HE LIVES!

Leave a comment

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, the staff and Administration of America’s Keswick, and the Freedom Fighter team, 

HE IS RISEN … HE IS RISEN INDEED!

Have a blessed Easter. 

                                                              May God bless you.

Leave a comment

THE COLLISION OF GOD AND SIN

Today is Good Friday and I trust you will take some time today to rehearse and remember what our Savior did for you on the cross of Calvary. Oswald Chambers’ devotional for today is piercing to the heart as he explains about the “Collision of God and Sin …” — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

 “. . . who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree . . . .” 1 Peter 2:24   
  
The Cross of Christ is the revealed truth of God’s judgment on sin. Never associate the idea of martyrdom with the Cross of Christ. It was the supreme triumph, and it shook the very foundations of hell. There is nothing in time or eternity more absolutely certain and irrefutable than what Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross—He made it possible for the entire human race to be brought back into a right-standing relationship with God. He made redemption the foundation of human life; that is, He made a way for every person to have fellowship with God.     

The Cross was not something that happened to Jesus—He came to die; the Cross was His purpose in coming. He is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). The incarnation of Christ would have no meaning without the Cross. Beware of separating “God was manifested in the flesh . . . ” from “. . . He made Him . . . to be sin for us . . . ” (1 Timothy 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

The purpose of the incarnation was redemption. God came in the flesh to take sin away, not accomplish something for Himself. The Cross is the central event in time and eternity, and the answer to all the problems of both.     

The Cross is not the cross of a man, but the Cross of God, and it can never be fully comprehended through human experience. The Cross is God exhibiting His nature. It is the gate through which any and every individual can enter into oneness with God. But it is not a gate we pass right through; it is one where we abide in the life that is found there.     
The heart of salvation is the Cross of Christ. The reason salvation is so easy to obtain is that it cost God so much. The Cross was the place where God and sinful man merged with a tremendous collision and where the way to life was opened. But all the cost and pain of the collision was absorbed by the heart of God.
Chambers, Oswald (2010-10-22). My Utmost for His Highest, Updated Edition (p. 97). Discovery House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Team YOU: 1 Samuel 4-6; Proverbs 6; Luke 9:1-17

Motivations:  The way pride works in remorse is through a distorted self-righteousness which must pay for its own sin or which must exonerate the self through putting the blame elsewhere…Remorse may lead to despair or else back into the victim response of blame, but repentance leads to life. Judas died in remorse, but Peter was restored through repentance. Deidre Bobgan
Practice to Remember: Level 1:Ephesians 4:25; Level 2: Ephesians 4:11-16
Powered Up:  Not just pray about the work. Prayer is the work. Armin Gesswein

Lord, Open My Eyes

Leave a comment

Lord, Open My Eyes

 For the past several months I have been daily praying, “Lord, let me see you at work all around me.”  I am amazed at how HE has answered those prayers. There are so many LITTLE things I would have missed if I had not been asking Him to open my eyes. This was yesterday’s reading from STREAMS IN THE DESERT. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” (2 Kings 6:17)

This is the prayer we need to pray for ourselves and one another: “Lord, open our eyes so we may see.” We are surrounded, just as the prophet Elisha was, by God’s “horses and chariots of fire” (2 Kings 6:17), waiting to transport us to places of glorious victory.
Once our eyes are opened by God, we will see all the events of our lives, whether great or small, joyful or sad, as a “chariot” for our souls. Everything that comes to us becomes a chariot the moment we treat it as such. On the other hand, even the smallest trial may become an object crushing everything in its path into misery and despair if we allow it. The difference then becomes a choice we make.

It all depends not on the events themselves but on how we view them. If we simply lie down, allowing them to roll over and crush us, they become an uncontrollable car of destruction. Yet if we climb into them, as riding in a car of victory, they become the chariots of God to triumphantly take us onward and upward. Hannah Whitall Smith

There is not much the Lord can do with a crushed soul. That is why the Adversary attempts to push God’s people toward despair and hopelessness over their condition or the condition of the church. It has often been said that a discouraged army enters a battle with the certainty of defeat.

 I recently heard a missionary say she had returned home sick and disheartened because her spirit had lost its courage, which led to the consequence of an unhealthy body. We need to better understand these attacks of the Enemy on our spirit and how to resist them. If he can dislodge us from our proper position, he then seeks to “wear out the saints of the most High” (Dan. 7:25 KJV) through a prolonged siege, until we finally, out of sheer weakness, surrender all hope of victory.

Reimann, Jim; Cowman, Mrs. Charles E. (2008-09-02). Streams in the Desert: 366 Daily Devotional Readings (p. 142). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Team YOU: 1 Samuel 1-3; Proverbs 5; Luke 8:26-56

Motivations:  God never promised we would be comfortable in the world. In fact, He promised the opposite. Yes, it’s uncomfortable to send our children to schools that attempt to undermine God’s Word. It’s uncomfortable when obedience to God puts us in the minority. It’s uncomfortable when the evil world system encroaches upon our freedom to worship Christ. But we should be uncomfortable. In a fallen world that crucified Christ, our discomfort reflects our desire to serve and honour Him.
John MacArthur
Practice to Remember: Level 1:Ephesians 4:25; Level 2: Ephesians 4:11-16

Powered Up:  Beware of the barrenness of a busy life. Corrie Ten Boom

EVALUATING TIME IN THE LIGHT OF ETERNITY

Leave a comment

EVALUATING TIME IN THE LIGHT OF ETERNITY
“Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.” (Psalm 73:23)

            In Psalm 73 we find a history of the Israelites – a record of God’s goodness.  In verses 1 and 2, we see Asaph acknowledges that God is and that God is good.  This will help him as he looks around.  What does he see?  In verse 3 he wonders why the ungodly are prospering and he is envious.  In verses 6 to 9, he is upset because of their pride and how they don’t give God credit.  He is even envious of their popularity (in verse 10) and dares to ask where is God (verse 11).

            And all this looking around gets him nowhere.  Rather, it causes him to look within and all he finds is turmoil and unrest (verse 13).  Will he abandon his faith?  Will he run with the crowd?  Will he hold out or just quit and say this walk with God is not worth it?

            Look at verse 16.  Theology can never substitute for a personal relationship with theLord.  You see, your outlook determines your outcome.   Wrong evaluations lead to wrong decisions and wrong thinking leads to wrong living.  What’s needed is sharpened vision (knowing God will take care of thegodless) and the sharpened insight into the destiny of the unbeliever. 

            Asaph encourages by looking ahead in verses 23 to 28.  Because he worshipped he was able to evaluate time in the light of eternity.  And as he worshipped he saw his present being taken care of – being continually kept by God (v. 23).  He saw his past and could say, “He has held me with His right hand.”  He was able to evaluate earth in the light of heaven.  Does this not tell you that if you spend time with God and if your worship is right then your evaluations will be right?  Remember God doesn’t owe us explanations.  Just trust that His Word is true and when you look at thegodless you’ll thank God again for His assurance, as His child, of Heaven with Him for all eternity.  There will be no need for envy! – Pastor John Hibbard serves on the Board of Trustees and shares the Word weekly at the Colony of Mercy

Team YOU: Ruth 1-4; Proverbs 4; Luke 8:1-25

Motivations:  Study always to have Joy, for it befits not the servant of God to show before his brother or another sadness or a troubled face. Francis of Assisi
Practice to Remember: Level 1:Ephesians 4:25; Level 2: Ephesians 4:11-16

Powered Up:  Intercession is truly universal work for the Christian. No place is closed to intercessory prayer. No continent – no nation – no organization – no city – no office. There is no power on earth that can keep intercession out. Richard C. Halverson

Sifting Through a Hard Saying

Leave a comment

OK guys — I need your help. We can’t let the ladies beat us??? Help today with a gift for the May Family Freedom Walk. You can call (732-350-1187) or donate on-line. PLEASE designate your gift for the walk and let us know you are a FREEDOM FIGHTER. PLEASE HELP!!! I am counting on you.

Sifting Through a Hard Saying

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”  Luke 22:31-33 (ESV)

It was the morning after Peter walked on the water towards the Savior and it may have been a bright sun-shiney kinda morning in Capernaum. Jesus may have been giving the equivalent of a Men’s Breakfast devotional message that morning as He preached on how not to labor for food that perishes and that the food from Heaven was not from Moses but from His Father in Heaven. Jesus then tells them He is the bread of life but they grumble, “So the Jews grumbled about Him, because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” (John 6:41-42) 

All of a sudden, Jesus says to them grumbling Jews, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” WHAT!? So a whole bunch of disciples were vexed by this hard saying and from that time they walked with Him no more…but not all of them. Remember Peter? He walked on the water when Jesus said, “Come”.  He was there at the Transfiguration and he confessed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. I think that Peter, being confident that he is hanging around the Messiah, has built up a little bit of pride.

Here’s why I think this. 

It is the Passover meal and Jesus will institute the Lord’s Supper and I am sure that Simon Peter has it figured out. That hard saying will now start to come together at this very moment and just when he thinks he has it down to a science, Jesus goes and changes the tempo by mentioning He will be betrayed. A dispute erupts and Jesus rebukes, encourages and then turns to Simon Peter and tells him that Satan wants to sift him like wheat.  Peter rebuffs at this but Jesus tells him he will deny knowing Him three times…and it came true. Sifting time for Peter and Jesus only prayed that his faith not fail, nothing more. 

Sifting can and does happen to us as well. We can receive plenty of revelation while reading God’s word or being in a ministry position where we can see God move mightily.  But if we remove ourselves from the firm foundation of Christ we leave ourselves wind open for Satan to give us the same kinda sifting that he gave Peter before the rooster crowed after those three times of denial. We have to be careful that our victories are because of Christ and not because of us. The other hard saying here is, “but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”  
\
Jesus doesn’t pray that Peter bind the enemy and dodge the attack, He prayed that Peter’s faith didn’t fail while he went through the sifting. God stays ahead of the sifter (or in this case our adversary) and lets us see that our strength to make it through the sifting comes from Him. Then after it has passed we can be restored, humbly, to our place on that firm foundation that has been built on PETRA. “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this Rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  (Matthew 16:18) During this Resurrection season we need to be reminded that we need to be on a solid foundation. So realize this very thing…the finer something is sifted, the easier it is to be cast upon the wind, blown away and lost forever. – Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and is on the Freedom Fighter writing team

Team YOU: Judges 19-21; Proverbs 3; Luke 7:31-50

Motivations:  “Any thought process or heart attitude that is rooted in selfishness or pride will be purged. As a result of this tremendous shaking, all of Simon Peter’s self-confidence would be gone, and all that would remain was God’s sure foundation.”—John Bevere

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Ephesians 4:25; Level 2: Ephesians 4:11-16
Powered Up:  Hurry is the death of prayer. Samuel Chadwick

HELPFUL OR HEARTLESS TOWARD OTHERS?

Leave a comment

It’s that time of the year again for our Family Freedom Walk. The purpose of this event is to raise funds for our addiction recovery ministries at America’s Keswick. For the past two years the gals who received the VICTORY CALL blog have challenged us to see who could raise the most money and they have beat us HANDS DOWN! SO I NEED YOUR HELP TODAY. Would you please consider a gift for the Family Freedom Walk (May 12, 2012)? You can call today (800-453-7942) or give right from the web (www.americaskeswick.org). Please be sure and say that your gift is from a FREEDOM FIGHTER for the walk! Let’s beat them!!!

HELPFUL OR HEARTLESS TOWARD OTHERS?

“It is Christ . . . who also makes intercession for us. . . . the Spirit . . . makes intercession for the saints . . . .” Romans 8:34,27  
   
I’ve shared with you on numerous occasions that I have a love-hate relationship with Mr. Oswald Chambers. For the past 17+ years that I have been reading My Utmost for His Highest, God has used him to speak truth into my heart. The reading from yesterday was one that really grabbed my heart. I pray it will speak to you today. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

Do we need any more arguments than these to become intercessors—that Christ “always lives to make intercession” (Hebrews 7:25), and that the Holy Spirit “makes intercession for the saints”? Are we living in such a relationship with others that we do the work of intercession as a result of being the children of God who are taught by His Spirit?

We should take a look at our current circumstances. Do crises which affect us or others in our home, business, country, or elsewhere, seem to be crushing in on us? Are we being pushed out of the presence of God and left with no time for worship? If so, we must put a stop to such distractions and get into such a living relationship with God that our relationship with others is maintained through the work of intercession, where God works His miracles.  
   
Beware of getting ahead of God by your very desire to do His will. We run ahead of Him in a thousand and one activities, becoming so burdened with people and problems that we don’t worship God, and we fail to intercede. If a burden and its resulting pressure come upon us while we are not in an attitude of worship, it will only produce a hardness toward God and despair in our own souls.

God continually introduces us to people in whom we have no interest, and unless we are worshiping God the natural tendency is to be heartless toward them. We give them a quick verse of Scripture, like jabbing them with a spear, or leave them with a hurried, uncaring word of counsel before we go. A heartless Christian must be a terrible grief to our Lord. Are our lives in the proper place so that we may participate in the intercession of our Lord and the Holy Spirit? Chambers, Oswald (2010-10-22). My Utmost for His Highest, Updated Edition (p. 92). Discovery House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Team YOU: Judges 16-18; Proverbs 2; Luke 7:1-30

Motivations:  Any alleged Christianity which fails to express itself in cheerfulness, at some point, is clearly spurious. The Christian is cheerful, not because he is blind to injustice and suffering, but because he is convinced that these, in the light of the divine sovereignty, are never ultimate. Elton Trueblood
Practice to Remember: Level 1:Ephesians5:8-9; Level 2: Ephesians 4:25-32
Powered Up:  God’s promises are the cork to keep faith from sinking in prayer. Thomas Watson

Special Announcement to my Freedom Fighter friends

Leave a comment

Keswick Celebration Choir Concert and
Dramatic Presentation
/files/Photos/Graeme/Remember pic.jpg
Saturday, March 31, 2012, 7:00 PM

Join us Saturday evening March 31st in the Activity Center for a Keswick Celebration Choir concert. You have two options for this event: you may want to participate in the worship as a listener, or join with over 100 voices celebrating the events leading to the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer, Thanksgiving, Praise

Leave a comment
Prayer, Thanksgiving, Praise

Be careful for nothing; but in everything by payer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

The Lord continually amazes me at how He directs my devotional reading. I needed to be reminded of this verse and truth again this morning. I trust it will speak to your hearts today as you read from the writings of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the prince of preachers. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

No care but all prayer. No anxiety but much joyful communion with God. Carry your desires to the Lord of your life, the guardian of your soul. Go to Him with two portions of prayer and one of fragrant praise.

Do not pray doubtfully but thankfully. Consider that you have your petitions, and therefore thank God for His grace. He is giving you grace; give Him thanks, Hide nothing. Allow no want to lie rankling in your bosom; “make known your requests.” Run not to man. Go only to your God, the Father of Jesus, who loves you in Him. This shall bring you God’s own peace.
You shall not be able to understand the peace which you shall enjoy. It will enfold you in its infinite embrace. Heart and mind through Christ Jesus shall be steeped in a sea of rest. Come life or death, poverty, pain, slander, you shall dwell in Jesus above every rolling wind or darkening cloud.

Will you not obey this dear command? Yes, Lord, I do believe thee; but, I beseech thee, help mine unbelief. – From Faith’s Checkbook

Team YOU: Judges 9-10; Proverbs 30; Luke 5:17-39

Motivations:  Satan distracts sinners with delays. He does not fear fleeting thoughts of repentance. I doubt there are many in hell who did not at one time or another give some thought to repenting, but Satan was always able to carry them away on some more urgent business. Sinner, if you ever hope to escape, run for your life -away from Satan, away from your lusts, away from your present joys if they are the handiwork of Satan. The devil says, “Tomorrow” God says “Today.” Whom will you obey?
William Gurnall. The Christian in Complete Armour (Kindle Locations 1171-1173). Kindle Edition.
Practice to Remember: Level 1:Ephesians 4:25; Level 2: Ephesians 4:11-16
Powered Up:  Every prayer is an inverted promise … If God teaches us to pray for any good thing, we may gather by implication the assurance that he means to give it. C. H. Spurgeon

Courageous Breakfast

1 Comment
Courageous Breakfast 

“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.”   Joshua 1:5-7 (ESV) 

I am sure that many of you who are reading this have seen the movie “Courageous”. I got to see it after a lovely Valentine’s Day dinner that was served by the youth group of First Baptist Church in Egg Harbor City, NJ. We were all moved by way the message came across and, like an altar call, one of FBC’s deacons announced that they would be doing the “Resolution” ceremony and encouraged the men in attendance to sign on to do this. Even though I didn’t sign on my wife bought me the DVD and it came with the “Courageous Living Bible Study”. Just for the record, it was not my Valentine’s gift from her. 

The first chapter of the study has you watch a clip from the movie and not to give too much detail it is the one where Nathan has his vehicle truck-jacked. I recently shared this with our men’s breakfast at Christ Wesleyan Church in E.H.C, and we talked about what we would have done if it was us. But what really got shared was something in the movie’s Bible Study from the Book of Joshua. The study has you read Joshua 1:1-9 and it is where God tells Joshua to be “strong and courageous” three times in this passage. Then it asks why might Joshua have been afraid?  

How about the call itself that God gave him? After all this call was a very full call. So hear this out with me as we go through some point’s in the Joshua passage. “Moses my servant is dead”, but his extraordinary work has to go on and now this has fallen upon Joshua. “Now therefore arise “and be the successor that God has called you to be. All good men of God are His servants but now the Lord has bestowed a higher honor upon Joshua. “Go over this Jordan”, does anyone see in this passage of Scripture where God supplied a boat or a bridge? No, and the Jordan river was at flood stage during this time in history so Joshua has to have complete faith in The God of Israel to get the Nation across. 

Now there is a part in the study where it asks this question, “If you knew God was commanding you to do something, was going to bless you if you did it, and would always be with you helping you succeed, would you be more courageous? Well if you take a look at what God promised Joshua in verse 3, 7, and 9 of chapter one it goes something like this. The promise starts with “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.” Then we go into verse 7…”Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.” And we come to verse 9…“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” That is a great basis for courage isn’t it? 

So to sum this all up I would like quote this from the Courageous Bible study, “WE can all stand to improve in consistently reading God’s Word and obeying His voice. Like Joshua, you may need reminders to be strong and courageous. You may need to recall that God will help you lead your family and will never leave you as you obey Him. You may need His reminder that he is calling you to spiritually lead, guide, and protect those under your care. Your success in spiritual leadership of your family is directly tied to your commitment to the Word of God.” AMEN? – Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a regular member of the Freedom Fighter team 

Team YOU: Judges 7-8; Proverbs 29; Luke 5:1-6

Motivations:  “Danger and fear are words often associated with the word courageous. It takes courage to respond to a threatening situation. According to one popular description, “COURAGE is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”—Catt/Kendrick/Kendrick

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Ephesians 4:25; Level 2: Ephesians 4:11-16
Powered Up:  the shortening of private devotions starves the soul, it grows lean and faint. I have been keeping late hours. William Wilberforce

Spiritual Vision Through Personal Character

1 Comment
SPIRITUAL VISION THROUGH PERSONAL CHARACTER

This was way too good to not share with you today! Very convicting word from the pen of Oswald Chambers. Trust it helps. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

 “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place . . . .” Revelation 4:1

    A higher state of mind and spiritual vision can only be achieved through the higher practice of personal character. If you live up to the highest and best that you know in the outer level of your life, God will continually say to you, “Friend, come up even higher.”

There is also a continuing rule in temptation which calls you to go higher; but when you do, you only encounter other temptations and character traits. Both God and Satan use the strategy of elevation, but Satan uses it in temptation, and the effect is quite different.

When the devil elevates you to a certain place, he causes you to fasten your idea of what holiness is far beyond what flesh and blood could ever bear or achieve. Your life becomes a spiritual acrobatic performance high atop a steeple. You cling to it, trying to maintain your balance and daring not to move. But when God elevates you by His grace into heavenly places, you find a vast plateau where you can move about with ease.   
 Compare this week in your spiritual life with the same week last year to see how God has called you to a higher level. We have all been brought to see from a higher viewpoint.

Never allow God to show you a truth which you do not instantly begin to live up to, applying it to your life. Always work through it, staying in its light. Your growth in grace is not measured by the fact that you haven’t turned back, but that you have an insight and understanding into where you are spiritually. Have you heard God say, “Come up higher,” not audibly on the outer level, but to the innermost part of your character?     “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing . . . ?” (Genesis 18:17). God has to hide from us what He does, until, due to the growth of our personal character, we get to the level where He is then able to reveal it. – Oswald Chambers – My Utmost for His Highest

Team YOU: Judges 4-6; Proverbs 28; Luke 4:31-44

Motivations:  Give us Lord, a special faith, unlimited and free, A faith that isn’t bound by what we know or what we see…A faith that trusts the sunshine even when there is no light, a faith that hears the morning song’s soft echo in the night…A faith that somehow rises past unhappiness or pain, Knowing that in every loss Your goodness will remain…A faith that finds Your steadfast love sufficient for all things, A faith that lifts the heart above and gives the spirit wings  B. J. Hoff 
Practice to Remember: Level 1:Ephesians 4:25; Level 2: Ephesians 4:11-16

Powered Up:  Every work of God can be traced to some kneeling form. D. L. Moody