Sheltered in the Cleft of the Rock

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SHELTERED IN THE CLEFT OF THE ROCK
“O my dove, that art in the cleft of the rock” (Song of Solomon 2:14).

            This is one of those beautiful poetic pictures of the believer’s security in Christ, the Rock of Ages.  Instantly our minds and hearts go back to that One who was smitten for us—Christ the Rock.   This promise is pictured in the smitten rock during Israel’s wilderness journey which poured forth living waters for the thirsty multitudes.  Isaiah also speaks of a shelter that is impregnable.   “A Man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land” (Isaiah 32:2).  
What a perfect and secure provision for every child of God, this wonderful Man, Christ Jesus!   Here the thought of shelter or safety is in view.  “My dove in the cleft of the rock.”   What a precious hiding place, in the heart of God our Savior!   He was wounded to provide for us a place of safety, and He gently reminds us of this, calling us His dove.
            The dove is gentle and harmless, sometimes very foolish, and utterly defenseless!  It is a good picture of you and me at our best, as He sees us through eyes of love.  What a marvelous provision He has made for us in His riven side!   The beloved to whom Solomon is speaking was still in the plains, the land of storms and tempests, but her lover now reminds her that even there she knows the place of safety and security in the strong harbor of His love.
            The tempest may roar about us, raging in unrestrained fury.  It is said that in the exact center of the hurricane there is a place of absolute calm.  May we avail ourselves of this rich and satisfying provision, this hiding place in the deep sweet heart of His love.  Peace, perfect peace will be ours as we dwell there, abiding in His love.  “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee” (Isaiah 26:3). Rev. W. Claire Greiner was the founder of Family Christian Inspiration Inc. in 1969 and traveled internationally with the Greiner Family. Claire was a dear friend and encourager.
GPS – God’s Positioning System: Ezekiel 22-23; Psalm 50; Proverbs 24
Compass Pointers: The supreme qualification for Christian work of any kind is contentment to work in shadow, so long as Christ is seen in the light. A E Gould
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 5:24; Level 2: John 5:31-30
Anchored to the Rock: Prayer is the very life-breath of true Christianity. J. C. Ryle

Food Worth Fighting For

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FOOD WORTH FIGHTING FOR
“And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentils: and the people fled from the Philistines. But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.” (2 Samuel 23:11-12)

            Shammah was yet another of David’s mighty men whose heroic deed has been recorded for future generations.  His outstanding accomplishment reminds us of the Christian’s responsibility to uphold and defend God’s Word. Arrayed against the nation of Israel, the Philistines surrounded a valuable piece of ground full of lentils—God’s abundant provision for His people.  As the people fled, it looked as if all was lost until Shammah, standing by himself in the midst of the ground, defended the inheritance of his people and slew the Philistines to win a great and mighty victory for the Lord. 
Call 800-453-7942 to order your copy
            How we need more “Shammahs” in our day!  Not only is it every Christian’s duty to declare the Word of God to those outside of Christ but also it is our duty to defend it when it is attacked by the enemies of the Lord.  Jude saw the need to warn believers in his day about widespread opposition to the faith when he exhorted them to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints”(Jude 3), a solemn responsibility that is ours as well. God is also looking for present day defenders of the faith who will likewise station themselves in the midst of enemy attack and protect the onslaught of opposition and ridicule against God’s holy Word – our abundant inheritance. Let us strive to be more like Shammah, committed to standing all alone if necessary to defend the Word and our precious faith.   Mark Kolchin serves with Know the Word Ministries and is a teacher/elder at Bethany Bible Chapel. Mark serves on the Board of America’s Keswick
GPS – God’s Positioning System: Ezekiel 20-21; Psalm 49; Proverbs 23
Compass Pointers: The tearful praying Christian, whose distress prevent his words, will be clearly understood by the Most High. Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 5:24; Level 2: John 5:31-30
Anchored to the Rock: No time is so well spent in every day as that which we spend upon our knees. J. C. Ryle

Looking Unto Jesus

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Looking Unto Jesus
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:2
I read this in a cool devotional, Meet Me in the Meadow – Moments with God (Christian Art Gifts) by Roy Lessin. It is a very good reminder on this Monday morning:
The lost look to Jesus and see the loving Savior.
The wayward look to Jesus and see the ONLY Way.
The confused look to Jesus and see the perfect Truth.
The empty look to Jesus and see the abundant Life.
The meek look to Jesus and see the suffering Servant.
The humble look to Jesus and see the risen Lord.
The blind look to Jesus and see the glorious Light.
The bound look to Jesus and see the conquering Warrior.
The wounded look to Jesus and see the healing Physician.
The needy look to Jesus and see the caring Shepherd.
The hungry look to Jesus and see the living Bread.
The restless look to Jesus and see the Prince of Peace.
The mistreated look to Jesus and see the Righteous Judge.
The defenseless look to Jesus and see the great High Priest.
The barren look to Jesus and see their Dwelling Place.
The poor look to Jesus and see their Unsearchable Riches.
The lonely look to Jesus and see the ever-present Friend.
The insufficient look to Jesus and see their All in All!

So brother – which one of the above are you today? Look to Jesus! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

GPS – God’s Positioning System: Ezekiel 18-19; Psalm 48; Proverbs 22
Compass Pointers: When I first became a Christian, about fourteen years ago, I thought that I could do it on my own, by retiring to my rooms and reading theology, and wouldn’t go to the churches and Gospel Halls;…. I disliked very much their hymns which I considered to be fifth-rate poems set to sixth-rate music. But as I went on I saw the merit of it. I came up against different people of quite different outlooks and different education, and then gradually my conceit just began peeling off. I realized that the hymns (which were just sixth-rate music) were, nevertheless, being sung with devotion and benefit by an old saint in elastic-side boots in the opposite pew, and then you realize that you aren’t fit to clean those boots. It gets you out of your solitary conceit. C. S. Lewis 
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 5:24; Level 2: John 5:31-30
Anchored to the Rock: Never, never may we forget that if we would do good to the world, our first duty is to pray. J. C. Ryle

A Psalm of Praise — Psalm 47

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A Psalm of Praise – Psalm 47
Here is a great paraphrase of Psalm 47 to get your heart going on this Lord’s day:
I come before You with joy and gladness, O Lord God.
I want to shout in exaltation of your glorious name.
I want to lift my voice in songs of praise.
You are King over all the earth.
There is no one in all the universe to compare with You.
I stand in awe of Your greatness.
You have given me victory in the conflicts of my life.
You have made me heir to Your glorious inheritance.
You have loved me with an everlasting love.
Your praise is my sole vocation in life.
You alone are worthy of honor. You came into my heart in triumphant procession to rule as Lord and King.
My heart sings Your praise.
My voice lifts up Your name with adoration.
My heart speaks forth Your lovingkindness.
All creation speaks Your greatness.
The birds chirp a carol of Your grandeur; the islands of the sea shout a chanty of Your infinitude;
   the mountains intone a melody of Your majesty; the nations of the world proclaim Your           justice.

You are the object of all worship.
You are the center of all creation.
You are the sovereign of all nations.
You are the source of all life.
You are the creator of all that is.
I will exalt You.
I will sing Your praise.
I will seek Your counsel.
I would lift my voice to You in admiration.
I will speak aloud of Your wondrous nature.
I will rest secure in Your wise rule.

You are Lord Most High – the great King over all the earth!
(adapted from Under His Wings by Ward Patterson)

GPS – God’s Positioning System: Ezekiel 16-17; Psalm 47; Proverbs 21
Compass Pointers: It is only when men worship that they begin to grow. Calvin Coolidge
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 5:24; Level 2: John 5:31-30
Anchored to the Rock: A man’s state before God may always be measured by his prayers. J. C. Ryle

Los Cuatro Terroristas!!

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Los Cuatro Terroristas!! 

“Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.” Ephesians 4:17-19 (ESV) 

Sometimes you get a new catch phrase during a Sunday morning sermon. After delivering a total of four messages/lessons over the most recent F.F.C weekend, Pastor John Hibbard showed up on Sunday morning in the Colony Chapel and he had brought his A-game to the pulpit. Pastor John had spent time in the latter part in chapter three of the Book of Ephesians but it was when he got beyond Ephesians 4:17 that the catch phrase hits. He tells us that we need to make Jesus the Lord of our internals, emotions, wills and then warns us of the “Four Terrorists” that can come in there and mess things up. It got me thinking of an uprising or of a rebellion that the six o’clock news has no problem showing us these days. 

First thing we have to contend with is a rebel who I will call “Little Red Falsehood.” This terrorist would have you speak flattery or deceit into the ears of your neighbor rather than the truth and this speaking truth stuff really applies when it just happens to be a fellow believer. We are now supposed to be grafted into each other so that we can, with an absolute obligation, serve each other. Yeah, I know this doesn’t always happen but it is what the Lord wants of us…deal with it! If saying this has gotten you a little miff please be mindful of the next rebel on the terrorist list. That would be “Chief Good-n-Mad” 

This terrorist and I have been doing battle for quite some time now. He keeps making forget that I am allowed be angry but not to let the sun go down on my wrath. My boy Matt Henry put’s it like this, “If there is just occasion to express displeasure at what is wrong, and to reprove, see that it be without sin. We give place to the devil, when the first motions of sin are not grievous to our souls; when we consent to them; and when we repeat an evil deed. This teaches that as sin, if yielded unto, lets in the devil upon us, we are to resist it, keeping from all appearance of evil.” Yeah, I know this doesn’t always happen but it is what the Lord wants of us…deal with it! Onward to the next rebel on the list, shall we? 

This terrorist just wants your stuff and he ain’t asking you for it, as a matter of fact he ain’t telling you he is taking your stuff. We can call him Mister McPilfer and he just might be a lazy bum in the light but in the dark he puts away his idleness to plunder through your pockets. Justifying the action with the phrase “everybody does it” this terrorist doesn’t understand that a good day of labor is honoring to God and beneficial to the community as a whole. I also think this terrorist teams up with the last on the list and he would be King Talketh-smack! We are told that as the new man our speech should be seasoned with salt and that our words need to encourage and edify. Yeah, I know this doesn’t always happen but it is what the Lord wants of us, once again…deal with it! 

Once we have received the Gospel message of Christ, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit takes place and we should not grieve in it. We are told to walk in newness no matter what firestorm falls upon us. We need to rest in these finals words of chapter four in the Book of Ephesians. “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Yeah, I know this doesn’t always happen but THIS is what the Lord wants of us. So in conclusion I will take heed to this as much as I am telling you to…Deal With It!! Wish me luck. – Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a regular Freedom Fighter contributor 

GPS – God’s Positioning System: Ezekiel 13-15; Psalm 46; Proverbs 20

Compass Pointers: The actions of men form an infallible index of their own character. Geoffrey Wilson
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 4:13-14; Level 2: John 4:34-38

Anchored to the Rock: No man is greater than his prayer life. Leonard Ravenhill

Showing Grace Part 3

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Showing Grace – Part 3
The past two days we have talked about how to show grace to the people God puts in our lives. The bottom line is that apart from Christ doing that THROUGH you, you will find it impossible to do in your flesh.
Our model is Christ and a great passage to help us is Philippians 2:1-11. I will let the text speak for itself. I am giving it to you from The Message:
If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if His love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care – then do me a favor:

Agree with each other
Love each other
Be deep-spirited friends.
Don’t push your way to the front.
Don’t sweet-talk your way to the top.
Put yourself aside.
Help others get ahead.
Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of Himself:
He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that He had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, He set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human He stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, He lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death – and the worst kind of death at that – a crucifixion.

Because of that obedience, God lifted Him high and honored Him far above beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth – even those long ago dead and buried – will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that He is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father!

Lots there to think about! Want to show grace to others? Allow Him to do it through you. Be a man who can have written on his tombstone – “He showed grace!” – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
GPS – God’s Positioning System: Ezekiel 9-12; Psalm 45; Proverbs 19
Compass Pointers: Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less!
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 4:13-14; Level 2: John 4:34-38
Anchored to the Rock: Satan is far more anxious to keep us off our knees that he is to keep us off our feet. Ivor Powell

Showing Grace Part 2

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Showing Grace – Part 2
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32
We touched on this yesterday, but I want to share a few more thoughts with you this morning about showing grace:
  1. Let go. I have friends who have been angry and upset with family members for years. You know them and I know them – people who refuse to lay down their lists of hurts and grievances.  I am so glad that when Christ died for my sins that He paid for them once and for all. He doesn’t continue to remind me of all the sins I have committed. My guess is there is someone or may someone’s in your life who has let you down, disappointed you, or maybe even hurt you. I see no Scriptural basis to hold on to this stuff. God wants us to let go.
  2. Love unconditionally. Much of our love for others is based on the world’s philosophy – love when it’s convenient, love when there is something in it for me, or love on my terms and conditions. We are to love others the same way Christ loves them. Apart from Christ doing it through you – that’s impossible.
    Remember  that Christ love you and gave Himself for you – not when you had it all together – He loved you when you were a sinner!
  3. Live with no regrets. Blackaby writes that “Jesus did not say that the world will know Him by our miracles, by our grand testimonies, or by our vast Bible knowledge. The world will know HIM by the love that Christians show to one another. (John 13:35)  When we love like He loves, we can live life without regrets. Too many times when it’s too late, we say, “I wished I had …”
Tomorrow I will remind you of a passage that will help us show grace the way Christ did. Do you need to let go? Love someone unconditionally? Purpose today that you will live life without regrets. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

GPS – God’s Positioning System: Ezekiel 5-8; Psalm 44; Proverbs 18
Compass Pointers: Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained. C. S. Lewis
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 4:13-14; Level 2: John 4:34-38
Anchored to the Rock: If we bring our woes before God in prayer we have done the best possible thing. William S. Plummer

Showing Grace

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Showing Grace
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32
I am becoming more and more convinced that one of the reasons why we don’t experience the full blessing of God in our ministries and in our churches is because we struggle with the being kind, tenderhearted and forgiving one another.
I have found in recent days a growing number of believers who actually act worse than the world. There is an entitlement mentality growing were people feel that they can say whatever they want, whenever they want, and however they want to say it. I’ve seen some pretty “ugly” words spew forth from the mouths of those who claim to be the redeemed.
We are losing the concept of tenderness. We tolerate people on our terms, but if someone crosses us – look out. This ought not to be in the body of Christ.
And then there is forgiveness. I find that people are remembering what they should forget and forgetting what they should remember. We keep lists – detailed lists of grievances, cut no slack when someone makes a mistake, and yet we want others to be gracious and forgiving when it comes to our “character” flaws.
Henry Blackaby writes that “we show forgiveness because we, too, fall short of God’s ideal. Knowing that God has graciously saved us from destruction motivates us to forgive others when they offend us. Often we are less patient with our fellow Christians than we are with non-believers. We expect more of Christians, and we feel betrayed when they fail us. When this happens, we need to look closely at the cross and remember the forgiveness WE received THERE. We must set aside the self-centered attitude that leads to impatience and criticism of others.”
Is there someone in your life right now who you need to forgive? To be kind towards? To be tendered hearted? I am sure that if there is, you already know who it is and what you need to do. You have the choice – you can do what GOD expects from you and obey, or live in disobedience. What choice will you make? – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
GPS – God’s Positioning System: Ezekiel 1-4; Psalm 43; Proverbs 17
Compass Pointers: Being judgmental and condemning is not one of the gifts of the Spirit. Billy Graham 
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 4:13-14; Level 2: John 4:34-38
Anchored to the Rock: The measure of our love for others can largely be determined by the frequency and earnestness of our prayers for them! A. W. Pink

God is Always Previous

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God Is Always Previous
It shall come to pass, that BEFORE they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Isaiah 65:24
Addison Raws, the son of our founder, William Raws, had a sermon that he regularly preached called “God is Always Previous.” The gist if this message is that as Christians we spend so much time worrying and fretting rather than thanking God for the answers to prayer that are already on their way.
This morning I was reading Spurgeon’s Faith Checkbook and his words echoed the words of Addison Raws. Let them burn into your heart today, brothers:
The Lord hears us BEFORE we call and often answers in the same speedy manner. Forseeing our needs, and our prayers, He so arranges providence that BEFORE the need actually arises HE has supplied it, BEFORE the trail assails us HE has armed us against it. This is the promptitude of omniscience, and we have often seen it exercised. BEFORE we dreamed of the affliction which was coming, the strong consolation which was to sustain us under it had arrived. What a prayer-answering God we have!

The second clause suggests the telephone! Though God be in heaven and we upon earth, yet HE makes our word, like His own word, to travel very swiftly. WHEN WE PRAY ARIGHT WE SPEAK INTO THE EAR OF GOD. Our gracious Mediator presents our petitions at once, and the great Father hears and smiles upon them. Grand praying this!

Who would not be in much prayer when he KNOWS he has the ear of the King of kings? This day I will pray in faith, not only believing that I SHALL be heard, but that I AM heard; not only that I SHALL be answered, but that I HAVE THE ANSWER ALREADY! Holy Spirit, help me in this!

I am very thankful today that God is ALWAYS previous. What a gigantic truth for today, brothers. My prayer is this: Holy Spirit, help me in this! How about you? – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
GPS – God’s Positioning System: Lamentations 3:37-5:22; Psalm 42; Proverbs 16
Compass Pointers: God has wisely kept us in the dark concerning future events and reserved for himself the knowledge of them, that he may train us up in a dependence upon himself and a continued readiness for every event. Matthew Henry
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 4:13-14; Level 2: John 4:34-38
Anchored to the Rock: We are never more like Christ than in prayers of intercession. Austin Phelps

Hard Sayings

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Hard Sayings XV 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”  Matt 5:38-39 (ESV) 

I think one of the hardest things for us guys to do is to hold back on retaliation. We seem to take comfort in what we read written in the Book of Exodus chapter 21:24 and think it is okay to rest in it. But if you were to read the whole of the passage that verse 24 comes from you would see it in a different light. It is not a “permission” as much as it is a guideline. “When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” Ex 21:22-25 (ESV) 

My Pastor gave me a book titled, “The Hard Sayings of Jesus” by F.F. Bruce. In chapter fifteen the author goes into a dialogue about what Jesus said during His Sermon on the Mount concerning retaliation. When you look at Matthew 5:39 we are being told to something which does not come natural to us. When an unprovoked attack comes our way and it was with a particular viciousness it is our nature to strike back either just as hard or even harder. The verse’s we read in Exodus do actually impose a strict limitation on vengeance but Jesus goes a step further and says, “Don’t retaliate at all” WHAT!? So if my neighbor comes over to me and just hauls off and back hands me with the back of his right hand and connects with my right cheek, let him have a shot at the left? Nah…that can’t be  

Well it is really is an illustration of a bigger point and it falls in line with something that Jesus told His disciples; Not to harbor a spirit of resentment. If someone does commit an act of injury against or they put you in some sort of inconvenience, show yourself the master of the situation by giving them the advantage. Now that just blows me away because the only way I had, at one time, was if you needed to gain the upper hand on something you just go get a bigger hammer. But Jesus would have told me not to and that would have just held me in state of vexation. I can imagine Him saying to me at this point, “My child why voice a sense of grievance when it is better to perform an act of grace?”
As I read farther into this chapter the author made this point, “The admonition to turn the other cheek is given by Jesus to His disciples. It belongs to the sphere of personal behavior.” The apostle Paul went throughout his ministry repeating this teaching of Jesus. He regarded the act of retaliation as an act for the civil ruler, “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” (Romans 13:3-4 ESV) You have got to be kidding me, right? 

There are many other hard sayings of Jesus in this book that Pastor Ort gave to me. And as long as he lets me hold on to this book (he actually gave me three on hard sayings) I will share with you what I am getting out of it. But this “turn the other cheek” statement has got to be one of the top ten if not in the top five of the hardest things Jesus taught us to do. And I have the hardest time with it. But there is great wisdom in the idea that one can master the situation by allowing the Holy Spirit to bring conviction rather than ourselves. I hope I can remember that the next time I go looking for a bigger hammer. – Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a regular Freedom Fighter contributor 

GPS – God’s Positioning System: Lamentations 1:1-3:36; Psalm 41; Proverbs 15
Compass Pointers: “Remember that true firmness is gentle, humble, and calm. A sharp tongue, a proud heart, and an iron hand have no place in God’s work. Wisdom “sweetly orders all things.” Do you act this way? If you ever find yourself acting otherwise, humble yourself immediately. Uphold a godly standard, but admit when you uphold it in an ungodly way. No book or prayer will help you die to yourself as much as facing the humiliation of your daily failures.” The Seeking Heart  Fenelon

Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: John 4:13-14; Level 2: John 4:34-38
Anchored to the Rock: Men who know their God are before anything else men who pray. J. I. Packer