Have you downloaded our 2015 Bible Reading Plan? Join us this year as we focus of the theme: Live Courageously

Reflection of His Glory

First, I want to thank everyone for all wisdom and insights. I can admit I have never been exposed to that much truth in one week since I’ve been a Christian. Even though people came from different perspectives, I realized it was all truth. Nonetheless, though divine truth is intolerant, and God’s wisdom is vast, it leaves room for multiple perspectives.

From the responses, I realize that everyone is a firm believer that Jesus is Lord and Savior, and all works of justification come directly from Him. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

The general consensus was in regards to works, it is a separate entity of our salvation, but rather the result of it. And since we are all positioned in Christ, our life, in turn should produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, gentleness, etc.

Let me give you the reason I started this Q&A. I was getting gas at Wawa and as I was walking into the building to grab a cup of coffee. I heard the sound of a male voice speaking aggressively about the Gospel of Jesus. My first thought was, Wow, I should be doing more of this! Secondly, I thought perhaps I should join in. I decided to let him go and went about my business. As I went to leave, the man continued to shout, waving his hands excitedly. However, I caught a glimpse of what he was holding – two packs of cigarettes.

My first reaction was, “What a poor testimony to a non-believer; to share the Gospel but not reflect that transformational power of turning from sin.” However, I was quickly reminded that I do not always line up completely to the truth in my own walk. Then the verse came to mind that “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful.” (1 Corinthians 6:12)

God has granted us a fresh start, a new beginning, allowing us to be the reflection of His glory. Thank you again for your time and the wisdom you have blessed with. Chaplain Juan Mendez is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and serves full-time at America’s Keswick. You can write Juan at jmendez@americaskeswick.org

Daily Bible Reading: 2 Peter 1-3; Jude

Think About This: Jesus Christ went more willingly to the cross than we do to the throne of grace. Thomas Watson

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Have you downloaded our 2015 Bible Reading Plan? Join us this year as we focus of the theme: Live Courageously

His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful Counselor

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Last Sunday I was privileged to attend Harvest Bible Chapel in Lancaster, PA and we heard a great message by our friend, Dr. Jamie Mitchell from his Christmas series, “He Looks Just Like His Father.”

In his message, Pastor Jamie shares some of the things that this Wonderful Counselor knows based on looking at 4000 passages of Scripture in preparation for his message.

Here are 9 things that our Wonderful Counselor knows. Check out the Scriptures related to each:

1. God knows the future: Isaiah 46:9-10; Revelation 13:7-8; Genesis 15:13; Isaiah 41:21-28
2. God knows us before we were born: Psalm 139:13-17; Jeremiah 1:5
3. God knows who are His children: Romans 8:29-30; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Timothy 2:19
4. God knows the intention of a man’s heart: Deuteronomy 31:21; Ezekiel 11:5; Acts 1:24; Acts 15:8
5. God knows everything we do in the world: Revelation 2:2-3; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:1; Revelation 3:8
6. God knows our needs: Matthew 6:7-8; Luke 16:15
7. God knows what our enemies will do: Jeremiah 18:23; Isaiah 66:16-18
8. God knows when we are going through trials: Job 23:10; Psalm 31:7; Exodus 3:7; Revelation 2:9
9. God knows all wisdom: John 16:30; Colossians 2:2-3

I am very thankful this morning, the beginning of a new week, that I have a a Wonderful Counselor that “ … knows everything. There is not one thing that God does not know or is outside of His understanding. And He knows all things perfectly!”

I hope that encourages you on this first day of a new week! Thanks for joining me on the journey. Dr. Bill Welte is President/CEO of America’s Keswick. You can write Bill at bwelte@americaskeswick.org

Daily Bible Reading: 2 Timothy 1-4

Think About This: However many and however great and burdensome your sins may be, with God there is greater mercy. Just as His majesty is, so likewise is His mercy. Tikhon

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

A Dirty Face

“It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this I-know-better-than-you mentality again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your own part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.”  Luke 6:41-42 (The Message)

Say what you will about my use of The Message for this passage of Scripture but this writing might be just as punch-in-the-face as Eugene Peterson’s interpretation of what Jesus said in Luke’s Gospel account. But to clear the air on my feeling about using The Message when we speak of Kingdom things is this, if you have already been steeped in God’s Word (ex. KJV, NKJV, NASB or ESV translations) then I feel you are in the position to decode the Eugene Peterson writing for folks. If you are a milk drinker still then do NOT rest the entirety of your theology on what you read in The Message…it will be tainted. (1Peter 2:2) So “wipe that ugly sneer off your face” and lets dig into something that has always been an issue with Secularland and Christendom alike…Fault-Finding!

We all do it in one way or another. Either it be out in the wide open for all to see or in the deep caverns of our hearts, we find fault with one another. I hear it every day everywhere I go…it is as if we all have been given a red pen (school teachers know where I am going here) and put an “X” on what we think to be wrong in the world around us. In Secularland we kinda expect that. Theirs is a world that constantly changes the rules to accommodate the game, changes the theory to accommodate the times and changes the standards to accommodate the bad behavior. Secularland runs on its own strength because The Creator has given them over to a reprobate mind (Romans 1:18-32).

They can’t it in their heads that the creation CANNOT create or recreate its creator. So basically, if you don’t know where you come from and can’t accept ELOHIM as The Creator, you’re gonna get what ya get!! But in Christendom, fault-finding has become somewhat of an art form. We tend to hide it under the banner of “good counsel” and “encouragement” but it usually starts with “You know I can’t help to notice this about you…” It’s not that the behavior isn’t there in a person but there are times when those Holy Spirit wings we think we have start to flappin’ and we can’t help ourselves.

If we looked at fault-finding like the apostle Paul’s does in 1Timothy, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” we might just see a bit more clearly on how fault-finding works. If we maintain our position as “but for the grace of God there go I” we might just reach some understanding. Some guy I know who works at America’s Keswick who won’t remain nameless, Jim Kennedy, said it is like we have the telescope backwards. It’s like the speck in someone else’s eye is the size of a 2×4 and our 2×4 looks like a speck. If we all just realize that we have that speck then what’s the need for the telescope?

Today I’m telling you that my face is just as dirty as yours…deal with it! I’ll share my washcloth with you, the soap is still Jesus Christ and if you’re bothered by that, go vertical with it…deal with that too!! I’ve been called to work out my salvation with fear and trembling nowhere does it saying to do that for others but if you need me to help you along then I can to a point. It’s Jesus that work’s in you and through so all can see more clearly on who does washing. If Jesus washing the feet of His disciples has left you thinking that it’s all humility you’re right but remember this…it is Jesus doing the washing. Scripture is clear on this; apart from Him you can do NOTHING!! So wash your own face first…I’ll pass the soap!! Amen? Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a weekly Freedom Fighter blogger

Daily Bible Reading: Hebrews 1-6

Think About This: “Jesus Christ does not want to be our helper; He wants to be our life. He does not want us to work for Him. He wants us to let Him do the work through us, using us as we use a pencil to write with—better still, using us as one of the fingers of His hand.”—Charles Trumbull

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: As pressure and stress bear down on me,
I find joy in your commands. Psalm 119:143

Give Thanks to the Lord, for He Is Good

Psalm 106:1 Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!

Well, it was just last week that we celebrated Thanksgiving Day and on Sunday, I was speaking to a brother in the LORD and I asked him how his holiday was.  He said, “it was great, good food, fun and fellowship but it was too short.”  I replied to him by saying, “well thanksgiving is as long or short as you make it”.  I have been thinking about how truly thankful am I, really?  Do I always give thanks like the Apostle Paul tells us to in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

This is a perplexing thing for us isn’t it.  What about those times when trouble comes, like bad news about a family member who is struggling with an addiction, financial woes, loss of job, etc.  What about health issues?  Death?  Life?  Work issues, relational tensions, race relations, etc.  Are we to give thanks in ALL those circumstances?

Many of you know my wife Ellen, she has diabetes and her illness is not very kind to her.  The LORD delivered her from death a couple of years ago, which I am very thankful for but she still has daily battles with her health.  She has been battling with some type of bacterial thing for the past year + which causes the skin in her mouth to peel and every now and then she gets these little bumps on her throat.  It is a daily nuisance with her mouth just like her diabetes is a daily thing that never leaves.  She learn a few weeks ago, that she now has a tear in her tendon at the hip and might have to have surgery.  I said “might” because there was a day scheduled for surgery, but last week we went to asked the doctor some questions and because she had been having some pain in her back, he wanted to xray the back and they discovered now she has some arthritis in her back which could be causing a pinch nerve which may have cause the tear in the hip.  Give thanks, why?  For the LORD is good and His love endures forever.

It really is easy for me to say that I give thanks but when moments like these happen, I must confess that my first response is not to give thanks.  Giving thanks is a choice that I must make and when I do come around (usually takes a little time) I see that His goodness has been extended to us in ways that would have been nearly unknown had we not experienced the giving of thanks in every circumstance.  I am choosing today to extend thanksgiving by at least another day, I am choosing to give thanks to the LORD for his mercies (many of them) are new everyday and Great is His faithfulness to us.  I love the LORD because he first loved me.

Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One,

Give thanks, because He has given Jesus Christ, His Son, give thanks, with a grateful heart, give thanks, to the Holy One.

Let the poor, say that I am rich, because of what the LORD has done

Let the weak, say that I am strong, because of what the LORD has done.

Give thanks….. Give thanks.

Will you join me in extending the thanksgiving holiday and choose each day to give thanks regardless of the circumstance(s) that you find yourself in?  Thank you for standing in the gap with us even in our difficult times.  Have a great week. – Doug Barger is a dear brother and serves as Director of Men’s Ministries at Bethesda Mission. You can write to him @ dbarger2030@comcast.net

Daily Bible Reading: 1 Peter 1-5

Think About This: Satan wants to destroy our faith in God. God wants to destroy our faith in ourselves. —John Kimbell

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: As pressure and stress bear down on me,
I find joy in your commands. Psalm 119:143

Three Great Traits

“There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus.” John 12:2-3a

Whenever someone asks me what the Christian life should look like I point to John chapter 12.

There we find Jesus is at the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. It’s six days before the Passover and the scripture tells us “they” made Him a supper. I believe as I read into the text that at least some of the disciples where there and that Jesus was giving them an object lesson on the Christian life and three of its main pieces.

It tells us that “There they made Him a supper” but it was Martha who served, Lazarus sat and Mary anointed. I like the example of the three types of characteristics that should define the way we “walk”.

Three Character traits that I hope we can relate to. I believe as we see the heart of Martha some of us can say, “oh yeah, serving is my gift” or like Lazarus, “I love to sit and be in discussion when Jesus is talking” and finally Mary, “all I want to do is sit at Jesus’ feet”.

I wish I was a fly on the wall and could see the reaction of the other disciples, an object lesson at its best.

Although you might see your primary trait in one of these people I think it’s important to portray all three. We can be servants but it’s important to hear the words of Christ and to worship. We may love to attend every Bible study but still should have time to serve and worship. And we can primarily be worshippers but still should be found serving and learning.

Three great traits in one, imagine the possibilities…

I know for me it’s easy to get to church early and help with all the work that needs to be done, but I sometimes find myself out in the foyer during the service talking to the other “helpers” and missing the worship and message. It’s not until I combine all three that I can become the complete man that God has intended me to be.

So make sure we are exercising all the benefits of the Christian life because when it comes down to it, remember, we “get to” be a part of it all, Amen! – Rob Russomano is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and serves full-time at America’s Keswick. You can write to him at rrussomano@americaskeswick.org

Daily Bible Reading: Titus 1-3

Think About This: Never let us be discouraged with ourselves; it is not when we are conscious of our faults that we are the most wicked: on the contrary, we are less so. We see by a brighter light. And let us remember, for our consolation, that we never perceive our sins till He begins to cure them. Francis Fenelon

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: As pressure and stress bear down on me,
I find joy in your commands. Psalm 119:143

Q and A

This forum is going to be a slightly different for two reasons. First, I acknowledge on this particular post that I’m in a quest for feedback and direction. Secondly, I have been getting different responses from the saints on matters we are going to discuss. My e-mail address will follow this post, and I personally encourage your feedback and covet your wisdom. I will keep your perception confidential, and post the resolution from your responses next week.

As Christians, we all agree that Jesus Christ came, died, resurrected, and ascended to rekindle our relationship with the Father and provided his people with eternal life. Paul states, “For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.”

Ok saints we are saved, sanctified, filled with the Holy Spirit!

Here is the dilemma, the Bible is very clear that we should Cast all care upon him, do not worry about tomorrow, Come to Me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest etc… Some use these verses as clear direction from God’s Word to trust the Lord to do all things and that by adding anything believers could be taking a legalist approach toward Christianity.

On the other hand, the Bible states, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) In addition, James mentions, “But someone will say, you have faith and I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:18) Is James suggesting that our faith is shown through our works, or both?

Faith and works is like deciding which blade on a pair of scissors is more important – C.S. Lewis

These are great truths that can be interpreted as contradictions, but we know that God’s Word is inerrant and there must be some clear explanation. So, here it is! How do these concepts correlate? And how do they look in the practical life of a Christian? Looking forward to the e-mails. – Chaplain Juan Mendez is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and will be serving at the Colony in early 2015. You an email him at jmendez@americaskeswick.org

Daily Bible Reading: 1 Timothy 1-6

Think About This: If you believe there is fruit that you know you should bear and do not, victory that you know you should have and have not, then I would say, “Come on,” because God has something for you. A. W. Tozer

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: As pressure and stress bear down on me,
I find joy in your commands. Psalm 119:143

A Christmas Miracle

Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things! The strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!
Psalm 118:15-16

This past week we witnessed a HUGE miracle at America’s Keswick. We were facing our weekly payroll and we were short by almost $32,000.

On Tuesday the staff gathered and we cried out to God for a miracle only traceable to HIS hand, and on Thursday afternoon God showed up in a miraculous way.

My wife went to the staff mailroom to get our mail and the envelope pictured was in our box. It obviously had gone through the processing at the Post Office, but note there was no stamp! No postage due sticker.

In that letter was a check from a very dear friend for $2000 earmarked for payroll. Moments after opening the mail, my phone rang with the news that paperwork was being sent and if we could turn the paperwork around in a couple of day, the caller would be issuing a check for $31,907.16.

Too be honest, I almost dropped the phone, and if my teeth were false, they might just have fallen out. God gave us a Christmas miracle and it came just at the right time.

He did another miracle even bigger than that when He sent His Son in the form of a baby. The apostle Paul wrote: “ But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.” Galatians 4:4.

I am a slow learner – but when I get it – God is never usually early, He is never late – He may show up at 11:59 – but He’s always right on time. Thank You, Lord, for this amazing Christmas miracle. – Dr. Bill Welte is President/CEO of America’s Keswick

Daily Bible Reading: Acts 26:28

Think About This: “Friend, I hope when you feel yourself stuck between a rock and a hard place, you’ll see it as Christ the Rock. Then you can lay down your head and find rest in that hard place. One Christ the solid rock we rest and stand!”

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: As pressure and stress bear down on me. Psalm 119:143

Big Faith

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.  For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. ~ paul, The Least of The Apostles, in Romans 12

Oh beloved, it is true. Each of us who know Him, have come into this relationship through faith. And any faith is enough. But, as true as it is that faith is absolutely necessary – faith is present in different measures for each of us. And these differing portions of the beautiful stuff, yield a different look and feel within the walk we each take down the path He has set before us.

Some of us have big faith. And while we didn’t generate this faith (it is from Him), we get to watch it work, often with amazement, at how it engages His work.  We have been given a propensity to go for it when we sense He is telling us to do it. This fool of a writer has been flung to multiple countries over the past couple of decades following His lead and His actual verbal and written commands.

And in the flinging of me around the globe, there has come the planting of seeds, the growing of relationships, the bearing of fruit and all sorts of other good stuff. But mostly what comes from living in big faith, is the astounding wonder that overcomes us in watching G_d put together long strings of complex miracles to simply show His glory and Love for those doing the watching.

Even more though, comes the sense that this fool of a writer is even more foolish than he ever thought.

Recently, circumstances and prayer and political realities have driven me to the understanding that i must soon leave the Asian megacity He flung me into about two and a half years ago. And, even though He has never (read not ever) left me “hanging,” i sense myself getting uptight about the path He seems to be revealing to us to follow.

Without any real invitation (yet), we are to leave an enormous city, and go to the biggest one on earth. He has told me and my wife it is true, and others have sensed the same thing. Now, the signs – the little telltale icons – are beginning to show up, like breadcrumbs making a trail to the next location.  Even so, after years of watching Him and His faithfulness, i begin to doubt.  Natural right?

No.

Can we see it? This same G_d who will take our faith and fling us around the globe, has flung His arms around us so tightly, that He will never let go. And so, wherever we go, He is with us and in us and working through us. And since He is so close, His Spirit tells us of things to come and prompts us to take the correct turns. And further, even if we do take a wrong turn – He is there.

We have Him. And He is exceedingly, abundantly enough.

So, are you feeling the doubts creeping into your faith?  Is your portion a different size than this writer’s? Don’t worry about the feelings of nervousness that come with the future. Just ignore them and sink into the arms He has wrapped around you.  Tonight is your night beloved. Time to believe. – Makala Doulos is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and is a frequent Freedom Fighter blogger

Daily Bible Reading: Acts 17-19

Think About This: For each of us the time is coming when we shall have nothing but God. Health and wealth and friends and hiding places will be swept away, and we shall have only God. To the man of pseudo faith that is a terrifying thought, but to real faith it is one of the most comforting thoughts the heart can entertain. ~A. W. Tozer (1897-1963)

How About Just Stop Talking!!!

“Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to Me. Job 38:1-3 (ESV)

In the world that is among football fans we call it “Armchair Quarterback” and I know some of the best players in the game to include yours truly. In the Church Age we can sometimes play “Armchair Preacher” and it happens at the end of the service when we approach the Pastor and challenge where he got that very convicting statement he made while your eyes were going half-mast. Sometimes we end our brilliantly lop-sided conversation by saying, “You should look into that” and then walk away convincing ourselves that we’ve just made that Pastor’s day. However, I gotta admit that when it comes to the Book of Job nothing takes the cake more than a prime example of a bunch of dudes sittin’ around playing “Armchair Elohim.”

On the Sunday morning that Pastor John Mol of Trinity Alliance Church in Cologne NJ preached, he chose to preach from the 38^th chapter of Job. Now Pastor John is a pretty big guy with an equally sized heart for YHVH so when he brings it…he BRINGS IT!! One of the things he brought was how brilliant people tend to hang with brilliant people and how they impress each other with the brilliant things they say to each other. So I guess when Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite got together with Job they spent the better part of the Book of Job impressing each other on their knowledge of YHVH and of His ways. After all Job the calamity you are facing is a clear indication that you have sinned, isn’t it? Someone? Anyone? Then comes Elihu…oh brother!!

All of a sudden it is like Elihu tries to tell it like it is, “And don’t tell me, ‘He is too wise for us. Only God can convince him.’ If Job had been arguing with me, I would not answer with your kind of logic!” (Job 32:13-14 NLT) Well gee Elihu what kind of logic would you have answered with? I realize that maybe these older friends of Job throw in the towel with Job because he believes he is innocent of any sin but did you really have to say, “Let me go on, and I will show you the truth. For I have not finished defending God! I will present profound arguments for the righteousness of my Creator. I am telling you nothing but the truth, for I am a man of great knowledge.” (Job 36:2-4 NLT) UH-OH…does our God really need any of us to defend Him?

I mean Elihu does end his little speech to Job with a tremendous truth that faith in YHVH is far more important than Job getting an answer for his suffering but Elihu still went down the wrong path to make his point. It doesn’t surprise me that a whirlwind finally shows up from nowhere because quite frankly enough is enough. I can almost hear YHVH say, “Hey Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, Job and Elihu, how about just stop talking” when I read, “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” Basically coming out and saying when it comes to His planning and His providence you all are in the dark, then He challenges Job to man-up and listen to His counsel.

It’s funny how we can reflect on Job as a suffering servant when we go through bad things but we never see ourselves as Elihu and the ancient version of Three Stooges. (And I don’t mean to offend Moe, Larry and Curly either) I think that we have those times where we see there being a law of fairness that is higher than God when it comes to His justice in our lives. But God is the standard of justice and uses His power to His own moral perfection so EVERYTHING He does is fair, even if we don’t get it. So the next time you think YOU have something brilliant to share with someone who is troubled remember not to darken His counsel by playing “Armchair Elohim” but by sharing the narrow road leading to The Cross. Amen? – Chris Hughes blogs weekly and is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. You can write to Chris at cphughes515@verizon.net

Daily Bible Reading: Acts 14-16

Think About This: “There is a kindly playfulness in the Lord’s speeches which is quite relaxing. Their aim is not to crush Job with an awareness of his minuteness contrasted with the limitless power of God, not to mock him when he puts his tiny mind beside God’s vast intellect. On the contrary, the mere fact that God converses with him gives him a dignity above all the birds and the beasts, assuring that it is a splendid thing to be a man.” Francis Anderson

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. Psalm 37:25

Spiritual Growth (Part 3)

1 John 2:12-14 (ESV)

¹² I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.
¹³ I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, children,  because you know the Father. ¹⁴ I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,  and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Last week we continued looking at spiritual growth and I gave you three areas in which we need to grow in.  I would like to finish up with a few more thoughts about growth.

Spiritual growth is an intense battle between our self-life and Satan.  I really want you to understand that growth doesn’t come easy and we need to be engaged in the battle especially in the tough, intense times.  Look at some of the words John uses above to encourage his readers while they are in the battle.  He tells them that they are strong, that they are abiding in the Word, and that they have overcome the evil one.  Lets look at these three things.

• Strong – fortified, hold up against trials, and trials are the main tool that God uses to grow us and make us strong. It is like exercising a muscle, it is when we use resistance in our training that causes the muscles to grow. If there is no resistance there is no growth.
• Abide in the Word – to continue to dwell in, stay in the word, the word stays in you. Constant theme with John, this whole idea of abiding.
• Overcome the evil one – once we become children of God there is a target put right on our backs. The evil one continues to bring up our past, the wrongs we have done, but we must remember the truth that we have in Jesus Christ, that our sins (and past) have been forgiven.

Last thing about Spiritual growth that I want to share with you is this.  Spiritual growth has an ultimate goal in mind for you and me.  Its ultimate goal is that we would have a deeper and more intimate relationship with our Father.  John says, “you know Him who is from the beginning.  You see we become mature believers through our knowledge of Him.  The Apostle Paul said that his greatest aim in life was to “know Christ and the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings” in Phillipians.  So, as we mature, as He takes us through these trials and difficult times, his whole goal and purpose is for us to know him more so that we would come to a place of a deep, personal and intimate relationship with him.  We learn to trust him through our knowledge of him.  I am reminded of a song that I use to listen to early in my walk with the LORD, that said this,

Verse 1
I’ve had many tears and sorrows,
I’ve had questions for tomorrow,
there’s been times I didn’t know right from wrong.
But in every situation,
God gave me blessed consolation,
that my trials come to only make me strong.

Chorus
Through it all, through it all,
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus,
I’ve learned to trust in God.

Through it all, through it all,
I’ve learned to depend upon His Word.

Verse 2
I’ve been to lots of places,
I’ve seen a lot of faces,
there’s been times I felt so all alone.
But in my lonely hours,
yes, those precious lonely hours,
Jesus lets me know that I was His own

Verse 3
I thank God for the mountains,
and I thank Him for the valleys,
I thank Him for the storms He brought me through.
For if I’d never had a problem,
I wouldn’t know God could solve them,
I’d never know what faith in God could do

Daily Bible Reading: Acts 11-13

Think About This: It is the absence of the knowledge of God and man’s refusal to obey Him that lies at the root of every problem that besets us. Billy Graham

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. Psalm 37:25