What God Can Do

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WHAT GOD CAN DO 
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,  And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,  To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 24-25)

One of my favorite Bible teachers is Dr. Woodrow Kroll, President of Back to the Bible. He has been a dear friend for years and is a great expositor of the Word. Today he shares with us the truth WHAT GOD CAN DO:
            While the power of God is unlimited, His power never operates outside of His moral character or His perfect will.  That is why there are some things God simply will not do.  But there are many things God will do for us that we don’t have the power to do for ourselves.  These are the things that bring the greatest joy to our hearts.  Let’s praise God for some of them.
God is powerful enough to provide for us more than we ask.  Ephesians 3:20-21, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”  While we often think in terms of asking too much of Him, He often thinks of us in terms of asking too little.  If we ask in His will, He is able to super-abound in our behalf.
God is powerful enough to preserve us strong in His salvation.  John 10:28-29, “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”  Many people struggle with their own security because they have an inappropriate view of salvation.
Salvation is not God reaching out of heaven and our grabbing His hand, holding on for dear life.  In fact, it’s more like God reaching out of heaven and holding onto to us with His omnipotent grasp.  We are only as safe as He is strong.  That’s why He is powerful enough to preserve us strong in His salvation.
God is powerful enough to present us blameless.  It has always been God’s goal to make us blameless.  Ephesians 1:4 says He chose us before the foundation of the world ”that we should be holy and without blame before Him.” 
Read those delightful verses of Jude 24-25 and praise God that He can do things for you that you can’t do for yourself.  Spend some time in praise of God’s omnipotent hand.  Without it, where would you be? Dr. Woodrow Kroll is the President of Back to the Bible
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 8; Daniel 8-10; 3 John
Dig This Quote: In the final analysis our great problem with holiness is not that our concepts of holiness are feeble, but that our hearts are rebellious. We are selfish, that’s our problem. And the fact that we often won’t admit our selfishness shows how deep the pride goes. Floyd McClung

Determined Digging: Level 1: John 15:5; Level 2: Matthew 6:30-34

Determined Praying: God’s ear lies closest to the believer’s lips!

Not Enough Sections

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Not Enough Sections
“And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  Luke 12:29-31 (KJV)
So back in July I tried to tell this guy there was a problem with inventory. “Too many posts and not enough sections!” I said. But he was having a bad day and responded with anger in his voice. Later on he called back, a whole more calmer than before, and tried to assure me that this will all come out in the wash later and it was too deep into our selling season to stop the presses and take a look. Then after Thanksgiving he was given the distinct privilege of releasing me from my position and then went on to say (somewhat) the following statements. “His son just decided to drop out of college and will need a job.” “His daughter will be finishing college as well and will need a job.” And here comes the kicker…”After doing the company wide inventory and spending the whole weekend trying to make this work it looks like we recorded having too many posts and not enough sections but I found what was wrong and we are going to lose more money than we originally thought.” Good Grief!!
He tried to assure me that I had done no real wrong. Maybe from his secular position in life that meant he thought that I didn’t break any of the Ten Commandments in his eyes? Then he went and gave me one of the best letters of recommendation I have ever received. And even though I had an inclination that thing’s in the NJ operation were up in the air I didn’t think I would be let go so soon. Oh well! So now I have a new position in life, unemployed. Or do I really? If I am a child of the King I do not have to buy into that. I am only unemployed for the moment. Outside of that there is something else that had gone on and I want to share that with you this morning.
I have one of those smartphones and it has an application to provide me with a Bible verse on a daily basis. Well that hadn’t worked very well since I downloaded it but it must have gotten an update overnight. Now I am very concerned about my economic future with all this nonsense going on down in Washington and I realize part of it is fear mongering. My wife works in the unemployment office so we do have a very real sense of what is going on but it is what was on my smartphone that brought it all into perspective. I woke up Sunday morning and realized that I had not turned my phone off or plugged it in to charge overnight.
I got out of bed and picked up my phone to check the charge on the battery. Then I saw that I had gotten a notification that I received my Bible verse for the day. As I touched the appropriate icon and read what came up I almost came to tears. The aforementioned verse was on the phone. Now I get those verses in the English Standard Version but I prefer looking at this verse in the “Ye Olde King Jimmy” version. It was a great way to start off the morning that would lead to going to His house and sharing this whole experience with everyone who wanted to talk about my job lose. I had been recently telling myself to count it all a joy before I would leave the house to go to work. I got to count it all a joy with God’s people on Sunday morning.
So what will I do now? Whatever God puts in front of me, that’s what. I made that commitment some seven years when He pulled me out of garbage pit I dug for myself. Am I still apprehensive about things? Yes I am but not too much. After all, in my eyes God has spoken and with a promise no less. All I have to do at this point is keep my focus on Him and not myself and it will be Him that provides. It may not be everything I could possibly want but I have a feeling that it will be everything I need. So are you wondering how you will make ends meet? Why not see what your Smartphone saying to you. – Chris Hughes is a regular contributor to Freedom Fighter and is a grad of the Colony of Mercy
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 7; Daniel 5-7; 2 John
Dig This Quote: “God has promised to sustain us by His grace. He has promised us the sustaining grace of forgiveness, so that we can stand before Him unafraid. He has promised the sustaining grace of enablement, giving us the strength to do what he calls us to do. He has promised us the sustain grace of protection, delivering us from evil. He has promised us the sustain grace of wisdom, protecting us from our own foolishness. He has promised us the sustaining grace of perseverance, keeping us until the final enemy has been defeated. He has promised us the sustaining grace of eternity, giving us the hope of a day when the struggle will be over.”  “Whiter than Snow”  Paul David Tripp
Determined Digging: Level 1 – John 15:5; Level 2 – Matthew 6:30-34

Determined Praying: Prayer is the pulse of the renewed soul; and the constancy of its beat is test and measure of spiritual life. Octavius Winslow

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

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Fearfully and Wonderfully Made – Psalm 139:13-18
 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. [1]
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.

I wasn’t going to post this picture yet, but we just welcomed our 8th and 9th grandchildren to our family. Weston James Houston was born on November 14th (bottom right) and Weston Arlin Groen was born this past Thursday.
We have quite the brood. They are all unique and different, and the toddlers are filled with energy without drinking Mountain Dew. Oh that I could bottle up the energy and sell it. I would make more money than the makers of Monster Drinks!
Holding the last two babies in my arms was a reminder that for nine months, our amazing Creator was knitting and fashioning them in the wombs of my daughters. They were “fearfully and wonderfully made.”
I am not sure what God has in store for these kids, but we are praying that at a very early age they will trust Christ as their Savior. Tanner and Emma have already done that. Lindsay is already in heaven waiting for all of us to join her. Who knows … maybe one of them will be the next William Raws or Billy Graham. Or just maybe one of the girls will be the next Damaris Carbaugh or Liz Curtis Higgs. I do know this – God created them for a purpose – just like He did YOU! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 6; Daniel 3-5; 1 John 5
Dig This Quote: The obsession we sometimes have with our past sins is one of the worst afflictions of the soul, It turns us into victims of our own abuse. This obsession with the past condemns us to forced labor in a cemetery where we are repeatedly exhuming skeletons only to bury them and exhume them again. Albert Haase

Determined Digging: Level 1: John 15:5; Level 2: Matthew 6:30-34

Importunity in Prayer

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IMPORTUNITY IN PRAYER

When you take the time to pray,
Do you only think of the words you say?
Do you think of bowing you head,
Or kneel when your words are said?

Do you think of God’s great power
When you pray for half an hour?
Do you contemplate God’s great plan
Or of the littleness of man?

How long will you make petition,
In an attitude of calm contrition?
Should God refuse to do your will.
How would His refusal make you feel?

Should He tarry for a year or two
Until you don’t know what to do,
Will you give up and cease to implore
When your little reserve is no more?

Suppose that after all the church is saying
You find no results in all of your praying.
If those who mock and challenge your Lord
As is recorded in God’s Holy Word,

Will you trust Him — should He slay you?
Will you stop because He did not obey you?
In God’s word you will find a sample,
God’s Own Son set the example.

Night and day He spent in prayer.
For His own He had great care.
Then when His will was that of a mortal
He pounded hard on Heaven’s portal!

The Father answered as He refused the request
Again and again He did His very best
To bring God’s will in conformity with His own
As He sweat, and wept, and prayed alone!

Now how did it end, that Garden’s battle
When the throne of God did rattle?
Christ’s will unchanged He ended that sad day
When the Son of God LEARNED TO OBEY!

So take the time to approach God’s throne
With His Holy Spirit you will not be alone.
Linger long in His presence each and every day
Until you learn the meaning of what it is to PRAY!

Pastor Van is a friend of the ministry of America’s Keswick and a regular contributor to Freedom Fighter

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 5; Daniel 1-2; 1 John 4

Determined Digging: Level 1: John 15:5; Level 2: Matthew 6:30-34

Determined Praying: We can do nothing without prayer. All things can be done by importunate prayer. It surmounts or removes all obstacles, overcomes every resisting force and gains its ends in the face of invincible hindrances. – E. M. Bounds

Not Quarrelsome

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Not Quarrelsome
“And the servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient.” 2 Timothy 2:24
I am not sure what is happening in our “Christian” world, but I have seen an increase in the past several months of bickering, complaining, and quarreling in the body of Christ like never before. We spend a lot of time trying to encourage pastors and their wives in our ministry at America’ Keswick, and it is a sad indictment on the church that there are people who are intent in getting their own way and having their own agenda, and doing so in an un-Christlike way.
Dr. Henry Blackaby nails it when he writes about this in his daily devotional, Experiencing God … The Devotional:
There should be no quarrelsome Christians. The truth of God is within us; we need never be intimidated or frustrated by those who do not accept God’s truth.

At times people may dispute you regarding God’s Word. Perhaps they question the way you say He is leading you, or they may challenge your faith in God. At times like these it is never helpful to argue. You will never debate anyone into the kingdom of God. You will never persuade someone that God has spoken to you by outarguing them! Only God can convince others of the veracity of God’s Word to you!

If you allow God to vindicate you in His time, and in His way, a time will come when the wisdom of your choice will be evident (Luke 7:35). If you find yourself often quarreling with others, you need to ask God to clearly reveal your motives and to forgive you for your disobedience to His clear command.

If your motivation for arguing comes from your desire to be right, or to be exonerated, or to gain the esteem of those listening to you, you are acting selfishly, and God will not honor you. God is not interested in how right you are. He is interested in how obedient you are.

God’s command is not that you win arguments, but that you are kind and forgiving when others mistreat you. You bring God no honor by winning a dispute in His name, but you reflect a Christ-like character when you demonstrate patience to those who mistreat you or misunderstand your motives. Arguing may never win people to your view, but loving them as Christ does will win you many friends over time.

Brothers, if you have a quarrelsome spirit, it’s time to repent and ask God to help you live in victory in this area of your life. Confess your sin to Him and allow Him to transform your life in this area. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 3; Ezekiel 45-46; 1 John 2
Dig This Quote: We need to rely on the resurrection life of Jesus on a much deeper level than we do now. We should get in the habit of continually seeking His counsel on everything, instead of making our own commonsense decisions and then asking Him to bless them. He cannot bless them; it is not in His realm to do so, and those decisions are severed from reality. If we do something simply out of a sense of duty, we are trying to live up to a standard that competes with Jesus Christ. We become a prideful, arrogant person, thinking we know what to do in every situation. We have put our sense of duty on the throne of our life, instead of enthroning the resurrection life of Jesus. Oswald Chambers

Determined Digging: Level 1: John 14:27; Level 2: Matthew 6:25-29
Determined Praying: Prayer is not something I do; prayer is something I am! – Warren Wiersbe

Welcome Home!

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WELCOME HOME!
“He, who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things” (Romans 8:32).

When you drive onto the property of America’s Keswick, you will quickly see a sign that says, “Welcome Home!” Speaker and author, Dr. John Ankerberg talks today about the real WELCOME HOME!
            In Jesus’ story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), He told how the father was in the habit of looking in the direction his rebellion boy had gone, hoping to see him return.  He was willing to restore his son, no matter when he returned.
            In the same way, your heavenly Father waits patiently for you when you leave Him for sin.  He watches for you.  He desires to have unbroken fellowship with you.  He wants you to return to Him so that He can love you.  He wants you to take advantage of the relationship He has made possible through Christ.
            One of the things that thrills me most about this story is the fact that Jesus shows how eager our heavenly Father is to express His love to us.  He said, “But while he (talking about the rebellious, sinful boy) was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).  Today God will run to meet you if you will just begin to turn toward Him.
            The Pharisees thought Jesus was wrong in portraying the God of the universe as someone who would run to a sinner and throw His arms around him.  They pictured God as One who delighted in chastising and punishing sinners.  But according to Jesus, they were wrong.  After you have sinned, God is more eager to reestablish fellowship with you than you are.  He can’t wait for you to turn back to Him.  He’s eagerly waiting for you to return so He can restore you and clean you up.  He will fully forgive every one of your sins and start to guide and empower you to face your problems and circumstances.
            The Apostle Paul writes about God, “He, who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things” (Romans 8:32).
Dr. John Ankerberg is the founder and president of the John Ankerberg Show and is a regular speaker at America’s Keswick
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 2; Ezekiel 42-44; 1 John 1
Dig This Quote: The Bible is like a telescope. If a man looks through his telescope, then he sees worlds beyond; but if he looks at his telescope, then he does not see anything but that. The Bible is a thing to be looked through, to see that which is beyond. Phillips Brooks
Determined Digging: Level 1: John 14:27; Level 2: Matthew 6:25-29

Determined Praying: Prayer is the key to heaven; faith is the hand that turns it. – Thomas Watson

The Ministry of a Clear Name

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The Ministry of a Clear Name
“O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Thy praise.” Psalm 51:15
Your name and mine is important. When people hear YOUR name, what comes to their mind? Well think about it. If I said the name Lee Harvey Oswald – what comes to your mind? John F. Kennedy? Bill Clinton? William Raws?

However, God’s name is far more important than our name. Dr. Glynn Evans in his daily devotional book, DAILY WITH THE KING writes: I must at all times engage in the “ministry of a clear name.” But it must be God’s name, not mine. The clear-name ministry is one in which I represent God as He truly is. I must not spend my time clearing my name, for that is God’s responsibility.


The sin of Moses that kept him out of the Promised Land was dishonoring God before the people (Numbers 20:10-13). He struck the rock instead of just speaking to it, thus disbelieving God and dessanctifying Him in the eyes of the Israelites (v.12). To deliberately disobey God is to disbelieve Him, and that, especially on the part of a leader, is to humiliate Him before His people. God will not tolerate humiliation by any of His servants because it is a shadow of Lucifer’s sin of elevating Himself above God (Isaiah 14:14).

My duty is to elevate, sanctify, honor, and clear God’s name before the people at all times, as Jesus did: “I have glorified thee on earth” (John 17:4). Now I understand why God punished Moses so severely: he was a leader, his was public, and he sorely wounded God’s glory.

If I spend my time clearing God’s name, I will have no time to clear my own. I must never be willing to justify myself, as the young lawyer did (Luke 10:29). There is a time, of course, to “reason together” with God (Isaiah 1:18), during which God is willing to hear all my arguments and reasons for a certain thing. But once God has given His verdict, self-justification should stop and God justification should begin. This is a mark of a mature disciple: do I make my brief for God, or do I plead my own case in the eyes of men?

If I fulfill “the royal law” I will know the “worthy name by … which I am called (James 2:7-8); if I “let my light shine before men … I will glorify my father, who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

So my brothers, what is keep you from making God’s name famous in your life? Think about it, then purpose to make the necessary changes in your life to represent HIS name in your life. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 1; Ezekiel 40-41; 2 Peter 3
Dig This Quote: “The infinite value of each human soul is not a Christian doctrine. God did not die for man because of some value He perceived in him. The value of each human soul considered simply in itself, out of relation to God is zero. As St. Paul writes, to have died for valuable men would have been, not divine, but merely heroic; but God died for sinners. He loved us, not because we were lovable, but because He is love.” CS Lewis

Determined Digging: Level 1: John 14:27; Level 2: Matthew 6:25-29

Determined Praying: The pulse of prayer is praise. The heart of prayer is gratitude. The voice of prayer is obedience. The arm of prayer is service. William A. Ward

God’s Economy in Cliff Notes Version

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God’s Economy in the “Cliff Notes” Version
This blog written by our Board member, George Hutchison, was too good to not share with you.
Larry Burkett used to say there are over 1000 verses on money in the Bible. Howard Dayton would say there are over 2,000 verses on money and possessions. Both of these perspectives make a powerful statement as to the importance that God places on how we should handle our money and possessions. We call this God’s Economy.
But how do we take all those verses and understand God’s Economy in a quick and concise form? I think Paul takes care of this in his first letter to Timothy. First Timothy 6:17-19 gives a pretty clear and concise understanding of what God’s Economy should look like. I thought it might be interesting over the next two posts to take these three verses and break them down phrase by phrase. I think you will agree that once we complete this little exercise, we will see that Paul has provided a pretty clear picture of what God’s Economy should look like.
Before we look at what Paul says, we have to look at who these verses are written to. He addresses these verses to “Those who are rich in this present world”. Do you think you are rich? Probably not, but if you live on more than $10 a day or $3650 a year, according to Global issues (and other sources) you are in the top 20% of wealthiest people in the world. So how does it feel to be rich? If you are reading this, you are most definitely included in the category of “rich in this present world”.
After we accept the fact that these verses are written to us, Paul starts by saying: “Don’t be conceited”. This is a very concise way of saying that everything we have belongs to God and comes from God. This includes even our ability to make wealth. (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). Once we acknowledge the fact that it is all God’s and what we possess is through His grace and His grace alone, we quickly realize we have no right to be conceited. Step #1 is to humbly accept the fact that we are stewards and not owners.
The next phrase warns us “not to… fix our hope on the uncertainly of riches, but on God”. If you are a “Baby Boomer” and you have been watching your portfolio go up and down like a yo-yo over the last few years, you certainly understand the meaning of this phrase. God wants us to be secure by trusting Him; not by trusting in a pension, portfolio or employer. Step #2 is to trust God and not money.
The third phrase is a very interesting phrase. It is not only interesting for what it says, but where it is in the passage. What it says is this: “Who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy”. If God has blessed us with money and the things money can buy, we should enjoy these things. Yes, that is what that phrase says. Step #3 is to enjoy His gifts and provisions. 
But did you notice where the phrase is? It is right smack in the middle of First Timothy 6:17-19. Do you think this is a coincidence? I don’t think so. I think what Paul is saying is make sure you have the instructions before, and the instructions after this phrase clear in our mind and evident in our life before we start camping on enjoying God’s blessings. If our enjoyment of the things God has given us gets in the way of the rest of our journey to live by God’s Economy, we have missed the whole point. 
Take some time and meditate on First Timothy 6:17-19. It is a very concise presentation of the many verses in the Bible that deal with God’s Economy. See if you can identify at least four more foundational blocks to living by God’s Economy. They are not that hard to find. Lord willing, we will cover them in the next post. – George Hutchison serves on the Board of America’s Keswick and is a instructor with Crown Financial.
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 30; Ezekiel 37-39; 2 Peter 2
Dig This Quote: If you come to worship for any reason other that the joy and pleasure and satisfaction that are to be found in God, you dishonor Him. To put it in other words, worship is first and foremost a feasting on all that God is for us in Jesus. This is because God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him. Or again, you are His pleasure when He is your treasure. Which is to say that God’s greatest delight is your delight in Him. Sam Storms
Determined Digging: Level 1: John 14:27; Level 2: Matthew 6:25-29
Determined Praying:  The chief purpose of prayer is that God may be glorified in the answer. J Hudson Taylor

How Does Nothing Explode?

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How Does Nothing Explode?
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”  Romans 1:18-20 (ESV)
Just recently I had attended a creation seminar at The Pilgrim Academy in Galloway Township, NJ. This presentation was led by James L. Gardener of Canopy Ministries. This is the second year I’ve attended and I’ll tell you that I fully enjoy going to it. Not only is the fellowship with other members of other churches a superb by-product but it is the information I get from going that is of greatest benefit. I come away from that seminar with a good feeling that God has placed me on the right path in my quest to understanding His truth and it is for me to remain obedient in its direction. And when I say His truth that means my understanding has to start “In the beginning” and then encompass the whole systematic way to defend His truth in the court of a fallen world.
One of the subjects that Mr. Gardener covered was that of aliens visiting our planet from another world. I just happen to be watching a series on the History channel titled “Ancient Aliens”. This show is doing a great job of debunking the notion that we evolved from apes. That’s right my Brothers we are no longer part of the King Kong lineage. We are no longer burdened with the ugly argument that somewhere along the monkey DNA trail we lost our tails and now walk upright. We are now related to Marvin the Martian from Looney Tunes!! Where did I put that Uranium P-32 Space Modulator? Maybe we can find it the Book of Ezekiel?
One of the theories that “Ancient Aliens” looks at is the in the first chapter of Ezekiel where they say we have a description of an UFO sighting. Based on all the smoke, loud noise and fire what else could it be? Well Mr. Gardener reminded us that our adversary, Satan who was once Lucifer, has no problem disguising himself as an angel of light. And further more if we know our history about the war that went on in Heaven, one third of the angels fell with Lucifer during his rebellion. I believe that one of those angels is…Marvin the Martian. After all if we know our Looney Tunes he has been trying to blow up the earth for decades.
I think it is those fallen angels that are pulling our leg because they know there was no provision made for them in the new earth so they have been masquerading as these ancient aliens. I am making light of this because we are living in a world that cannot face the Truth. It would rather have all of us put our faith into an unproven theory than face the Truth. I have also recently watched “Expelled” and it is an eye opening movie. Folks in the scientific field are being black listed simply for mentioning that there may be an intelligent design to our universe. And in this movie there is not much mentioning of God either but there are some outrageous arguments against Him.
In the Book of John we see there is a bigger debate over truth. In the Praetorium Pilate has come face to face with the Truth Himself and He has finished His reply to the Pilate’s question “So you are a king?” by saying “Everyone that is of the Truth hear my voice.” This has vexed Pilate who can only look at Jesus and ask “What is truth?” 72% of Americans don’t believe in an absolute truth and out of that number 65% of them pray to some sort of god either they be a Hindu, a Buddhist, a Jew and yes even Christians. Are we becoming like frogs in a pot? First they would have us swim around in “It’s just a theory” like lukewarm water but as time goes by they slowly turn up the heat until we are cooked? If we allow ourselves to buy into these new ideas on our beginnings then we too will know how nothing explodes. Arm yourselves Brothers. Get to understand His truths. – Chris Hughes is a frequent contributor to Freedom Fighter and is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 29; Ezekiel 35-36; 2 Peter 1
Dig This Quote: “Concerning the topic of origins, one may often discern whether Scripture or the opinion of men is being used as the ultimate standard for truth. The remark, “Science says,” is a tip-off that man’s opinion is the test of truth rather than Scripture. When the term “Science says” is used, it is almost a certainty that “science” is being equated with naturalism. On the other hand, when someone says, “Scripture says,” it is probable that the person is using the Creator’s word as standard for truth.”
The Puzzle of Ancient Man  Donald E. Chittick
Determined Digging: Level 1: John 14:27; Level 2: Matthew 6:25-29
Determined Praying: To pray is to expose the shores of the mind to the incoming tide of God. – Ralph W. Stockman

Thanks for God’s Bounty

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Prayer Reflecting Thanks for God’s Bounty
Here is a great Puritan prayer to prepare your heart to be thankful on this Lord’s Day:
Thou Great and Only Potentate,
Thou hast made summer and winter, day and night;
Each of these revolutions serves our welfare and is full of Thy care and kindness.
Thy bounty is seen in the relations that train us,
The laws that defend us,
The homes that shelter us,
The food that builds us,
The continuance of our health, members, senses, understanding, memory, affection, will.
But as stars fade before the rising sun,
Thou has eclipsed all these benefits in the wisdom and grace that purposed redemption by Jesus Thy Son.
Blessed me Thy mercy that laid help on one that is mighty and willing,
One that is able to save to the uttermost.
Make us deeply sensible of our need of His saving grace, of the blood that cleanses, of the rest He has promised.
And impute to us that righteousness which justifies the guilty, gives them a title to eternal life, and possession of the Spirit.
May we love the freeness of salvation, and joy in its holiness;
Give us faith to grasp Thy promises, that are our hope, provide for every exigency,
And prevent from every evil;
Keep our hearts from straying after forbidden pleasures;
May Thy will bind all our wishes;
Let us live out of the world as to its maxim, manners, but live in it as the sphere of our action and usefulness;
May we be alive to every call of duty, accepting without question Thy determination of our circumstances and our service. Amen
Reflect on His bounty and goodness this morning as you prepare your hearts for worship.  – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 28; Ezekiel 33-34; 1 Peter 5
Dig This Quote: Lay any burden on me, Lord, only sustain me. Sever any tie, but the tie that binds me to Thyself. David Livingstone
Determined Digging: Level 1: John 14:27; Level 2: Matthew 6:25-29
Determined Praying:  The goal of prayer is the ear of God. C. H. Spurgeon