Perseverance

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Perseverance
“ … because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:3-4
Are you a quitter or do you forge ahead despite the challenges you face in life? Here are just a few examples of men who didn’t run away from their defeats, failures and frustrations:
Dr. Seuss’s first book was rejected by twenty-three publishers. When he finally found a publisher, his first book alone sold six million copies.

During their first year of business, Coca-Cola only sold four hundred Cokes!

In his first three years in the automobile business, Henry Ford went bankrupt twice.
After years of unsuccessful experiments, imprisonment for debt, and ridicule from family and friends, Charles Goodyear finally developed a type of rubber that would not be affected by temperature extremes.
Abraham Lincoln failed at most of his attempts in business and politics.
John Bunyan wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress during a long stay in prison.
Moses experienced forty years in the desert before he led God’s people out of Egypt.
David ran for his life for years before finally becoming king of Israel.
The apostle Paul had enough scars to make any man want to quit. (adapted from The Power of Desperation – Michael Catt/Broadman Holman)

Often times God uses setbacks, disappointments, discouragements and failure as His school to drive us deeper into Him. He will sometime allow this situations to develop in us the character quality of perseverance. We can either try and skip this class, or allow Him to use it in our lives for His glory.

Maybe you are there today? What does God want to teach you right now? Rather than run from it, embrace it and allow God to use it for His glory and your good. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 17; Ezekiel 5-7; Hebrews 12
Dig This Quote: “When we reach out to celebrate and appreciate others, we will always receive more than we give.” ~Barbara Glanz

Determined Digging: Level 1: John 11:25-26; Level 2: Matthew 5:1-9

Determined Praying: We talk about heaven being so far away. It is within speaking distance to those who belong there. D. L. Moody

Determined Praying: We talk about heaven being so far away. It is within speaking distance to those who belong there. D. L. Moody

Rejoice in the Lord

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Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4

God will not command us to do what we cannot do.
            He promises us that He will see us through,
So how can we learn that we can rejoice?
            His command takes away our chance for choice.
We can rejoice for a little while if we try,
            We can let some problem go by,
But sooner or later the time will run out
            And we will give up and begin to pout.
If we try, with all of our might,
            We can somehow make it through a night,
But as sure as there arises the morning sun
            Our great rejoice is suddenly done.
To always rejoice, we must remain “in the Lord.”
            We need to focus on God’s Word.
Remember that “weeping may endure for a night”  (Psalm 30:5)
            But Joy comes with the morning light.
All of our “problems” will come and go
            So don’t let them hurt you so.
It may appear that they will last a while
            But like all the storms of life, just smile,
For they will pass like a summer shower.
            (Now it rarely rains for even one hour)
But when it is over you will see once more
            That our land is better than it was before.               
Move out from under life’s circumstances.
            While you may not feel like doing dances
You’ll find that the moments of each day
            Will help you to rejoice along life’s way.
And joy will be yours if you only do
            What this song bids you to
Put Jesus First for His will is best
            Put Others second then you’ll be blest
If you take care to put yourself last
            All of your problems will soon be past
And you will suddenly find that rejoicing is your desire
            And the Joy you find will be from heaven’s fire.
“So, fix your eyes on Jesus
            He’s coming back some day
Just look up and cheer up
            For that’s the only way!”              
Hebrews 12:2 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Dr. Van served this summer as Campus Pastor and is a dear friend of the ministry of America’s Keswick.
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 16; Ezekiel 3-4; Hebrews 11:20-40

Dig This Quote: As every lord giveth a certain livery (uniform) to his servants, charity is the very livery of Christ. Our Saviour, who is the Lord above all lords, would have his servants known by their badge, which is love. Latimer
Determined Digging: Level 1: John 11:25-26; Level 2: Matthew 5:1-9

Determined Praying: For what is prayer in the last analysis? It is a conscious spreading out of my helplessness before God. – Al Martin

Rejoice When I Am Sad

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Rejoicing When We Are Sad
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice part 2
How do we rejoice when we have reason to be so very sad? Did not Jesus spend all night in prayer at times because His heart was so heavy. Yes! But that was between Jesus and His Father. It was not for the public to see.
When I first read Matthew 6:6 “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” I thought that Jesus was asking us to be hypocritical. That we should pretend to be what we are not. I wondered why anyone would go in a closet to pray with all of the mothballs my mother had there.
Why should we wash our face and comb our hair and hide our hurts? Unhappy faces seem to attract unhappy faces, while happy faces attract happy faces. We must live in the three words, in the Lord, instead of in the world. When we think of what God has done for us and what God will yet do for us we can never be sad. Let the world live “under the circumstances” while we live above the circumstances where God dwells.
 If we abide in Him and dwell on Him and His promises we can only know joy, real joy. Let the joy of the Lord be your strength. Learn to “Speak the truth in advance” that is faith. – Dr. Van is a friend of the ministry of America’s Keswick and served this summer as campus Pastor
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 15; Ezekiel 1-2; Hebrews 11:1-19
Dig This Quote: If you don’t make up your mind, your unmade mind will unmake you.
Eli E. Stanley Jones
Determined Digging: Level 1: John 11:25-16; Level 2: Matthew 5:1-9


Determined Praying: If you have never had any difficulty in prayer, it is absolutely certain that you have never prayed. – D. Martyn Llyod-Jones

Love Christ, Love His Church

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Love Christ, Love His Church
To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Ephesians 3:21
I am a great believer in the ministry of the local church. As the President and CEO of America’s Keswick, we believe in the ministry of the local church. Unlike some people preaching out there today, I believe that Christ still loves the church and hasn’t given up His Bride.

Theologian J. I. Packer, author of the classic book, KNOWING GOD, shared this about the church:

He was an odd little man, lean, intense, and jerky, with a face that seemed to light up as he spoke. I was there out of loyalty to the college chapel, not expecting to be impressed; but he captured my attention telling us how in his teens he had experienced a personal conversion to Jesus Christ, like that which I had undergone myself. “And then,” he said, “I got excited about the church. You could say I fell in love with it.”

Never had I heard anyone talk quite like that before, and his words stuck in my memory. Fifty years later, I can still hear him saying them. He then hammered home the point that all who love Jesus Christ the Lord out to care deeply about the church, just because the church is the object of Jesus’ own love. Church-centeredness is the one way in which Christ-centeredness out to find expression.
Listen to Paul instructing the Ephesians: “Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:25-27)

The church that Christ loves and sustains is the key feature of God’s plan for both time and eternity, and care for the church’s welfare, which is what love for the church means, is an aspect of Christlikeness that Christians must ever seek to cultivate. We are right to take the church on our hearts; we should be wrong not to. For our Lord Jesus says to us all, “Love me, love my church.”

Today is YOUR day to be a part of YOUR local fellowship. I trust you will go today to worship with great joy. May your heart and voice reflect this truth: I love Christ, and I love the church! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 14; Lamentations 3-5; Hebrews 10:19-39
Dig This Quote: When a sincere compliment comes to mind, don’t hesitate to give it.
Janette Oke

Determined Digging: Level 1: John 11:25-26; Level 2: Matthew 5:1-9

Determined Praying:  As a sound may dislodge an avalanche, so the prayer of faith sets in motion the power of God. Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

Simple Obedience

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Simple Obedience
“Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:9
From time to time I have shared with you from the writings of Fenelon. This man had an incredible walk with the Lord and his writings date back to the 1600’s.

His insight on simple obedience to the Lord are so practical:

Encourage peace. Become deaf to your over-active imagination. Your spinning imagination will harm your health and make your spiritual life very dry. [Check out yesterday’s Freedom Fighter on Meditation]. You worry yourself sick for no good reason. Inner peace, and the sweet presence of God, are chased away by restlessness.

How can you hear God speak, in His soft tender way, when your hurried thoughts create a whirlwind within? Be quiet, and He will soon be heard. Allow yourself one excess: to be excessively obedient.
You ask for comfort, but you do not see that you have been led to the edge of the fountain and refuse to drink. Peace and comfort are to be found only in simple obedience. Be obedient without a lot of talk about how obedient you are. You will soon find rivers of living water flowing within you. If you believe much, you will receive much. If you believe nothing, you will receive nothing, and continue to listen only to the stories your empty imagination tells you.

You dishonor true love by supposing that it is concerned about the insignificant things that continually occupy your attention. Satan is transformed into an angel of light. He assumes the form of a legalistic love, and overly sensitive conscience. You should know by now the troubles he will lead you into if he convinces you to be a Pharisee. Reject his advances.

If you allow yourself to have only simple and uncomplicated desires, you will be more pleasing to God that if you died the death of a hundred martyrs. Turn your anxieties to the fact that you have delayed in offering this sacrifice of simplicity to God. Can true love hesitate when the Well-Beloved asks?

Brothers, are our lives marked with the quality of simple obedience? Is your aim to please Him today? Think about it. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 13; Lamentations 1-2; Hebrews 10:1-18
Dig This Quote: God is seeking men and women of reckless faith today…to be reckless in your faith does not mean to be unthinking, but the reverse – concentrated, single-minded in your concern that God should be glorified and souls won. George Verwer

Determined Digging: Level 1: John 8:31-32; Level 2: Isaiah 40:28-31
Determined Praying: Prayer is the nearest approach to God and the highest enjoyment of him that we are capable of in this world. – William Law

What Are You Meditating On?

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What Are You Meditating On?
As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7
Someone has said, “You are what you think!” or “What you think about determines who you are!” From time to time it is important to take an inventory of what we think about – what we think about during the day that consumes the free moments. What do you think about at night when you are lying in bed and can’t sleep? What do you think about when you are driving, walking, running?
Puritan preacher, George Swinnock, suggests that we take those thinking moments and turn them into times of meditating on spiritual things. Here are his suggestions which I think are timeless:
Meditation prepares the heart for prayer.

Meditate on your sins, and hunt them out of their lurking holes; this helps in our confession.

Meditate on your needs, for God is fully able to supply them. Consider what you need – pardoning mercy, strength for victory, power against sin – that you may entreat God to give them to you.

Meditate upon His mercies to you from birth. Look at the dangers you have been delivered from, the journeys you have been protected in, the seasonable help he has sent to you, the suitable support he has afforded you in distress, the counsel he has given you in doubts, and the comforts he has provided you in sorrow and darkness. Every breath in your life is a gift of mercy. Do not forget the former favors bestowed on you and your family …

Meditate on your present mercies.  How many do you enjoy – your house, family, body, and soul are full of blessings! Think of them particularly. Spread them out like jewels to your view.
Meditate on how freely they are bestowed, on their fullness and their greatness. But, O, your soul’s mercies – the image of God, the blood of Christ, eternal life, and seasons of grace! Your whole life is a bundle of mercies. These stir us up to bless the Giver.
Meditate on God to whom we pray. O how we are ashamed of our drops when we stand by this ocean!
Meditate on His mercy and goodness. These like Moses’ strokes will fetch water out of a rock. God delights to be sought and found. He delights to see men joyful in the house of prayer. God will not send you away sad.
When you have by meditation put the wood upon the altar, you may by prayer set fire to it and offer up a sacrifice of sweet smelling savour. – Adapted from Voices from the Past – Banner of Truth
Great stuff, men! Take that list and begin to meditate on the RIGHT things. You are what you think! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 12; Jeremiah 51-52; Hebrews 9
Dig This Quote: Give us, O Lord, steadfast hearts that cannot be dragged down by false loves; give us courageous hearts that cannot be worn down by trouble; give us righteous hearts that cannot be sidetracked by unholy or unworthy goals. Give to us also, our Lord and God, understanding to know You, wisdom to recognize You, and a faithfulness that will bring us to see You face to face. Thomas a Kempis
Determined Digging: Level 1: John 8: 31-32; Level 2: Isaiah 40:28-31


Determined Praying: Prayer is a summit meeting in the throne room of the universe. Ralph A. Herring

But As Close to the Image

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But As Close To The Image
“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”                                                                                                                       Gen 1:26-28 (NKJV)
I want to start off this morning by making a simple confession. I am not a Biblical Scholar. I am really am a young Christian who happens to consider himself a student in Christian Apologetics. I was born a Roman Catholic and turned from the church, lived a life of wicked idolatry and was turned around by the saving grace of a Heavenly Father who wanted me to get to know His Son. That’s all. Nothing more, nothing less. So with that out of the way I will move on into something that really touched my heart the other night via the “John Ankerberg Show.”
I was first introduced to John Ankerberg through my Colony stay during the Labor Day weekend conference back in 2003. They needed the Gym to house all the people that came to hear him speak. I didn’t know too much about his show or him for that matter but now I try not to miss his Sunday night show on Daystar. I forget what he spoke on then but it’s what he is speaking on recently that has my attention.
The subject is “Gay Marriage” and the title of his series is called “The Case for Traditional Marriage.” Because of my participation in the Families for Christ ministry at Keswick I thought I would give this a harder listening. The subject is very touchy for the secular world so I will not give an opinion one way or the other…I will just say the Bible is quite clear on the issue. ‘Nough Said!!
It was what one of the guests stated on the show that made my apologetic ears perk up. Dr. Jim Garlow (Senior Pastor of Skyline Wesleyan in La Mesa, California) spoke on how a man and woman are created in the image of God. Theologically a man cannot be the full expression of the image of God just as a woman cannot be a full expression of God, it’s when they come together that we get a full spectrum on the full expression of God. Remember brothers Scripture is quite clear, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;”…” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
Our adversary has been attacking this very plain and simple truth from the beginning. We are living in world that wants that image of God changed so that our adversity can go on to destroy the next very plain and simple truth…Jesus wants His church as His bride.
In the Book of Revelation 19:6-9 we read this awesome truth, “And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ “And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”
If the adversary thinks that he can stop from happening he must first destroy the image of God. And the bad thing for the devil is…this train doesn’t come off the track. Unfortunately it can lose passengers along the way but we called to try and save as many as possible, RIGHT.
I am making no political statement here my brothers. Jesus said it quite clear, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, I am the Life. NO ONE comes to the Father but through Me.” All I am saying is in the aftermath of these past elections I remain PRO-LIFE!! That means being PRO-JESUS and doing what I can to get as close to His image as I possibly can. And that means staying as close to the Truth as I possibly can without losing the Way. The world can go on and try to label me as a “Dash-a-phobic who suffers from Dash-a-phobia” but the bottom line is that coming to Christ is coming to Truth. And if “The Oprah” can’t handle it then it needs to read a better book and come to a better understanding that apart from Him we ain’t nothing’!! My hope is that I am not alone in this but if I am…I’ll take it anyway!! How about you? – Chris Hughes frequently writes for Freedom Fighter and is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 11; Jeremiah 50; Hebrews 11
Dig This Quote: “When a couple speaks their vows, it is not a man or a woman or a pastor or parent who is the main actor-the main doer. God is. God joins a husband and a wife into one flesh union. God does that. The world does not know this. Which is one of the reasons why marriage is treated so casually. And Christians often act like they don’t know it, which is one of the reasons marriage in the church is not seen as the wonder it is. Marriage is God’s doing because it is a one-flesh union that God Himself performs.” This Momentary Marriage  John Piper
Determined Digging: Level 1: John 8:31-32; Level 2: Isaiah 40:28-32
Determined Praying: The greatest of men must turn beggars when they have to do with Christ. – Matthew Henry

Romans 12 — A Text That Preaches Part 2

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Romans 12 – A Text That Preaches (Part 2)

Here is the rest of the chapter from the Phillips Translation. Can’t get more direct and specific than this:

1.   Let us have no imitation Christian love.
2.       Let us have a genuine break with evil and a real devotion to good.
3.       Let us have real warm affection for one another as between brothers, and a willingness to let the other man have the credit.
4.     Let us not allow slackness to spoil our work and let us keep the fires of the spirit burning as do our work for God.
5.     Base your happiness on your hope in Christ.
6.     When trials come endure them patiently.
7.     Steadfastly maintain the habit of prayer.
8.     Give freely to fellow Christian in want, never grudging a meal or a bed to those who need them.
9.     And as for those who try to make your life misery, bless them. Don’t curse, bless them.
10.  Share the happiness with those who are happy, and the sorrow of those who are sad.
11.  Live in harmony with one another.
12.  Don’t become snobbish but take a real interest in ordinary people.
13.  Don’t become set in your opinions.
14.  Don’t pay back a bad turn, to anyone.
15.  Don’t say, “It doesn’t matter what people think,” but see that your public behavior is above criticism.
16.  As far as YOUR responsibility goes, live at peace with everyone. Never take vengeance into your own hands, my dear friends: stand back and let God punish if he will.
17.  Don’t allow yourself to be overpowered with evil. Take the offensive – overpower evil with good.
Well brothers, it can’t get more direct and practical than that. Old Paul doesn’t beat around the bush. As you read through list of 17 principles for daily living, my guess is that there are several that we could begin to apply today in our lives. Which ones will you work on? Purpose to do so, then later on this week, but out the list and work on several others. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 10; Jeremiah 48-49; Hebrews 7
Dig This Quote: Sing lustily and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. John Wesley

Determined Digging: Level 1: John 8:31-32; Level 2: Isaiah 40:28-31
Determined Praying:  The Bible is a letter God has sent to us; prayer is a letter that we send to him. Matthew Henry

Romans 12 – A Text That Preaches (Part 1)

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Romans 12 – A Text That Preaches (Part 1)
I am really enjoying reading through the New Testament from the Phillips Translation. I highly recommend it to you.

Romans 12 is a text that preaches all by itself. I share it with you the next two days:

With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him.

Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God remold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for is good, meets all His demands and moves toward the goal of maturity.

As your spiritual teacher I give this piece of advice to each one of you:
·       Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light of the faith that God has given to you all. For just as you have many members in one physical body and those members differ in their functions, so we, though many in number, compose one body in Christ and are all members of one another.

·       Through the grace of God we have different gifts. If our gift is preaching, let us preach to the limit of our vision. If it is serving others let us concentrate on our service; if it is teaching let us give all we have to our teaching; and if our gift be the stimulating of the faith of others let us set ourselves to it. Let the man who is called to give, give freely; let the man who wields authority think of his responsibility; and let the man who feels sympathy for his fellows act cheerfully.
There is a lot of meat here to chew on brothers. Take some time to prayerfully look at these verses. Is God speaking to your heart today? He has to mine! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 9; Jeremiah 46-47; Hebrews 6
Dig This Quote: Sympathy is no substitute for action. David Livingstone

Determined Digging: Level 1: John 8:31-32; Isaiah 40:28-31
Determined Praying: We can never be blessed until we learn that we can bring nothing to Christ but our need. – Vance Havner

Developing an Ear for God

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Developing an Ear for God

“I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; and I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply when I am reproved.” Habakkuk 2:1
I shared this devotional with you in 2005 and 2009, and it bears repeating. It is a good reminder for me, and I trust for you as we begin a new week together.

Please note before I share Glynn Evan’s commentary (Daily with the  King) that I underlined two phrases in the above verse. So often we want to hear what God has to say for someone else? But Habakkuk was waiting to hear what God was going to say to HIS heart.

We can become so passionate about what we God to say to someone else that our ears become clogged to what He is trying to say to us. Listen to what Dr. Evans says about developing an ear for God:

I pray that God will enable me to become a good listener. I must understand that God does not speak to me in the storm, the earthquake, or the fire, but in the still small voice (1 Kings 19:9-12) …

Today’s complex life is the deadliest enemy of listening. The result of our complexity is fragmentation, thinness, and the inability to concentrate or become deep about anything. Satan is the happiest heir of our technological age, and he enjoys slapping us like a handball. I must resist him by deliberately choosing essentials and rejecting gadfly activities that render me ineffective.

How do I learn to be a good listener? I must begin by giving Him TIME and ATTENTION. That is the crucial part of the battle. I must reject the siren calls that tell me to be everything and everybody, and simply concentrate on God.


Next I must develop a sense of AWE and REVERENCE for God, which is a natural preparation for silence, which in turn is essential to proper listening. Once I develop an ear for God, I will be able to hear Him even in crowds and, as Brother Lawrence says, “God forward even in sleep.”

Listening to God is difficult to master, but the results will be beyond my greatest longings. He says, “Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance (Isaiah 55:2). God knows that listening is the first step of a process that ends in my eternal good.

Are you a good listener? Have you developed a listening ear for God? He wants to speak to us, brothers. Open your ears and hear HIM speak. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Digging Deeper: Proverbs 8; Jeremiah 43-45; Hebrews 5
Dig This Quote: Temptation is to be avoided by fleeing what hinders, by following what helps, and by seeking the company of spiritual people. Ryrie Study Bible
Determined Digging: Level 1: John 8:31-32; Level 2: Isaiah 40:28-31

Determined Praying: God is still on the throne, we’re still on His footstool, and there’s only a knees distance between! – Jim Elliot


Men’s Fellowship this Thursday Night at America’s Keswick with Pastor Tim Shorey. Dinner 6:15 PM followed by program. Come and bring a friend! Call for reservations: 732-350-1187