COME TO JESUS …

“Come to me …” Matthew 11:28

Today’s reading from Oswald Chambers socked me right between the eyes
…

“Isn’t it humiliating to be told that we must come to Jesus! Think of
the things about which we will not come to Jesus Christ. If you want to
know how real you are, test yourself by these words – “Come to Me …”

In every dimension in which you are not real, you will argue or evade
the issue altogether rather than come; you will go through sorrow rather
than come; and you will do anything rather than come the last lap of the
race seemingly unspeakable foolishness and say, ‘Just as I am, I come.’
As long as you have even the least bit of spiritual disrespect, it will
always reveal itself in the fact that you are expecting God to tell you
to do something very big and yet all He is telling you to do is “Come to
me …”

“Come to me …” When you hear those words, you will KNOW that something
must happen IN you before you can come. The Holy Spirit will show you
WHAT you have to do, and it will involve ANYTHING that will uproot
WHATEVER is preventing you from getting through to Jesus. And you will
never get any further until you are willing to do THAT very thing. The
Holy Spirit will search out that ONE IMMOVABLE STRONGHOLD within you,
but He cannot budge it unless YOU are willing to let Him do so.

How often have you come to God with your requests and gone away
thinking, ‘I’ve really received what I wanted THIS time!’ And yet you go
away with NOTHING, while all the time God has stood with HIS hands
outstretched not only to take you but also for you to take HIM. Just
think of the invincible, unconquerable, and untiring patience of Jesus,
who lovingly says, ‘Come to me …'” from My Utmost for His Highest

Good words for you and me today. Are you willing to COME TO HIM today?

Great quote: “Every time I obey, the absolute deity of God is on my
side, so that the grace of God and my natural obedience are in perfect
agreement. Obedience means that I have completely placed my trust in the
atonement, and my obedience is immediately met by the delight of the
supernatural grace of God.” – Oswald Chambers

“I will enter His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with
praise …” Psalm 100:4

As you prepare your hearts for worship today, here is a prayer from a
Puritan from the treasure A Valley of Vision:

O My God,
You fairest, greatest, first of all objects,
My heart admires, adores, loves You,
For my little vessel is as full as it can be,
And I would pour out all that fullness before You in ceaseless flow.
When I think upon and converse with You
Ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,
Ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,
Ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,
Crowding into every moment of happiness.
I bless You for the soul You have created,
For adorning it, for sanctifying it,
Though it is fixed in barren soil;
For the body You have given me,
For preserving its strength and vigor,
For providing senses to enjoy delights,
For the ease and freedom of limbs,
For hands, eyes, ears that do Your bidding;
For Your royal bounty providing my daily support,
For a full table and overflowing cup,
For appetite, taste, sweetness,
For social joys of relatives and friends,
For ability to serve others,
For a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,
For a mind to care for my fellow-men,
For opportunities of spreading happiness around,
For loved ones in the joys of heaven,
For my own expectation of seeing You clearly.
I love You above the powers of language to express,
For what You are to Your creatures.

Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity.”

Good prayer to set the stage for worshipping Him today.

For information about the services for Chaplain Bill Blackley, please
see our website: http://www.americaskeswick.org.

Great quote: Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes
off his goal — and God.

FINISHERS

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course …” 2 Timothy
4:7

It’s hard to believe, but another one of my staff members went home to
be with Jesus last night at 8:30 PM. Chaplain Bill Blackley has been a
faithful servant of the Lord for many years at the Colony of Mercy. He
was saved as a child at the rescue mission where his parents served in
New York and committed his life to serving the Lord through preaching
and playing his cornet. Last evening after having major heart surgery
several days ago, at age 85, he closed his eyes on earth and opened them
in glory!

Someone said, “The test of a first-rate work is that you finish it!”

“The Brooklyn Bridge, which links Brooklyn to Manhattan Island, is one
of the most famous bridges in the world. At the time it was first
conceived in 1883, however, bridge-building experts throughout the world
told the designer, a creative engineer by the name of John Roebling,
that his idea wouldn’t work.

Roebling convinced his son Washington, who was also an engineer, that
his idea had merit. The two of them developed the concept, resolved the
problems others forecast, and enthusiastically hired a crew to build
their bridge.

After only a few months of building, a tragic on-site accident took
John’s life and severely injured Washington, who became unable to talk
or walk. Everyone thought the project would have to be abandoned, since
the Roeblings were the only ones who knew the dynamics of building the
bridge.

Washington, however, could still THINK, and he had a burning desire to
see the bridge finished. As he lay in his hospital bed, he had an idea!
He would communicate with the engineers by using one finger to tap in
code on his wife’s arm what he wanted to tell them.

Washington tapped out his instructions for 13 years until the bridge was
built!” (from God’s Little Devotional Book for Leaders – Honor Books)

How about you? Are you going to faithfully complete and finish what God
has called YOU to do? Thanks, Chaplain Blackley for the impact you had
on hundreds of men who came through the Colony of Mercy. Thanks for
showing us the example of how to finish well!

Good quote: “Whenever I am conscious of Satan’s presence, I try to
follow the formula once offered by a little girl: “When Satan knocks, I
just send Christ to the door.” Billy Graham

ARE YOU AN OPTIMIST OR A PESSIMIST?

Two old men were in the hospital. The man by the window was describing
to the man in the other bed all the things that were going on outside.
He described the beautiful trees, the birds, the activity that was
taking place below. He talked about being able to see the park and a
beautiful lake. The man in the next bed was quite jealous of the man
with the bed next to the window.

During the night, the man in the bed near the window got very sick. He
was struggling to breathe. The man in the other bed could have called
for help, but he the guy struggle, and guess what, he died. After
removing the man’s body, they decided to move the other man to the other
side of the room with the window. He was so excited that he would
finally have the great view all to himself.

They nurses moved the bed and got him all settled in and he leaned
forward to look out the window only to discover the view was a brick
wall!

Some of us go through life with optimism while others of us are
pessimists. Some of us see the glass half full while others see the
glass half empty. King David was an optimist: “Then David said to the
Philistines, ‘You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with
javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of
the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will
deliver you into my hand.” 1 Samuel 17:45-46a

Speaker and teacher, Dr. Henry Blackaby says: David was certainly an
optimist! Regardless of his circumstances, David could always see God’s
activity! A pessimist focuses on the PROBLEMS, concentrating on the
reasons why something CANNOT be done. The optimist sees the same
problems, but he sees them from the perspective of GOD’S PRESENCE.

David was just a young boy when he faced Goliath, and intimidating
veteran warrior who frightened even the bravest Israelite soldier. As he
prepared for battle, David saw that Goliath was a giant. He HEARD his
boastful taunts. He could not fail to notice his enemy’s weapons: a
sword, a shield, and a javelin. David did not barge into the battle
unprepared for a fight. He armed himself with five smooth stones. David
was prepared for God to grant him victory with the first stone he hurled
at the giant or the fifth. David was ready to accept God’s victory,
whether it came easily or with much effort.

Optimists do not ignore the difficulties; they are keenly aware of them.
But the knowledge of God’s presence prevents them from becoming
discouraged or giving up. It is impossible to stand in the presence of
God and be a pessimist!

The account of David and Goliath vividly pictures the SOURCE of the
Christian’s faith – not our own size, strength, or resources, but the
power of almighty God. If we focus on our OPPOSITION and PROBLEMS, they
will seem gigantic. But as we focus on GOD, we will see our situation in
the proper perspective and be assured that all things are possible with
God (Philippians 4:13).

So … are you an optimist? A pessimist? Good words for today.

Great quote: …being a disciple means living a disciplined life, and it
is not very likely that you will get other disciples unless you are one
first.
Evelyn Underhill

ABSTAIN FROM WICKEDNESS

“Let everyone who names the name of the Lord, abstain from wickedness.”
2 Timothy 2:19

This morning I was reading through Proverbs chapter 5 and again I was
reminded of the deceitfulness of sin and its consequences. If you have
been following the news the past week, you have heard many illustrations
of the destructiveness of sin as men yield to its power and control.

I did a quick search this word abstain. Here are some of the meanings of
the word:
1. to stand off, to stand aloof
a. to go away, to depart from anyone
b. to desert, withdraw from one
c. to fall away, become faithless
d. to shun, flee from
e. to cease to vex one
f. to withdraw one’s self from, to fall away
g. to keep one’s self from, absent one’s self from
When Paul instructs Timothy in this passage, he is pretty forthright –
don’t play with sin! Martin Luther said that we so often play with sin
like playing with fire. We think we can mess around with it and not get
burned.
Pastor and author Chuck Swindoll, offers several very personal questions
to help us gain an understanding on how severe we need to be with
ourselves in order to “abstain from wickedness.”

1. Are you regularly with a person of the opposite sex in appropriate
situations?
2. Are you completely above reproach in all your financial dealings,
including your taxes?
3. Do you expose yourself to explicit sexual materials?
4. If you have a family, do you invest sufficient time with them?
5. Do you tell the truth? How often do you lie (don’t forget to count
the little white ones)?
6. How quickly do you say “I am wrong . . . I am genuinely sorry” when
you have said or done something that hurts another?
7. Do you hold grudges?
8. Are you knowingly compromising in some areas of your life, refusing
to acknowledge the consequences that you will surely have to face?
9. Have you formed a habit that is detrimental to your health or your
job or your walk with Christ?
10. Are you proud … selfish … arrogant?
11. Have you taken credit for something that someone else did and should
have been rewarded for?
12. Do you return things you borrow?
13. Have you failed to confess something to someone who should know of
your wrongdoing?
14. Are you abusing your mate or your children – physically or
emotionally?
15. Do you allow abuse to happen without seeking help?
16. Do you regularly spend time in prayer and in the Scriptures?

from THE FINISHING TOUCH – Becoming God’s Masterpiece by Charles R.
Swindoll – Word
Good thoughts to ponder today.
Great quote: Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens
with our years. — Charles Haddon Spurgeon

IT’S WRITTEN ALL OVER YOUR FACE

There are some faces that just give everything away. You know the ones I
am talking about. They don’t have to say a word – you can tell by
looking at them if they are up to no good or if they have a secret they
are dying to tell you. You can read a person’s face and tell by their
countenance if they are having a bad day and you’d better stay out of
their way.

You’ve heard the expressions: “You look like the cat that swallowed the
canary?” “You’re grinning from ear to ear … what’s up?” “Something’s
up – it’s written all over your face!”

Our face’s are often a good read of what is going on in a person’s
heart. Solomon wrote: “Just as water mirrors your face, so your face
mirrors your heart.” Proverbs 27:19 (The Message)

When we spend time with the Lord it not only transforms our hearts
(inside) but it transforms our countenance (outside).

Remember Moses? “Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone
while he talked with Him.” (Exodus 34:29)

Then there was Stephen — “All who sat in the council looking
steadfastly at Stephen, saw his face as the face of an angel.” (Acts
6:15)

And Paul reminds us that we too have transformed faces because of our
relationship with Him and the time we spend in His presence: “We all,
with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are
being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as the
Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

So tell me today – what’s your face saying? To your spouse? Your kids?
Your co-workers? Can they tell by what’s written all over your face that
you have been in His presence? Good thoughts to consider this morning.
Maybe today is a good day to allow the Spirit of God to do a face-lift!
Get alone with Him today.

Great quote: “Men are in a restless pursuit after satisfaction in
earthly things. They will exhaust themselves in the deceitful delights
of sin, and, finding them to be vanity, and emptiness, they will become
very perplexed and disappointed. But they will continue their fruitless
search. Though wearied, they still stagger forward under the influence
of spiritual madness, and though there is no result to be reached except
that of everlasting disappointment, yet they press forward. They have
no forethought for their eternal state; the present hour absorbs them.
They turn to another and another of earth’s broken cisterns, hoping to
find water where not a drop was ever discovered yet.” Charles Haddon
Spurgeon

DETERMINATION

Today is our 11th annual fundraising Golf Tournament for the ministry of
the Colony of Mercy, and we are looking forward to a great day.

I am not a golfer. In fact, I am athletically challenged. Sports has
never been my thing, so it really amazes me how determined golfers are
about their sport. The “golfers” I know are not just casual golfers –
they are committed – determined. They don’t just own clubs, they have
the socks, the shoes, the outfit … they have made it their goal to be
a GOLFER.

One of my old bosses was the pastor of a large church in Southampton,
PA. He loved golf. He played golf every Monday – rain, snow, sleet or
hail! In fact, when his wife went home to be with the Lord we were
afraid that he would have to arrange the service around his Monday golf
game! He had weather gear for any kind of weather. He was determined to
play no matter what – nothing interfered with his golf game.

The Apostle Paul to my knowledge was not a golfer. But he was a man of
determination. I love what he wrote in Philippians 3:10, “For my
determined purpose is that I may know HIM [that I may progressively
become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and
recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly
and more clearly], and that I may in the same way come to know the power
outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and
that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in
spirit into His likeness even] to His death …” (from the Amplified
Bible)

We are determined in life to do many things – but there is no greater
purpose for us that to KNOW HIM! May that be the determined purpose of
our lives today. When that happens – look out world – we will make a
difference!

Great quote: “Faith means you want God and want to want nothing else.
When God’s love is taken for granted, we paint Him into a corner and rob
Him of the opportunity to love us in a new and surprising way, and faith
begins to shrivel and shrink. When I become so spiritually advanced that
Abba is old hat, then the Father has been had, Jesus has been tamed, the
Spirit has been corralled and the…fire has been extinguished…To be
Christian, faith has to be new, that is alive and growing. It cannot be
static, finished, settled…when I conclude that I can now cope with the
awful love of God I have headed for the shallows to avoid the deeps.”
Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel

Guys – here is an opportunity to encourage your wives. Sign her up for
our new event, ReviveHer Night this Thursday from 6:30 – 10:00 PM. She
will enjoy a night out at America’s KESWICK with other women. $8.50
covers the activities and a special dessert buffet. Call today and make
her reservation: 732-350-1187. For more details, visit our website:
http://www.americaskeswick.org/rhn.htm

ATTITUDES: BALONEY OR THE REAL DEAL

I read this humorous story this morning about two construction workers
who were sitting down to have lunch. The one worker opened up his lunch
box and sarcastically and full of anger remarked, “I can’t believe it!
Baloney again! I hate baloney sandwiches. This is the fourth time this
week I have had baloney. I can’t stand baloney.

The other construction worker tried to calm him down and reason with
him. “Why don’t you take it easy. Just be honest and tell your wife that
you don’t like baloney sandwiches? Tell her what you like and maybe she
will fix something else.”

“Wife?” replied the man, “I make my own lunch!”

Dr. John C. Maxwell suggests that “most of the baloney in our lives, we
have put there ourselves.” You can I CHOOSE our own ATTITUDE every day.
No one forces us to have a good or bad attitude. We make the choice.
Paul wrote: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with
HUMILITY of mind let each of you regard one another as more important
that himself; do not merely look out for YOUR OWN personal interests,
but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude (YOU CHOOSE!)
in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:3-4

Remember”

Attitude is the advance man of our true selves.
Its roots are inward but the fruit is outward!
It is our best friend or our worst enemy.
It is an outward look based on past experiences.
It is a thing which draws people TO us or repels them FROM us.
It is never content until it is expressed.
It is the librarian of your past.
It is the speaker of your present.
It is the prophet of your future.

The bottom line – YOU CHOOSE how you will use your attitude today. Paul
made that clear in the verses above. The only way to have an attitude
like CHRIST is to spend time with him each day. That is why your OWN
daily quiet time is important. The old adage is true – you become like
the people who you spend time with. Immerse yourself today in God’s
Word. Spend time looking at the life of Jesus. The more you spend time
with Him, the more like Him you will become – and that’s no baloney!

Great quote: Oh, how few find time for prayer! There is time for
everything else, time to sleep and time to eat, time to read the
newspaper and the novel, time to visit friends, time for everything else
under the sun, but – no time for prayer, the most important of all
things, the one great essential! — Oswald J. Smith

Treat your wife to a special evening just for her. This Thursday night
we begin a new event: ReviveHER night for Ladies. She can enjoy of
evening of fellowship and encouragement with other women. Call today and
make a reservation for her: 732-350-1187. You’ll make her night!

HEAVENLY MUSIC

One of our monthly outreach events at America’s KESWICK is our community
Hymnsing. Over 500 folks gather together to sing for two hours, mostly
hymns, but we mix in newer songs and choruses. This Thursday’s theme is
choruses from the past.

I was amazed in putting together the program how many songs I have
learned in my 52 years. In fact, it was fun taking a walk “down memory
lane” and reviewing hundreds of songs that I had forgotten about. I
joked with my wife that there are enough choruses to do at least another
twenty Hymnsings just with choruses.

Did you ever stop and think about the blessing of music? Just think what
our Creator God has allowed man to do with a simple scale of eight
notes. I have been having fun putting my CD collection on my IPOD. Right
now I have over 1500 songs downloaded which equates to about three days
worth of music. I still have another hundred or so CD’s to download, but
I would venture a guess it might give me another seven or eight days of
music. My collection is just a drop in the bucket to the millions of
songs that our floating around.

One of the things that we will do in heaven for all eternity is worship.
Scripture is full of references that talk about the singing we will do
around the throne. No try and get a handle around this: we will sing for
all eternity. That’s a lot of music! That’s a long time. But the God who
created music for our enjoyment and benefit will be the One we will be
singing about!

John Newton wrote – “When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright
shining as the sun; we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise – then when
we first begun!”

As you gather together to worship this morning with like-minded brothers
and sisters in Christ at your church, be mindful that one day, we will
all be doing this together. Heavenly music will be grand!

Great quote:
“It is an odd business: the more I live, the more I fail. The more I
fail, fall forward, and am caught by the arms of grace, the more I
reveal the message of the gospel. The more I pretend to have arrived and
offer others advice on how they can do the same, the more I become like
the prodigal’s older brother, self righteous and angry. The ironic truth
that those who proclaim the gospel need it more than those who hear it
is not new. It just isn’t being said loudly and clearly enough in this
day of spin and professionalism and big programs.” Dan Allender,
Leading with a Limp

CAN YOU BE TRUSTED?

A man walked by a pet store and saw a sign that read, Talking Dog for
Sale.” Intrigued, he entered the store and asked the store owner if he
could see this alleged canine communicator. The owner led the man back
to the exercise yard behind the store, where a dog was lying on a lounge
chair, soaking up the sun.

Feeling foolish, the prospective buyer asked the dog, “Can you really
talk?”
The dog replied, “Yes, I can.”
Amazed, the buyer said, “Tell me all about it! This is fascinating!”
The dog explained. “Well, I found out when I was a puppy that I could
talk. My owner at the time immediately put me in show business, and for
several years I toured the world – entertaining every kind of audience.
Later, I went to work for the government spying on all sorts of
dangerous people who had no idea that I could understand human speech
and reporting back on their schemes. Finally, I got tired of all that.
Now I’m retired. I wouldn’t mind working a little, but I really just
want to take it easy.”
The buyer went back in to the store owner and asked him how much he
wanted for the phenomenal dog. The man replied, “Ah, I’ll give him to
you for $10 bucks.”
The buyer was astonished. “How can you practically GIVE away a valuable
dog like that?”
“Because he’s a terrible liar,” said the store owner, “who never did any
of those things.” (from The Manager’s Intelligence Report)

Bottom line question? Does your life back up your words and actions? Do
you say what you do and do what you say? Do you say what mean and mean
what you say?

Solomon said: “The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, but
the mouth of the fool spouts folly.” (Proverbs 15:2)

So can you be trusted? Good words to ponder today.

Great quote: Wherever thou goest, whatever thou dost at home, or abroad,
in the field, or at church, do all in a desire of union with Christ, in
imitation of His tempers and inclinations, and look upon all as nothing,
but that which exercises, and increases the spirit and life of Christ in
thy soul. From morning to night keep Jesus in thy heart, long for
nothing, desire nothing, hope for nothing but to have all that is within
thee changed into the spirit and temper of the holy Jesus. This new
birth in Christ, thus firmly believed and continually desired, will do
everything that thou wantest to have done in thee, it will dry up all
the springs of vice, stop all the workings of evil in thy nature, it
will bring all that is good into thee, it will open all the gospel
within thee, and thou wilt know what it is to be taught of God. —
William Law