DON’T MISS THE OBVIOUS …

Worship is all about HIM – not about YOU! I was reading through Psalm
150 this morning and two things jumped off the page. Read it for
yourself:

1 Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty
firmament! 2 Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His
excellent greatness! 3 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise
Him with the lute and harp! 4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! 5 Praise Him with loud
cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! 6 Let everything that has
breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!

Unfortunately worship divides rather than pulls us together. We get hung
up on what WE will get out of worship. We forget that the object of our
worship is not us – it’s all about Him. Every phrase in this Psalm
instructs us to praise HIM! He is the FOCUS of our praise. We are
directed to use our particular instruments of worship not for ourselves
but for Him. From trumpets to cymbals! Wow. Can it be? And it says that
the clashing of cymbals are to be loud! (We’ll just ignore the “d” word
…)

Worship is a blending of our individual personalities, likes and
dislikes, preferences and convictions to focus in on our great God! It
is the body of Christ coming together with a common purpose – Praise the
Lord! Someone said that if I am looking up in worship of Him I won’t
have time to be looking around to see what’s going on around me …

This morning remember that worship is not about You! It’s all about Him.
Praise the Lord! And do it with everything you’ve got! Let EVERYTHING
that has breath – praise the Lord.

ACCOUNTABILITY

From time to time guys ask me for questions that they can ask for
accountability purposes. This is a list of questions that I have shared
before with my Freedom Fighter guys, but here it is again. I trust it
will be helpful.

ACCOUNTABILITY QUESTIONS
1. Where are you presently in your personal relationship with God?
2. What have you been reading in your daily devotions this week?
3. What has God been saying to you during those readings?
4. Are you making notes of what God has been saying to you?
5. Have you been consistent in your times of prayer?
6. Which areas of your relationship with God do you experience
resistance? Are there any unresolved issues in your life?
7. What are the general and specific things that you are praying about?
8. What habits are you struggling with as a Christian at time in your
walk with God?
9. How are you going with regards to your spouse and children?
10. What general reading are you doing these days?
11. If Satan where to try to invalidate you as a person or as a servant,
how might he do it?
12. What is the state of your sexual perspective? Are you tempted, are
you struggling with fantasies? Are you entertaining evil thoughts?
13. Where are you financially right now? Are things under control?
14. Do you have someone to whom you are accountable, and do you meet on
a weekly or monthly basis with that person?
15. Have you spent time with a non- Christian this last month?
16. Do you have a prayer list where you pray for non- Christians?
17. What kind of challenges are you facing right now?
18. What is your greatest desire at this point?
19. What are the three things that you are most thankful for?
20. What areas of your life is the Holy Spirit working in?
21. Of the 20 questions you just answered, have you lied to us?
Adapted from a list of probing questions from my good friend and brother
in Christ, Dr. Gerard DuToit.

Great quote: When you become consumed by God’s call on your life,
everything will take on new meaning and significance. You will begin to
see every facet of your life – including your pain – as a means through
which God can work to bring others to Himself. Charles Stanley

ADD TO YOUR FAITH …

Sorry I am late in getting this out this morning, but we are in New
Hampshire to visit our kids and grandkids and will be ministering with
Robert and Joyce Hayes in Springfield, Mass on Saturday and Sunday. The
fall foliage on the way up was just spectacular.

Our grandson, Tanner, just turned two and we are amazed at his
vocabulary at his age. He is using some pretty big words and knows
exactly where to put them in a sentence. He absolutely adores our son,
Zach. You should have seen his face when we pulled into the driveway and
he spied Zach! I was afraid he would jump right through the picture
window.

What was amazing to me is that in just a few hours, he was observing
Zach and picking up words that Zach was saying adding them to his
vocabulary. It brought to my mind a some verses from Peter’s epistle of
the qualities that we are to add to our lives:

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness;
and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to
self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to
godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if
you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you
from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord
Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and
blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
(1 Peter 1:5-9)

My friend, and Bible teacher/speaker, Dr. Ron Blue taught us that one
way we can add these necessary qualities to our faith is to pray and ask
the Holy Spirit to do build them into our lives. He prays for a
different quality each day. There are seven of them – one for each day!
Good practice.

So what are you adding to your faith today? Enjoy your day.

Great quote: God wisely designed the human body so that we neither pat
our own backs nor kick ourselves to easily. Anonymous

THE GREAT LIBERATOR

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
John 8:36

“To those who are imprisoned in their sin, the world IF rings a sweet
silver bell of hope. No matter WHO you are or WHAT you are or how many
years you may have remained a slave of Satan, “IF THE SON THEREFORE
SHALL MAKE YOU FREE,’ the glorious Liberator CAN make you free.
‘Wherefore he is able to also save them to the uttermost that come unto
God by him.’ (Hebrews 7:25)

Perhaps that which weighs upon you most heavily is a sense of your PAST
GUILT – you have offended God often, willfully, atrociously, with many
aggravations. You feel that God’s Word says against you is deserved and
every threatening that His book utters is your just due. Can so foul a
sinner be made clean?

I know that the leopard cannot lose its spots nor the Ethiopian change
his skin by HIS OWN EFFORTS. Is there a power divine that can take away
the spots and change your nature? Surely, it already has happened. No
sin that you have committed need shut you out of heaven. However
damnable your iniquities may have been, there is forgiveness with God
that He may be feared.

You may have gone to the very edge of hell, but the arms of God’s grace
is long enough to reach you. You may feel that your tongue is padlocked
with blasphemy, your hands bound by acts of atrocious violence, your
heart fettered with corruption, your feet chained fasts to the satanic
blocks of unbelief, your whole self locked up in the bondage of
corruption, but there is ONE so mighty to save that He can set even YOU
free. ‘The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from ALL sin.’ (1
John 1:7) from the pen of Dr. Charles Haddon Spurgeon (The Power of
Christ the Warrior)

Listen to the words of this powerful hymn …

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for ME, who caused HIS pain?
For ME, who Him to death pursued.

He left HIS Father’s throne above!
So free, so infinite His grace!
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race!
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For, O my God, it found out me.

‘Tis mystery all! The Immortal dies!
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
‘Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds inquire no more.

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night.
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray;
I woke – the dungeon flamed with light!
MY CHAINS FELL OFF, MY HEART WAS FREE!
I rose, went forth, and followed THEE.

NO CONDEMNATION now I dread;
Jesus, and all in HIM is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine.
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And CLAIM THE CROWN, THROUGH CHRIST MY OWN.

Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God shouldst die for ME!

Powerful words this morning. I have one Freedom Fighter friend that this
is for. You know who you are today. May this truth burn into your heart.

DELIGHTING IN THE LORD

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you shall dwell in the land, and
surely you will be fed. Delight yourself also in the Lord; and he shall
give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:3-4

“God’s Word makes it very clear to us that He Himself, by His Spirit,
resides in our bodies. They are called His temple, His habitation, His
residence here on earth (see 1 Corinthians 6:12-20).

In other words, both God and I are joint occupants of my body. We share
the same premises. We cohabitate in the one residence. He is, therefore,
my CONSTANT COMPANPION. An acute awareness of this [should] change my
entire attitude toward the Lord.

There will begin to dawn upon my spirit and soul the deep desire to
delight in HIS companionship. If we live together, love each other,
respect each other, then surely we are bound to enjoy each other. Too
often there is a tendency to try and make this simple relationship
between God and man to mystical; too mysterious; almost magical. It need
not be.

So how does one delight in God? Here are just a few simple suggestions.
Use the same five physical senses of your body that the world exploits
to intrude into your life, to make yourself aware, instead, of God.

1. Use your EYES to read His Word – to study it. Use them to revel
in the sublime beauties of His creation around you.
2. Use your HEARING to listen to the sounds of wind, waves,
streams, bird song, the laughter of children, great music.
3. Use your sense of SMELL to inhale the fragrances of flowers,
fresh earth after the rain, ozone off the sea, hay curing in the sun,
orchards in blossom. Thank Him for every perfume.
4. Use your TASTE BUDS to relish clear, cool water, delicious food,
the delicacy of fresh fruits and vegetables. All come from Him.
5. Use your sense of TOUCH to feel the smoothness of a rose, the
roughness of a tree bark, the warmth of sand between your toes, the
luxuriance of grass and pine needles beneath your feet, the hand of your
wife, husband, child, or sweetheart.

Every good and perfect gift comes to us in generous measure from our
God. On every side He surrounds us with an overwhelming outpouring of
His loving provision for our bodily welfare. Submerge yourself in His
generosity. Let an upwelling stream of gratitude and delight pour from
you in every ardent appreciation for His presence that surrounds you on
every side.

It is in Him that you live and move and have your being. And it is in
you that He lives and moves and has his very being. Become acutely,
intensely aware of His interrelationship. Revel in Him. Rejoice in Him.
Rest in Him. It is He who will impart to you His own exquisite desires.
It is He who will impress upon you His own divine designs. It is He who
will consummate all of these as you share life with Him, walking
together in sincere, calm, quiet harmony. Walking with God can be
beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!” from the pen of devotional author and
lecturer, the late Phillip Keller (A Shepherd Looks at the Twenty-Third
Psalm) in his book, WALKING WITH GOD.

Great quote: Just as in prayer it is not we who momentarily catch His
attention, but He ours, so when we fail to hear His voice, it is not
because He is not speaking so much as that we are not listening. We must
recognize that all things are in God and that God is in all things, and
we must learn to be very attentive, in order to bear God speaking in His
ordinary tone without any special accent. A man must not stop listening
any more than praying when he rises from his knees. No one questions the
need of times of formal address to God, but few admit in any practical
way the need of quiet waiting upon God, gazing into His face, feeling
for His hand, listening for His voice. “I will hearken what the Lord God
will say concerning me.” God has special confidences for each soul.
Indeed, it would seem as though the deepest truths came only in moments
of profound devotional silence and contemplation. Charles H. Brent

FINDING GOD’S PRESENCE

On of the classic books that has ministered to millions is Brother
Lawrence’s PRACTICING THE PRESENCE OF GOD. Today’s devotional reading is
from this powerful little book.

How do you find the presence of God in your life?

1. First, you need to guard yourselves from doing, saying, or thinking
anything that would offend God, and you need to keep a short account
with Him. If you slip, go straight to Him and ask for His forgiveness.
We’re talking about purity of life.

2. Next, you need to keep your heart’s eye focused on God always,
remembering in love to stay quiet and humble before Him and not let your
worries or day-to-day problems get in the way or dray you off the path.

3. In addition, you need to warm up your spiritual muscles and focus on
the Lord before you begin any daily chores or regular work. That way
you’ll stay fixed on Him all the way through it and afterward. But don’t
get discouraged; it takes a long while and a lot of hard work to develop
this kind of habit. Once you’ve got it, though, a great abundance of joy
comes to live in your life.

Doesn’t it make sense that our hearts would be the first and last to
love and worship God, because the heart begins and ends all that we do?
After all, the heart – the center of life – powers the rest of our
bodies. The heart sets the pace, spiritual and otherwise. So it’s the
heart that lets us focus on God within in a way that’s natural and
simple, without a fancy plan or a complicated agenda.

4. When you’re coming into God’s presence, I’d suggest you describe your
feelings in a few words such as ‘I’m all Yours, Lord, “God of love, I
love You will all my heart,” or “Mold my heart to match Yours, God.” Or
tell God in your own way on the spur of the moment how you love Him –
whatever works for you.

In the process, though, be careful not to let your mind wander back to
thinking about everyday things. Stay close to God so your will can keep
your mind in line, focused on the Lord.

5. Working into this kind of presence of God is tough at first –
painful, even. But with a little practice, this habit will secretly
start doing things in your soul with incredible results. It’ll draw down
showers of God’s grace, and oh-so-quietly lead your right back to that
simple, 360-degree view of God. That kind of holy contact with the Lord
is the most real, yet the easiest kind of prayer anyone can pray. It’s a
prayer bursting with life.

6. Remember that drawing this close to the God takes denial – saying no
to stuffing our lives full of everything the world has to offer. Cut the
umbilical cord! No one who is still attached to worldly pleasures can
find full joy with God.” Adapted from Practicing the Presence of God by
Brother Lawrence and published by Navpress

“You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy;
at Your right hand are pleasures forever more.” Psalm 16:11

Great quote: I love that word “encourage” – when you do it, you
literally put “courage in” to that person. Someone who may be more
battered than you know, closer to going down or giving up than you could
imagine. You never know when your encouragement might literally be the
difference in that person’s life. When you’re bruised and hurting, it’s
that person in your corner who can get you back in the ring for another
round. Ron Hutchcraft

If Freedom Fighter is an encouragement to you, share it with a friend.
And we’d love to hear how it is encouraging you in your daily walk with
God. Drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you.

DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES

“God doesn’t want to discourage you or spoil you. Embrace the difficult
circumstances you find yourself in – even when you feel they will
overwhelm you. Allow God to mold your THROUGH the events He allows to
enter your life. This will make you flexible toward the will of God. The
events of life are like a furnace for the heart. All your impurities are
melted and your old ways are lost.

As for the humiliation you feel when you see your faults – simply see
how sensitive your self-love is. The pain you feel at your own
imperfection is worse that the faults themselves. Your problem really is
that you become so irritated by seeing YOUR faults. Learn to live with
yourself as you really are without being so upset. If you do this, you
will soon have peace.

Patiently endure the ups and downs of everyday life. Behind every
annoying circumstance, learn to see God governing all things. See that
He trains you THROUGH troubling situations as well as pleasant ones. The
intrusions that God sends you will in no doubt upset your plans and
oppose all that you want. But they will also chase you toward God. Sit
still before Him and yield your will to Him. Your unbending will shall
begin to learn flexibility.

EVERYTHING that comes from God’s hand produces good fruit. Sometimes the
annoyances that make you long for solitude are better for producing
humility than the most complete solitude could be. Use the circumstances
of each moment to the fullest. Sometimes an exciting book, or an
inspirational devotional time, or a deep conversation about spiritual
matters will make you feel extremely satisfied with yourself. You will
believe that you are farther along than you really are. TALKING about
the cross is not all the same as EXPERIENCING it.

So remember this: Do not seek annoying circumstances, but when they come
bear them in peace. It is easy to delude yourself! Do not seek God as if
He were far off in an ivory castle. He is found in the MIDDLE of the
events of your everyday life. Look past the obstacles and find Him.”
From THE SEEKING HEART by Fenelon, written over 400 years ago!

“And not only this … but we EXULT in our tribulations, knowing that
tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, produces
character; and proven character hope; and hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through
the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:3-5

Great quote: When we are spiritually free, we do not have to worry about
what to say or do in unexpected, difficult circumstances. When we are
not concerned about what others think of us or what we will get for what
we do, the right words and actions will emerge from the centre of our
beings because the Spirit of God, who makes us children of God and sets
us free, will speak and act through us.

“Bow unto Him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly ABOVE all that
we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, unto HIM be
glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without
end. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20, 21

“In the great prayer which Paul just prayed (see previous verses in
Chapter 3 of Ephesians), he had apparently reached the highest
expression possible of the life to which God’s mighty power could bring
the believer. In this doxology he rises still higher and lifts us up to
give glory to God as “able to do exceedingly abundantly ABOVE all that
we ask or think.” Pause a moment to think that EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY
means.”

Think of the words, “the exceeding great and precious promises.” Think
of “the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe according
to the working of the strength of His might which He wrought in Christ
when He raised Him from the dead.” Think of the grace of our Lord as
exceeding abundantly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus, so
that where sin abounded grace did abound more exceedingly.

He lifts our hearts to give glory to God as able to do “exceedingly
abundantly ABOVE all that we ask or think,” according to the greatness
of that power which works in us, nothing less that the exceeding
greatness of the power that raised Christ Jesus from the dead. And as
our hearts begin to feel that there is here a prospect of something that
God will work in us beyond all our imagination, He lifts our hearts to
join in the universal chorus: “Now unto HIM be the glory in the Church
in Christ Jesus, unto all generations, forever and ever, Amen!

As we worship and adore, the call comes to believe in this Almighty God,
who is working in our hearts, according to His mighty power, able and
willing to fulfill every one of His exceeding great and precious
promises, and, where sin abounded, to prove that grace abounds more
exceedingly.”

Editorial Comment: I started to type this and “accidentally type “Bow”
unto Him rather than “Now” unto Him. But Andrew Murray’s concluding
statement is interesting …

“Paul began this great prayer, “I bow my knees to the Father.” He ends
it by bringing us to our knees, to give glory to Him as able to fulfill
EVERY promise, to reveal Christ dwelling in our hearts and keep us in
that life of love which leads to being filled with all the fullness of
God. Child of God, BOW in deep adoration, giving glory to God, until
your heart learns to believe: the prayer will be fulfilled, Jesus Christ
will dwell in my heart by faith. Faith in this Almighty God, and the
exceeding abundance of His grace and power will teach us that the
abiding indwelling of Christ in the heart is the secret of the abiding
presence.” From Andrew Murray’s devotional, GOD’S BEST SECRETS

Good words to think about and ponder as we take this day to corporately
worship HIM!

BEFORE YOU CALL I WILL ANSWER

I am always amazed, and shouldn’t be, at how many times in my morning
quiet time, the Lord gives me verses that I will need for the day.
Yesterday in my devotional reading of the Word, this verse appeared: “
… before they call, I will answer …” Isaiah 65:24.

Like many of you, we had torrential rains throughout the night Thursday
and into Friday. Around 1:30 PM yesterday, the sun came up and the
temperatures started dropping and along with that came high winds. A
large pine tree near our main building snapped was about to fall. Our
maintenance crew were in the process of trying to pull it in the
opposite direction as the way it was falling, it was obviously going to
take down the power lines that feed to the Raws Administration building.

While this seen is unfolding we had 250 ladies checking in for our fall
Women’s Weekend. The tree fell hitting another tree and broke the main
feed pole which took out the power in the Raws Building, Saint Memorial
Lodge and Victory Hall. We immediately called the power company, but our
experience in the past is it takes hours for them to respond.

Shortly after placing the call I heard the power trucks. Could it be?
Well it turns out that a crew just “happened” to be riding by the
property on 530 and noted that the fuses on the pull had popped. They
turned around and decided to come on our property to see what was up.
They hadn’t even been dispatched to the job! I chuckled in my heart …
“yes, Lord, before they call, You will answer.” The crew did an
outstanding job and by 9:45 PM power was restored and all the ladies
were able to sleep in their rooms.

Just another lesson for me of the awesome power of our great God. We
were also grateful to the Red Cross who were willing to bring cots,
blankets and pillows so that we could set up emergency housing for our
guests in the event that the power would not have been restored. It was
a pleasure to work with them.

Thank You, Lord, for your amazing answers to prayer EVEN BEFORE WE CALL!

Have a blessed day!

Great quote: In the total expanse of human life there is not a single
square inch of which the Christ, who alone is sovereign, does not
declare, That is mine! Abraham Kuyper

ACT MEDIUM

From the pen of Charles Swindoll …

“The children worked long and hard on their little cardboard shack. It
was to be a special spot – a clubhouse, where they could meet together,
play and have fun. Since a clubhouse has to have rules, they came up
with three:

Nobody act big.
Nobody act small.
Everybody act medium.

Not bad theology!
In different words, God says the same thing:
“Give preference to one another in honor.” (Romans 12:10)
“Let each of you regard one another as more important than himself.”
(Philippians 2:3)
“Through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13)
“Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slaves.” (Matthew
20:26-27)
“Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not
your own lips.” (Proverbs 27:2)

Just ‘act medium.’ Believable. Honest, human, thoughtful, and down to
earth. Regardless of your elevated position or high pile of honors or
row of degrees or endless list of achievements, just stay real!

Junk any idea that you deserve some kind of super recognition for a job
well done. Who did you do it for anyway? If you did it for God. He has
an infinite number of unseen ways to reward you. If you did it for human
glory, no wonder you’re seeking the credit! So easy to draw out that
praise for yourself, isn’t it? Ye olde ego is a wily one!

Just “act medium.”

Again, what Solomon said? “Let another praise you … a stranger, and
not your own lips.”

Meaning what? Meaning no self-reverence to some enviable accomplishment.
Meaning refusal to scratch a back when yours itches. Meaning no desire
to manipulate and manufacture praise. Meaning authentic surprise when
applauded.

Like the inimitable Principal Cairns, headmaster of an English School,
who was walking onto the platform along with other dignitaries. As he
stepped up, a burst of spontaneous applause arose from the audience. In
characteristic modesty, Cairns stepped back to let the man behind pass
by … as he began to applaud his colleague. He genuinely believed the
applause was for another.

Just “act medium.”

But one final warning: Don’t try and to fake it. False humility stinks
worse than raw conceit.

The answer is not in trying to APPEAR worthless or ‘wormy.’ The answer
lies in consistently taking notice of others’ achievements, recognizing
others’ skills and contributions … and saying so. That’s called
serving others in love. And that’s what Christ did.

Got the rules memorized?

“Nobody act big. Nobody act small. Everybody act medium.” Such good
advice from a clubhouse full of kids who, by the way, are pretty good at
practicing what they preach.” From The Finishing Touch – Becoming God’s
Masterpiece, published by Word.

Good words for today!