Paul’s Words on the Flesh

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Paul’s Words on the Flesh

Yesterday we talked about the flesh. I want to share with you today what Paul wrote about the flesh. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what God wants us to know about the flesh. The Scripture makes it quite clear:

Romans 6:17-20: But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.  And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.  I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.  For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

Romans 8:5: For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
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Romans 8:8:  So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 8:13: For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Romans 13:14: But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lust.
2 Corinthians 7:1: Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Galatians 5:24: I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
I don’t think I could even make it even clearer than that for you. I will write more tomorrow and into next week. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart as you read over the above verses. Might be good for us to memorize them as well. I appreciate you, my brothers, and thank you for being on the journey with me. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

GPS – God’s Positioning System: Luke 14-15; Psalm 107:23-43; Proverbs 27

Compass Pointers: The only known cure for fear is faith. Lena Kellogg Sadler
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 14:27; Level 2: John 14:27-31

Anchored to the Rock: Intercession is simply love at prayer. – The Kneeling Christian

Master the Flesh

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Master the Flesh 
“So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:21-24
If we are all honest we understand totally what Paul is saying, don’t we? Most of us really want to do the right things, live the right way – BUT – there is this thing called the FLESH that keeps getting in the way.
Part of the battle is that for most of us, we are TRYING to live the Christian life in our own strength. Well as Pastor Bill Raws always said, “It is absolutely impossible to live the Christian life apart from Jesus Christ living His perfect life in and through me.” That is the message of Galatians 2:20. 
A friend recently showed me the verse in The Message: “I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I APPEAR righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by the faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
The problem is that we haven’t figured out three things about the flesh:  1) It can control us, 2) It isn’t something we can play with, 3) We need to put it do death.
Our flesh was already crucified with Christ on the cross, brothers. It no longer needs to master us. We get ourselves into trouble because we want to keep it alive rather than putting it to death. Christ has come to give us victory over the flesh! More about this tomorrow. The good news is that JESUS CHRIST has come to give you and me VICTORY! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
GPS – God’s Positioning System: Luke 12-13; Psalm 107:1-22; Proverbs 26
Compass Pointers: The valley of the shadow of death. It is a valley where the sun’s rays often seem to be blotted out. To approach it is to tremble. We would prefer to walk around it, to seek a safe bypass. But men and women of faith can enter that valley without fear. R. C. Sproul
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 14:27; Level 2: John 14:27-31
Anchored to the Rock: When a man is born from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve that life or nourish it. Prayer is the way the life of God is nourished. Oswald Chambers

Pursue Excellence

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Pursue Excellence

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Colossians 3:17

I need to first apologize for not giving credit to Chris Hughes for his excellent blog post yesterday. Thanks, Chris, for your ministry.

I often tell my staff that excellence is a moving target. As soon as you reach one level, the bar is raised and there is a new level of excellence.

Excellence is a good goal for us because ultimately everything we do is for the Lord, and when we are serving Him, can we do any less than serving with excellence?

Jim George in his book, The Man Who Makes a Difference (Harvest House), gives an acrostic for how a man of excellence lives his life. Take the points and chew on them throughout this week:

E- Eyes the goal. Keep your eye on the goal!
X – excels at finding solutions. He is creative.
C – Curios about the future. – He’s a thinker and a planner.
E – Excited about change. He is flexible.
L – Learns from everyone. He has a passion for learning.
L – Loves to take risks.
E – Endures opposition. Willing to endure trials victoriously.
N – Names failure as a learning experience.
C – Convinced what he is doing is important. He is a man of conviction.
E – Envisions a higher purpose. He has a sense of God’s calling on his life.

Good stuff to chew on this week. Are you a man committed to excellence? Think about it. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

GPS – God’s Positioning System: Luke 10-11; John 10:22-42; Psalm 106:24-48; |
Proverbs 25

Compass Pointers: If you board the wrong train, it’s no use running along the corridor in the other direction. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 14:27; Level 2: John 14:27-31

Anchored to the Rock: The fundamental law in prayer is this: Prayer is given and ordained for the purpose of glorifying God. O. Hallesby

Where We Have No Truth

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Where We Have No Truth

“Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.” Isaiah 59:14-15 (ESV)

I don’t know about you but I have been taking a close look at “Occupy this place or another.” If I was still that angry young man in his twenties I could really appreciate the whole anarchy of it all. It’s disruptive, it’s got anger, it’s contains quite a cast of characters and, as of recently, it has gotten violently chaotic. But as an older man the area I struggle with it is in it’s truth. It seems all so disconnected and lost.

In his book, “Human, All-Too-Human”, Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, “Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies.” I wonder if he had any clue on how this statement was going to reflect on our society today. Because in our society today the narrative truth of Scripture has been replaced by the narrative of “I.” And I can pretty much tell I whatever I want to hear so long as it does not bring that conviction thingy into the mix.

And it is in the “Occupied” public squares that the truth of Christ had been once preached, exalted, established, and confirmed. But now it just seems as that narrative of truth is being trampled on by this disconnected narrative of truth of “I”. “I can’t get justice from the system so I will occupy and protest until I get what is rightfully mine.” The problem with that is society, as a whole, isn’t too sure on what it wants. It is only sure that it wants.

Amen that is not that case for the Christian man. He should want what Christ wants. It is unfortunate that society sees itself as being deprived, but that doesn’t have to be the case. If we can get Jesus back into those public squares the “Occupiers” might be able to grasp that they do not need the prevailing vices that has left them bankrupt. In my NKJV part of my Parallel Bible chapter 59 of Isaiah is titled “Corruption Separates the Nations from God.” You can’t get a much truer statement than that. Well, maybe there is this from Matthew Henry….

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt 6:33 ESV). Take no thought for your life, the life of the body, for you have greater and better things to think about: the life of your soul, your eternal happiness. That is the one needful thing about which you should employ your thoughts.” Let’s pray that this truth begins to “Occupy” our nation.

GPS – God’s Positioning System: John 9:1-10:21; Psalm 106:1-23; Proverbs 24

Compass Pointers: “If we shut our eyes against the light of Divine truth, it is just with God to hide from our eyes the things that belong to our peace. The sins of those who profess themselves God’s people, are worse than the sins of others. And the sins of a nation bring public judgments, when not restrained by public justice. Men may murmur under calamities, but nothing will truly profit while they reject Christ and His Gospel.”                                                                                             Matthew Henry Concise

Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 14:27; Level 2: John 14:27-31

Anchored to the Rock: Prayer is a slender sinew that moves the muscle of omnipotence. J. Edwin Hartill

It Starts in the Mind

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It Starts in the Mind
“And set your mind on and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.” Colossians 3:2 (The Amplified Bible)
Did you ever ask yourself the question: “Why do I do the things I do?” This morning in my quiet time the light clicked on. I’ve known this all along – but Holy Spirit reminded me of this truth: the battle begins in my mind.
You’ve heard these before: what you think you become! Or this one that I read on Facebook today: 

Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny!
Think about this – every choice that we make starts in the mind! Maybe that is why there is so much in the Bible about how to use our minds in the right way. Paul reminds us that the key to right living begins with “renewing our minds.” (Romans 12:2)
I need to be more intentional about the thoughts that enter the mind. I can’t play with them, entertain them or dwell on them. Wrong thoughts = wrong actions.
Paul gives us direction on how to handle our thoughts: “[Inasmuch as we] we refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).” 2 Corinthians 10:5 (The Amplified Bible)
And by the way – notice whose responsibility it is to handle those thoughts: we! It is a matter of me surrendering my every thought to the Holy Spirit’s control. Through Christ I can change my thinking and make right choices. Think about it. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
GPS – God’s Positioning System: Mark 9; Luke 9:28-62; Psalm 104; Proverbs 22
Compass Pointers: Whatever man loves, that is his god. For he carries it in his heart; he goes about with it night and day; he sleeps and wakes with it, be it what it may – wealth or self, pleasure or renown. Martin Luther
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 14:23; Level 2: John 14:12-21
Anchored to the Rock: The heart of prayer is not to alter God’s will but to find it. Sam Shoemaker

Just Do It

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Just Do It
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8
I have found myself frustrated over the years thinking and verbalizing this: “why is prayer such hard work?” Why have I been so frustrated in my prayer life?

I have collected and read dozens of books on prayer. I’ve looked for the right model, the right formula, the right method so that I can pray effectively. The bottom line is that I can have the largest collection of books on how to pray – but in the words of Nike – I need to JUST DO IT!

Rather than get so hung up on the right and wrong way to pray, figuring out the right position and posture for prayer, and trying to make sure I say the right things and not say the wrong things – God wants me to come to Him in childlike faith and just pray.
It’s really not as complicated as I make it. It isn’t about saying a prayer that will impress the Lord. Who am I kidding? He knows the real me. He knows when I am using “vain repetitions” or praying things I don’t really mean.
I am new on this journey – but I have made a commitment to myself – to move from reading and learning about prayer – to become a man who prays. I will make mistakes, I’m sure. But at the end of the day, it matters more to Him that I love Him enough that I want to spend time with Him at the throne of grace.
Lord, help me to keep it simple – JUST DO IT! Pray! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
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GPS – God’s Positioning System: Matthew 17; Psalm 103; Proverbs 20
Compass Pointers:  To know Christ is the way to grow in holiness. Christianity is not a religion of rules. It is the religion of the divine example. Try to follow the blessed steps of the most holy life. Take His advice. Ask yourself, in the moment of perplexity or temptation, what would He do if He were here? Nothing else will so surely lead us into the way of holy living. George Hodges
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 14:23; Level 2: John 14:12-21

Praying for the Right Things

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Praying for the Right Things
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. – Philippians 4:6
I am amazed at 57 that I am still learning and growing in this discipline of prayer. I have intentionally studying about prayer, but more importantly, praying. Big difference.
E.M. Bounds who wrote so many amazing things about what God revealed to him about prayer said that “Paul’s course was more distinctly shaped and his career rendered more powerfully successful by prayer than any other force.”
Author and speaker, Jim George give a list of the some of the right things to pray for based on Paul’s exhortation in Colossians 1:9-12:
Ask God to help others know what He wants them to do with their lives (vs.9)
Ask God to give others a desire for a deeper spiritual understanding (vs.9)
Ask God to help others live life in a way that pleases Him (vs. 10)
Ask God to help others understand their spiritual gifts and exhibit the fruit of ministry (vs. 10)
Ask God to give others strength to endure life’s trials (vs. 11)
Ask God to give others patience when dealing with trying people (vs. 11)
Ask God to fill others with joyful thanks as they live for Him (vs. 12)

Good things to pray for when we think about praying for the right things. And by the way – in the above list the common denominators are ASK and OTHERS. But guess what – before you pray for others, start with YOU. Ask that God would do the same in your life! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
GPS – God’s Positioning System: Mark 8; Luke 9:18-27; Psalm 102; Proverbs 19
Compass Pointers: The church is the creation of the Spirit. It is a community of believers who owe their religious life from first to last to the Spirit….Religious services and organized institutions do not constitute a Christian Church, and these may flourish without the gift of Pentecostal fire. Samuel Chadwick
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 14:23; Level 2: John 14:12-21
Anchored to the Rock: When you pray, rather let your heart be without words than your words without heart. – John Bunyan

Thanks for the Feedback

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Thanks For the Feedback

I wanted to thank you for the feedback that you sent regarding the ministry of Freedom Fighter. I was pleased to hear from a number of you and appreciated your comments, suggestions, and encouragement.
It was actually a good thing to solicit the feedback as it helped solidify the direction of the blog. One of the interesting things we learned is that of the many Freedom Fighter emails that are sent out, only 28% of the emails are actually opened. While that was discouraging at first, the good news is more men are reading Freedom Fighter than the women are reading Victory Call. That was both surprising and encouraging.
One decision that I feel necessary to make is to discontinue the weekend edition of Freedom Fighter. Beginning this week, I will just be posting Monday through Friday. I need to bring some balance into my life and schedule, and this is one way that will be a help to me.
We are committed to our original mission: to encourage men to walk in victory. I look forward to sharing with you how God is helping me to flesh that out in my own heart and life on a daily basis.
Just one thought for today: God wants you and I to cultivate excellence in our lives. The Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 3:17 these words: “Whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Author Gary Ingrid pictures excellence in this way:
The standard for excellence: the character of God!
The motivation for excellence: the glory of God!
The direction of excellence: the will of God!
The focus of excellence: godly character!
The picture of excellence: servanthood!
The cost of excellence: discipleship!
A great picture of excellence! What a great model for us. Let’s keep moving forward to excellence! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
GPS – God’s Positioning System: Matthew 16; Psalm 101; Proverbs 18
Compass Pointers: Excellence is the maximum exercise of one’s gifts and abilities with the range of responsibilities given by God. Gary Ingrid
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 14:23; Level 2: John 14:12-21
Anchored to the Rock: A good deal of our praying probably accomplishes little because it is not specific.
Pointless prayer is faithless prayer. – Dick Eastman

How to Get Rid of a Pastor

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How to Get Rid of a Pastor
October is Pastor Appreciation Month, I want to encourage you to take some time to encourage your Pastor.
I have been blessed over the years to have numerous pastors who have touched my life: Pastor Curtis Lehman, Dr. George Schmeiser, Pastor Alan Maitha, Pastor Bob Orr, Pastor Blair Hills, Pastor Matt Reed, Dr. David Wright, Pastor Ron Schmidt, Pastor John Strain, and my current pastor, Pastor Dave Rittinger.
I read this list of ways to get rid of your pastor:
  1. Look him straight in the eye and say “Amen,” and he will preach himself to death.
  2. Give him a living wage. He’s been on a starvation salary for so long that he’ll eat himself to death.
  3. Brag about all his good points to him, and he’ll work himself to death.
  4. Go to him and tell him you want to help in the church, and he’ll have a heart attack and die.
  5. Have the church unite together in prayer for him and really get behind him and help him, and then a bigger church will call him from you.
All joking aside, the Apostle Paul admonishes us to: “… respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. 1 Thessalonians 5:12.
You might just be surprised at what encouraging your shepherd might do for him and for you. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
GPS – God’s Positioning System: Matthew 15; Mark 7; Psalm 100; Proverbs 17
Compass Pointers: The ministry of a pastor is like a full moon – it brings light to many darkened souls, but also causes many dogs to bark!
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 14:23; Level 2: John 14:12-21
Anchored to the Rock: The man who kneels to God can stand up to anything. Louis H. Evans

A Friend

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Please note that there will not be a Saturday or Sunday Freedom Fighter this weekend. I will be spending the weekend celebrating my Grandson’s birthday and with our kids. Trust you will understand — and if you don’t — in the words of my dear friend, Glenna Salsbury, “Oh well!” 
A Friend
“Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.” Proverbs 27:9
If you’ve been blessed with good friends, this little ditty will ring true in your heart:
A friend:
Accepts you as you are
Believes in you
Calls to just say hi
Doesn’t give up on you
Envisions the whole you
Forgives your mistakes
Gives unconditionally
Helps you
Invites you over
Just enjoys being with you
Keeps you close at heart
Loves you for who you are
Makes a difference in your life
Never judges
Offers support
Picks you up
Quiets your fears
Raises your spirits
Says nice things about you
Tells you the truth when you need to hear it
Understands you
Values you
Walks beside you
Xplains things you don’t understand
Zaps you back to reality.

I’ve been blessed  by a number of great friends. How about you? – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

GPS – God’s Positioning System: Matthew 14; Psalm 97; Proverbs 14
Compass Pointers: Some people come into our lives and quietly go. Others stay awhile and leave footprints on our hearts and we are never the same!
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 14:13-14; Level 2: John 14:1-6
Anchored to the Rock: Prayer is the rope up in the belfry; we pull it, and it rings the bell up in heaven. – Christmas Evans