Maybe I Should Have Turned Around

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Maybe I Should Have Turned Around
“But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you.”  1 Samuel 8:6-8 (ESV)
I know that some of you may be experiencing the unpleasantness of Christmas shopping. Whether you are going after work or on the weekend, I am sure that the crowds along with the amount of money you could be spending has you feeling pretty beat up. I drive by the malls in my area I find that I sit in my truck and wait as I try to get from one town to another. And for those of you who may have to park the car at the local malls, you stand a good chance of making that hard turn into an available space to only find that there is a shopping cart ditched out of view in the space. And I can also let you in on something that I have recently found out…the real terror of shopping in the malls happens during the day.
I was browsing around an infamous store just the other day and was just taken back by a scene that has gotten me steamed. While going down the book aisle I had almost tripped over a display that was right in front of section where the Bible is sold. It was a display containing a series of books based on a popular vampire and werewolf television show which I believe has now gone into movie theaters. Made me shake my head and wonder what this store is trying to shove down the throats of its customers during the Christmas shopping season. And then it got me wondering about the customers of this store.
Do they really understand what this season really is about? Don’t they understand that Jesus Christ, the only one who can save them from this kind of evil, was born on the day that someone plans on giving one of these books to a loved one as a Christmas present? Hmm…It reminded me about a time where Samuel wasn’t being listened to by the nation of Israel. I imagined a crowd of people chanting…”We want a king…we want a king…we want a king.” I know this wasn’t the case, Samuel’s own sons chose not to walk in the same way their father did and it gave a foothold for compromise. That compromise came from watching the sons conduct themselves with a heart of perverted justice and greed so why not approach the prophet of God with an ultimatum, one that changes the nation of Israel forever.
 Samuel has to tell God that His people want a king because they won’t listen to him any more and God says it is not you but Me they don’t want to listen to so let them have a king. Then God instructs Samuel to tell the nation of Israel you are getting your king and here is what he will take from you. Saul is privately anointed king then has his moment of incomplete obedience by not killing the king of the Amalekites and when all is said and done the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel. But it doesn’t end there does it? A little shepherd boy comes unto the scene and he takes on a bear, a lion then proclaims that this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them because he has defied the armies of the living God. David goes on to become the most revered king that Israel has ever had, a man after God’s own heart.
So as I walk away from this book display I gaze out at the store and look into the crowd and wonder if this is what they really want? A very fictional reality that can only led to destruction? At that moment I hear “Excuse me” and I move on. I do not look back to see if I was in the way of the display or just blocking the aisle but this moment has reinforced to me that Jesus is always the reason for any season and that I really don’t need to look at one day to acknowledge Him.

 Christmas is for everyone and it will be up to people like us, Christian, to tell the world what will happen to them when they lose sight of what it really took place on that night when a star appeared in the sky to guide the shepherds to a manger that held the true reality that they are looking for. Maybe I should have turned around. – Chris Hughes is a regular contributor to Freedom Fighter and a graduate of the Colony of Mercy

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 18; Obadiah; Revelation 9

Dig This Quote: “When outward distractions and a wayward imagination hinder you from having a peaceful inner life, then you must, by an act of will, bring yourself before God. Not that you can force yourself into God’s presence, but even the desire to come into God’s presence is, in itself, a powerful aid to your spirit. Cultivate a pure and upright intention toward God.” The Seeking Heart    Fenlon
Determined Digging: Level 1: John 15:16; Level 2: Matthew 7:7-11

Determined Praying: (continued from yesterday) Those who are disciples of the Lord Jesus should labor with all their might in the work of God as if everything depended upon their own endeavors. Yet, having done so, they should not in the least trust in their labor and efforts, nor in the means that they use for the spread of the truth, but in God alone; and they should with all earnestness seek the blessing of God in persevering, patient, and believing prayer. (continued tomorrow) George Muller

Just Give Me Jesus — Jesus Makes Amply Supply

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Just Give Me Jesus – Jesus Makes Resources Ample
“But when the Helper [Counselor] comes, that is the Spirit of Truth, who comes from the Father and whom I myself will send to you from the Father, he will speak plainly about me.” John 15:26 [Phillip’s Translation]
I remember that first time I ever sang the chorus “Glorify Thy Name.” If you remember the little praise song, it says, “Father, I love You, I worship and adore You, glorify Your name in all the earth …” There are three stanzas to the chorus – Father, we love You, Jesus, we love You, and Spirit, we love you.
What baffled me was how many places sang that chorus and just used the first and second stanza. I got bold one day and asked the Pastor why just 1 and 2 and not 3. His response both baffled and grieved me. “We don’t want to give too much emphasis to the Holy Spirit!” Huh? What? Duh? “Do you believe in the Trinity?” “Yes,” “So when does three in One become two in One and still be a Trinity?”
The Holy Spirit IS a part of the God-head. He was sent to us by God the Father and God the Son. He is more than just our Counselor, but He is THE Counselor.

Anne Graham Lotz shares that the Amplified Bible give six other names for this One called the Holy Spirit and then defines the word from good old Webster:

Counselor – One Whose profession is to give advice and manage cures.
Comforter – One Who relieves another of mental distress.
Helper – One Who furnishes relief or support. One Who is of use and waits upon another.
Intercessor – One Who acts between two parties to reconcile differences.
Advocate – One Who pleads the cause of another.
Strengthener – One Who causes another to grow, become stronger, endure, and resist attacks.
Standby – One Who can be relied upon either for regular use or in emergencies.

So …

Are you distressed today? Then you need the COMFORTER!
Are you facing major decisions? They you need the COUNSELOR!
Do you need relief from, our in support in, your responsibilities? Then you need the HELPER!
Do you have a broken relationship? Then you need the INTERCESSOR!
Are you being criticized, falsely accused misunderstood? Then you need the ADVOCATE!
Are you constantly defeated by habits of sin? Then you need the STRENGTHENER!
Are you unprepared for an emergency? Then you need the STANDBY!
The Holy Spirit is fabulous! He’s EVERYTHING that Jesus is!

Wow! The Holy Spirit is there for YOU today. From the list above, how is He ministering to you today? – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 17; Amos 7-9; Revelation 8
Dig This Quote: Christ became what we are that He might make us what He is. — Anthanasius
Determined Digging: Level 1: John 15:16; Matthew 7:7-11
Determined Praying: It is not enough for the believer to begin to pray, nor to pray correctly; nor is it enough to continue for a time to pray. We must patiently, believingly continue in prayer until we obtain an answer. Further, we have not only to continue in prayer until the end, but we have also to believe that God does hear us and will answer our prayers. Most frequently we fail in not continuing in prayer until the blessing is obtained, and in not expecting the blessing. (continued tomorrow) George Muller

Just Give Me Jesus — Jesus Makes Suffering Understandable

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Just Give Me Jesus – Jesus Makes Suffering Understandable
“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
There are so many people around me that our suffering and suffering hard. A dear friend is battling cancer that is spreading out of control through her body. Another friend is walking through a reoccurring addiction in his life. Another friend is wheel-chair bound from a biking accident and will most likely never walk again.
Why did our kids have to lose their precious 2 year old daughter? Why did another friend’s son take his life? There are lots of questions surrounding suffering that just don’t make sense to us right now.
On the back end of suffering, there is a little glimpse into how God uses our suffering for His glory and our good. It doesn’t necessarily take away the questions, nor does it always help with the pain, but the reality is that suffering in our lives ends up being a way to comfort and help others.
The apostle Paul wrote: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. HE comforts us in all OUR afflictions, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we have received from God. For as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so our comfort overflows through Christ.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

We suffer, we experience God’s comfort and help in our time and trouble, and then He brings into our lives other people who are going through the same things, and then we end up comforting them with the same comfort that we have received from Him.

You’ve been there – someone approaches you who is really hurting and they say, “But you don’t understand ….” Then God gives you the opportunity to share with them how in the midst of your suffering – this is what God did in YOUR life.

I don’t have all the answers for those who hurt. But as Anne Graham Lotz reminds us, Jesus, the One who suffered beyond anything we can imagine, makes suffering understandable because:
He guards the young.
He seeks the stray.
He finds the lost.
He guides the faithful.
He rights the wronged.
He avenges the abused.
He defends the weak.
He comforts the oppressed.
He welcomes the prodigal.
He heals the sick.
He cleanses the dirty.
He beautifies the barren.
He restores the failure.
He mends the broken.
He blesses the poor.
He fills the empty.
He clothes the naked.
He satisfies the hungry.
He elevates the humble.
He forgives the sinner.
He raises the dead.
Just give me Jesus! You’ll never know that Jesus is ALL you need until Jesus is ALL you have. When Jesus is ALL you have, you’ll know Jesus is ALL you need. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 16; Amos 4-6; Revelation 7
Dig This Quote: “Your ability to keep your fire burning in the midst of a storm is paramount to becoming a champion.” ~Dan Green
Determined Digging: Level 1: John 15:16; Level 2: Matthew 7:7-11
Determined Praying: If we cannot go to the house of the Lord we can go by faith to the Lord of the house. Matthew Henry

Just Give Me Jesus — Jesus Makes Happiness Attainable

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Just Give Me Jesus – Jesus Makes Happiness Available
“For He has satisfied the thirsty and filled the hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:9 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
My 14 years at America’s Keswick has been the ride of my life. I have run into people from all walks of life who have been chasing happiness. They try to find happiness and love in all sorts of places, people and situations only to find out that it isn’t where they expect to find it.
Some use drugs. Others use alcohol, sex, food, tobacco, shopping, texting, gambling. Some of us think that happiness comes from the latest gadget or electronic device. Iphones, Ipads, Blackberrys, PlayStation, Xbox …
And most of us have come to realize that this kind of happiness is just an illusion. It quickly comes and it quickly goes. Then we are on to the next thing and the cycle of disillusionment and emptiness continues.
The bottom line is that Jesus Christ is the ONLY source of TRUE, MEANINGFUL and LASTING happiness. In HIM you are finding happiness in the RIGHT place.

And yet sometimes we Christians walk around joyless, unhappy and miserable. Well, we will say we are happy and joyful on the “inside” – but to the world we look as unhappy, unfulfilled and miserable as everyone else. I’ve often said that if we wanted to start a revival, just get Christians to notify their faces that they have been filled with “joy unspeakable and full of glory!”

Jesus is the ONLY source of REAL happiness. Anne Graham Lotz reminds us this truth:
He discharges the debtors!
He delivers the captives!
He defends the feeble!
He blesses the young!
He serves the unfortunate!
He regards the aged!
He rewards the diligent!
He beautifies the meek!
He is the key to knowledge.
He is the wellspring of wisdom.
He is the fountain of faith.
He is the doorway of deliverance.
He is the pathway to peace,
He is the roadway of righteousness.
He is the gateway to glory.
He is the highway to happiness.
I am thankful this morning that JESUS makes happiness attainable. The old hymn says, “All that I want is in Jesus! He satisfies, joy He supplies!
Life would be hopeless without Him – all that in Jesus I find!
Is He your “all in all” today? I trust so! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 15; Amos 1-3; Revelation 6
Dig This Quote: “The main thing we learn from a serious attempt to practice the Christian virtues is that we fail. If there was any idea that God had set us a sort of exam and that we might get good marks by deserving them, that has to be wiped out. If there was any idea of a sort of bargain—any idea that we could perform our side of the contract and thus put God in our debts so that it was up to Him to perform His side—that has to be wiped out….everyone has the idea of an exam or of a bargain; the first result of real Christianity is to blow that to bits.” CS Lewis
Determined Digging: Level 1: John 15:16; Level 2: Matthew 7:7-11

Determined Praying: The prayer of faith is the only power in the universe to which the great Jehovah yields. Robert Hall

I Don’t Want to Assume …

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I Don’t Want to Assume …
“ … Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved … “ Acts 16:31
Yesterday’s Freedom Fighter ended with the assumption YOU were going to heaven. I can’t make that assumption and don’t want to. The question I have for you today is, have you trusted in Jesus Christ as YOUR personal Savior.
Your eternal destiny matters to God and it matters to me. I can’t assume you will be in heaven because you are a good person, or because you are doing good things. I can’t assume you will be in heaven because you come from a long line of religious family members.

The bottom line is that YOU must personally trust Christ as the Savior of YOUR soul. He died on the cross for YOU. Why? Because you and I are sinners and our sin separates us from God. Bottom line … sin = death.

Jesus died to pay with His own blood for your sins and mine. What He asks in return is that by faith in Him alone, we ask Him to save us from our sins and receive the free gift of eternal life (John 3:16). That’s the essence of the Gospel.

The alternative = hell. Anne Graham Lotz reminds us that:
Hell is a place of physical agony, mental suffering, and emotional sorrow.
Hell is a place of insecurity and fear.
Hell is a place of instability
Hell is a place of darkness.
Hell is a place of loneliness.
Hell is a place of dissatisfaction.
Hell is a place of ETERNAL separation from God!
So which would you choose? Spending eternity with God, or eternally separated from Him in hell?  Brother, if you have never trusted Jesus Christ as YOUR personal Savior, then today’s Freedom Fighter is for YOU. TODAY is the day of salvation. It is a simple as ABC …
Admit you are a sinner. Thank Him for dying on the cross for YOUR sin. Repent of Your sin. (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23)
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and YOU will be saved! (Acts 16:31)
Confess Him as YOUR Lord and Savior. (Romans 10:9-10)
If that is the desire of your heart, will you email me? I would love to send you a little booklet that will help you walk through the most important decision you will ever make in this life. I just can’t assume you will be in heaven! I want you and me to make sure! 1 John 5: 13. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 14; Joel; Revelation 5
Dig This Quote: Yes, we can believe God with all of our heart and yet have our heart broken by the loss of a child or the treachery of a spouse or the menace of a fatal disease. We know this is true — everyone in the church knows it. And yet, generation after generation of bruised saints have known something else and spoken of it. In the mystery of faith, we find a hand on us in the darkness, a voice that calls our name, and the sheer certainty that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God — not for this life and not for the life to come. We may be scarred and shaken, but as Lewis Smedes says in one of his sermons, we come to know that it’s all right, even when everything is all wrong. Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.

Determined Digging: Level 1: John 15:16; Level 2: Matthew 7:7-11

Determined Praying: Prayer, is the very natural breath of faith. William Gurnall

Just Give Me Jesus — Jesus Makes Change Possible

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Just Give Me Jesus – Jesus Makes Change Possible
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
Just about every day we get to see lives transformed and changed at America’s Keswick. I love the fact that Jesus makes change and transformation possible!
Today I share Part 2 from Anne Graham Lotz’s book, JUST GIVE ME JESUS (Word):
Jesus Makes Change Possible
No means of measure can define His limitless love …
No far-seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply …
No barrier can hinder Him from pouring our His blessings …
He forgives and He forgets!
He creates and He cleanses!
He restores and He rebuilds!
He heals and He helps!
He reconciles and He redeems!
He comforts and He carries!
He lifts and He loves!
He is the God of the second chance, the fat chance, the slim, chance, the no chance!
If you are IN CHRIST you are a new creation,
Your sins are forgiven (COMPLETELY!).
Your guilt is atoned for (NO CONDEMNATION!).
Your past is removed!
Your future is secured!
You have peace in your heart!
You have purpose in your step!
You have a song on your lips.
You are saved from hell.
You are right with God.
You are going to heaven!
Jesus makes change possible! Just give me Jesus. I trust you are born again – a member of the family a God. – Bill Welte – President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 13; Hosea 12-14; Revelation 4

Dig This Quote: The question we must ask our heart is, “Am I comfortable under the eye of God? Or is God getting too close?” We are strange and lovely creatures. We can ache for God tremendously yet find ourselves getting nervous if God gets too close… It is both exciting and frightening to hear that call. MacRina Wiederkehr

Determined Digging: Level 1: John 15:16; Level 2: Matthew 7:7-11

Determined Praying:  The man who prays without faith has a radical defect in his character. H. W. Fulford

Just Give Me Jesus (Part 1)

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Just Give Me Jesus

“The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14 Holman Christian Standard Bible

A number of years I read Ann Graham Lotz’s book, Just Give Me Jesus. She has an amazing way of sharing truth, and so on this Lord’s day and this week, I want to share with you some of the amazing truths that she shares about our Savior and Lord. Her thoughts are taken from a message by the late Dr. S. M. Lockeridge:
Jesus Makes God Visible
He is enduringly strong.
He is entirely sincere.
He is eternally steadfast.
He is immortally gracious.
He is imperially powerful.
He is impartially merciful.
He is the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizons of the globe.

He is God’s Son.
He is the sinner’s Savior.
He is the captive’s Ransom.
He is the Breath of Life.
He is the centerpiece of civilization
He stands in the solitude of Himself.
He is august and He is unique.
He is unparalleled and He is unprecedented.
He is undisputed and He is undefiled.
He is unsurpassed and He is unshakable.

He is the lofty idea in philosophy.
He is the highest personality in psychology.
He is the supreme subject in literature.
He is the unavoidable problem in higher criticism.
He is the fundamental doctrine of theology.
He is the Cornerstone, the Capstone, and the stumbling Stone of all religion.
He is the miracle of the ages!  (from Just Give Me Jesus – Word)
That is just one aspect of this wonderful Jesus that we worship on this Lord’s Day! Jesus is the One who makes our God visible! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 12; Hosea 9-11, Revelation 3
Dig This Quote: God sometimes marvelously raiseth the souls of his saints with some close and near approaches unto them — gives them a sense of His eternal love, a taste of the embraces of His Son and the inhabitation of the Spirit, without the least intervening disturbance; and then this is their assurance. But this life is not a season to be always taking wages in; our work is not yet done; we are not always to abide in this mount; we must down again into the battle — fight again, cry again, complain again. Shall the soul be thought now to have lost its assurance? Not at all. It had before assurance with joy, triumph, and exultation; it hath it now, or may have, with wrestling, cries, tears, and supplications. And a man’s assurance may be as good, as true, when he lies on the earth with a sense of sin, as when he is carried up to the third heaven with a sense of love and foretaste of glory. John Owen
Determined Digging: Level 1: John 15:16; Level 2: Matthew 7:7-11

Determined Praying:  Praying without faith is like shooting without a bullet; it makes noise but does no execution. Francis Burkitt

Having an Uncondemned Heart

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Having An Uncondemned Heart
“Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” 1 Peter 4:19
There is nothing like a clear conscience! You know what I mean, brothers. I don’t have to explain that to you.

One of my favorite devotional authors is Dr. Glynn Evans. He wrote a daily devotional, DAILY WITH THE KING (Moody Press) that I have been reading for years. He has been a good mentor during my daily walk with the Lord. This is what he shared on December 10th about have a clear conscience and an uncondemned heart:

I must at all times strive to maintain a good conscience before God. A good conscience is one in which I am not conscious of anything in me that is offensive to God. A good conscience is cultivated by a close walk with God; the farther from God I live, the more I will tend to have a weak conscience, one that is weakened by too much contact with the world.

Thank God, no disciple ever has a dead conscience, one that is calloused or “past feeling” (Ephesians 4:19). Nor will the disciple ever have an evil conscience, one that is twisted by doing much evil.
A good conscience is not automatic. It is the result of the habit of bringing my “uncondemned heart” before God, who is greater than my conscience, and who by His power gradually brings my conscience into the same sensitive state that He is in (1 John 3:19-21). My aim must be to live before God with an “uncondemned heart” (clear conscience) so that I might “have confidence before God” (vs. 21). 

Nothing weakens my conscience and destroys my effectiveness in service more than having God stare at some things in my life that do not meet His approval. I must live the life of an uncondemned heart.
I can afford the criticism of the world, and even my Christian friends, if my heart is clean before God.

 I must never bow to criticism at the expense of my conscience, for that is denial of my conscience. Nor must I ever allow the conscience of others to dictate what my conscience ought to be before God. For that reason, I must repel social pressure to conform, and never lose my individual accounting before God. To become social clay is to deny my “good conscience” before God. I must always let Him be my shaper and molder (Jeremiah 18:6) so that I may become not only a usable vessel, but a person made sensitive toward sin as He Himself is.”

So brothers, how is your conscience? Is it clear? Do you have a condemned heart? If you have something between you and the Savior, today is the day to make it right! Talk to Him about it! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 11; Hosea 5-8; Revelation 2
Dig This Quote: When we stand in the middle of a lifestorm, it seems as if the storm has become our way of life. We cannot see a way out. We are unable to chart a course back to smoother waters. We feel defeated – and broken. Will that brokenness produce a cynicism that will keep us forever in the mire of if only thinking? Or will we yield up that brokenness to the resources of One who calms the winds and the waves, heals the brokenhearted, and forgives the most grievous of sins? The choice is ours.
Verdell Davis, in Riches Stored in Secret Places

Determined Digging: Level 1: John 15:5; Level 2: Matthew 6:30-34
Determined Praying: We are encouraged to come freely to God but not flippantly. John Blanchard

Godly Grief

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Godly Grief
“For I am afflicted and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.” Psalm 109:22
Grief is a word that we normally associate with the loss of a loved one. But there are different levels of grief that we experience in our lives. One that we need to take a look at is godly grief. Devotional writer, Glynn Evans, gives us some practical insight into understanding the value of godly grief in our lives:
I will never know God well until I learn His “grief.” I read, “It pleased the Lord to bruise Him [Christ]; he hath put Him to grief” (Isaiah 53:10). But the grief that Jesus suffered was My grief, a grief that came His way because of MY sin. Grief always touches me at the point of sin, either mine or someone else’s. That is why Paul could suffer great grief over the lost members of his own Jewish race (Romans 9:1-3).

When I am convicted of sin, I feel the grief of sin, which is really the grief of God over sin. The heaviness in my heart is simply the overflow of my sorrow of God concerning my sin. The moment I confess that sin, God is no longer sorrowful, and therefore I am no longer in grief.

Christ is constantly probing us to find a nerve that in us that is sensitive to sin. He said to Peter, “Lovest thou Me?” and Peter was grieved because Christ had reached the very center of his soreness (John 21:17). He is no disciple who had not felt the probing finger of Jesus Christ on his heart. That is the “godly grief” that Paul mentions as being good for us (2 Corinthians 7:7). How much better to be grieved by God than to be grieved by the world.

The life of discipleship itself is a life of grief. How can God deal with me without correcting me, and how can He correct me without hurt? No discipline is pleasant; it is “grievous … but it yields to the joy of mature, dependable discipleship” (Hebrews 12:11). My grief is therefore my joy and I should shout “Hallelujah!” because God is producing a better me.

At all costs I must avoid the grief of the world, a bitter sorrow without promise of a brighter tomorrow. How sweet is the Lord’s grief when accepted, and how eternal the consequences! My hope is in Him, “who wounds, but He binds up, He smites but His hand brings healing (Job 5:18, Berkley).

Brothers, is there an area in your life right now where you need to experience “godly grief?” If so, talk to Him about it right now. Don’t delay. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 10; Hosea 1-4; Revelation 1
Dig This Quote: Many do not recognize the fact as they ought, that Satan has got men fast asleep in sin and that it is his great device to keep them so. He does not care what we do if he can do that. We may sing songs about the sweet by and by, preach sermons and say prayers until doomsday, and he will never concern himself about us, if we don’t wake anybody up. But if we awake the sleeping sinner he will gnash on us with his teeth. This is our work – to wake people up. Catherine Booth

Determined Digging: Level 1: John 15:5; Level 2: Matthew 6:30-34
Determined Praying: There are no depths from which the prayer of faith cannot reach heaven. John Blanchard

What God Cannot Do

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WHAT GOD CANNOT DO
“Behold I am the Lord, the God of all flesh.  Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27).
Yesterday I shared with you Dr. Woodrow Kroll’s devotional on “What God Can Do.” Today we look at “What God Cannot Do!”
Does this mean that God will do anything you ask?  Probably not.
God’s omnipotence is His ability to do all His character will permit Him to do.  You can be thankful there are some things God just won’t do because they are out of harmony with His moral nature. 
God will not look on your sin with approval.  Habakkuk 1:12-13 says, “Are You not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? … You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness.”    God’s power won’t approve of your sin because His character won’t permit Him to do so.
Also, God will not be tempted to do evil Himself.  James 1:13, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.”  God doesn’t have the power to be tempted to do evil.  That’s why you can trust His character.  When you want God to do something that is out of character for Him, He won’t do it, and that should encourage you.
Besides this, God cannot lie.  To Titus the apostle Paul wrote that he was an apostle “according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgement of the truth which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began” (Titus 1:1-2).  That means you can trust God and His Word to always tell you the truth.  You may not like what He tells you, but you can be certain it will always be true.
God is not hampered by inability but sometimes He is deterred by His character.  If He delays in solving your problems, it’s not because He lacks the power to do something about them.  Rather, it’s because He possesses the wisdom to care for them in the right time and in the right way, neither of which may be evident yet.
Rejoice that God is omnipotent, but be equally glad that He is omniscient, all-knowing.  Without the combination of the two, you would have a God with strength but no character, power with no convictions.  Fortunately, our God has both.  Thank Him for who He is today. 
Dr. Woodrow Kroll is President of Back to the Bible and a friend of America’s Keswick
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 9; Daniel 11-12; Jude
Dig This Quote: “We should always keep Christ before our eyes. The devil continually tempts us to abandon Christ and seek the Father, saying to ourselves, ‘This or that will please him’. Meanwhile we ignore Christ—the One the Father sent—so that we might listen to Him alone. We respond as the Pharisees did and reject Christ. We wonder, ‘Where is the Father?’ That is the question that world asks. This is the greatest temptation to your faith. You must devote yourself to the Word of Christ and train yourself to hold on to it so that you never lose sight Jesus.” Martin Luther, Faith Alone.
Determined Digging: Level 1: John 15:5; Level 2: Matthew 6:30-34

Determined Praying: Prayer is possession by anticipation!