The Fellowship of the Burning Heart (2)

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Come join me tonight at Shady Maple for our second 114th anniversary banquet of this season. It’s not too late to make a reservation. Come and bring a friend. Call: 800-453-7942
The Fellowship of the Burning Heart (Part 2)
Yesterday I shared with you two of the four principles written by the late Dr. Richard C. Halverson, former pastor of Hollywood Presbyterian Church and later the Chaplain for the United States Senate. Halverson’s life was greatly impacted by the late Dr. Henrietta Mears. (Trivia: my good friend, the late Dr. Ruth Ann Breuninger, served at Hollywood Presbyterian and was mentored by Henrietta Mears and Dr. Halverson.)
Here are the 3rd and 4th principles of the four commitments of The Fellowship of the Burning Heart:
I AM COMMITTED TO THE PRINCIPLE that Christian discipleship exercises itself principally in winning of the lost to Jesus Christ. Therefore I pledge myself to seek every possible opportunity to witness in order that I may always be engaged in winning someone to Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:19, Acts 1:8)

I AM COMMITTED TO THE PRINCIPLE that Christian discipleship demands nothing less than absolute consecration to Jesus Christ. Therefore I present my body a living sacrifice, utterly abandoned to God. By this commitment, I desire God’s perfect will shall find complete expression in my life, and I offer myself in all sobriety to be expendable for Jesus Christ. (Romans 12:1,2; Philippians 3:7-14)

God being my guide I desire to make these commitments to Him. (From They Knew The Secret, published by Zondervan)

Are you bold enough? Brave enough – to make those four commitments to Christ? Let me know your thoughts. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
GPS – God’s Positioning System: Esther 1-5; Psalm 69:1-18; Proverbs 13
Compass Pointers: Ponder the achievement of God. He doesn’t condone our sin, nor does He compromise His standard. He doesn’t ignore our rebellion, nor does He relax His demands. Rather than dismiss our sin, He assumes our sin and, incredibly, sentences Himself. God’s holiness is honoured. Our sin is punished…and we are redeemed. God does what we cannot do so we can be what we dare not dream; perfect before God. Max Lucado
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1:John 8:12; Level 2: John 8:42-47
Anchored to the Rock: A prayerless man is a careless man. William W. Tiptaft

The Fellowship of the Burning Heart

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We are celebrating our 114th Anniversary of the Colony of Mercy tonight at Masso’s in South Jersey. It’s not to late to make your reservation. I would love to meet you there. Call today — 800-453-7942. There is no cost for the meal, but we will take a love offering for the ministry of the Colony of Mercy.
The Fellowship of the Burning Heart
I have been working through a book I read years ago, They Found The Secret, by V. Raymond Edman. The book contains stories of prominent Christian leaders who experienced the reality to the “Keswick” message, also known as the “exchanged life.”
One of the stories highlights the experience of Dr. Richard C. Halverson who after many years in the pastorate became the Chaplain of the United States Senate. During a retreat at Forrest Homes in California, Halverson penned what was to become the four commitments of The Fellowship of the Burning Heart. It was so powerful when I read it, I thought it would be worth sharing with you:
Having come to a personal belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and realizing the urgency of the hour in which we live demands the highest of Christian Discipleship, I wish to unite with a band of young people offering themselves as expendables, with a vision of evangelizing the youth of the world for Jesus Christ in the shortest possible time.

I AM COMMITTED TO THE PRINCIPLE that Christian discipleship is sustained solely by God alone through His Spirit; that the abiding life of John 15 is His way of sustaining me. There I pledge myself to a disciplined devotional life in which I promise through prayer, Bible study and devotional reading, to give God not less than one our per day (Psalm 1).

I AM COMMITTED TO THE PRINCIPLE that Christian discipleship begins with Christian character. There I pledge myself to holy living, that by a life of self-denial and self-discipline, I may emulate those Christ-like qualities of chastity and virtue which will magnify the Lord (Philippians 1:20,21).

Tomorrow I will share the 3rd and 4th principles. I think these are really good for us to put into practice. What do you think? – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
GPS – God’s Positioning System: Zechariah 8-14; Psalm 68:19-35; Proverbs 12
Compass Pointers: If the children of God were always saved from floods like believing Noah and his family; if every time somebody pointed a gun at a Christian, the gun just turned to salami; if we really had a money-back guarantee against hatred, disease, and the acts of terrorists, then of course we wouldn’t have to worry about church growth. Our churches would fill with people attracted to the faith for secondary reasons. These are people who want an insurance agent, not a church. Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1:John 8:12; Level 2: John 8:42-47
Anchored to the Rock: Whether we like it or not, asking is the rule of the Kingdom. C. H. Spurgeon

September 11, 2001

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SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
“Heaven and earth may pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” (Luke 21:33)
As we remember the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I want to share with you the devotional I wrote for our devotional book, REAL VICTORY FOR REAL LIFE:
            Our nation will never forget the day that changed our lives forever. Little did we realize how personal September 11th would be for the ministry of America’s KESWICK. Like many ministries, we were getting ready to begin a service of remembrance for our community, staff and the men of the Colony of Mercy. As I was preparing to walk to the Auditorium, I received word that this tragedy had impacted our ministry.
            Don and Jean Peterson were actively involved with the ministry. In addition to being conference attendees, both were burdened for the Colony ministry. Don served for a number of years as a volunteer counselor and Jean became a faithful prayer warrior. Seeing Don’s passion and vision for the ministry, we invited Don to serve on our Board of Trustees. He was a man of purpose, determination, integrity and commitment.
            The Petersons were scheduled to leave for California for a family reunion on the morning of September 11. Arriving early at the airport, they were bumped to an earlier flight. They were assigned to Flight 93 that crashed on a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
            Several months after the tragedy we heard that a Bible had been found at the crash site. Selfishly we were hoping that it belonged to Don or Jean. When the rescue teams arrived at the crash site, there were only two things visible – a tire and Don Peterson’s Bible. Tucked inside Don’s Bible was a list of men from the Colony of Mercy that he would be praying for during the trip.

            Don loved the Word of God. He believed that the Word was true and that it could change and transform lives. How about you? Do you love the Word of God? Are you spending time each day reading, meditating and memorizing the Word? It will change and transform your life. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

GPS – God’s Positioning System: Zechariah 1-7; Psalm 68:1-18; Proverbs 11
Compass Pointers: The goal of Christian mission is not success, but faithful witness; not power, but proclamation; not technique, but truth; not method, but message. Michael Horton 
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1:John 8:12; Level 2: John 8:42-47
Anchored to the Rock: We shall never see much change for the better in our churches in general till the prayer meeting occupies a higher place in the esteem of Christians. C. H. Spurgeon

Learn of Me

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LEARN OF ME
“take My yoke upon you – learn of Me” (Matthew 11:28-30)

            Throughout the word of God, the word “yoke” is employed in two symbolic ways.  It may be surprising to learn that the predominant usage of the word has to do with “authority” or “dominion.”  For example, God repeatedly warned His ancient people that if they turned away from Him to worship idols that He would bring them under the “yoke” of the surrounding nations.  Repeatedly this was the experience of the nation of Israel.  Numerous other times in the Old Testament, God employed that analogy.
            The word “yoke” also is employed of an agricultural instrument that joined two oxen, for example, in joint labor.  When Jesus said, “take My yoke,” unquestionably He included both of these symbolic meanings.  That is, Jesus was saying both to submit to my dominion and authority, submit to My Lordship, and also become a partner with Jesus Christ in fulfilling the work of God in the world.
            If the church of Jesus Christ faces a vast unfinished task in the world, not doubt it is largely because so many have failed to respond acceptably to the call of Jesus Christ to “take His yoke upon us.”  That is, we fail to bow to His dominion, His Lordship and authority and we thus fail to become partners with Him in the glorious task of fulfilling God’s work in the world.
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            The remedy to this failure is found in the next words of our Lord we He said “and learn of Me.”  There are many things that we may learn from Jesus Christ.  We may learn the word of God, we may learn to know God, we may learn how to pray and we may learn all about the future.  But when He said “learn of Me” I believe that He meant something else.  In the context of this text, He meant learn of Me how to bear the yoke.  Learn from Jesus Christ how to submit to the authority of the Father and how to become a partner with Him in fulfilling God’s work in the world.
            One of the greatest passages wherein we learn how Jesus bore the yoke is Philippians 2:5-8.  Here we read how Jesus surrendered His rights and stooped down to become the servant and ultimately the sacrifice for our sins.  That is how He bore the yoke.  And He instructs us to learn from Him.  As Paul wrote, “let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”  So we may learn from the Lord Jesus Christ to submit to His Lordship and become a partner with Him in doing God’s will and work in the world. Dr. Crichton is a Board member emeritus of America’s Keswick and Pastor Emeritus of Calvary Church, Lancaster, PA.
GPS – God’s Positioning System: Haggai 1-2; Psalm 67; Proverbs 10
Compass Pointers: We must rediscover and reclaim our spiritual heritage. The emerging new world of the twenty-first century may be new to us, but it is not new to our spiritual ancestors – the developed Christian community in the midst of a very similar culture. If by God’s grace they could do it, so can we. Christians are commissioned to witness to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The church of Jesus Christ is called out of the world for the purpose of sharing new life…. The purpose of the minister is to equip people to build up the Body of Christ. The purpose of laity is to pass on to others the new life God has given them. The goal is never simply to “run to the church,” no matter what size the church may be. Bill Easum
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 7:37-38; Level 2: John 7:37-38
Anchored to the Rock: We shall never see much change for the better in our churches in general till the prayer meeting occupies a higher place in the esteem of Christians. C. H. Spurgeon

First Delights

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First Delight

Psalm 37:4

What do you delight in? Your answer is a good indicator of where your love and loyalties reside. Most of us know that the first of the Ten Commandments is to “have no other gods before [Him].” An idol in the biblical sense is anything that breaks this command. Examples of idols range from wood carvings and people to abstract concepts like pleasure and power. 

But the command to not place anything before our relationships with God is put in a more beautiful light in Psalm 37:4. It says, Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Quite a promise! If we obey the commandment to delight first in the LORD (see also Matthew 6:33) then there will come transforming blessing. What I mean by this is best explained by clarifying the meaning of the promise. God does not promise to give us all the toys we really want if we go to church and read our Bibles. It means when we delight in the LORD the influence he will have on our desires will be transformational. When we walk with the LORD our delights become his delights and at least in my case that’s a big improvement! – Jason Walsh serves as Youth Pastor at Whiting Bible Church
GPS – God’s Positioning System: Ezra 4-6; Psalm 66; Proverbs 9
Compass Pointers: “It is not enough to tell believers, ‘You are accepted through your faith in Christ’.  We must tell them also, ‘You are delivered from the bondages of sin through the power of the indwelling Christ.’  For our consciences are also deeply deluded with respect to the possibility of overcoming the flesh once its dimensions are known.  Even if we are assured that our sin is covered, we do not want to face the despair of having to live in conscious helpless awareness of its tyranny, abusing the grace and forgiveness of Christ.  If we have to go on running further and further into spiritual debt we would rather do this in the dark without realizing what is happening.” Martin Luther
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 7:37-38; Level 2: John 7:37-38
Anchored to the Rock: Sometimes we think we are too busy to pray. That is a great mistake, for praying is a saving of time. C. H. Spurgeon

Walking with the Wise

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Walking with the Wise

Proverbs 13:20

I work with teenagers. My challenge is to help them develop reverence for God and obedience to his Word. This is a daunting task in the few short years I have them. This difficulty has forced me to seek for life essential verses that clearly and concisely communicate the truth. These verses are not ambiguous. They are practical and irrefutable. One such verse is Proverbs 13:20. It states,

He who walks with the wise grows wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm.

The point is simple. Success or failure in life depends on the company we keep. I have seen this over and over again. I can tell you how a student will turn out based on the kinds of people with which they spend their time. Influence is an extremely powerful force and people react differently to it. Gullible people can be made to believe anything quickly. But even those who are independent and display leadership qualities are affected by those around them. It may take longer, but it is inevitable–like water on rock.

Generally speaking, walking with the wise means walking with those who are older. There are some who are wise beyond their years, but they are few and far between. With age comes experience and experience is the best teacher. Developing relationships with the wise can be tricky because wise people are not idle. The have little time to spare. Howard Hendricks, the dean of men at Dallas Theological Seminary, wrote the book on mentoring (Iron Sharpens Iron). In it he relays a helpful anecdote . There was a wise man he wanted to spend time with who was booked solid every day. So, he cleverly offered to cut the man’s grass once a week in exchange for something much more valuable than money. He wanted conversation.

How about you? Do you walk with wise people? If not have you been making excuses? Proverbs 13:20 in my experience is a rock solid axiom. It cannot be broken. If you fight it you will end up the broken one.  – Jason Walsh serves as Youth Pastor at Whiting Bible Church


GPS – God’s Positioning System: Ezra 1-3; Psalm 65; Proverbs 8
Compass Pointers: It is rather ridiculous to ask a man just about to be boiled in a pot and eaten, at a purely religious feast, why he does not regard all religions as equally friendly and fraternal. Gilbert Keith G. K. Chesterton
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 7:37-38; Level 2: John 7:37-38
Anchored to the Rock: Remember that prayer is your best means of study. C. H. Spurgeon

Prayer and Action

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Prayer and Action

Nehemiah 4:9
Have you ever seen a team huddle for prayer 
before a big game? Have you ever prayed before taking a test? Most Americans pray at least occasionally yet I come across few who seem to truly understand it. On of my Bible heroes is Nehemiah, a man who worked extremely hard and achieved great success yet always saw the results as ultimately coming from the hand of God.

In 445 BC, while in Babylon, Nehemiah received a report from those who had been to Jerusalem. The walls of the city were still in ruins and Nehemiah was very troubled by this. After much planning and prayer, he got up the nerve to approach the king and ask to be sent to personally oversee the rebuilding of the walls. He was a very trusted member of the king’s court and the king granted his request.

Upon arrival in Jerusalem Nehemiah was greeted with opposition from the locals. He was mocked and ridiculed. He was threatened continually, yet the work progressed. Here is a portion from chapter four:

So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. But when Sanballet, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammorites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. (vs 6-9 NIV)
 Clearly Nehemiah was a man of action. He understood the relationship between prayer and hard work. Yet how many of us pray and then sit back and wait to see what God will do? Andrew Murray wisely stated that “Prayer is the power by which that comes to pass which otherwise would not take place.” This is very true indeed. However, if you look through Scripture to find examples of God granting requests of the slothful you will look in vain.

Let us therefore be people of earnest prayer, but not of the type that make prayer an excuse for laziness. Come, take up a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other. Together we shall be wall builders and if the good hand of God is upon us (2:8) we shall succeed! – Jason Walsh is on the pastoral staff of Whiting Bible Church

GPS – God’s Positioning System: Daniel 10-12; Psalm 64; Proverbs 7
Compass Pointers: Friend, it is through him that you are speaking, it is he whom you breathe, and you do not know it! For your eye is blind, your heart hardened. But, if you wish, you can be cured. Entrust yourself to the doctor, and he will open the eyes of your soul and your heart. Who is the doctor? God, using his word and his wisdom. Theophilus of Antioch
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 7:37-38; Level 2: John 7:37-38
Anchored to the Rock: Prayer meetings are the throbbing machinery of the church. C. H. Spurgeon

Sensing Spiritual Moments

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Sensing Spiritual Moments

Sometimes we find ourselves in a moment where everything around us seems to shout the presence of God. They may come often for some, but as rare as a comet for others. I’m in one as I write this out in my back yard by the fire on perhaps the most beautiful evening of the year. The kids are in bed and I’ve dimmed my screen to avoid spoiling the starlit sky.

Sensing Spiritual Moments requires something intangible of us, and in my experience, they come when I least expect them. We cannot manufacture them and they cannot be scheduled in our planners–thought we can plan time to be alone in nature with His word, or in communion with close believing friends.

I was reminded by our mission’s trip teens on Sunday evening about a memory forged en route from New Mexico to New Jersey. We were returning from two weeks of ministry and travel and were experiencing the tension of events beyond our control. We became aggravated by our slow progress at rest stops compounded by vehicle trouble and allowed an open door for Satan to stir up strife. One of our students recognized the danger and soon Bible verses were beating back the darkness and we fought frustration with worship music.

I am certainly not known as a mystic, but I cannot explain to those who were not there how intense this season of praise became. The Spirit of God descended on that van like Sinai and we all spoke about it afterward. Perhaps you have experienced this too?

Sound theology reminds us that God is always with us. But, if we are honest, we spend the majority of our days thirsting for a sense of the divine that seems just out of reach. I think Paul knew what I mean when he wrote, “now we see in a mirror dimly.” Our spiritual senses are not near what they ought to be, they are dull to the point of regularly missing our Father’s omnipresence.

Is there anything we can do to cure this deficiency? I mostly encounter these “spiritual moments” when I sense that I have been a part of something that God is or has been doing. When we are battling darkness and cling to the Lord, or when he comes through for us in power, these are the times of spiritual exhilaration. For a biblical example, consider Miriam’s dance and song after being delivered from Pharaoh’s death chase in Exodus 15. – Pastor Jason Walsh serves on the ministry team of Whiting Bible Church as Youth Pastor

GPS – God’s Positioning System: Daniel 7-9; Psalm 63; Proverbs 6
Compass Pointers: Christ cannot fail. I may struggle, but he cannot fail. I may waver under the attack, but he cannot fail. If Christ is in me and I am in him, then weak though I may feel, Christ cannot fail.

Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 7:37-38; Level 2: John 7:37-38
Anchored to the Rock: Prayer is the breath of faith. Prayer meetings are the lungs of the church. C. H. Spurgeon

The Bread of Life

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The Bread of Life
In my study of discipleship I realized something about the Temptation of Christ (Matthew 4). The first temptation from the devil was to turn stones into bread. Let’s think about that temptation for just a moment.
            As God, Jesus could have done this. I think of how hungry He was after forty days of fasting in the wilderness. Could it be possible that this 1st Temptation could have been broader than that? Having seen the hungry in Manila and Antipolo, Philippines, in Israel, and even on the streets of our nation’s cities, I am reminded that all of us have seen the large eyes and bloated stomachs of starving children on our television screens. Could not Christ, as God, turn half of the stones in the world into bread and instantly solve world hunger? Yes He could. However, as the Servant of Jehovah (Isaiah 42:1-9, 49:1-6; 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12), His first coming was not about the physically starving and dying, but the spiritually starving and dead. He came to cure the greatest need of all humanity – that spiritual death.
            Lest you think I carry this thought too far, recall the 3rd temptation – the kingdoms of this world. Christ is King and the Sovereign of all and could have claimed them. But His plan implements that at His 2nd coming!
            Jesus does care about the physically starving even as we should. How it must break the heart of God to see what humanity’s sin has done to the creation that He pronounced as “very good” (Gen. 1:31). Several times we read that Jesus looked on the multitudes and had compassion on them. He saw them as “sheep having no shepherd.” He wept over Jerusalem and at the tomb of Lazarus. He recognizes our frailty and helplessness – but unlike anyone else or any other “religious leader” or “founder,” He can and has done something about it.
            He is the Bread of Life Who has chosen to give us that Bread – Himself. Now He has granted us “trays” of that Bread (God’s Word and invitation) to take to the multitudes around us. May we see the wide eyes and bloated stomachs of the spiritually starved and dying! May we realize, as His disciples, the opportunity that we have. If we had the cure for world hunger and withheld it would be criminal. To do the same with the “Bread of Life” that will cure all spiritual hunger is sin. – Dr. Joe Olachea is Pastor or Lakes Community Chapel in Medford, NJ and is on the America’s Keswick Board of Trustees
GPS – God’s Positioning System: Daniel 4-6; Psalm 62; Proverbs 5
Compass Pointers: We are not to be a terminus point for the gospel, but rather a way station in its progress to the ends of the earth. God intends that everyone who has embraced the gospel become a part of the great enterprise of spreading the gospel. – Jerry Bridges
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 7:37-38; Level 2: John 7:37-38
Anchored to the Rock: Prayer has become as essential to me as the heaving of my lungs and the beating of my pulse. C. H. Spurgeon

Take Thou My Hand, O Father

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Take Thou My Hand, O Father

“Teach me Thy way, O Lord; lead me in a plain path …” Psalm 27:11
Here is a great hymn to reflect on this Sunday:
Take Thou my hand O Father,
And lead Thou me,
Until I and my journey,
And heaven see. Alone I would not wander one single day;
Be Thou my true companion
And with me stay.

O cover with Thy mercy My poor, weak heart!
Let every thought rebellious
From me depart.
Permit Thy child to linger
Here at Thy feet.
To fully trust Thy goodness with faith complete.

Lord, make my heart responsive,
And stir my soul,
Until through all the darkness,
I reach my goal.
Then take my hand, O Father,
And lead Thou me
Until I end my journey,
And heaven see. Amen

That’s the prayer of my heart. How about you? – Bill Welte is the President and CEO of America’s Keswick
GPS – God’s Positioning System: Daniel 1-3; Psalm 61; Proverbs 4
Compass Pointers: It is rather ridiculous to ask a man just about to be boiled in a pot and eaten, at a purely religious feast, why he does not regard all religions as equally friendly and fraternal. G. K. Chesterton
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 7:37-38; Level 2: John 7:37-38