Romans 8:26-31

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Romans 8:26-31

This passage couldn’t be more fitting for the Lord’s Day. I trust you have enjoyed reading these passages from Romans from the Phillips Translation.

8:26-27 – The Spirit of God not only maintains this hope within us, but helps us in our present limitations. For example, we do not know how to pray worthily as sons of God, but his Spirit within us is actually praying for us in those agonising longings which never find words. And God who knows the heart’s secrets understands, of course, the Spirit’s intention as he prays for those who love God.


8:28-30 – Moreover we know that to those who love God, who are called according to his plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good. God, in his foreknowledge, chose them to bear the family likeness of his Son, that he might be the eldest of a family of many brothers. He chose them long ago; when the time came he called them, he made them righteous in his sight, and then lifted them to the splendour of life as his own sons.

We hold, in Christ, an impregnable position

8:31-32 – In face of all this, what is there left to say? If God is for us, who can be against us? He that did not hesitate to spare his own Son but gave him up for us all – can we not trust such a God to give us, with him, everything else that we can need?


8:33-34 – Who would dare to accuse us, whom God has chosen? The judge himself has declared us free from sin. Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ, and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us! 


8:35-36 – Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, pain or persecution? Can lack of clothes and food, danger to life and limb, the threat of force of arms? Indeed some of us know the truth of the ancient text: ‘For your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter’. 


8:37 – No, in all these things we win an overwhelming victory through him who has proved his love for us.


8:38-39 – I have become absolutely convinced that neither death nor life, neither messenger of Heaven nor monarch of earth, neither what happens today nor what may happen tomorrow, neither a power from on high nor a power from below, nor anything else in God’s whole world has any power to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord!

Wow! If that doesn’t cause you to worship today, then you better check your heart, brother! Fall down and worship HIM today. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 17; Isaiah 50-52; 1 Thessalonians 5

Dig This Quote: Fretting springs from a determination to get our own way! Oswald Chambers
Determined Praying: We should believe that nothing is too small to be named before God. What should we think of the patient who told his doctor he was ill, but never mentioned the particulars. J. C. Ryle
Determined Digging: Level 1: John 1:12-13; Level 2: Proverbs 4:20-27

Romans 8:18-25

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Romans 8:18-25

Here are the next verses from Romans 8. I trust that God is speaking to your heart through these marvelous verses from the Phillips Translation:

8:14-17 – All who follow the leading of God’s Spirit are God’s own sons. Nor are you meant to relapse into the old slavish attitude of fear – you have been adopted into the very family circle of God and you can say with a full heart, “Father, my Father”. The Spirit himself endorses our inward conviction that we really are the children of God. Think what that means. If we are his children we share his treasures, and all that Christ claims as his will belong to all of us as well! Yes, if we share in his suffering we shall certainly share in his glory.

Present distress is temporary and negligible

8:18-21 – In my opinion whatever we may have to go through now is less than nothing compared with the magnificent future God has planned for us. The whole creation is on tiptoe to see the wonderful sight of the sons of God coming into their own. The world of creation cannot as yet see reality, not because it chooses to be blind, but because in God’s purpose it has been so limited – yet it has been given hope. And the hope is that in the end the whole of created life will be rescued from the tyranny of change and decay, and have its share in that magnificent liberty which can only belong to the children of God!


8:22-25 – It is plain to anyone with eyes to see that at the present time all created life groans in a sort of universal travail. And it is plain, too, that we who have a foretaste of the Spirit are in a state of painful tension, while we wait for that redemption of our bodies which will mean that at last we have realized our full sonship in him. We were saved by this hope, but in our moments of impatience let us remember that hope always means waiting for something that we haven’t yet got. But if we hope for something we cannot see, then we must settle down to wait for it in patience.


May God bless His Word today in your life. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 16; Isaiah 47-49; 1 Thessalonians 4

Dig This Quote: Scarcely any law of our Redeemer is more openly transgressed, or more industriously evaded, than that by which he commands his followers to forgive injuries.
Samuel Johnson

Determined Praying: Prayer, among sane people, has never superseded practical efforts to secure the desired end. – George Santayana

Determined Digging: Level 1: Matthew 6:33; Level 2: Proverbs 3:5-8

Romans 8:9-17

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Romans 8:9-17
Good morning, brothers. Here are the next several verses from Romans 8 from the Phillips translation:

 What the presence of Christ within means
8:9-11 – But you are not carnal but spiritual if the Spirit of God finds a home within you. You cannot, indeed, be a Christian at all unless you have something of his Spirit in you. Now if Christ does live within you his presence means that your sinful nature is dead, but your spirit becomes alive because of the righteousness he brings with him. I said that our nature is “dead” in the presence of Christ, and so it is, because of its sin. Nevertheless once the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives within you he will, by that same Spirit, bring to your whole being new strength and vitality.


8:12-13 – So then, my brothers, you can see that we have no particular reason to feel grateful to our sensual nature, or to live life on the level of the instincts. Indeed that way of living leads to certain spiritual death. But if on the other hand you cut the nerve of your instinctive actions by obeying the Spirit, you are on the way to real living.

 Christ is within – follow the lead of his Spirit

8:14-17 – All who follow the leading of God’s Spirit are God’s own sons. Nor are you meant to relapse into the old slavish attitude of fear – you have been adopted into the very family circle of God and you can say with a full heart, “Father, my Father”. The Spirit himself endorses our inward conviction that we really are the children of God. Think what that means. If we are his children we share his treasures, and all that Christ claims as his will belong to all of us as well! Yes, if we share in his suffering we shall certainly share in his glory.

I love the phrase: “you have been adopted into the very family circle of God, and you can say with a full heart, “Father, my Father!” Wow! I am thankful this morning that I am a part of God’s forever family. How about you? – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 15; Isaiah 45-46; 1 Thessalonians 3

Dig This Quote: God delights to plan for His children. No human father ever experienced such joy in planning for his child as God experiences as He plans for you. He does not want you to miss any part of His beautiful purpose for you. His plans are filled with details of blessing, joy, and wonderful surprises. David said, “The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.” Wesley L. Duewel

Determined Praying: I live in the spirit of prayer. I pray as I walk about, when I lie down and when I rise up. And the answers are always coming. – George Muller
 Determined Digging: Level 1: Matthew 6:33; Level 2: Proverbs 3:5-8

Romans 8:1-8

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Romans 8:1-8

Good morning, brothers. As I am working my way reading through Romans in the Phillips Translation, I was so blessed this morning as I read through chapter 8! I am sharing it with you over the next couple of days. I know it will bless your heart:


8:1-2 – No condemnation now hangs over the head of those who are “in” Jesus Christ. For the new spiritual principle of life “in” Christ lifts me out of the old vicious circle of sin and death.


8:3-4 – The Law never succeeded in producing righteousness – the failure was always the weakness of human nature. But God has met this by sending his own Son Jesus Christ to live in that human nature which causes the trouble. And, while Christ was actually taking upon himself the sins of men, God condemned that sinful nature. So that we are able to meet the Law’s requirements, so long as we are living no longer by the dictates of our sinful nature, but in obedience to the promptings of the Spirit.


8:5-8 – The carnal attitude sees no further than natural things. But the spiritual attitude reaches out after the things of the spirit. The former attitude means, bluntly, death: the latter means life and inward peace. And this is only to be expected, for the carnal attitude is inevitably opposed to the purpose of God, and neither can nor will follow his laws for living. Men who hold this attitude cannot possibly please God.


Wow. I love vs. 1: No condemnation hangs over the head of those who are “in” Christ Jesus! I praise Him for that today. How about you? – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick


Digging Deeper: Proverbs 14; Isaiah 43-44; 1 Thessalonians 2


Dig This Quote: You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you. C. S. Lewis


Determined Praying: Prayer is a serious thing. We may be taken for our words. D. L. Moody

Determined Digging: Level 1: Matthew 6:33; Level 2: Proverbs 3:5-8

Victory Over Sin (Part 2)

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Victory Over Sin – Part 2

Here are the remaining verses of Romans 6, a great passage on how you and I can have victory over sin. The passage is from the J. B. Phillips translation:


6:15-21 – Now, what shall we do? Shall we go on sinning because we have no Law to condemn us any more, but are living under grace? Never! Just think what it would mean. You belong to the power which you choose to obey, whether you choose sin, whose reward is death, or God, obedience to whom means the reward of righteousness. 


Thank God that you, who were at one time the servants of sin, honestly responded to the impact of Christ’s teaching when you came under its influence. Then, released from the service of sin, you entered the service of righteousness. (I use an everyday illustration because human nature grasps truth more readily that way.) In the past you voluntarily gave your bodies to the service of vice and wickedness – for the purpose of becoming wicked. 


So, now, give yourselves to the service of righteousness – for the purpose of becoming really good. For when you were employed by sin you owed no duty to righteousness. Yet what sort of harvest did you reap from those things that today you blush to remember? In the long run those things mean one thing only – death.  


6:22 – But now that you are employed by God, you owe no duty to sin, and you reap the fruit of being made righteous, while at the end of the road there is life for evermore.  


6:23 – Sin pays its servants: the wage is death. But God gives to those who serve him: his free gift is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.


Praise God that you and I can have victory over sin! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick


Digging Deeper: Proverbs 13; Isaiah 41-42; 1 Thessalonians 1

Dig This Quote: Who is there that ever receives a gift and tries to make bargains about it? Let us, then, return thanks for what He has bestowed on us. Who can tell whether, if we had had a larger share of ability or stronger health, we should not have possessed them to our destruction.
Alphonsus Liguori

Determined Praying: Our prayers run along one road, and God’s answers by another, and by and by they meet. God answers all true prayer, either in kind or kindness. – Adoniram Judson

Determined Digging: Level 1: Matthew 6:33; Level 2: Proverbs 3:5-8

Romans 6 — Victory Over Sin

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Romans 6 – Victory Over Sin

One of the classic passages of Scripture that we teach at the Colony of Mercy regarding victory over sin, is from Romans 6. I just read this passage over the weekend from the J. B. Phillips Translation. I want to encourage you to read through the passage and allow the truth of God’s Word to minister to your heart and life today.

Righteousness by faith, in practice

6:1-11 – Now what is our response to be? Shall we sin to our heart’s content and see how far we can exploit the grace of God? What a ghastly thought! We, who have died to sin – how could we live in sin a moment longer? Have you forgotten that all of us who were baptised into Jesus Christ were, by that very action, sharing in his death? We were dead and buried with him in baptism, so that just as he was raised from the dead by that splendid Revelation of the Father’s power so we too might rise to life on a new plane altogether. If we have, as it were, shared his death, let us rise and live our new lives with him!


 Let us never forget that our old selves died with him on the cross that the tyranny of sin over us might be broken – for a dead man can safely be said to be immune to the power of sin. And if we were dead men with him we can believe that we shall also be men newly alive with him. We can be sure that the risen Christ never dies again – death’s power to touch him is finished. He died, because of sin, once: he lives for God for ever. In the same way look upon yourselves as dead to the appeal and power of sin but alive and sensitive to the call of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.


6:12-14 – Do not, then, allow sin to establish any power over your mortal bodies in making you give way to your lusts. Nor hand over your organs to be, as it were, weapons of evil for the devil’s purposes. But, like men rescued from certain death, put yourselves in God’s hands as weapons of good for his own purposes. For sin is not meant to be your master – you are no longer living under the Law, but under grace.


Praise God that we can have victory over sin. I will share the rest of the passage with you tomorrow. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick.


Digging Deeper: Proverbs 12; Isaiah 39-40; Colossians 4


Dig This Quote: But how shall we rest in God? By giving ourselves wholly to Him. If you give yourself by halves, you cannot find full rest – there will ever be a lurking disquiet in that half which is withheld…All peace and happiness in this world depend upon unreserved self-oblation to God. If this be hearty and entire, the result will be an unfailing, ever-increasing happiness, which nothing can disturb. There is no real happiness in this life save that which is the result of a peaceful heart. Jean Nicolas (J N) Grou


Determined Praying: Our prayers and God’s mercy are like two buckets in a well; while one ascends, the other descends. – Mark Hopkins


I need your input, please! For the past year I have been including a section called Determined Digging – suggested passages to memorize. I want to find out if anyone is using the Scriptures listed here. If one person is using it, I will continue to post them. If not, I will discontinue posting them. Thanks for your input.

Determined Digging: Level 1: Matthew 6:33; Level 2: Proverbs 3:5-8

Friend Home With Jesus

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Faithful Friend Home with Jesus

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. In the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8

I received word on Saturday night that a dear friend and sister had slipped into the arms of Jesus. We  met Miriam shortly after coming to America’s KESWICK. It didn’t take long to fall in love with her. She was one of the special people who God brings into your life that you know are there “for such a time as this.”

Miriam was a lover of people. Everyone loved her. She loved to make you feel special with her hugs, kisses, and notes of encouragement. She was a card “stamper” and when you received a card from her, you always knew it was created just for you!

She was a woman who loved the “Book,” and even though she was constantly mentoring young Christians, she was always eager to learn more. Often after a week at Keswick she would say, “I still have so much more to learn.”

When our kids when through their trial with Lindsay’s heart surgeries and home-going, Miriam was one of those heroes who prayed them through, sent them notes, and loved on them.

For the last year the Keswick webcasts have been her lifeline to the ministry. Age didn’t keep her from learning and using the technology to stay connected. While we missed her physical presence at Keswick, we knew she was watching “live!”

On Saturday morning at 8:00 AM, Miriam went home to be with Jesus. I can’t even begin to imagine the look on face when she finally saw her Savior! I can hear her say, “Wow!” And my guess is that little Lindsay was standing there with Jesus to grab her by the hand! Thanks, Miriam. We love you and thank the Lord for allowing you to bless our lives. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

(Miriam is on the left hand side of the picture)

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 11, Isaiah 37-38; Colossians 3


Dig This Quote: Jesus embodies the rule of God in which no one is beyond God’s forgiveness no matter who they are or what they have done. Endowed with the presence and power of God through by John in the Jordan, Jesus comes proclaiming that the rule of God supplants all others now. When the scribes and the Pharisees chide him for eating with the traitorous Jewish tax collectors, Jesus responds: ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’ The answer to my parishioner’s burning question [about divine forgiveness] was, of course: No, you cannot be too bad to be forgiven. You can only be too good. [For example: Too self-righteous to be humble, compassionate, or receptive to God’s spirit.] Lewis B. Smedes

Determined Digging: Level 1: Matthew 6:33; Level 2: Proverbs 3:5-8
Determined Praying: Never was a faithful prayer lost. Some prayers have a longer voyage than others, but they return with their richer lading at last, so that the praying soul is a gainer by waiting for the answer. William Gurnall

We Praise You, Father

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Good morning, my brothers. Today is the Lord’s Day and I want to share with you a responsive reading that I read in my devotions from Hymns for the Family of God.

We Praise You, Father


We praise You, Father, that you have met us along the way with mercy and love and new life in Christ.
With praise and dedication we offer ourselves.

We thank You for our responsible calling,to be good stewards of life in Your kingdom.
Help us to be good stewards of all You have place in our lives.

We thank You, Lord, for the ability to learn and to do countless creative tasks.
Help us to develop our skills and to use them in accord with the teaching of Jesus.

We thank You for all the rich resources with which the world has been supplied.
Make us determined so to use the soil, the water, the air – all of nature’s bounty
that future generations are not robbed of our irresponsibility.

We thank You, Father, for the family we have.
Teach us to live mindful of each other’s need and each other’s worth.


We  thank You, Father, for the human family, for the rich gift of each nationality and every culture.
Grant us the Spirit of Christ, to be brothers and sisters of all persons, to be ever mindful of the needs of others, and to be instruments of peace.

We thank You for our wealth, great or small, and for opportunities money brings.
May all our earning and spending, our saving and giving,
be acceptable in Your sight, Lord; and grant us the resolve to fulfill our pledge of giving,
to the glory of Your name, in the ministry of Christ, AMEN

Enjoy this beautiful day to worship, adore and praise HIM, especially on this day 10/10/10! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 10; Isaiah 34-36; Colossians 2

Dig This Quote: I saw the snares that the enemy spreads out over the world and I said groaning, “What can get through from such snares?” Then I heard a voice saying to me, “Humility.” Anthony


Determined Digging: Level 1: Matthew 6:33; Level 2: Proverbs 3:5-8

Determined Praying: Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayers and word with hands. – Thomas Goodwin

                                   


Not the Length But the Strength

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Not the Length but the Strength
“And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.”                                                                                                                       Matt 14:28-32 (ESV)
Sometimes Peter gets a bad rap when it comes to his faith in Jesus. But in the account of Jesus walking on water and Peter getting out of the boat I do not see Peter deserving of the unkind words that are used against him. First thing for me as a boat operator to notice is that Peter gets out of the boat…with no life jacket!! Second thing I notice is no one else stops Peter from getting out of the boat on rough seas. If this was happening on my boat out in the Mullica River here in the Garden State, I would be flabbergasted. Because the end result would be Peter walking on the water towards The Savior in the midst of the wind storm and I would be stunned and my jaw would drop.
So after preaching to what is guessed at twenty thousand people and feeding them all, Jesus tells His disciples to get in a boat and cross the Sea of Galilee while He dismissed the multitude. Jesus goes up into the mountains to pray and then a trial for the disciples begins. A wind comes upon the sea, the tiny ship was tossed and these twelve guys are finding panic in their obedience.” Get in the boat and go to the other side He said.” UH!! Well we could have read an account where the disciples boldly face the wind and cry out, “We shall make it to the other side because The Master said!!” but where would the lesson in faith go? Jesus appears on the water, they all see Him and Peter cries out, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” And Jesus says one word…”Come.”
And in a great step of faith Peter gets out of the boat. You see Peter wants to be in the center of Jesus’ will so his faith takes him out on the water and he begins to walk towards his Savior…until that faith is tested by the winds. And one of the shortest prayers ever recited comes out of Peter’s mouth, “Lord, save me!!” And Jesus reaches out and rescues Peter. Peter may have given us an example of the shortest prayer that I am quite sure all of you who are reading this right  now have done prayed from time to time, “Lord, save me!!” but he also gives us a bigger example all together. Peter gets out of the boat; he leaves his comfort zone to be with Jesus. And Jesus did not reject his weak faith either, instead Jesus saves Peter. And for those of us on dry land taking that first step of faith always seems to be the most difficult and yet Peter took his first step on rough waters.

Pastor Randy Smith (of Grace Tabernacle Church near Wall, NJ) tied his message concerning the account of Peter walking on the water with this, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:6-7) I appreciated what Pastor Randy had said about it is safer to be with Jesus than to be in the boat and when you read 1 Peter 1:6-7 you know that it was written by someone who had firsthand experience on having their faith tested. Pastor Randy also said that God can do great things for those of us who choose to obey Him and that no command of Jesus is too bad to be done.
We think the safest place to be is in the boat and we just might be wrong about it. Being out in the open water has taught to have a measure of faith because you never can be quite too sure about the weather. I also keep my life jackets at the ready…having faith is one thing but there is no excuse for not being ready. I will close with these words of Peter, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” 1 Peter 4:12-13 (ESV) — Chris Hughes is a grad of the Colony of Mercy and is a part of the Freedom Fighter team

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 9; Isaiah 32-33; Colossians 1
Dig This Quote: “We step right out with recognition of God in some things, then self-consideration enters our lives and down we go. If you are truly recognizing your Lord, you have no business being concerned about how and where He engineers your circumstances. The things surrounding you are real, but when you look at them you are immediately overwhelmed, and even unable to recognize Jesus. Then comes His rebuke,”…why did you doubt?” Let your actual circumstances be what they may, but keep recognizing Jesus, maintaining complete reliance upon Him.”                                                                                                     My Utmost for His Highest Oswald Chambers

Determined Digging: Level 1: Zephaniah 3:17; Level 2: Psalm 139:23-24

Determined Praying:  Keep praying but be thankful that God’s answers are wiser than your prayers. — William Culbertson

Why Do I Follow God’s Economy?

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Why Do I Follow God’s Economy?

If you have lost your job, watched your retirement portfolio shrink, been overwhelmed with mortgage or credit card debt, you are not alone. Any one of these situations can serve as a great motivator to turn to God’s economy. 

But, as good as they are, they are not good enough. 
It is important that we understand why we handle money by God’s economy and not man’s economy. God’s Word is clear that the way that we handle money is an outward indication of our spiritual condition. (Luke 12:34; Luke 16:11) 

The “Get me out of the financial mess” motive for following God’s economy is a very tangible way that God uses money to get our attention. The sad fact is that too often we never get past the “Get me out of the financial mess” motive for following God’s economy. We never get to the point of following God’s economy as part of allowing God to control all areas of our life, including finances.

Recently Joyce and I had the opportunity of listening to Chuck Bentley (CEO of Crown Financial Ministries) lead an excellent series called the “Root of Riches”. It was based on the word “root” from First Timothy 6:10a. (For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil…) Of the four nouns in that passage (love, money, root and evil) root is probably the one I would have said is least important. That changed when he got done with it. 

In his presentation he mentioned that believers are referred to as trees in the Bible (Luke 6:43-45). And just like trees, we have roots. This is what caught my attention. I believe that in many ways our roots are our motives. 

He explained the three primary roots in man’s economy are described in Second Timothy 3. They are; the love of money, love of self, and love of pleasure. These roots will determine the fruit that a tree will bear. I believe that sometimes these three roots are also three motives many people have for trying to live by God’s economy. They want more money and they want to indulge in a self gratifying life of pleasure. In other words they turn to God in a financial crisis to “Get them out of the financial mess” they find themselves.

Just like the root of a tree determines the fruit it will bear, our motives do the same thing. If our motive for following God’s economy is to reduce stress, increase enjoyment of the things money buys, and financial independence for self gratification, our fruit will be worldly and reflect those motives. If our motive for living by God’s economy is to live a life pleasing to God, our fruit will reflect this motive. Matthew 7:20 says “So then, you will know them by their fruits”.

If we follow God’s economy and find ourselves in prosperity, praise God. If we follow God’s economy and find ourselves in poverty, praise God. Our financial destination is unimportant. What is important is why we follow God’s economy. We follow God’s economy because He is Lord of our life and we love Him and want to please Him. 

God wants are hearts, which includes our roots and our motives. If our motive for following God’s economy stops at “Get me out of this financial mess” or anything short of a total desire to live a life pleasing to Him, our roots are those described in Second Timothy 3 and our fruit is not pleasing to God. (Matthew 6:32-33) — George Hutchison serves on the Board of America’s Keswick and is an instructor with Crown Financial. You call follow his blog by clicking here: Stewardship Insights
Dig This Quote: Distinguish between the fact of God’s presence, and the emotion of the fact. It is a happy thing when the soul seems desolate and deserted, if our faith can say, “I see Thee not. I feel Thee not, but Thou art certainly and graciously here, where I am as I am.” Say it again and again: “thou art here: though the bush does not seem to burn with fire, it does burn. I will take the shoes from off my feet, for the place on which I stand is holy ground.  Author Unknown

Determined Praying: Never make the blunder of trying to forecast the way God is going to answer your prayers.

Determined Digging: Level 1: Zephaniah 3:17; Level 2: Psalm 139:23-24