Empty?

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Empty
“Three times a year shall all your males appear before the Lord your God …they shall not appear empty:…” Deuteronomy 16:16
Recently I read a book called LEADING ON EMPTY by a pastor who finally recognized that he was struggling with burnout and depression. In the last several months I have met so many people, talked with numerous Christian leaders, listened to stories from friends, who have all said the same thing — “I just feel like my tank has run dry … I feel so empty.”

Well, my brother, it that is you right now, then today’s devotional is just for YOU! Consider it a gift from God received from the pen of one of my greatest heroes of the faith, Pastor Bob Alderman. It is from the Keswick Devotional book, “Real Victory for Real Life.” If you’d like a copy, I’d love to send it to you. The normal cost is $14.95, but if you respond to today’s email with your address, we will send it to you for $6.00.
Perhaps you are like many of us who have experienced an emptiness in life, a futile struggle to at least feel fulfilled and experience some token of fulfillment. The path before you seemed uncertain, the achievements behind you seemed insignificant, and the energy within you seemed so terribly inadequate for the desires you nurtured in your spiritual journey.
You may have raised the question with spiritual counselors concerning such emptiness and your desire to be free from it. You probably have been before our Lord in what seemed to be impotent prayer as you struggled for an understanding of your emptiness, an answer to it, and a deliverance from it.
Do you think the hand of the Lord seems heavy when He orders us concerning a time of accountability – or perhaps “three times a year.” And how about that order that we “shall not appear empty.” Is our Lord being unreasonable or threatening?
Or is He exposing and expressing another aspect of His mercy and provision? The statement seems so demanding, so exacting and potentially so embarrassing.
But is it? Above the human anxiety that such an imperative may produce, can we sense the gracious and loving provision of a heavenly Father whose demands are always an expression of His provision. The Father who expects accountability is the Father who expresses confidence in our ability to faithfully account.
And we go further. He does not expect us to “appear empty.” And being the all-knowing Father that He is, He sees in advance that we need not be empty, and that indeed we are not empty. We are recipients of His loving demands and His abundant provisions.
And so what may appear to be an embarrassing threat is in fact an enriching promise. My Father knows that I need to appear before Him, but not empty. His advance knowledge is now my present encouragement. And that is fullness and victory. –Dr. Robert L. Alderman is Minister-at-Large at Shenandoah Baptist Church in Roanoke, VA. He is a popular conference speaker at America’s KESWICK
God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 31; Judges 11-12; Luke 6:1-26
Great Quote: We have no sufficient strength of our own. All our sufficiency is of God. We should stir up ourselves to resist temptations in a reliance upon God’s all-sufficiency and the omnipotence of his might. Matthew Henry

My Redeemer is Faithful and True

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My Redeemer is Faithful and True

I apologize that you have not received the email version of Freedom Fighters for the past few days. There is some glitch which we are working on. In the event that you do not receive your daily version, you can get in on the Keswick website (http://www.americaskeswick.org/364426.ihtml#h_2228) and go back and read the past entries.
I can’t remember exactly the year that I met Bobby Michaels, but I know it had to be at least 25 years ago and maybe more. Jan and I were attending the Christian Booksellers Convention in Atlanta, GA, and when we walked into the meeting room, there he stood in his khaki outfit!!! He looked like he had just stepped out of the jungle … And since he spent a great deal of time in South Africa, I guess he was dressed appropriately.
That was the first time we heard the song, MY REDEEMER IS FAITHFUL and TRUE. We fell in love with the singer and the lyrics, and years later, learned that a new artist, Steven Curtis Chapman, had penned the words to the song.
We’ve had the joy of watching Bobby’s life and ministry over these many years. He has been a faithful servant of the Lord, not serving like most musicians. Yes, he does concerts, but his ministry is very unique in that much of his time is spent overseas doing mission trips with a purpose.
In fact, Bobby calls himself a “musicianary.” He loves the Lord and loves sharing the gospel on the mission field, whether it be in Africa or the nations in the Near East.
Last week we were in Williamsburg on vacation, and I was walking early in the morning, listening to music on my Ipod. I usually use the mode that takes songs from a variety of projects rather than just listen to one album, so I was quite pleased when I heard the introduction to Bobby’s version of MY REDEEMER. As I listened to the song, I remembered that Bobby and Lee were in Thailand and Cambodia, and paused to pray for their trip. I specifically prayed that Bobby and Lee would experience the reality of that song which has been a major part of their music ministry.
Upon return to our condo, I fired up FACEBOOK, and just happened to see that my friend, Scott Wesley Brown, was online. I normally do not pester Scott, but for whatever reason (hmmmm), I decided to click on his picture and saw the announcement that Bobby Michaels had a massive heart attack and was in serious condition in a hospital in Thailand.
For the last week, Bobby has been in critical condition. Apart from a miracle, he is facing major heart surgery on Tuesday, at 6:00 AM our time. I am calling on my Freedom Fighter family to lift up this special servant of the Lord, his wife, Lee, and his kids, Jeff and Rachel. I know that they would appreciate your prayer support.
May these words minister to your heart today:

As I look back on the road I’ve travelled,
I see so many times He carried me through;
And if there’s one thing that I’ve learned in my life,
My Redeemer is faithful and true. My Redeemer is faithful and true.
CHORUS

My Redeemer is faithful and true.
Everything He has said He will do,
And every morning His mercies are new.
My Redeemer is faithful and true.
My heart rejoices when I read the promise
‘There is a place I am preparing for you.’
I know someday I’ll see my Lord face to face,
‘Cause my Redeemer is faithful and true.
My Redeemer is faithful and true.
(chorus)And in every situation He has proved His love to me;
When I lack the understanding, He gives more grace to me.

(chorus)
God be with you, Bobby and Lee. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK
God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 30; Judges 9-10; Luke 15:17-39
Great Quote: The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul (Psa 19:7). Most laws condemn the soul and pronounce sentence. The result of the law of my God is perfect. It condemns but forgives. It restores – more than abundantly – what it takes away. Jim Elliot

This Is Not For Dummies (Part 4)

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This is Not for Dummies (Part 4)

Controlling the Anger of Others
When other people use anger on you, the easiest way to react is to use your own anger. This will cause the other person to use his/her anger on you and so forth. Here are the rules that Dr. Izzy Kalman uses in his material on “Turning Bullies into Buddies”:
1. Refuse to give others the power to get you mad.
2. Treat everything people tell you as the words of your best friend (even if they sound angry and hateful).
3. Do not be afraid.
4. Do not defend yourself.
5. Do not attack.
6. If someone hurts you, just show that you are hurt: do not get angry.
Rule #1 is not a natural result of feeling another’s anger. When we become angry we feel like we are victims but act like bullies. If you want your power back do not give that power to another. Choose not to be angry.
Rule #2 is what happens when we experience that anger of another. That is, we feel like they are no longer our friend but rather our enemy. Challenge that feeling by asking, “How can I keep this person as a friend?”
Rule #3 is what causes us to respond in anger. Anger creates more adrenalin which one need to cope with fear. Stifle fear to reduce adrenalin because your friend does not want to destroy you.
Rule #4 is also a natural response to the feeling of just having been attacked. But don’t let your response fire off another round of anger. Each use of anger invites further fighting.
Rule #5 is what we do to enemies and not to friends. To attack gives a feeling of power while defense appears the weaker position. But to choose to not attack is the more noble position.
Rule #6 is the way to win over anger. When we hurt people “want to kiss away the hurt”. When we get angry people respond in kind and thus the fighting continues. To admit hurt or pain may appear weaker but it enlists the offender in becoming a conciliator.
This, of course, will not work with people bent on being an enemy but it will work in most cases of misunderstanding and injury.
Thanks, Dr. Van, for sharing this week’s teachings on anger.
God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 29, Judges 7-8; Luke 5:1-16
Great Quote: Pride calls me to the window, gluttony to the table, wantonness to the bed, laziness to the chimney-corner; ambition commands me to go up stairs, and covetousness to come down. Vices, I see, are as well contrary to themselves as to virtue. Free me, Lord, from this distracted case; fetch me from being sin’s servant to be Thine, whose “service is perfect freedom,” for Thou art but one, and ever the same. Thomas Fuller

This Is Not For Dummies (Part 3)

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This Is Not For Dummies (Part 3)

Deceptive Anger

Anger is often disguised by other names and feelings. When we say, “I’m tired.” “You give me a headache.” Or “My aching back”, “I’m fed up.” Or many other figures of speech we are masking anger. Sometimes we can be very sweet while the poison of anger is eating away inside. We need to identify it as anger and deal with it. Some people will say, “Oh, I have dealt with that problem” as if they will never have to deal with it again.

If what has been done to us is OK we just need to accept it. BUT if it is not OK the only thing that can remove the sting is the Act of Forgiveness. While ignorance of the law is no excuse, it is a very good reason to forgive. Ignorance can not make something OK but forgiveness can help in healing the hurt.

The reason we can rarely say we have dealt with it is because we need to forgive “once and for all” over and over. Like dieting you must decide once and for all and then, at every temptation, make the decision again. We can forgive once but the next time that “Memory” brings up the incident we must choose to forgive again.

Thought Control

Anger is not stored! Memories are!
This we have known for a long time. Memories cause pain and pain produces anger.
For many years we taught our youth to “Manage Memory”. We called it memorization. We memorized the words (which are the thoughts) of great men like Lincoln, Franklin and Patrick Henry. We even learned “by heart” the Bible. NOT SO TODAY.

Since we no longer learn how to control memory we are now controlled by those memories. We feel (or believe) that memories are beyond our control. That may be with Alzheimer but not for any healthy person. We (consciously or unconsciously) decide what we want to remember.

If we do not control our memories, our Memories will control us.

Take dieting for instance. It is the memory of what the food seemed to do for us that makes us want to eat. Not the necessity of the body. It is the memory of an addiction that drives the addict. To some, they have never memorized more than a phone number or show tune.

It is probably the best reason for seeing something new every morning such as God’s Grace to us. Looking for these and remembering them will not allow us to dwell on the hurts of the past. We cannot hold two thoughts at one time regardless of what those who “Multitask” tell us. Thinking God’s thoughts after Him will blunt the force of other thoughts even when they come.

We cannot stop our Memories but we can use them so that they do not abuse us.

Here I think of the defensive player in football. He would like to stop the incoming player but is not as strong as he. The player must learn to use the strength of the incoming opponent to steer him away from the quarterback. When those memories are too strong for us we can use the strength of memories to our advantage. Like the computer some memories are so deep that they cannot be totally erased BUT we can write over them. Keep up the memory work.

Choose to
1. Remember the Good and not the Bad.
2. Remember the Right and not the Wrong.
3. Remember Forgiveness and not Fairness.

How does one create a reservoir of good thoughts?
The Bible tells us how. In Philippians 4: 8 & 9 “Finally, brothers,
Whatever is true,
Whatever is noble,
Whatever is right,
Whatever is pure,
Whatever is lovely,
Whatever is Admirable—if anything is Excellent or Praiseworthy
think about such things.

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me,
or seen in me—
put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

“Thinking on these things” will bring the past into the present and “over-write” the deep set memories. Thus the latest thoughts will slowly overcome the more comfortable angry thoughts of the past. Try it. It does work. Choosing someone who seems to show control over Anger to emulate will also help you to put into practice the above thoughts that control. — Dr. George VanSandt is a Christian Counselor and friend of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 28; Judges 4-6; Luke 4:31-44

Great Quote: The more intimate our relationship with Christ, the more we will understand the will of God and the more power we will have to act on it. Anonymous

This Is Not For Dummies (Part 2)

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Handling Your Own Anger
Steps for Change

1. The concept that “anger is stored” is not true. There is no place in the body, that we have discovered where anger is stored. Memories are stored. Memories cause feelings and feelings cause anger. It happens so fast that we feel that it is anger that is stored. Believe it or not, we can choose what to remember and how to feel about it. This takes time and practice. Don’t give up. Give it a chance. No one can put you down without your permission. Practice forgiveness–it works. When something can not be made OK then it needs to be forgiven. If it is OK it needs no forgiveness.(We will discuss this thought later).

2. Feelings are not you and you are not your feelings. Do not define yourself by your feelings. Feelings are just feeling. That does not mean that they have no power. It is what drives the champion and the suicide. Choose which way you want your feelings to work for you.

3. Feelings can only last as long as you think about events that cause the feelings. The very moment that you stop remembering the feelings leave. So the next thing is to think those thoughts that give force to the things you want to be or do.

4. Do not deny what you feel but delay what you do. As soon as you feel anger, identify it and choose not to act on it at this time… You can be angry without acting on it. Your actions will reinforce the feelings. Most feelings follow actions rather than cause actions but it is a circle that can become cyclonic.
A. Delay can help you choose the proper response.
B. Delay can help you cool down
C. Delay can save hours of “I’m Sorrys”

5. Stop comparing yourself with other people. The Com in compare is similar to the Com in competition. When you compare yourself with another you loose even when you win. It is a battle that should be left to “The Next American Idol”. You were born as a unique individual so that no one is just like you. No one is better than you or less than you. Just work on being the best you that you can be.

6. Stop listening to that voice in your head. These are words from our childhood that contain “allness” words such as always and never and everybody. Substitute mostly for always, often for never, and some people for everyone. By so doing you can accept the words that build and ignore those that tear down, no matter who says them.

7. Start keeping a journal. In so doing you will see how well you are doing on the road to success.
A. Keep it daily but not as a diary. It will only contain those things that affect your “anger.”
B. Write what you said or did with the “pain.”
C. Include the events that led up to your feeling of anger.
D. Did you delay your response? If not, why not?
E. How did you feel about how you handled your anger.
F. Write what you expect to do the next time the situation presents itself.

Additional Help with Your Own Anger — Surprised by Anger
Sometimes we are unaware of anger and can not manage it because we do not recognize it. Here are some of the times that confuse our feeling.

1. When we are successful. We become concerned that we are now experiencing a feeling of loss. It is the loss of a goal when we have reached it. That loss becomes like any other loss. It triggers anger sometimes toward others yet often against us. This can be because of the time spent on the “journey to the top” or the cost to ourselves and others.
2. When we suffer loss of any kind.
A. Loosing a job. We will tend to blame any number of people and any situation. As we blame we tend to become angry at the lack of interest that others have in our lives. We may even become angry at ourselves for lack of foresight.
B. Loosing a friend. We can blame our friend for leaving us; we can blame the one that they seem to leave us for and, of course, ourselves for not doing something. The anger accompanies our sense of helplessness.
C. Loosing someone through death. We can experience different angers.
i. Anger at the person who left us by dieing.
ii. Anger at not being able to save someone from death.
iii. Anger at God for not answering our prayers.
iv. Anger at those who say, “We know what you are going through.”
v. Anger at those who say, “You will have another loved one soon.”
vi. Anger at those who say, “Time, Tears, and Talking about it will soon heal the hurt.

Today’s Freedom Fighter is written by Dr. George Van Sandt

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 27; Judges 1-3, Luke 4:1-30

Great Quote: The more intimate our relationship with Christ, the more we will understand the will of God and the more power we will have to act on it. Anonymous

This Is Not For Dummies (Part 1)

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This Is Not For Dummies (Part 1) —Dr. Van will be sharing some insights on anger the next few days.

This is not for “Dummies” We know who we are and what we do. What we may not know is why and what to do about it.

Naming is the First Step in Controlling
Recognizing Anger Early
Have you ever said to yourself any of the following?
“I can’t control my temper!”
“I can’t control my feelings!”
“I am full of rage!”
“Help me!”

All of the above quotes, for the most part, are untrue. If they were true there would be no need for you to read further. So the first decision that you must make is to question the veracity of your self-talk.

In someway, feelings are not what needs to be controlled, actions are. Temper or anger is caused by certain presuppositions. Such as,
A. No one should ever offend me.
B. Everyone should respect me.
C. People are unfair and even life is unfair.
D. If I do not defend myself people will walk all over me.

So, why do we have anger anyway? Anger is given to us so that we can attempt to get what we think we cannot have. Notice children playing in the sandbox. If the bully takes a toy from a child, when that child becomes angry and the adrenal glands start secreting as the child attacks the bully, if the toy is returned, the child knows that anger works and will be encouraged to use it again.

His face showed the extent of his anger. When told that he was angry he denied it. He said he was HURTING. This could not be true for when people hurt we want to “kiss away the hurt” not inflict further pain. You cannot help people who refuse to call the feeling by its proper name.
— Dr. Van is a Christian Counselor and Pastor, and a friend of America’s KESWICK
God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 26; Joshua 22-24; Luke 3
Great Quote: Grant, Almighty God, that as You have made known Your law, and has also added Your gospel, in which You call us to Your service, and also have invited us with all kindness to partake of Your grace; O grant, that we may not be deaf, either to Your command or to the promises of Your mercy, but render ourselves submissive to You everywhere, and so learn to devote all our faculties to You, that we may in truth avow that the rule of a holy and religious life, has been delivered to us in Your law, and that we may firmly adhere to Your promises, lest through any of the allurements of the world, or through the flatteries and delusions of Satan, You should suffer our minds to be drawn away from that love which You have once for all manifested to us in Your only begotten Son, and in which You daily confirm us by the teaching of the gospel, until we at length shall come to the full enjoyment of this love in that celestial inheritance, which has been purchased for us by the blood of Your only Son. — John Calvin

Root Removal

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Root Removal
Hebrews 12:15 (King James Version) “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled” “

Did you ever thank God for your mind?”shouted a man behind the bars of a window in a mental institution. The two stout gentlemen VISITING from America stopped and looked at each other. The one that was over six feet tall said to the shorter one, “You know, I never have” and right there on the gravel road Ira Sankey and D.L. Moody knelt and thanked God.

The purpose of this Freedom Fighter is to encourage you to use thankfulness to win the Victory over bitterness. In the book of Romans1:21 is written, “because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

When we fail to be thankful we soon become ungrateful and resentful. Throughout the Bible people often found themselves unthankful. Eve, with the whole garden to eat from, found that the one tree that God had denied them was the only one that she wanted. She knew God but was not thankful. (Genesis 3) King Ahab was not satisfied with all that came with being King. He wanted his neighbor’s vineyard.

When Naboth the Jezreelite refused to sell the vineyard to the king, Ahab(D) went into his house vexed and sullen and lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food. Jezebel ordered Naboth murdered such is the forces of ingratitude. (1Kings 21) After David’s great sin Nathan, the prophet, accused David of ingratitude by the story he told. A rich man had many sheep and guests came but he would not take from his own flock but took his neighbor’s only ewe and slew it for supper.

How clearly David saw his own sin and repented. (2 Samuel 12:1-10) Jesus warns us about being unthankful in the book of Mathew 25:29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

I used to believe that the verse meant that the rich get rich and the poor get poorer. NOT SO! It means that when people are thankful for what they are given, some may want to give more. And to those who are poor shall be taken away what he does have. He is not so poor that there is nothing he can lose yet Jesus said unthankful people may even loose the little that they have If you think things are bad now wait awhile for it can get worse

My sister, Barbara likes to tell a story about our supper table. It seems our mother was cutting a freshly baked pie and I looked at the piece and said, “Who is that big piece of pie for, grandmother?” “No, son, it is for you!” “What that little piece!” she says was my response. I don’t believe it but it does illustrate how we look at things with an unthankful spirit.

Little victories with thankfulness creates Greater Victories. Should you begin to worry about what you will eat or wear or even your housing, are expressions of ingratitude. Jesus said that we are much better than the lily’s of the field and the forgotten sparrow! (Matthew 10:29-31)

So, take the check-up from the neck-up. What new thing have you thanked God for today. As you look for God’s mercies you will find them new each morning. Now aren’t you thankful! Look for things to be thankful for and list them. The song writer said, “Count your many blessing. Name them one by one. I think we would do better to name them ton by ton for they are inexhaustible! — Dr. George VanSandt is a Christian Counselor and Pastor

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 25; Joshua 19-21; Luke 2:25-52

Great Quote: It is not you who shape God; it is God that shapes you. If then you are the work of God, await the hand of the Artist who does all things in due season. Offer the Potter your heart, soft and tractable, and keep the form in which the Artist has fashioned you. Let your clay be moist, lest you grow hard and lose the imprint of the Potter’s fingers. Irenaues (200 AD)

Meekness, Gentleness and the Storage Pit, NT!

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I am writing to you from beautiful Williamsburg, VA. I am most grateful that Chris Hughes and Pastor Van have been writing this week so that I could take a break. Thanks, guys!

I would like to ask the Freedom Fighter family to be in prayer for singer/missionary, Bobby Michaels. Bobby has been a faithful friend for well over 20+ years. Bobby and Lee have been in Cambodia on a short-term missions trip, and Bobby had a massive heart attack and had to be resuscitated several times. He is in critical condition. Would you please life Bobby and Lee up to the throne of grace.

If you’d like to send them a note, reply to the Freedom Fighter and I will forward it to them. Thanks.

Meekness, Gentleness and the Storage Pit, NT!

“Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ,- I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! I ask that when I am present I may not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh.”
2 Corinthians 10:1-2(NASB)

Yesterday I told you about the notes I found in, what I call, the Storage Pit. Our family has a spot on our property where we store what we would like to keep and probably what we should say a fond farewell to. I shared with you some of what was on the notes that I had taken on gentleness and meekness from the Old Testament. Today it is the New Testament’s turn.

As I read through the rest of these notes on gentleness and meekness I found myself writing down different versions to the first part of the aforementioned verse’s. The CEV puts the first verse like this, “Do you think I am a coward when I am with you and brave when I am far away? Well I ask you to listen because Christ Himself was humble and gentle.” The NRSV put it this way, “I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ-I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away.”

Now stop the presses for a moment here. Now I know why I had to go over this subject while in the colony. And why I struggle with it today. The old man in me is completely vexed by the notion of being bold or brave while off in the distance and humble and meek when face to face. I was an “in-your –face”, ready to go toe-to-toe with anyone and a “you better pack a lunch” kind of man B.C. (before Christ). Now the man A.C. (after Christ) has to…I say it again…has to own up to his weakness so that Jesus Christ can show His strength. As I wrote in my colony notes, “And I have found throughout the New Testament the words gentle, meek and humble is a man named Jesus and He was a rebel to the everyday of His time. But I did not find the word “weak” when it came to Christ Himself.” Jesus was a rebel? That I can respect and that’s what caught my attention to the work that was done on the Cross.

“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5 (KJV)
The famous “Sermon on the Mount” was directed to His disciples and not to the multitudes. Not that they could not have a seat and listen but Jesus meant this to be for the regenerated believer. Someone who’s faith would be based on the Word of God and His work of redemption.

Right now I am studying the church at Corinth. This city was known for its vices and wicked ways throughout the Roman Empire. After all it was a port city and I am finding that Paul had to defend his ministry all the time. After all, he was a “in-your-face” zealot who, at one time, wanted Christians dead. It must have vexed the many who listened to him preach Christ crucified and Christ-likeness to their faces and then expressing his anger towards the false apostle’s and the heresy of their teachings by letters sent from abroad.

But want to know something? It sounds like they waited for him to leave before they disagreed with him. After leaving Galatia, Jewish Christians began to undermine Paul’s teaching by merging Jewish law and Jewish customs into it and calling it the true way. Maybe this is why he wrote this to the Galatians from abroad. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such there is no law” Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

I finished the page by saying, “No matter how I cut it, God wants us to be gentle, humble, meek-KITTY KAT (with retracted claws)- for there is no wrong in it or any law against it. It is a lifelong way of being for a true believer. Those words have rung true for a long time before me or before anything I could trace on a family tree. But for today I praise God that He is using me to put some fruit on that tree now. Thank you Jesus!! — Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy.

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 24; Joshua 16-18; Luke 2:1-24

Great Quote: Obedience to God’s Will is the secret of spiritual knowledge and insight. It is not willingness to know, but willingness to do God’s Will that brings certainty. Eric Liddell

Meekness, Gentleness and the Storage Pit

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Meekness, Gentleness and the Storage Pit, OT!

“In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; let your right hand teach you awesome Psalm 45:4

This is a bit ironic but just the other day my wife, Kathy, had been telling me that while looking for something in our storage pit she came across a box titled, “The History of Christianity.” Initially, she thought it was a set of DVDs on the subject but something told me they weren’t. So into the pit I went and found them to be VHS tapes on the subject. I had received these from a Pastor friend of mine sometime ago and I guess I had forgotten about them. And even though I still have a VCR to watch these tapes, that is not why I am writing this; it is something else I found that caught my attention.

The last Freedom Fighter I wrote was based on someone else’s notes that fell into my lap while studying from a Matthew Henry commentary I had bought from the Keswick bookstore. Well, this one is based on my own notes on the subject of “gentleness and meekness.” Yikes!! When did I write these? Answer: during my time at the Colony. I found these notes on a day when I had to do just what was written. Since this was another one of those “Divine Moments,” I would like to share with you what I found out; that in my weakness, the strength of Jesus shines through. I began in the Old Testament and I started my notes off with a question.

So what’s a bull doing in a china shop? Browsing for gentleness and meekness in a Cruden’s Concordance, that’s what. Where do you find this in the good book? In 2 Samuel, I came upon a song spoken to God by David. The Lord had just delivered David from his enemies and from the hands of Saul. “You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your gentleness made me great.” 2 Samuel 22:36 (ESV) Here the word gentleness is to refer to God’s strength. You can take a look at Psalm 18:35 (ESV) where David writes, “You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great.”

Then as I read on I had something from Proverbs. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1. This is what God must have wanted me to see on the day I found these notes. I have to be as careful with my tone of voice as I have to be with the words I use in a sentence. It had been one of those days where, at a moment’s notice, someone could have been offended. And I was in the hot seat for a good part of the work day.

As I continued reading, I had a few verses and comments on meekness.
Divine intervention shall come for those of “an- a-wah” (this must be in the Hebrew). For out of long-suffering comes meekness. The glories of the Messiah and His bride come for the causes of truth, meekness and righteousness. “Seek you the Lord, all you meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be you shall be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.” Zephaniah 2:3 (KJV)

“Yahweh” is the Lord of all the earth. We all are accountable to Him. Before the Old Testament finishes, it tells its readers that the Lord, our God, demands gentleness and meekness of His people. And from Adam to David, it seems that man cannot practice these two simple principles. He creates in love (agape) with gentleness and supplies us with a strength that should make all of us meek among each other. It is not until we get into the New Testament that God provides a Man that gives us an example of these two qualities.

Just a few thoughts from the Old Testament for your kind review today. Did I hit the mark today for you? Please Brothers let me know and praise Him for it. — Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 23; Joshua 13-15; Luke 1:57-80

Great Quote: People cannot become perfect by dint of hearing or reading about perfection. The chief thing is not to listen to yourself, but silently to listen to God. Talk little and do much, without caring to be seen.God will teach you more than all the most experienced persons or the most spiritual books can do. You already know a great deal more than you practise. You do not need the acquirement of fresh knowledge half so much as to put in practice that which you already possess. Francois Fenelon

Obedience a Lesson to Be Learned

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Obedience a Lesson to be learned

What is obedience and why must it be learned? Why did Jesus have to learn that lesson (Hebrews 5:8 “

Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered”)? Why do we have to learn it again and again?

First of all, it is not just doing what someone else wants. Jesus from Eternity past had always done the Father’s will yet he never obeyed. Doing what we want to do that agrees with another person’s desire is not obedience. True obedience involves a conflict of wills and it can only be learned by suffering.

In Jesus’ case His conflict with His Father came into conflict with His human nature. You find this coming at the point of death. Human nature does not welcome death. The Bible shares Christ’s most intimate moment with His eternal Father.

Jesus begged His Father to find another way, any way but the cross. When people speak of a salvation without the cross, I wonder what they must think of God the Father. He loved His Son. He said so at the Jordan river and again in Matthew 17:5

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

How can the God of Love not love His own Son enough to spare Him the cross? He could Not! If there were another way, say Good Works, He would have told His own Son about it. He would have allowed His Only Begotten Son to strike a “Plea Bargain!” that included no cross.

Thus Jesus learned to obey after His first Gethsemane experience. But he had two more conflicts with His Father’s will. He prayed again to be spared (not death this time) but pain. The human experience tries to avoid pain. Jesus was given no anesthetic. His beard was torn, His back was ripped, His crown was thorny and the nail split his hand and his feet.

Again, He reasons with his Father, “Some other way!” But NO, he must endure shame. He had his heart torn by the taunting of the crowd, the taunting of the thieves and the desertion of His friends.

Three very painful lessons learned as He learned to obey.

Obedience is not just submission. Not just changing your mind. Not the bipartisanship of the Politician for He never gave up his will. Too many parents try to break the will of the child not so with this heavenly Father.

Jesus did not give up his will. He said, “Not my will but thine be done” Submitting His own will to that of the Father.

Even if you can not happily say to your Lord, “I want your will” but to do His will (without complaining) that is obedience. — Dr. George (“Van”) Van Sandt is a contributor for Freedom Fighters and is a dear friend of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 22; Joshua 10-12; Luke 1:39-56

Great Quote: Joy is distinctly a Christian word and a Christian thing. It is the reverse of happiness. Happiness is the result of what happens of an agreeable sort. Joy has its springs deep down inside. And that spring never runs dry, no matter what happens. Only Jesus gives that joy. He had joy, singing its music within, even under the shadow of the cross. S.D. Gordon