What makes authentic disciples is not visions, ecstasies, biblical mastery of chapter and verse, or spectacular success in the ministry, but a capacity for faithfulness. Buffeted by the fickle winds of failure, battered by their own unruly emotions, and bruised by rejection and ridicule, authentic disciples may have stumbled and frequently fallen, endured lapses and relapses, gotten handcuffed to the fleshpots and wandered into a far country. Yet, they kept coming back to Jesus.
~ Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel

And calling the crowd to Him with Him disciples, He said to them, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
~ Jesus, King of The Universe, in Mark 8

Oh beloved, it is true.

We know that we are broken. This is the prelude to the Good News of Jesus Christ. For, when we come to the end of our belief in ourselves, we can begin to actually believe in the One Who is so mighty to save. And really, nothing gets started – until we come to the end of who we are.

The problem, though, is not just with us. The problem is that we really need to come to believe that entire system around us is broken too. Wave upon wave of history has shown us that we are more than willing to destroy everything around us.

So, there are two insidiously complementary forces at work. And this even leaves out The Satan, who works to push the boulders of our destruction even faster down the hills we have made. We are in a terrible bind, and there is no fix to the problem.

In our own personal walks, we find that it doesn’t really matter how long we have been trusting in Him. There is a dead part of us that simply will not be regenerated. We can be twenty years into getting things right, and in 20 seconds, be right back to some behavior that never got us what we wanted in the first place.

And, in the travels of our civilizations, we find that there really is nothing new under the sun either. Centuries and, even now millennia, of our history with “A.D.” (Anno Domini, or Year of Our Lord) after the year, have shown that every culture, no matter how impregnated with the Gospel, is able to walk away from the One Who set her free.

This has happened four times actually in America, with the recent 40-years being the latest.  Thankfully, there were three great awakenings in the 1730s, the early 1800s and also in the late 1850s. But, it is yet to be seen if America will awaken from her moral and spiritual near-coma, which started in the late 1960s, but which set in most fully after the 9/11 attacks.

Can we see it?

All of this points back to the very prelude of the Gospel: Blessed are the poor in spirit. And, when any of us, or any group of us, begins to think that we are rich in and of ourselves – we are in real trouble. The first thing we lose is our sense of blessedness, and begin to think we are entitled to the wonderful life we have found.

Further, our view of G_d gets small. We begin to think that we already “get it,” and that there is no need for us to continue growing as a person, or as a nation. We think to ourselves, “I have already become very rich. There is no need for me to continue in the planting and harvesting. I will take my leasure.” However, what we find, is that our lives (and even a nation’s life) actually come to an end the day we stop learning and growing.

So, are you struggling with failure? Are the sins of your past beginning to plague you again? It happens. But the solution is exactly the same as it ever has been. You, and this fool of writer, and the nations we inhabit, need to remember that we really cannot do life on our own. We are utterly poor, apart from Him. And to listen to our incorrigible old man will only hasten our demise.

Tonight is your night beloved. Time to remember Who is the Source of your strength. And time to ignore the old voice of our self.

Written by Makala Doulos: Makala Doulos is a child of G_d, a husband to his wife, a father to his children, and a teacher to his students. But mostly, he is a prisoner set free by Jesus. Love has invaded his life, crushed it, and made it new. Now, G_d’s Love is what constrains him to live in full surrender to the freedom The Father and Son and Holy Spirit have bought for us all. Grace and Peace to you all.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 60-62| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: The flood of temporal things draws us after itself, but in this flood there is, as it were, a full-grown tree: our Lord Jesus Christ. He took flesh, died, and ascended to heaven. It is as if He agreed to be in the flood of the temporal. Is this stream dragging you headlong? Hold on to Christ. He became temporal for you, so that you might become eternal, for He became temporal in such a way that He remained eternal. What difference is there between two men in a prison when one of the is a convict and the other a visitor! Sometimes a man comes to visit his friend, and it seems that both are in prison, but there is a great difference between them. One of themes is held there because of guilt, while the other has come out of love for mankind. Thus it is with our mortality: guilt holds us here, but Christ had come out of mercy. He came freely into bondage, and not as a convict.
~St. Augustine, Sermons on I John, II.10

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious that gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” 1 Peter 1:7

 

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Proverbs 19:21

A few Saturdays ago was our 9^th Annual Family Freedom Walk at America’s Keswick. Many of you followed us on social media and I am thankful for those of you who prayed, participated, and gave so that we can reach men and women in addiction.

Our financial goal this year was $65,000, and I have to say that in the beginning I was not thinking it was such a huge amount, but as the day approached – well let’s just say – I was starting to get a little nervous.

For several years we had rain predictions and a couple of walks it rained in the morning and then cleared. One year it rained everywhere but around America’s Keswick.

But this year the prediction was for Nor’easter with 100% rain all day. On Friday, the sun was shining all day and it was beautiful. Several people on our team wanted to have a Plan B, but I was really struggling. Could I not once again trust God with the day?

We mapped out Plan B and there was complete unity on the team with the plan. We decided that even if the sun came out, we would stick with our Plan B and go from there.

It not only rained on Saturday – it poured. And I mean poured.  There was not let up at all. Apart from a miracle, there was no way that this was going to be a success. Well at least from my perspective.

We had hundreds of people praying and we saw God answer prayers in ways only traceable to HIS hand. He demonstrated His faithfulness and it was AMAZING.

Our Plan B turned out to be God’s Plan A. While we had fewer walkers, walking in the gym versus walking around the lake turned out to be so much fun. There was more buy-in from our addiction recovery grads and the men and women who are currently in the program. More people actually walked than just standing around. 95% of the group actually walked for an hour and fifteen minutes.

There was a lot of laughter, great fellowship, and we just had fun walking to the glory of God. But what would God do financially. After all, our goal was $10,000 higher than last year, we had less people, we had a lousy day weather wise.

My friend Dr. B used to say, “The Red Sea is before you – the Egyptian army is coming up behind. There are mountains on either side. Great honks! Things are ripe for a miracle.

When our CFO came to me with the paper with the financial totals, I had a deep settled peace that God would give us what He wanted us to receive from His good hand. He isn’t dependent on sunshine to provide. He really is dependent on is to raise the money. He’s God and we’re not.

To my amazement and for His glory – the total was $68,212!!! To God be the glory great things HE was done.

How often I plan and sweat and fret and fuss. His plans are far better than mine. He knows the BIGGER picture and is not limited to my puny brain and my mere plans.

I learned a big lesson. I need to trust Him with my plans and allow Him to do what only He can do.

Are the times when your Plan B turned out to be God’s Plan A? I’d love to hear your story.

Rejoice! Pray! Give thanks!

Bill Welte
President/CEO
America’s Keswick

Written by Dr. Bill Welte, President/CEO of America’s Keswick: Bill has been married to his child sweetheart for 40+ years, and has three married kids, one that is engaged, and 10 amazing grand kids. He loves music and is an avid reader.

The Daily Bible Reading: Exodus 29-32| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Think About This: “Orphans plead and beg; heirs pray and believe.” Susie Larson

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious that gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” 1 Peter 1:7

 

“If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” – James 2:15-17 (NASB)

It was an impromptu sit down on a Thursday night that consisted of cheese fries, coffee, and a simple glass of cold water. I was meeting with one of the Elders in our church just to talk, but it did lead into some issues that had taken its toll on our walk. Eric is a few years younger than myself, but he has an insight that is on the same level as my own and it makes him easy to talk to. As we were talking about how others around us react to certain things, I told him the thing I noticed was how people will say things out of reflex.

One of those things being, “Well okay. Hope God works that out for you. Sorry you have to go through that, I’ll be praying for you” and as fast as they get those words out is as fast as they disappear into the sunset, never to ask you if God really did work things out. Eric and I got a bit of laugh out of that, but we did agree that it is a sad state of affairs to see that in our churches today. I compare this to what we read about in the Book of James. Take a look at the verse I begin with today and let’s get into it, shall we?

The first thing to note is folks who do the ‘lip service’ routine. “Go in peace, be warmed, and be filled” or “Hope God works that out for you. Sorry you have to go through that, I’ll be praying for you” can be examples that pretty much reflect that we know the correct vocabulary for prayer and doctrine, our walk may not measure up to our talk. You could say that when we exhibit this, we show we only have an intellectual faith. We know the doctrine of salvation and showing compassion for one another, but we haven’t really submitted to God or trusted the words of Jesus Christ. We only know the “words” but we don’t back them up with “works.”

The second thing to take away is that there is no salvation with an intellectual faith. None, zilch, zero. Three times in James 2:17-26 we’ll see that James will emphasize that “faith without works is dead.” Now one could go up on a mountain and yell out to the world “I BELIEVE IN GOD!!” but if there is no change in the life of that person all that yelling did nothing and all that academia is good for is an episode of “Jeopardy” Without any change in a person life, even if they say they believe in God, results in what I dare call a dead faith or a counterfeit faith. This kinda faith lulls us into a sleep that only the devil would appreciate and gives us a false confidence that we are partaking in the eternal life that only Jesus Christ freely gives.

I know the father of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther, had some issue with “faith without works is dead.” His initial thought was that to simply trust in God’s perfect love would be the only correct way of responding to God’s plan of salvation and that had lead into by faith alone would be the way one would be saved. But if you look through the Bible, especially at some guy I’ll call Abraham, you’ll see that it took some act to reflect the faith that one had in their heart to God that they are willing to OBEY Him and walk in His ways. Keep in mind that Faith and Good Works go hand in hand in the life of a child of The Most High God.

Sometimes we see folks that are having a bad day and we think that they need to be shown a bit of compassion, so we walk up to them and say something encouraging… and that’s fine, BUT if it isn’t done in the compassion of Jesus Christ it’s just you…and you can fail people every once in a while. So, if you’re gonna say you’ll pray for someone, then pray and if you have prayed, go back and see if God answered… and if He did, then praise Him as The Most High God. It is in Him that we have the words of life simply because, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life” (1 John 5:12). In the meantime, if you find yourself at a diner, Brother Eric and I recommend the cheese fries and coffee, for from that will spring up a cool glass of water. Amen?

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris, a graduate of The Colony of Mercy (11-2003) is married (Kathy) with two adult children (Kevin and Karen) and has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008.

The Daily Bible Reading: Job 39-40| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote:“No man can come to Christ by faith and remain the same, anymore than he came into contact with a 220-volt wire and remain the same.” — Warren Wiersbe

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials. 1 Peter 1:6

 

 

 

What have you placed your confidence in… I mean, if everything were to come apart in your life, what could you count on to remain?

The past few years have been a bit crazy as I sit here looking back over them; I realized that God has touched almost every aspect of my life… revealing how transient our health, relationships, wealth, education, employment, possessions, and desires all are. As heart rendering and stressful each of these trials are, I have also seen how faithful and loving our God is. In each circumstance, He has provided through someone that He has used to reveal His faithfulness to me and my family. There is not room in the message to communicate all Our Heavenly Father has done, but I can tell you this, there is one precious thing that has grown in me that I would never have known if not for the struggle; that is confidence in Jesus my Savior. The song writer called this “Blessed Assurance.”

In preparing for the sunrise service, I have been moved by the account of Mary Magdalene. Her heart was truly broken in the loss of her Lord. I think of all of the believers at the time, she truly understood what it meant to be redeemed; you see Jesus had removed 7 demons that had possessed her. The freedom and renewal this must have had on her would have provided her a glance at the salvation from sin and death Jesus’ sacrifice would provide. I believe her weeping over His death came from a heart that knew that her life depended on His presence for all eternity. Even though He spoke many times of His resurrection, and even though they had the testimony of Lazarus being called forth from the grave, Jesus defeating sin and death and rising again without someone like himself present to call His name, seemed so impossible… And ‘then came the morning’ that Mary Magdalene would hear Jesus call her name once again. How her heart must have soared to hear His voice say ‘Mary’…

John tells us what happened next, he says “she came ‘announcing’ to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord,’ and that He has said these things to her!” (John 20:18)

What confidence she exuded! What joy must have sprung in her words, how her life had changed, all because she had met our Savior face to face in the midst of her ‘storm’…

Mary’s confidence was no longer in the transient things of this world, but in her living and eternal Savior who the writer of Hebrews tells us, “is able also to save forever (completely, perfectly, for eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede and intervene on their behalf [with God]” (7:25).

I pray your confidence is anchored in Him as well, I hope you will turn to Him in all things, not just the struggles, and give Him the praise due the One who loves you with His life.

Choose wisely….

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:19-23)

Praying 4 U

Written by David Brown: David Brown is a husband, father, and grandfather with a Masters of Religious Studies and a Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religions. Dave is a member of Pemberton’s First Baptist Church.

The Daily Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 15-19| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “Faith is a living and unshakable confidence, a belief in the grace of God so assured that a man would die a thousand deaths for its sake.” – Martin Luther

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials. 1 Peter 1:6

“that I may know HIM and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings being conformed to His death, if by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:10-11

Easter is behind us now by several weeks and in churches across the country, we preached and talked about the resurrection.

Jesus stepped out of the tomb defeating sin and death forever. But the big question is SO WHAT?

For some it’s like checking off this “holiday” off our check-list and we move on living life like any other day.

But the implications of the resurrection are life-changing, life-transforming – or so they should be.

Paul’s prayer for HIMSELF was that he would KNOW Christ and the power of  His resurrection.

For the next couple of Freedom Fighter blogs, I would like to dissect these two verses and share with you what I have been learning.

The first thing I want to share is that part of knowing Him is knowing what He is doing now. Can I suggest to you 7 things?

1. The risen Christ is seated at His Father’s right hand. He finished the work that His Father gave Him. He completed His earthly ministry. Don’t take my word for it. Read Ephesians 2:1-10 and Hebrews 1:1-4
2. He is holding the world together by the “word of His power.”
   Hebrews 1:3 says that Everything is working according to the way He created it. We talked several weeks ago about this amazing universe.
3. He is living His perfect life THROUGH you! Galatians 2:20 is the reference you need to underline in your Bible. YOU can’t live the Christian life in and of yourself. It’s impossible apart from Him living it through
4. He is praying for you! I love Hebrews 7:25. Jesus is seated at His Father’s right hand and one of the things He is doing is praying for you!!! In fact it says “He ever lives” to make intercession for you and me. Jumping Jehosopat!!!
5. He is conforming you to His image and preparing His bride. Read Colossians 1:15-23
6. He is preparing a place for you in heaven. Some translate it “mansions,” some “dwelling places.” But think about this – Jesus, the master carpenter is building a place for YOU! (John 14:16)
7. He is coming again! 1 Thessalonians 4:13-16 The last chapter has already been written. And what a day that will be.

So Paul’s wanting to know this One has some amazing implications for you and me today. This Jesus, the Son of God, who came to earth as a Babe, lived His life perfectly and was obedient to His Father in every way. This One is the One who gave His life for you and me, and is the One who wants to have an intimate, abiding relationship with Him. (Colossians 3:1-3) Wow!

My prayer for you this week is that your desire to know HIM who increase more and more each day.

Rejoice! Pray! Give thanks!

Bill Welte
President/CEO
America’s Keswick

Written by Dr. Bill Welte, President/CEO of America’s Keswick: Bill has been married to his child sweetheart for 40+ years, and has three married kids, one that is engaged, and 10 amazing grand kids. He loves music and is an avid reader..

The Daily Bible Reading: Exodus 25-28| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Think about this: “The surest sign that you have been chosen by God is when you find yourself depending on NOTHING by God’s mercy. Pastor Dave Ridder

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials. 1 Peter 1:6

 

 

“The future is as bright as the promises of God.”  ~ Judson

Jesus’ resurrection bolstered up the faith of His followers. In fact, all of them went on to willingly give their lives in martyrdom, all looking forward to God fulfilling all of His promises. This is the emphasis in Hebrews 11 where the writer describes each Believer enduring hardship and reproach ‘because they considered God faithful who had promised, being sure of what they hoped for.’

The word translated ‘being sure’ was used for a ‘title deed’ which legally guaranteed the possessor future possession of a property. Faith gives certainty to our hopes. Faith is not the projection of our wishes and desires into the future, a kind of spiritual wishful thinking; rather, faith is the title deed to what we hope for. It gives solid confidence… a compelling certainty that what God has said, He will do. It is a certainty planted in the Believer’s heart by The Spirit, based on God’s Word (Ingid). It is why Jesus could pray ‘thy will be done’ in the garden, knowing the horrific sacrifice that was yet ahead of Him. God has promised to ‘never leave you nor forsake you.’ As for Christ’s Sacrifice, God had said, “But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands.” (Isaiah 53:10)

Do you see the promise of resurrection and eternity in the verse? It was this ‘joy that was set before Jesus that enabled Him to endure the cross, despising its shame.’ It was the promise of your salvation and becoming a descendant that bolstered Him up in His trial and grief.

You too can press on through whatever besets you, knowing He who has promised is leading the way, caring for your every need. When our thoughts, desires, hopes, and actions line up with His “Perfect Will” and we are operating according to His “Perfect Design”, as Jesus was, we can say ‘being sure of what we hope for’ as we press on through each day.

Choose wisely…

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him…. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” (Hebrews 11:6,16)

Praying 4 U

Written by David Brown: David Brown is a husband, father, and grandfather with a Masters of Religious Studies and a Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religions. Dave is a member of Pemberton’s First Baptist Church.

The Daily Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 10-14| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading.” – Oswald Chambers

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.” Philippians 2:16

Jan and I were privileged to take an 11 day trip to the Holy Land with America’s Keswick.  When people say it will change you, they are so right. I will never read the bible the same way again.

We met a couple on our trip that have lived in Toms River most of their lives and yet have never heard of America’s Keswick. They come from a Catholic background and it was fascinating to hear the husband’s questions. You could see the wheels turning as we visited each site.

As we arrived at the airport to leave, the wife’s cell phone rang and she screamed and almost fainted. The call was from the coroner reporting that their 22 year old son had been found dead in his room from an overdose to heroin.

The next hour was very painful to watch as this Mom sobbed over the death of her son. He had been through Teen Challenge and was at a halfway house with good accountability.

I have served at America’s Keswick for 20 years and this was my first time to be in the presence of a family when they received the news that their loved one had died from an overdose. This moment will be forever etched in my mind.

It is a reminder that:

1. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy.
2. Addiction is such a powerful thing and too often ends in death.
3. Every man or woman who is yielding to their drug of choice should have to sit with a family when the news is delivered to witness first hand the pain that comes with an addiction related death.
4. Statistically, parents who lose kids to death are at great risk for marital failure and even suicide.
5. Jesus Christ has come to give life and set the captives free. We’ve seen it happen over the course if our soon to be 120 years.

If you have a loved one struggling with addiction, we have a team of folks who stand ready to pray for you and your loved one. If you will email me their first name, we will join you in crying out to a God to rescue, redeem and restore them.

Rejoice! Pray! Give thanks!

Bill Welte D.D.

President/CEO

Written by Dr. Bill Welte, President/CEO of America’s Keswick: Bill has been married to his child sweetheart for 40+ years, and has three married kids, one that is engaged, and 10 amazing grand kids. He loves music and is an avid reader..

The Daily Bible Reading: Exodus 21-24| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Think About This: “Whoever wants the next generation  most will get them.” – Adolph Hitler

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.” Philippians 2:16

 

 

“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

– Matthew 6:21 (NLT)

It was supposed to be a typical Thursday morning. I thought I had everything together when I got into my truck and drove off to work. After a 28-minute drive, I located a parking space in the lot where I work, shut the truck off, grabbed my coffee mug, and then I found out I had done the most horrific thing I could have ever done to myself. I was in a panic, OH NO this wasn’t happening. ITS GOTTA BE AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE… but with a small cab to look around in, my search was quick and I finally accepted my fate…I forgot my cell phone. My first thought was to go home and get it. After all, how was the known world gonna know that I am even alive? I was gonna justify being late, even though my forgetful self was a mere football field away from the front door of where I work.

“Oh well, I’m just gonna have to do without it” I finally told myself. Then, on the walk up to the front door I gave myself a glimmer of hope. “I’ll ask one of the office ladies to let me jump on her computer and I’ll send out a Facebook message and my panic will be over.” Well when I logged on to my FB account, from a different computer, I got a prompt that said it was gonna send the six-digit code to allow me to log on…to my cell phone.  My reaction was simple, “Chris, you’re an idiot” and I just went about my work day.

So, with the outside world shut off from me, I hear this go through my mind sometime after lunch: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matt 6:19-20). HUH? Where did that come from? UH-OH…I know from where. Then I thought it through. Sometimes we just covet worldly things and justify their worth to us by saying they’re tools that we need to get through our everyday lives.

Now when Jesus gave this teaching on holding on to worldly objects, the iPhone 6 plus wasn’t attached to everyone’s hip like it is to mine. He wanted His followers to understand that the selfish accumulation of stuff wasn’t good for them. It’s okay to save for a rainy day. After all, Scripture praises the ant for its ability to save for the winter “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise” (Proverbs 6:6) and then makes this statement, “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Tim 5:8) As John Stott put’s it “So neither having possessions, not making provision for the future, nor enjoying the gifts of a good Creator are included in the ban on earthly treasure-storage.”

What was Jesus going for when He told His followers not to lay up treasures on earth? The heart, that’s what. If we were to guard our hearts like we guard our stuff, we all would be in better state of existence. Even though nothing was safe in ancient times, in our modern world we do all kinds of things to protect our stuff from being stolen or rotting away. It can become all too consuming and draw us away from what really matters. Even the over doing of doing good deeds (the medieval Roman Catholic Church called this a “treasury of merits”) can draw us away from what really matters. So, what really matters? The Kingdom of Heaven!!

Yeah, so I did kinda feel up the creek without my cell phone that Thursday morning and I gotta give it up to my wife, Kathy, who made a choice not to rifle through it (talk about the ultimate in trust). HOWEVER, what I was taught that day I won’t soon forget. I had a friend that once said that if you can’t use it in eternity it is eternally useless and that day I found that is true, because without the noise of the outside world to contend with God spoke to me and let me know it. All that really matters is the vertical connection. The connection where YHVH says “Can you hear me now?” and then we finally make the decision to listen. Amen?

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris, a graduate of The Colony of Mercy (11-2003) is married (Kathy) with two adult children (Kevin and Karen) and has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008.

The Daily Bible Reading: Jeremiah 22-26| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “Whenever the Gospel is taught and people seek to live according to it, there are two terrible plagues that always arise: false preachers who corrupt the teaching, and then Sir Greed, who obstructs right living.” — Martin Luther

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. – Romans 5:10-11

 

 

 

“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” – Khalil

What if the very ‘blessing’ God desires to give you requires some form of trial and suffering for you to obtain it… would you enter into it? Would you turn away? Would you want it to stop or give up before reaching the goal? One of the biggest things I am asked to pray for is that someone not experience pain or suffering… I have asked for it myself. But does not learning require it? Consider anything you have of value.. did it require some form of trial and pain to obtain it? And what would it be worth if it was just given to you… if it was mediocre?

The answer is it’s worth little or nothing.

Consider the refining process of silver. The ore is heated to approximately 970 degrees and in doing so, all the ‘impurities’ called dross rise to the top and are skimmed away. Again and again the refiner returns the ore to the crucible, exposing it to the blistering heat, each time more ‘impurities’ rise to the surface, and the master gently skims them away, each time leaving behind something more precious and of greater value. To gauge his progress, the master refiner looks for his own reflection in the silver filled crucible. The more dross that is removed, the less distorted His reflection becomes. When He sees his ‘clear’ or ‘perfect’ reflection, his careful intention of producing something of great worth and value is complete.

That is what our God desires to do with you. Jeremiah writes, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” – Jeremiah 29:11. God has a tremendous plan for you, it’s amazing… even extraordinary! But to get there, to obtain His ‘perfect’ will, you must be refined. You know this from playing a sport, learning an instrument, pursuing an education, and even a career. The discipline, hard work, and sacrifice necessary to acquire anything of value in those pursuits are immense. How much more so then, when the objective is your character, faith, and ultimately love?

Suffering has a way of reminding us that we are finite and limited. Suffering makes clear our need for help and a hand up, that we are interdependent and unable to obtain autonomy. What God is offering you is greater than this; it is His very nature He desires to refine out of you. But He does not force you into the crucible, you must choose for yourself. Jeremiah goes on to say, “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me” (v.13). It is only when we turn and seek Him that we find the answers we are looking for… what is my purpose? Who am I? Where am I going?

How has God got your attention? What struggle are you facing? Would you even consider His plan, if you were not in pain?

Maybe your struggle or pain is the very door He has set for you to walk through in order to obtain His blessing. Would you even be considering it if He had not ‘smacked you in the face’ somehow to get your attention?

Our God has wonderful blessings prepared for you. How do I know that? Consider ‘the way’ we must travel through to receive them. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father but by me.” So if the ‘way’ to receiving Gods wonderful gifts is first through the door of Jesus’ sacrifice, and that sacrifice was made at infinite cost to Him, how valuable are the gifts we will receive on the other side by grace? Are they not therefore of ‘infinite’ worth, ‘more precious than gold or silver and precious stones?’

God stands by the crucible and invites you to get in. Our Savior implores you to enter into the furnace, and promises to go with you. He reminds you that He has been there before, that He knows the way, and has defeated the most intense of enemies, both sin and death. He reminds you of others who have gone before… Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Daniel in the lion’s den, and maybe someone you know personally who has faced great adversity and yet their faith in Jesus shines above their tragedy….

I pray you step into Gods plan for you, allowing Him to gently and with great patience and care, skim the dross from your life, revealing His perfect reflection in you. I pray you reach out and take hold of the scarred hand that loves you with every ounce of His being, and enter into ‘the way.’

Choose wisely…

“Greater love has no man than this, that He lay down His life for His friends… you are His friend.

Praying 4 U…

Written by David Brown: David Brown is a husband, father, and grandfather with a Masters of Religious Studies and a Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religions. Dave is a member of Pemberton’s First Baptist Church.

The Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 6-10 | You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” – Romans 8:31-32

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

When the righteous rejoice, there is great glory; But when the wicked arise, men hide themselves. Proverbs 28:12

 

“‘There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?’ Then Jesus said, “‘Make the people sit down.'” – John 6:9-10a (NKJV)

There’s a popular fast-food chain that puts a commercial that cracks me up. It advertises that it’s seafood lunch box is absolutely LOADED with shrimp/ fries/ biscuit/ dessert/ antacid/ napkin/ bubbly drink/ straw/ hot sauce packet with a juicy jalapeño on the side. It makes the competitor’s one, which is just a frozen fish patty on a bun (oh darn!), look very unfulfilling. But that’s what things have become now, ya can’t just have a fish sandwich and be content. Oh no, on the contrary, you must have all this other stuff to go with it or else you’ll just simply starve to death! Oh, woe is you!!

Did ya ever think you didn’t have enough to offer up to God? Like you’re really not all that gifted to handle Kingdom things and you seem to always find yourself sitting on the sideline with a frozen fish patty on a bun? If we go into the Old Testament, we see two dudes that always seemed to be in the middle of those with very little. Elijah and Elisha always seemed to find those people who are asked to give what they got and those people are going, “Whaddaya nuts? There ain’t enough here to make a dusting let alone a meal.” But somehow these two men of YHVH showed these people that YHVH could use what little they had to do bigger things.

1 Kings 17 gives an account about Elijah the Tishbite. He’ll be the guy that tells a wicked king, “As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” Then he’ll be directed to brook and be fed by ravens, and then he’ll be directed to a widow who will find out that her flour and oil won’t run out, but it won’t be until her son dies that she’ll “know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is true.” We never get their names, and they only had a little to offer, but then YHVH used it to prepare Elijah for that wicked king and his Jezebel.

2 Kings 4 gives an account about Elisha of Gilgal. This starts with a widow with very little oil and on the brink of losing her children to slavery. This account ends with every possible container in the village being filled with oil and two kids getting to stay with their mother. However, as we move towards the end of this chapter we see an account about 20 loaves of bread being brought to Elisha who commands that they be given to the people that they may eat. Which leads to the guy who has brought this gift saying, “What? Feed a hundred people with only this?” But the deed is done and there is leftover. This brings me to the feeding of the 5,000. Other than the Resurrection, this is the only miracle that all four Gospels give an account of.

The Apostle Andrew finds a young lad with what could be his lunch or his whole day’s ration and it seems that the young man has offered it up as something to feed everyone, but we get that same ole’ O.T.  response that it just ain’t enough. So, what’s THE Son of God supposed to do? Well, we know what He does and we forget, at times, that this miracle still does what it did and that is to do bigger things than we think it can do. When we’re thankful for what little we already have, and have the heart to be able to offer it (not when God wants or needs it, ‘cos He really never needs or wants,) but when we see the need in others, our God will do exceedingly, abundantly above what we see as impossible to do on our own.

Now as for the loaded seafood lunch box versus the frozen fish patty on bun is concerned, please keep in mind that Elijah the Tishbite would have made either one last a really long time (see 1Kings 17:8-16). Elisha from Gilgal would have had some leftovers from them (see 2Kings 4:42-44), and why is that? Well, with God nothing is impossible. By the way, Jesus would still be waiting for you to gather the 12 baskets from what He was able to do with it. Never think it ain’t enough to offer up, because when its offered up to THE Creator of the universe, it’s just the right amount. Amen?

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris, a graduate of The Colony of Mercy (11-2003) is married (Kathy) with two adult children (Kevin and Karen) and has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008.

The Daily Bible Reading: Job 21-22 | You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “Jesus didn’t need that boy. Jesus didn’t need his lunch. He could have fed everyone without even missing a beat in His teaching. Jesus could have turned rocks into bread if He wanted to-but instead, He chose to use that boy. The Bible doesn’t give us many details about this kid or why Jesus chose to use him, but I can’t help but wonder if He did it to show us what happens when we offer our gifts to Him” —Austin Gutwein

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, And a good report makes the bones healthy. Proverbs 15:30