God Knows Everything

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God Knows Everything

“Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? Jeremiah 23:24

I have shared with you before that one of the big disconnects of life is that we have lost the “fear of the Lord.” Bill Gothard defines the fear of the Lord like this: “God knows, weighs, and sees, every one of my thoughts, deeds, words and actions!” We forget that GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING.

Today’s devotional taken from VOICES FROM THE PAST (Banner of Truth) is written by Puritan Stephen Charnock. It puts this truth into perspective for us, brothers:

God knows all that is done in the most secret caverns of the heart. No place is derived of His presence. Though reason and Scripture declare it, we cannot conceive it. He is not measured by time nor limited by space. He is from the height of heavens to the bottom of the sea, and in every point of the world.

He upholds his creatures by His power, and knows them by His wisdom. There is no space, not the least, where God is not wholly present with His whole substance. How much of this attribute is forgotten!

We tend to believe it, but many live as if He were not present. Men commit sin in the presence of God, which they would be ashamed to do before the eyes of men. What does this really say but that God is not present with us. How terrible should the thought of this attribute be to sinners! How foolish to imagine any hiding place from the incomprehensible God.

“The eyes of the Lord are in EVERY place, keeping watch on the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). He lies in the depths of our soul, and sees our designs before we have even conceived them. This is a shield against temptation. “God is present,” is enough to blunt the weapons of hell. It will secure us from vile attractions, and curb the head-strong principle in our nature that would join hands with temptation.

“God is present,” is a strong encouragement when tempted to eat the forbidden fruit. What man would speak an unhandsome word in the presence of His commander? The eye of the General inflames the spirit of a soldier. What attitude we might have, if we counted God present in our shops, chambers, walks and in our meetings!

Wow. Men — that should cause us to really think today! Remember this GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING! How will you then live? — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 7; Proverbs 1-2; 1 Corinthians 16

Dig This Quote: Worship is the expression of the Christian believer’s relationship with God. However that relationship is very complex, since God is at one and the same time our Creator, Redeemer (through Jesus Christ), Sustainer, Indweller (by the Holy Spirit), Friend, and Judge. It helps to remember that we approach God individually as a created one, a redeemed one, a sustained one, an indwelt one, a befriended one, and a judged one.” Don Hustad

Determined Digging: Level 1: Lamentations 3:21-23; Level 2: Psalm 139:1-6

Determined Praying: To pray effectively we must want what God wants — that and that only is to pray in the will of God. A. W. Tozer

Surrender — Whose is Your Life?

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SURRENDER – WHOSE IS YOUR LIFE?

“And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin,but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead,
and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” (Romans 6:13)

God has ownership rights to the life of every Christian. He purchased us to Himself through the blood of Christ (Ephesians 1:7). In terms of the slavery practices in the days of the Apostle Paul, a purchased slave became property and lived at the bidding of the owner. Referring to this practice, the Apostle makes an application to the responsibility of Christians to realize that they do not have the right of self-determination. Life’s decisions are to be made under the direction of the Master.

In our theme verse the term members applies to the portions of the body which can be used in service to the Master. In the secular use of the term instruments it was often found in a military context and translated as weapons or armor. A spiritual application of it is found in 2 Corinthians 10:4 where the weapons of spiritual warfare are declared to be different and more highly effective that the strongholds and defenses of evil.
In our Romans passage the time elements in the verbs are important. It says, in effect, “Do not keep presenting your members…., but once and for all present yourself to God.” The first verb indicates that presentation of the members to unrighteousness had been a pattern which must be changed. In the second, there is a call for a decisive action of surrendering ourselves to the Lord once and for all. This type of turnover cannot be done on an installment plan.
The terms used to bring an end to World War II were unconditional surrender. This meant that on the basis of signed documents, the Japanese were to live in submission to the occupying forces of the United States. Following the surrender there was to be a process of yielding to the conquering ones. In the Christian life, surrender is to be followed by daily yielding. Pastor (Bill) William A. Raws is the grandson of the founder of America’s KESWICK. He went to be with Jesus in July 2008.
Dig This Quote: The Bible does not teach that a man is saved by a principle, but by the shedding of blood. Salvation is not through life lived, but through life poured out. It is not by the life of Jesus that we are redeemed; but by His life given up in the pain and suffering of a shameful death, of which death there is no sufficient symbol or method of expression other than that of the shedding of blood. Redemption is provided, not by the richness of His life provided, but by the suffering of His life poured out. G. Campbell Morgan
Determined Digging: Level 1 —Lamentations 3:21-23; Level 2 — Psalm 139:1-6
Determined Praying: Beware in your prayer above everything of limiting God, not only by unbelief but by fancying that you know what He can do. — Andrew Murray

Ponder Anew

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PONDER ANEW

“For then you shall have delight in the Almighty.” Job 22:26
Today is the last Sunday of services of our 2010 summer conference season. And what a summer it has been.
Some of you will remember that we have been having our 7:30 AM PUSH (Pray Until Something Happens) prayer meetings throughout the summer, and it has been amazing to see God at work!
I was reminded this morning of a line from the hymn, PRAISE TO THE LORD, THE ALMIGHTY KING OF CREATION … “Ponder anew what the Almighty can do!”

Now I am not going to tell you it has been an easy summer. In fact, of my 22 years in conference ministry, this ranks up there as the second hardest summer for me. As I shared some of the difficulties of this summer with our prayer partners, one of them reminded me that I wanted to do the PUSH prayer meetings. They said, “You asked for it!”

Well I don’t think that the enemy was very pleased with our commitment to prayer. In fact, I think it really ticked him off. BUT GOD amazed us with what HE can do! We had a record number of salvations and life commitments this summer. People saved from 5 years old to a women in her mid to upper 70’s! On Thursday of this week, five seniors prayed to receive Christ at our Hymnsing.
During our Monday morning prayer time, a dear lady prayed that someone would “touch the hem of His garment” and be set free. That night we were testifying about ways that we were seeing God at work all around us. The very last person to stand to testify wasn’t planning to stand. Her testimony is too long to write here, but her closing comment was that as she was studying and praying throughout the day, the Lord spoke to her heart and said, “Touch the hem of my garment and be set free!” Coincidence? I don’t think so, brothers.
As you meet to worship Him today — open your heart this week and purpose to see God at work around you. Ponder anew what the Almighty can do! You just might be amazed at what He shows you! — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK
Dig This Quote: Our forgiving of others will not procure forgiveness for ourselves; but our forgiveness of others proves that we ourselves are not forgiven. — Puritan John Owen
Determined Digging: Level 1: Lamentations 3:21-23; Level 2: Psalm 139:1-6
Determined Praying: Prayer that costs nothing is worth nothing; it is simply the by-product of cheap Christianity. To win the day, we must pray. — Michael Catt

Working Alone

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Working Alone

“So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning and evening? Exodus 18:14

I had to chuckle this morning during my quiet time as I read these words from the pen of Henry Blackaby. It may not make any sense to you or even apply to your life — but it was like God took a big old spot light and shone it on me.
This has been a great summer of ministry at America’s KESWICK, but it has also been a very intense summer of with challenges and crisis. This message today is so timely for me:
In our zeal to please God and advance His kingdom, we Christians often take on responsibilities that God never intended us to have. One of the great challenges of the Christian life is determining what God does NOT want us to do! Our intentions are admirable: We love God, we love His people, and we see many needs around us. But sometimes are good intentions cause us more harm than good.
Moses was aware of the need for someone to settle disputes among the Israelites. Someone had to help those former slaves learn how to live together as the people of God, so Moses took it upon himself to meet this need.
Long lines of unhappy people, hoping to have their cases heard, stood before Moses each day. Moses spent day after day carrying the weight of his nation’s problems on his shoulders. Finally his father-in-law, and outsider, witnessed his actions.
Moses was taking on more than he could handle. He was wearing himself out trying to do what was impossible for one person. In doing this service alone, Moses was robbing others of an opportunity to serve the Lord. He was also a disservice to his people, who otherwise could have had their issues resolved much sooner.
When you become aware of a need, do not automatically assume God wants you to meet it. The only reason to perform ministry is that God clearly tells you it is HIS will. If you are feeling overwhelmed by all that you are doing, you probably are doing more than God has asked. Pray carefully about the assignments you take on, so that you don’t rob yourself and others of God’s best. — Henry Blackaby — Experiencing God — The Devotional
Wow! Thank You, Lord, for this timely word! If it was timely for you, I’d love to hear about it. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK
Dig This Quote: With regard to patience the Lord says, ‘You will gain possession of your souls through your patient endurance’ (Luke 21:19). He did not say ‘through your fasting’ or ‘through your vigils’. I refer to the patience bestowed by God, which is the queen of virtues, the foundation of courageous actions. It is patience that is peace amid strife, serenity amid distress, and a steadfast base for those who acquire it. Once you have attained it with the help of Christ Jesus, no swords and spears, no attacking armies, not even the ranks of demons, the dark phalanx of hostile powers, will be able to do you any harm. Gregory of Sinai
Determined Digging: Level 1 — Jeremiah 33:3; Level 2 — Psalm 128:1-5
Determined Praying: To be in a praying position and to boldly pray, we must know who we are in Christ or else we will pray like a pauper and not a soldier. We stand in the victory already won by Christ at the cross. We pray from a position of victory. — Pastor Michael Catt

If You Seek Him

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If You Seek Him

The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.
2 Chronicles 15:2

Our response to God greatly determines His presence in our lives. If we seek God with all our hearts, then we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13-14). The Lord wants us to have fellowship with us, but He will never force a relationship a relationship upon us.

We cannot reject fellowship with God and expect Him to remain near. He does not merely follow us throughout our day in case we need His assistance. If we continue to forsake Him, a time will come when we desperately need Him and He will not be near (Isaiah 59:1-2).

It is an affront to a sovereign God to treat Him like a servant who should wait upon us. God will relate to us on HIS terms, not ours. God desires a close walk with us. He will make His presence real and personal if that is our desire.

If we repent of our sin and seek God on HIS terms, we can look forward to intimate fellowship with Him (James 4:8-10). We are to continually seek Him, not content to enter a new day without the assurance that God is walking beside us.

Do you say you want to experience God’s presence while your actions reveal otherwise? If you say you want to know God better but neglect studying His Word, are you truly seeking Him? Have you regularly forsaken the place of prayer? If your actions reveal you are genuinely seeking God, then He promises you will find Him! — Dr. Henry Blackaby — Experiencing God — The Devotional

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 3; Psalm 140-142; 1 Corinthians 14:1-20

Dig This Quote: There are things God wants you to do, and you are a split-second decision away from either walking into the will of God or shrinking back in fear. Cathy Lechner

Determined Digging: Level 1 – Jeremiah 33:3; Level 2 Psalm 128:1-5

Determined Praying: Satan will let you witness if you just don’t pray because He knows that prayer moves the heart of God, that prayer is the realm in which God works behind the scenes, Satan opposes Godward prayer, and he opposes you personally. Pastor Michael Catt

The Atmosphere of Unbelief

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The Atmosphere of Unbelief
“But as for me, I shall walk in integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me. My foot stands on a level place; in the congregations I shall bless the Lord.” Psalm 26:11-12
Today’s devotional is from DAILY WITH THE KING (Moody) and is a thought-provoker:
Lord, I must be aware of the negative power of unbelief, and, even more, of the negative power of the ATMOSPHERE of unbelief. “He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.” (Matthew 13:58).
The state of my spiritual health affects others, and it even affects You, Lord. How often a meeting has been destroyed by a negative, critical attitude on the part of one of the members and how often has the power of God been expressed simply because ONE PERSON was in tune with the Spirit.
Lord, I often pray for the preacher, but now I realize that the congregation must be prayed for as zealously. The crowd needs an anointing to be channels of the Lord’s power, lest an evil spirit of doubt, distrust, bitterness, or criticism choke out the Lord’s presence. If I leave the gathering unblessed, it is because I came in that way and was unwilling to change during the meeting. I can easily see how King Saul’s dark moods affected the course of the nation.
In any gathering of Your people, Lord, I must be OF them, or soon I will be AWAY from them (1 John 2:19). I must be in tune with You, but I must also be in tune with those around me. For if I am not in tune with them, it will affect their being in tune with you.

We often blame the preacher for a lukewarm sermon when is is really the people’s lukewarmness that inhibits the Spirit’s moving. Lord, teach ME my responsibility in the gather of YOUR people; I must be my fervent best when I walk in to worship You. Otherwise I am a destroyer of unborn blessings.

I thank You, Lord, that Jesus Christ was “anointed” by the Spirit (Isaiah 61:1) to do many things, one of which was to keep me from my negative moods; He gives me “beauty for ashes” and “oil of gladness instead of morning.” (vs. 3c)
Lord, I need to take a look at this in my life. Do I have a negative attitude that will breed an atmosphere of unbelief? Search my heart, Lord. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK
Dig This Quote: Faith in the sheltering wings of God does not remove physical danger or the need for precaution against it. We cannot ignore Beirut tourist advisories, or feed wild animals on our camping trips, or jump a hot motorcycle over a row of parked cars and trust God to keep us safe. We cannot smoke cigarettes like the Marlboro man and then claim the promises of Psalm 91 as our protection against lung cancer. A person who did these things would be a foolish believer and a foolish reader of Psalm 91. Cornelius Plantinga, Jr
Determined Digging: Level 1 — Jeremiah 33:3; Level 2 — Psalm 128:1-5
Determined Praying: We must wrestle earnestly in prayer, like men contending with a deadly enemy for life. J. C. Ryle

A Prayer About How God Changes Us

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A Prayer About How God Changes Us

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

I have shared several prayers with you written by Pastor Scotty Smith from Nashville, Tennessee. Here is a powerful one on how God changes us …

Gracious Father, every day, with no exceptions, I need a refresher course in the gospel. Better said, I need the gospel every day. If I’d been one of Martin Luther’s students, he probably would’ve been looking at me when he said,“Most necessary it is, therefore, that we should know this article (the gospel) well, teach it unto others, and beat it into their heads continually.”

I make no apologies… I feel no shame… I offer my head and heart for a good “gospel-beat-down” this morning. Therefore, I’m going to dial in my gaze on your mercy (not my mess or merits), which of course means, I’ll fix my eyes of Jesus. There’s no greater expression or concentration of your mercy than in Jesus. He is the author and the perfecter of my faith… but he’s also the object of my faith. I cannot look at me and Jesus at the same time.

So, Father, I look to Jesus, right now and what I see is the One who completely fulfilled your law for me… the One who, on the cross, took all the punishment I deserve for my sins… and the One who is my perfect righteousness, now and forever.

As I see Jesus this morning, I go “palms up”… in praise and in surrender. I cry out with your beloved sons and daughters, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Cor. 9:15) To know that we are fully and eternally accepted and acceptable in Jesus is staggering, freeing and transforming.

That’s why I now surrender my body to you, Father… my whole being… as a sacrifice of praise. Jesus is the only sacrifice for sin I’ll ever need. My sacrifice is an act of worship… the kind of worship only the gospel can create. Take my mind… my emotions… my choosing… the actual members of my body, and use them for your glory. I’m no longer my own… you bought me and have set me apart for a life that’s holy and pleasing to you, Father.

You’ll never love me more than you do today, and you’ll never love me less, but I want to love you more by loving Jesus… embracing your good, pleasing and perfect will, as it’s revealed in the Scriptures… and hating sin and evil.

Father, I realize the primary means by which you change me is through the renewing of my mind, so keep on applying the grace and truth of the gospel to the way I think, and the way I look at all things. The gospel is so counter intuitive… it contradicts the way I’ve always thought about you and the way the world seems to operate. So keep showing me more and more of Jesus’ beauty and the wonders of his kingdom, so I will be less enticed and shaped by the values of the world around me. So very Amen, I pray, in Jesus’ most glorious name.

Are you bold enough, courageous enough, to pray this prayer today? Guess what? God may just take you at your word! — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 1; Psalm 135-136; 1 Corinthians 12

Dig This Quote: To be forged upon the anvil of God’s purpose, to be at once His hammer, His tongs, and His molten iron; to hear words that rend the heart, see visions that pierce the chest; to be emptied like an urn, again and again and again until one desires only rest, only an end to the refilling — and to know one cannot live without the refilling. To be given words that one dare not speak, and to feel those words churning and boiling in the belly until one must speak them aloud, or die. To be despised, soon or late, by everyone except Adonai — and to desire it so, while hating it. This is to be a prophet. Thom Lemmons

Determined Digging: Level 1 – Jeremiah 33:3; Level 2 Psalm 128:1-5

Determined Praying: Nothing is more disastrous than to study faith, analyze faith, make noble resolves of faith, but never actually to make the leap of faith. — Vance Havner

Songs in the Night

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SONGS IN THE NIGHT

“But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives us songs in the night.’” (Job 35:10)

There are many people who dread the night. For them, the night amplifies the silence of loneliness, separation and despair. Fear seems to rear its ugly head at night. Problems that appeared to be little blips on the radar screen of life during the day seem to increase in magnitude and appear out of control.

Sleep seems to evade us and the silence of night actually becomes deafening. It is often during these dark times of the night that our great God invades our spirits with “songs in the night.”
David the shepherd played on his harp during the night watch while tending his sheep. Maybe his “songs in the night were the ones that he played for King Saul when his soul was troubled and tormented. When we hear the songs that the Father gives during the night they may not be discernible by our human ears, but we know deep down in our souls He is giving us His special songs.

It is interesting that we us singing to worship and praise Him. The God of the universe who longs for our worship, praise and adoration receives our sacrifices of praise with joy. But it is an amazing thought that when those dreadful, lonely, dark nights, that are filled with despair, fear and anxiousness, He will draw near to you and me to “give us songs in the night.”

God, the Father, the Creator of music, sings His love song to you. Before we know it, we are overwhelmed with His presence and once again filled with awe and wonder. As the dawn approached, you discover that sometime during the night God replaced fear with His peace. Your loneliness is replaced with the awareness that He has been there right beside you. Your anxious spirit has been calmed and quieted with His love. And amazingly, the problems that seemed to be insurmountable have not only been reduced and put into perspective, but you find that He has provided the solutions and answers with clarity.

Open your ears to Him – listen for your special SONG IN THE NIGHT. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 31; Psalm 132-134; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Dig This Quote: If I could hear Christ praying for me … I would not fear a million enemies. — Robert Murray M’Cheyne

Determined Digging: Level 1 — Jeremiah 33:3; Level 2 — Psalm 128:1-5

Determined Praying: Jesus calls us to exercise our faith. We HAVE faith by HAVING faith. Our faith grows as it is stretched. The bigger our understanding of God, the bigger our faith. — Michael Catt

The Purpose of Prayer

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The Purpose of Prayer

. . one of His disciples said to Him, ’Lord, teach us to pray . . .’ —Luke 11:1
Here is a great teaching on the purpose of prayer from the pen of devotional writer, Oswald Chambers.
Prayer is not a normal part of the life of the natural man. We hear it said that a person’s life will suffer if he doesn’t pray, but I question that. What will suffer is the life of the Son of God in him, which is nourished not by food, but by prayer.
When a person is born again from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve or nourish that life. Prayer is the way that the life of God in us is nourished. Our common ideas regarding prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer simply as a means of getting things for ourselves, but the biblical purpose of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself.
“Ask, and you will receive . . .” ( John 16:24 ). We complain before God, and sometimes we are apologetic or indifferent to Him, but we actually ask Him for very few things. Yet a child exhibits a magnificent boldness to ask! Our Lord said, “. . . unless you . . . become as little children . . .” ( Matthew 18:3 ). Ask and God will do. Give Jesus Christ the opportunity and the room to work.
The problem is that no one will ever do this until he is at his wits’ end. When a person is at his wits’ end, it no longer seems to be a cowardly thing to pray; in fact, it is the only way he can get in touch with the truth and the reality of God Himself. Be yourself before God and present Him with your problems— the very things that have brought you to your wits’ end. But as long as you think you are self-sufficient, you do not need to ask God for anything.
To say that “prayer changes things” is not as close to the truth as saying, “Prayer changes me and then I change things.” God has established things so that prayer, on the basis of redemption, changes the way a person looks at things. Prayer is not a matter of changing things externally, but one of working miracles in a person’s inner nature. . . one of His disciples said to Him, ’Lord, teach us to pray . . .’ —Luke 11:1
So are you at your wit’s end today about something in your life? Then do this: PRAY! In fact, PUSH = Pray Until Something Happens! — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK
Dig This Quote: In every action we take, we are doing one of two things: we are either helping to create a hell on earth or helping to bring down a foretaste of heaven. We are either contributing to the broken condition of the world or participating with God in transforming the world to reflect his righteousness. We are either advancing the rule of Satan or establishing the reign of God. Charles (Chuck) Colson
Determined Digging: Level 1 – Jeremiah 33:3; Level 2 Psalm 128:1-5
Determined Praying: I consider the problem, but I don’t take the problem into consideration. The problem is not our priority; having faith in God is our priority. The mountain is not the issues; God is the issue. Pastor Ron Dunn

WORSHIP

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WORSHIP
Here is a very powerful reading on the subject of worship written by commentator, William Barclay:
It would make a tremendous difference if this congregation would do certain things:
1. When we come to church, we ought to be prepared. There are so few people who make any preparation for worship at all. They have to hurry to get ready; they have to worry down the road; they take their places almost at the last moment; and there is no preparation at all. If every person who comes to church would, before he comes, or even on the road there, think of God for just a moment or two, and say a prayer for himself and for the preacher and the people who will meet in worship, it would make a world of difference.
2. We should come seeking. To come to the services of the church should never be simply a matter of habit, a burden of duty, a hallmark of respectability, the satisfying of a convention. It should be a deliberate attempt to come out of the world and to find contact with God.
One of the great secrets of success in any of the business of life is to know what we want, when we are doing a thing; and when we come to church we should want God.
3. We should come determined to give ALL of ourselves. He who comes to church only to get will, in the end, get nothing. We should come determined to give our interest, our prayer, our devotion, our sympathy. The success of any gathering, the happiness of any party, is always dependent on the people who are prepared to give themselves to the fellowship of the occasion. (Adapted from Responsive Reading from Hymns for the Family of God)
So brothers, will you come prepared to worship today? Come seeking? Come determined to give your all? I think that just might make a difference in your worship today! — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK
Dig This Quote: ” The Lord doesn’t work in our lives to reveal what great people He is making us into, but He works in our lives to reveal more of His Son in us!”
Determined Digging: Level 1 — Jeremiah 33:3; Level 2 — Psalm 128:1-5
Determined Praying: Faith does not grow by being pulled up by the roots time and again to see how it is getting on. Faith grows when we look steadily towards God for the supply of all our needs and concentrate on Him. There is little point in becoming engrossed with our faith as if that were the thing we believed in.” J.C. P. Cockerton