Systematic Navigation: Necessity

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Systematic Navigation: Necessity
“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:14-15 (ESV)
Having a Bible around has become a necessity in my life. Just never know when you are gonna need a good sword to cut with at the dinner table or to go out into the world with. I even have gone as far as having “Olive Tree” Bible software installed on my smartphone just in case. Now this is not to say that if you are not doing likewise that there may be something amiss. If we were to look back into Nehemiah and Ezra’s time, Ezra had stood at the Water Gate and read God’s Word aloud to His people as per the ordinance of God. There were no Droid 2’s or i-Phones available to the nation of Israel for them to download His Word onto but they had, at times, understood the importance of God’s Word being part of their everyday life. After all, in the one account in the book of Nehemiah, they spent a longtime out in the morning sun, standing up, to listen to Ezra’s reading of the Word.
The point here is that when we are calling on the name of the Lord, in even those hot morning sun moments, it is necessary to have had His word convened to us in some fashion. It is a necessary for us in the knowing of the Gospel, maintaining our spiritual life and knowing God’s will. In plain English, it is a necessity for God’s people to know God’s Word. And within His Word we have the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. The four faith wondering questions in the passage of Romans that I have used today can only be answered in a one simple statement and that is…“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17 ESV) In order for Paul to have been able to convene this message to his reader’s he needed to understand the Old Covenant in order to preach the New Covenant.
During his time of testing in the wilderness, Jesus Himself understood that even the physical existence of mere man was nothing without a daily feeding of the Father’s Word. As it was recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus quotes what we can find in Deuteromony chapter 8…”And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deut 8:3 ESV) Even as of late, a good friend of mine and I had engaged in a conversation about using “The Message”. My position was one of at least trying to get the unsaved, from the streets perhaps, to understand something of God’s Word in a language that the unsaved might be able to digest. Jorge reminded me that as written in 1 Peter…“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter 2:2-3 ESV) it is just as important that we do not speak a tainted Gospel. (Thank you Jorge for the rebuke, by the way)
It is the necessity of Scripture “READ!!” that allows us to know what God’s will is for our lives. I am sure that we are born with some knowledge of God’s will or a moral code but without aligning this with Scripture that knowledge can be indistinct and lack in its certainty. I use to read a lot of Nietzsche and had those times when I was absolutely certain that this all made perfect sense. But when you run him through God’s Word, especially when you place any of his work up against what we read in Deuteronomy 29:29…“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”(ESV) and then see that this comes to fulfillment in Romans 11:33…”Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”(ESV) it seems to be no longer a good thing to just be “Human, All Too Human”.
So for all his grace and grit, up to the time of his arrest, Paul never stopped walking around preaching the Gospel message and that he got his walking instructions on the road to Damascus. And since he was there during the stoning of Stephen, he heard the Gospel message before his conversion. The blinding light that was before him saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me” (Acts 9:4 ESV) gave him a clear belief. All that was left for Paul at that point was to call out, “Who are you, Lord?” Paul was a great example of why it is necessary to read and preach God’s Word. Can you follow the same example? – Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a regular Freedom Fighter Contributor

GPS – God’s Positioning System: 1 Chronicles 13-16; Psalm 106:1-23; Proverbs 25
Compass Pointers: “The threefold purpose of the Bible is to inform, to inspire faith and to secure obedience. Whenever it is used for any other purpose; it is used wrongly and may do actual injury. The Holy Scriptures will do us good only as we present an open mind to be taught, a tender heart to believe and a surrendered will to obey.”     
The Next Chapter after the Last  A.W. Tozer

Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: Proverbs 17:28; Level 2: Proverbs 17:1-6
Anchored to the Rock: Abandon the secret chamber and the spiritual life will decay. Isaac Watts

The Sting is Gone

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The Sting is Gone
“Where, O death, is your sting?” 1 Corinthians 15:22
The story is told about a little boy and his father who were driving down a long country road on a very beautiful day. All of a sudden out of nowhere a bumblebee flew in inside the car window.
Since the little boy was deathly allergic to bee stings, he became really frightened.  The father quickly reached over, grabbed the bee, squeezed it in his hand, and then released it.

As soon as the bee started to fly away, the panic set in again for this little boy. The father saw the panic and reached out again, this time pointing to his hand. There stuck in the palm of the father’s hand was the stinger.

“Look, son. Do you see this? You don’t need to be afraid anymore. I’ve taken the sting for you.”

What an amazing illustration of Easter. We do not need to be afraid of death anymore. Christ faced death for us! And by His victory, we are saved from sin. Christ has taken away the sting of death! Christ has taken the stinger for you and for me! Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Death cannot keep His pray, Jesus, my Savior!
He tore the bars away – Jesus, my Lord!

Up from the grace He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes!
He arose a victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever with His saints to reign!
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Rejoice today, my brothers! He is risen! He is risen indeed! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
GPS – God’s Positioning System: 2 Samuel 5:11-6:23; Psalm 105:26-45; Proverbs 24
Compass Pointers: Evil in all its concreteness and personal reality challenged Christ and what he stood for, consummating the historic tragedy of the cross. This challenge was of the nature of an “everlasting nay” hurled at God himself. To this challenge God in Christ responded with an “everlasting yea”…making an end of sin and its power over man, and in the resurrection, triumphing. John A. Mackay

Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: Proverbs 17:28; Level 2: Proverbs 17:1-6
Anchored to the Rock: Prayer is not everything, but everything is by prayer. Ray Ortlund

In Christ Alone

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 In Christ Alone

“So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in clean, fine linen, and placed it in his new tomb, which he had cut into the rock. He left after rolling a great stone against the entrance of the tomb.” Matthew 27:59-60 (Holman Christian Bible)
There have been some amazing hymns written in the past several years by some incredible men of God. I love this one written by Stuart Townend and Richard Getty:
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied –
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine –
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

This is the day in between the Cross and the Resurrection! What a great hymn text to focus on as we think back to the events of Good Friday and then to the glory of tomorrow! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
GPS – God’s Positioning System: 1 Chronicles 11-12; Psalm 105:1-25; Proverbs 23
Compass Pointers: The cross is the cost of my forgiveness!
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: Proverbs 16:1; Level 2: Proverbs 16:1-7
Anchored to the Rock: Prayer at its best is the expression of total life, for all things else being equal, our prayers are only as powerful as our lives. A. W. Tozer

The Cross

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The Cross

Today is Good Friday and many of us will reflect on what took place on the cross. C. Truman Davis explained in vivid detail what crucifixion was like in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. This is rather graphic, but I think necessary as we think about the suffering that our Savior went through for each of us:

What is crucifixion? A medical doctor provides a physical description: The cross is placed on the ground and the exhausted man is quickly thrown backwards with his shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flex and movement. The cross is then lifted into place.

The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees flexed. The victim is now crucified. As he slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain – the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves.

As he pushes himself upward to avoid stretching torment, he places the full weight on the nail through his feet. Again he feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of his feet.

As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled. He fights to raise himself in order to get even one small breath. Finally carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subside. Spasmodically he is able to push himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen.

Hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from his lacerated back as he moves up and down against the rough timber. Then another agony begins: a deep crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart.

It is now almost over – the loss of tissue fluids reached a critical level – the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues – the tortured lungs are making a frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air.

He can feel the chill of death creeping through His tissues … Finally, he can allow his body to die! All this the Bible records with the simple words, “And they crucified Him.” Mark 15:24

But He was pierced because of OUR transgressions, crushed because of OUR iniquities; punishment for OUR peace was on Him, and we are healed by HIS wounds. Isaiah 53:5

Take some time today to think through what HE went through because of YOU. YOU were on His mind the day HE died. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

GPS – God’s Positioning System: 2 Samuel 5:1-10; Psalm 104; Proverbs 22
Compass Pointers: He paid a didn’t He didn’t owe because I had a debt I couldn’t pay!
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: Proverbs 16:1; Level 2: Proverbs 16:-7
Anchored to the Rock: Our prayers are only as powerful as our lives. In the long pull we pray only as well as we live. A. W. Tozer

Thursday

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Thursday
“Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and His disciples followed Him. Luke 22:39
I want to share to hymn texts to a wonderful hymn that is hardly ever sung. It isn’t in most hymnals, but the text is so rich. My Pastor growing up, Pastor Van, would have us sing this every year around Easter.

The first text was written by William Tappan and sent to music by Willam B. Bradbury:

“Tis Midnight, and on Olive’s Brow

‘Tis midnight and on Olive’s brow
The star is dimmed that lately shone.
‘Tis midnight in the garden now —
The suffering Savior prays alone.


‘Tis midnight, and from all removed,
The Savior wrestles lone with fears;
E’en that disciple whom He loved
Heeds not his Master’s grief and tears.

‘Tis midnight, and for other’s guilt
The Man of Sorrows weeps in blood;
Yet He that has in anguish knelt,
Is not forsaken by His God.

‘Tis midnight, and from heaven’s plains
Is born the song that angels know;
Unheard by mortals are the strains
That sweetly soothe the Savior’s woe.

The great preacher, Charles Wesley, took this tune and penned this text:

‘Tis finished! The Messiah dies,
Cut off for sins, but not His own.
Accomplished is the sacrifice,
The great redeeming work is done!
The veil is rent; in Christ alone
The living way to heaven is seen;
The middle wall is broken down,
And all the world may enter in.
‘Tis finished! All my guilt and pain,
I want no sacrifice beside;
For me, for me the Lamb is slain;
‘Tis finished! I am justified.
The reign of sin and death is o’er,
And all may live from sin set free.
Satan has lost his mortal pow’r;
‘Tis swallowed up in victory!
As we think of these hours before Good Friday, contemplate again these powerful texts. Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
GPS – God’s Positioning System: 1 Chronicles 7-10; Psalm 103; Proverbs 21
Compass Pointers: Human character and destiny are revealed by contact with Jesus Christ. Men are not saved or lost merely by moral character, but by their attitude toward the Son of God. As of old, He hung on Calvary between two men that represented at once both heave, and hell, so still it is true that the cross of Jesus is the dividing line between lost and saved men. A. B. Simpson
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: Proverbs 16:1; Level 2: Proverbs 16:1-7
Anchored to the Rock: Every prayer should begin with the confession that our lips are unclean! – Friedrich Tholuck

Nothing the Blood Cannot Cover

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Nothing the Blood Cannot Cover
“The blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from ALL sin.” 1 John 1:7b (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
I came across this poem many years ago about the blood of Christ and its power:
There is NOTHING the Blood cannot cover,
Tho’ sin is as black as can be.
Your heart may be darker than midnight,
But grace is ABOUNDING for thee.
Your life may be cursed by its shadow,
And hope has all vanished from view,
But there’s NOTHING the Blood cannot cover,
Since JESUS as shed it for YOU.

There is NOTHING the Blood cannot cover,
Since JESUS has died for us all.
No nation or tongue is excluded,
For all are condemned by the Fall.
On Calvary He cried, “It is finished;
Forgive them, Father, I pray.”
There is NOTHING, the Blood cannot cover,
That was not atoned for that day.

Come now to the fountain of cleansing,
Plunge deep in its life-giving flow,
His mercy and grace are sufficient,
His pardon He longs to bestow.
Say not, “I am too vile and unworthy,”
That fact will not sinners debar,
For there’s NOTHING the Blood cannot cover.

If you’ll come to HIM just as you are.
So come while HIS love and HIS mercy
Is freely extended to you.
Be wise to your need of salvation,
And do what you know YOU should do.
Heed now His sweet call to repentance,
And walk in the Blood-sprinkled way,
For there’s NOTHING the Blood cannot cover,
If you will but trust HIM today.  F. E. Robinson

Take some time to thank Him for HIS BLOOD that was shed for YOU. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

GPS – God’s Positioning System: 1 Chronicles 6; Psalm 102; Proverbs 20

Compass Pointers: Jesus Christ is not only the Son of God mighty to save, but the Son of man able to feel. J. C. Ryle
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: Proverbs 16:1; Level 2: Proverbs 16:1-7
Anchored to the Rock: Prayer at its best is the expression of the total life, for all things else being equal, our prayers are only as powerful as our lives. A. W. Tozer

Don’t Look

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Don’t Look
“And as Moses was lifted up in the wilderness, even so the son man must be lifted up that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:14-15
Do you remember the YOUR response when someone told you “don’t do this” or “don’t do that?” I don’t know what makes me do this, but when I was riding down the highway the other night, there was a car pulled over and behind him was a policeman with what had to be the brightest lights I have seen. It hurts the eye to look at the lights directly, but you find yourself doing just that.
Recently I had laser eye surgery and during the procedure the surgeon said, “Don’t look at the light.”  Guess what … I found myself trying to look at the light.
I wrote yesterday that I don’t like blood and gore. But anytime I have been near an accident or someone injured, my curiosity gets the best of me and I find myself looking.

I wonder what it must have been like at the Cross that day. All of the people who turned against my Savior – the ones that chose Barabbas to be set free rather than the Son of God. I can’t help but think that their eyes were drawn to the cross. Despite the bloody form of the One on that middle cross, their eyes were drawn to LOOK!

What did they see? What did they observe? Hymn writer-preacher, Isaac Watts penned these words:

When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride.


Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most – I sacrifice them to His blood.

SEE [Look – Observe] from HIS head, His hands, His feet,
SORROW AND LOVE FLOW MINGLED DOWN;
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.

Maybe today is the day that YOU need to look to the Lamb of God – the One who has taken away the sins of the world. If you have never trusted Jesus Christ as YOUR Savior – today can be that day. If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus, respond to this email and I will be happy to send you some information. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

GPS – God’s Positioning System: 1 Chronicles 3-5; Psalm 101; Proverbs 19

Compass Pointers: The Cross of Christ is the heart of the Gospel. It takes the entire Bible to explain it. All our teaching must relate to that like all the spokes and rim and tires of a wheel relate to the axis. Jesus is the center, the pivot. Everything else will fit into place around Jesus. Indeed the entire word of God revolves around Him. If Christ is not the hub the wheel will wobble and break. Reinhard Bonnke

Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: Proverbs 16:1; Level 2: Proverbs 16:1-7
Anchored to the Rock: None but praying leaders can have praying followers … we do greatly need somebody who can set the saints to this business of praying. E. M. Bounds

It Was Gory — There’s No Way to Get Around It

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It Was Gory – There’s No Way To Get Around It

“But He was wounded for OUR transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:6

Last Saturday we took a bus trip with some of our Keswick senior friends to Union City, NJ for the presentation of the Passion Play. This is the 97th year that they have been presenting this powerful drama at this inner city theater.

One of our travelers asked long-time believer if they were going, and the response was, “Oh no … I wouldn’t go. They make it all too gory. Why do they have to make it so gory?”

Stop and think about how foolish that response is. I don’t like gory movies. I don’t like to even look at blood. But it really is important for grasp just how much suffering and torment our blessed Savior went through the hours leading up to His crucifixion and then those horrific hours on the Cross. There’s no way to get around it – it was gory! It was awful. He was wounded for OUR transgressions – bruised and batter for OUR iniquities!  He did all of this so that sin could be taken care of once and for all – your sin. My sin. The sins of the world.\
One of the great songs about the cross which is hardly ever sung, expresses the pain and agony of our Savior …

O sacred Head, now wounded with grief and shame weighed down;
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown.
How pale Thou art with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn;
How does that visage languish, which once was bright as morn!


What, Thou, my Lord, hast suffered was all for sinner’s gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior; ‘Tis I deserve Thy place.
Look on me with Thy favor; Assist me with Thy grace.

What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest Friend,
For this, Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever; And should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love for Thee!

It would be so easy to move through this week and have it be just like any other week. Just maybe, it would be good for us to think and contemplate intentionally this week about Him – the Cross – and His amazing love for you and me. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
GPS – God’s Positioning System: 1 Chronicles 1-2; Psalm 100; Proverbs 18
Compass Pointers: I lay my ‘whys?’ before Your cross in worship kneeling, my mind beyond all hope, my heart beyond all feeling; and worshipping, realize that I, in knowing You, don’t need a ‘why?’ Ruth Bell Graham

Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: Proverbs 16:1; Level 2: Proverbs 16:1-7
Anchored to the Rock: Prayer is the nearest approach to God and the highest enjoyment of Him that we are capable of in this life. William Law

All Glory, Laud and Honor

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All Glory, Laud and Honor

Today is Palm Sunday and I want to share one of my favorite Palm Sunday hymn texts written way back in the 821’s. It was translated in the mid 1800’s. The text is rich with praise, adoration and worship:
All glory, laud and honor to You, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring.
You are the King of Israel and David’s royal Son,
Now in the Lord’s name coming, our King and blessed One!
The company of angels are praising You on high,
Creation and all mortals in chorus make reply.
The people of the Hebrews with palms before You went;
Our praise and prayer and anthems before You we present.
To You, before Your passion, they sang their hymns of praise;
To You, now high exalted, our melody we raise.
As You received their praises, accept the prayers we bring.
For You delight in goodness, O good and gracious King!

Today is HIS day. Worship and adore Him – YOUR King, YOUR Redeemer and friend! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

GPS – God’s Positioning System: 2 Samuel 1-4; Psalm 99; Proverbs 17 
Compass Pointers: When Christians say the Christ-life is in them, they do not mean simply something mental or moral. When they speak of being “in Christ” or of Christ being “in them,” this is not simply a way of saying that they are thinking about Christ or copying Him. They mean that Christ is actually operating through them…
(Clive Staples) C. S. Lewis

Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: Proverbs 16:1; Level 2: Proverbs 16:1-7
Anchored to the Rock: Prayer is conditioned by one thing alone and that is spirituality. Leonard Ravenhill

Ten Suggestions For Getting Along Better With People

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Ten Suggestions for Getting Along Better with People
If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18

If you haven’t figured it out, I like lists! Here is a good one in learning how to get along with each other:

  1. Guard your tongue. Say LESS than you think.
  2. Make promises sparingly. Keep them faithfully.
  3. Never let an opportunity pass to say a kind word.
  4. Be interested in others, their pursuits, work, families.
  5. Be cheerful. Don’t dwell on minor aches and disappointments.
  6. Keep an open mind. Discuss but don’t argue. Disagree without being disagreeable.
  7. Discourage gossip. It’s destructive.
  8. Pay no attention to ill-natured remarks about you. Live so that nobody will believe them.
  9. Be careful of other’s feelings.
  10. Don’t be anxious about getting credit. Just do your best and be patient.
Now here is your assignment. These are all biblical principles. Take the list and add the appropriate verses. I have a gift for everyone who sends me their list. Have a good Saturday. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
GPS – God’s Positioning System: 1 Samuel 28-31; Psalm 98; Proverbs 16
Compass Pointers: An acre of performance is worth a whole world of performance. James Howell
Navigation Rules to Memorize:  Level 1: Proverbs 15:1; Level 2: Proverbs 15:29-33
Anchored to the Rock: Do not work so hard for Christ that you have no strength to pray, for prayer requires strength. J. Hudson Taylor