of copper plate and how to make a structure strong enough to
resist fiercest winds. The answer was a 94-foot high skeleton of wrought
iron at the core. It is so strong that Lady Liberty sways only three
inches in a 50-mile-per-hour wind!” (from 365 DAYS OF TOTAL HEART
HEALTH)

Are you guarding your heart this morning? Did you miss your appointment
with the Father? Why not journal some of the ways that you would guard
your heart and strength the inner core of your life. It will be worth
the time today to do that!

Have a great day.

Join us for our first Men’s Fellowship Night of the new year —
Thursday, January 12, 2006. Pastor Larry Green, Senior Pastor of Shawnee
Baptist Church will be our speaker. Call today for reservations:
800-453-7942.

DEPEND ON GOD

“The best place to be is where God puts you. Any other place is
undesirable because you chose it for yourself. Do not think too much
about the future. Worrying about things that haven’t happened yet is
unhealthy for you. God Himself will help you, day by day. There is no
need to store things up for the future. Don’t you believe God will take
care of you?

A life of faith does two things: Faith helps you see God behind
EVERYTHING that He uses. And faith also keeps you in a place where you
are not sure what will happen next. To have faith you cannot always want
to know what is happening or going to happen. God wants you to trust Him
ALONE from minute to minute. The strength He gives you in one minute is
not intended to carry you through the next. Let God take care of His
business. Just be faithful to what God asks of you.

To depend on God from moment to moment — especially when all is dark
and uncertain — is a true dying to your old self. This process is so
slow and inward that it is often hidden from you as well as others.”
from THE SEEKING HEART by Fenelon

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out
everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in EVERYTHING you do,
EVERYWHERE you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track.” Proverbs
3:5-6 from THE MESSAGE

Good words for today. To order a copy of THE SEEKING HEART, visit our
KESWICK Online Bookstore — http://www.americaskeswick.org.