There is a direct connection between what we focus on in the development of our character and our ability to be strong and courageous in our everyday lives. Most people can rattle off some pompous phrase or idiom, but does their walk match their talk… and do our shallow words and efforts really rise to the level of excellence? Paul tells us if you want to stand fast and know Perfection, or as he puts it, ‘the peace of God that guards your heart and mind in Christ Jesus,’ then you must focus on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].” (Phil 4:8) Notice he says what is ‘right and good’ is that which is confirmed by God’s Word. So anything not established on God’s Word would be ‘starting from the point of a lie, being neither right nor good’, and therefore will eventually crumble, taking everything and everyone who trusted the lie down with it. There are only two things that last forever, people and God’s Word (1 Peter 1:24-25). Therefore those who have trusted in God’s Word as the standard of ‘right and good’ remain steadfast and imperishable into eternity, while those who did not know only eternal judgment.

Paul’s list has provided you with markers or points of reference to help you chase perfection, all of which correspond with God’s Word. Since each of these are of the category of what is excellent and ‘that which brings order’; if you simply ask if what you are establishing your character on… or making your choice by… leads to order, then you can be confident you will know ‘the Perfect peace of God that guards your heart and mind through Christ Jesus.’

Choose wisely….

“Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” (2 Peter 3:17-18)

Praying you choose Christ today

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: Deuteronomy 30-31 | You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.”  ~ Lombardi

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them. Psalm 62:10

 

Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” — John 13:8

I can still remember the words of a wise man, “Don’t walk too far behind or walk ahead of Jesus, make sure you are walking with Him.” I must admit, the words, when spoken, didn’t sink in.

The word “with” can be defined as accompanied by, escorted by, or in the company of, and it denotes the act of fellowship. Our walk with the Lord can become complicated for me, especially when it comes to all the books that are supposed to make things easy. The conversation between Peter and Jesus is a very telling situation as to where we need to be. The moment Peter is told he will have no part with Jesus, he seems to go into panic mode and goes to the extreme, Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” It would seem that Jesus was trying to get His point across of servanthood and forgiveness. The confusion comes when we walk ahead or behind.

The question was asked at a Men’s study I attend at Church, “what does spiritual growth look like?” There were lots of definitions but the one I liked the best was “seeing the unseen” (which was mine of course). It seems that when we are in proper step with the Lord there is an unseen meaning to the situations and circumstances in life. If I walk ahead of the Lord I miss it, if I’m too far behind it’s gone. I get this picture of having spiritual eyes to decipher the thing that God is trying to show me. Peter, not getting the meaning of the act of servanthood and forgiveness is an example of what can happen if we’re not in tune. Over and over we see examples in scripture of the Disciples trek with Jesus being confusing. It’s not until they have the Holy Spirit and are walking with Him that all they saw and heard from Him makes sense.  “His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him” John 12:16.

We begin to understand the way people react, that an insult can actually be a cry for help and needs to be ministered to. We can identify when we are being tested and it’s helpful to see when temptation comes our way or if the Lord is trying to discipline us. The importance of keeping in stride with the Lord is as simple as remaining teachable, humble, staying in fellowship, and most important, being in His word. Understanding the true meaning of our experiences and circumstances can help us navigate through life. This should ultimately lead us into a more personal relationship with our Savior, Amen.

So don’t get ahead and don’t fall too far behind, walk with our Lord.

Written by Rob Russomano: Rob Russomano is married to Terri, and serves with her as full time staff members. He is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and is also available as a speaker of the grace of God with a message of Hope for church events. You can contact him at rrussomano@americaskeswick.org.

The Daily Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 28-29| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him, and expect help from Him, He will never fail you.”

– George Mueller

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them. Psalm 62:10

 

“You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ² And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” — 2 Timothy 2:1-2

Last week we began a dialog on the topic of mentoring. This week I would like to give you some questions you can use when you are mentoring someone.

The questions are taken from a little book called, Great Questions for Leading Well, by Steve Brown (not the radio preacher). They will be good discussion starters for that special person in your life that you would like to build into:

Please don’t tell me your story … let them do that. Don’t ask the question and delve into your story.

1. Share five key turning points into your life so far.
2. Describe your journey with God.
3. What do you sense are your biggest strengths?
4. What are the top three challenges you are facing at the moment?
5. What makes you laugh? What keeps you up at night?
6. What are your “big rocks” or priorities for the next season?
7. If the evil one were to target an area of your life to seek your downfall, what area do you think he would target?
8. How do you best receive feedback and critique?
9. What are your three hopes for the future?
10. Where are you sensing progress in your life?
11. Where are you feeling stuck?
12. How are things with you and God?
13. How is your family? What is one way they would like to see you grow?
14. What one thing could you change in your routine that would have the greatest positive impact on your family relationships?
15. Who are your friends? When did you last connect with them?
16. What do you do to recharge and have fun?

Steve Brown gives this great definition of mentoring: Christian mentoring is a dynamic, intentional relationship of trust in which one person enables another to maximize the grace of God in their life and service. All biblical mentoring is under-mentoring. Jesus Christ is the real and decisive agent in Christian mentoring. He claims our whole-hearted trust in Him as present enabler. – John Mallison, Mentoring To Develop Leaders.

Suggestions:

1. Don’t overwhelm the person you want to mentor by giving him all the questions to answer at your first time of getting together. Give him two or three.
2. Give the questions out ahead of time and ask your mentee to write out the answers to the questions.
3. Your role is to listen rather than speak. Let him answer the questions and listen to his answers. Be all there. Don’t let your mind wander. Be fully engaged.
4. As you are listening, ask the Holy Spirit to give you any insight that would be helpful in sharing with your mentee. He needs to feel safe in sharing his heart with you.

Overflowing and abounding in hope,

Bill Welte, President/CEO
America’s Keswick

Written by Bill Welte, President/CEO of America’s Keswick: Bill has been married to his child sweetheart for 40+ years and has four married kids and 11 amazing grand kids. He loves music and is an avid reader.

The Daily Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 24-27 | You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Think About This:  The devil knows you by your name, but calls you by your sin. God knows your sin, but calls you by your name. ~Craig Groeschel

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them. Psalm 62:10

 

 

 

How mistaken are those people who seek happiness outside of themselves, in foreign lands and journeys, in riches and glory, in great possessions and pleasures, in diversions and vain things, which have a bitter end! In the same thing to construct the tower of happiness outside of ourselves as it is to build a house in a place that is consistently shaken by earthquakes. Happiness is found within ourselves, and blessed is the man who has understood this. Happiness is a pure heart, for such a heart becomes the throne of God. Thus says Christ of those who have pure hearts: “I will visit them, and will walk in them, and I will be a God to them, and they will be my people.” (II Cor. 6:16) What can be lacking to them? Nothing, nothing at all! For they have the greatest good in their hearts: God Himself!
~St. Nektarios of Aegina

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.
~Paul, The Least of The Apostles, in Titus 3

Oh beloved, it is true.

We, those who have been made alive in Him, were built for pleasure. Jesus Himself was a party guy in this life, and He did nothing but what the Father desired for Him to do. Get this, and don’t forget it: Heaven and The Kingdom of G_d is a place where the deepest and richest pleasures we have ever experienced will be there for us to partake in. And, this sense of pleasure will grow forever.

This is the measure of true pleasure: Is it something we can enjoy with everyone we have ever known, and wish for it to continue forever?

Oh, we thought our chemicals, and images, and activities were what we wanted. But, we know deep down that if we just keep going, we will be going nowhere. They will isolate us, they will drain us, and they will kill us.

Can we see it?

What the devil and the flesh offer are not even pleasures in its true sense. They offer the feelings that the brain can give for a moment – but they miss the reality that what God gives is not a sensation, but an actual presence and relationship and expanding joy, forever.

Oh yes, there will be amazing food and drink, and probably even other things even more amazing for us to enjoy in The Kingdom… But, they will be entirely secondary to the immense pleasure of simply being known by G_d – and to know Him in return. Beyond this, there will be no fear in any of our relationships. We will be totally at ease, and not in a hurry, and totally available to get into the deepest and most incredible relationships with billions of others – forever!

So, are you still believing that the “pleasures of this world” are good enough? Don’t believe it. The King of The Universe wants to make you His bride. And the devil? He just wants a few whores to use and throw away.

Tonight is your night. Time to turn towards true pleasure.

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: Deuteronomy 14-16| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: Lust is as it were desire and desire, will which extends beyond the natural will, passionate, not governed by the law and moderation. There are thus many forms of lust, like the many forms of sin … Lust does not approach the soul in the form of a warlike enemy, but in the form of a friend or a pleasant servant. It suggests some sort of pleasure or illusory good. But this is only a trick by which the malicious angler strives to lead astray and catch the poor soul. Remember this when you are tempted by lust.
~St. Philaret of Moscow

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance. Psalm 42:5

 

“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” — Ecclesiastes 3:1

Time, where does it go? There would appear to be a weariness that can cause a fatalistic view point. I can get to a point where I just retreat to the notion of “what difference does it make?” There seems to be callous that can build up when there are so many people dying at a young age, especially due to their own poor choices, the world around us seems to be falling apart. I have a history of addiction and have had victory, and I give all the glory to God. I’m also in the addiction recovery ministry so I get to see the victories and defeats. I can be a reference point to those that want to know, “how come some make it and some don’t?”

This is where I struggle between the sovereignty of God and man’s choice. The difference between God’s perfect will and His permissible will. I can relate to Solomon in chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes where he seems to be frustrated with what he sees.

This is where I need to stop looking and go back to trusting. I have to stop looking horizontally and start looking vertically. I may never understand the things that happen, I will never get used to seeing little children and parents burying their loved ones prematurely. There is a saying, “don’t believe anything you hear and only half of what you see.” Hebrews 11 starts off saying, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. If I take heed to Proverbs 3:5,6 then my job is to be reminded of truth, Jude tells us “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

I find that when I become confused I can take comfort in the One who understands, when life seems to wear me down I can run to the One who is strong enough to hold me up. I take comfort in the fact that God is in control, that my position is to be found seeking guidance from the scriptures that make some sense out of it all. I don’t have to have all the answers, but only to remain seeking. That said, tomorrow I will lace up my boots and continue to stay unhardened by the casualties of life. To be able to hear the echoes of God’s servant Job and believe what he says, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth”!

Will you join me? Thanks for listening…

Written by Rob Russomano: Rob Russomano is married to Terri, and serves with her as full time staff members. He is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and is also available as a speaker of the grace of God with a message of Hope for church events. You can contact him at rrussomano@americaskeswick.org.

The Daily Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 11-13| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “To learn strong faith is to endure great trials. I have learned my faith by standing firm amid severe testings.” – George Mueller

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance. Psalm 42:5

“Holiness differs nothing from happiness but in name.  Holiness is happiness in the bud, and happiness is holiness at the full. Happiness is nothing but the quintessence of holiness.”  ~ Brooks

One of the greatest ‘disagreements’ I had with my mom was over shoes. She wanted me to wear corrective shoes to school, which were ‘not cool’… and I wanted to wear my Converse All-stars. So every morning I would leave for school in her ‘corrective shoes’ but arrive too school in my ‘All-stars’. It seemed like a good compromise to me at the time… funny though how that choice began to affect so many other areas of my life… maintaining the facade was not always easy… always having to remember to change back before meeting my mom seems to not be a hard thing to do, until you have to live it out everyday among all the other stuff I had to deal with in life.  There were times when I thought I was happy because I seemed to fit in with the crowd… but I could never say I was at peace with the whole thing. You see, a distance started to form between me and my mom… time spent with her around the dinner table, watching TV, or riding in the car became ‘uncomfortable.’  She never said anything even though I am sure she noticed that my ‘corrective shoes’ always appeared like new…. after awhile, my mom and I didn’t talk much, and I become more aware that the reason for this had to do with the shoes….

The truth I learned back then, and continue to grasp hold of today, is that happiness cannot be anchored in external things… like what shoes are considered cool or even the relationship we desire to be in. No, happiness is directly connected to living in accordance with the design, and not because we have to, but because we want to. The Psalmist writes, “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. ‘But they delight in the law of the Lord’, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do” (Psalms 1:1-3). I like this translation because it immediately went after the idea of joy, that quality that wells up from within us because we are in-sync with God. God has established a design with laws that are absolutely perfect, and it is when we live by these laws that were put in play to cause us to prosper and enjoy being in His presence, that we know true happiness.

I made a choice back in Jr High to wear the shoes my mom wanted me to and not change them on the way to school. Yes, it was uncomfortable, or should I say ‘not cool’, but more importantly, the distance that had formed between me and mom disappeared and I was happy!

Jesus said, ‘If you loved me, you would obey my Word’; and then He went and showed us how it was done. Paul describes His obedience this way, “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8).

The Psalms, Proverbs, and even the Sermon on the Mount tell us over and over again that true happiness is found in ‘delighting in the Word of God.’ It is for this reason Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes into the presence of Absolute Perfection any other way but through me.. The living Word of God.’

I learned this in wearing a pair of ‘not so cool’ shoes. I pray you realize it as well and turn from whatever is forming a void between you and our Heavenly Father… who stands looking for you to come home. Do this, meditating on His Word day and night, and you will be ‘like the tree firmly planted by streams of water, which bears its fruit in its season.’ (Psalm 1:2-3)

Praying you choose Christ today

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: Deuteronomy 5-7| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Think About This: “On judgment day, you and I are going to stand before God and answer for the gap that exists between where we are and where we could have been had we lived by God’s plan.” – John Hagee

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance. Psalm 42:5

“You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ² And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” — 2 Timothy 2:1-2

Good morning. We are starting a new week, and I want you to know I appreciate you.

Today’s topic is a hot button in our world, but one that is so important particularly in the body of Christ.

Growing up in Philadelphia, I had the privilege of attending a church where knowingly or unknowingly, the men of the church were committed to mentoring young men.

In the Primary Department, I had a Sunday School teacher who each week made every Bible lesson come alive because he took the time to draw us guys in. He was an artist, and as he taught his lesson, he would sketch out the lesson on his pad so that we had a cool visual of the lesson he was going to teach.

But beyond that, he would take the time to invite us over to his house to play games to get to know us better. He did this with hundreds of kids, and some of those kids went on to be major leaders in Christian circles. In fact, many of the kids he mentored, he also had the joy of leading to Christ.

One young kid in particular, who was then known as the church terror, and someone much older than me, was in his Sunday School class. If you have ever heard his story, and hundreds of thousands of men and women across the globe have heard his story – Dr. Howard Hendricks (former Prof at Dallas Theological Seminary) said that Walk Rieman was the one who introduced him to Christ and taught him the value of mentoring.

During my years in that church, there were men who took the time to build into my life. I didn’t know at the time they were doing that. There was no formal curriculum – just a willingness to get into my world and ask questions to help me grow.

Bill Winterberg was one of my heroes. He would sit down with me and ask me what I was thinking. What books was I reading? Even as a married adult in full-time ministry, he would call me on the phone and ask me to find out what I was reading.

Les Crumley was the Executive Director of the Sunday Breakfast Association. He would visit our home church, and though short and stocky, he would come up to me, put his mitts on my shoulder and say, “Young man, what did God teach you today in your morning quiet time?”

Carl Shoemaker would come to me and say, “What are you doing on Friday night? We have a kids ministry, and I need a song leader. Can you help me out? At 14 years of age, I was leading the singing with a bunch of kids.

And the list goes on and on.

My guess is that if you just open your eyes and get out of your comfort zone, there are young men in your circle who could use a mentor. In fact, in our society where there are so many absent dads, just think of the impact you could have on their lives?

Next week I will share some questions you can ask someone you are mentoring.

Overflowing and abounding with hope,

Bill Welte, President/CEO
America’s Keswick

Written by Bill Welte, President/CEO of America’s Keswick: Bill has been married to his child sweetheart for 40+ years and has four married kids and 11 amazing grand kids. He loves music and is an avid reader.

The Daily Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 3-4| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Think About This: “Knowing we will be with Christ forever outweighs our burdens today. Keep your eyes on eternity.” Dr. Billy Graham

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance. Psalm 42:5

 

 

 

“One great tragedy of our existence is that often, the Devil, the liar, the Satan, the divider, believes more in our identity in Christ Jesus than we do.” ~ Makala Barnabas Doulos

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ… Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory… And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” ~ Paul, The Least of The Apostles, in Ephesians 1

Oh beloved, it is true.

We live our lives in such small ways. We become interested over the tiniest of things. Tiny little bits of tiny little nothings take our attention away from the eternity we already inhabit, and that yawns out ahead of us in epoch canyons that span beyond time, and beyond even our wildest imaginations to even begin to comprehend.

And, the weirdest part about all of this? The one who wants to make sure you don’t experience the truth, is one of those who is most aware of who. you. really. are.

So, here we are, arguing over politics, money, and fame – while missing the real game that is going on in heavenly places. Oh beloved, it is time that we understand something. It is vital that we do. We have fallen for the lie that to be too heavenly minded is to make us of no earthly good.

But, the truth is (and most of us know it, if we get even a tiny bit honest) is that it is only when our vision is expanded beyond our little screens and dramas, that life becomes really real for us. It is when we taste of the Ages to Come, that we begin to feel it….

Can we see it?

Read the passage again, beloved. It is drenched with truths that make the devil shake in his boots.

You are blessed with EVERY spiritual blessing that exists within The Beloved (Jesus). Don’t miss this. DO NOT MISS THIS. You, dear brother or sister in Christ, have EVERYTHING that Jesus has to get through life.

What?

Yeah.

And you (and this fool of a writer) get upset and worried about things?

Then it gets better!

He has made us holy and blameless before G_d. … Kinda makes the shame and doubt fall away, eh?

He has adopted us as sons and daughters into the very Royal Family of creation. … Feel the falseness of our feeling alone?

He has given all of this to us FREELY and LAVISHLY. … Suddenly our sensations of “religious duty” seem a bit silly, don’t they?

In all of this, we have not just been adopted – we have inherited all that is Christ Jesus’s. … And we still feel impoverished? Huh?

And NONE OF THIS CAN EVER BE TAKEN AWAY. You (and I) have been given the very seal of His Very Holy Spirit on the deal. … Kinda makes our fear of losing our relationship with G_d look silly, eh?

So, have you been feeling the doubts and fears? The dagger of The Spirit, the Word of G_d, is able to cut through that stuff and bring you to the truth that the devil is trying to hide from you. Because, he knows that if you actually begin to walk in the reality and identity of who you already really are – you become a definite problem for evil.

Tonight is your night, beloved. Time to realize exactly who you are. Take up your eternal mantel dear believer. Stand as an eternal warrior, friend, son, and co-regent of creation. Your LORD Jesus Christ has already made this so. Stand! Stand! Stand!

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: Numbers 33-34| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Think About This: Wherever there is fear, you can always be assured the enemy is nearby, strategically seeking to stall you or paralyze you from what he knows is God’s best for you. ~ Priscilla Shirer

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You. Psalm 39:7

 

 

“But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant,’ (Matthew 21:15)

After receiving the call that my wife’s father died, we sat for a minute in our living room and I decided not to say anything right away. So, I sat our 4-year-old down and shared the news about Papa, as her mother cried. And without missing a beat, my daughter blurts out that everything is going to be okay because Papa is in heaven with Jesus and he is fine.

Many would explain it away as she is repeating what she hears in Sunday School. I believe God was speaking through her at that moment. In addition, she told her teacher the next day “My Papa died, and mommy had happy tears.”

After Jesus tears down the tax collectors in the house of the Lord. We see that the children were in the right position and praised Him. And some were indignant about the works of Christ while the children were the light.

Many times, religious leaders (or should we say seasoned Christians) question what is contrary to our comforts. We can be so caught up in our thinking, selfishness, so set on our theological positions, or even consumed with sin, that the zealous children or the new believer will be the example of how to Praise God.

“and they said to him, ‘Do you hear what these are saying?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Yes; have you never read, Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies
 you have prepared praise?’” (Matthew 21:16)

“Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness, the nourishment of the mind with His truth, the purifying of the imagination of His beauty, the opening of the heart to His love, the surrender of the will to His purpose.” William Temple

I remember the old saints used to sing; “In the storms praise Him, in the valley Praise Him, in the trials Praise Him. He is worthy of our Praise.”

Written by Juan Mendez: Juan is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and full-time staff member at America’s Keswick.

The Daily Bible Reading: Numbers 31-32| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Think About This: “A simple, childlike faith in a Divine Friend solves all the problems that come to us by land or sea.” – Helen Keller

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You. Psalm 39:7

 

Don’t Forget – Men’s Fellowship Night is THIS Thursday, March 8 at 6:15PM. Only $12 per person. Join us!

“And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” — Jeremiah 31:34 (NASB)

Hands up, who agrees that forgiveness is at the core of Christianity? Okay, put them down. Hands up, how many of you actually forget the offense that you forgave? Now don’t get “Spiritual Amnesia” on this one, I’m sure there are many, possibly 99.99% of us, who hold on to that offense like luggage. Now…hands up, how many of you think God forgets your offense and then back it up with “as far as the east is from the west?” Now, don’t reach down for those stones yet or I might have to back it up with “let him without sin cast the first stone.” I am going somewhere with this.

However, I can’t really give this somewhere a name but if I could borrow a quote from Larry Osbourne, “Some of us have been taught that forgiveness is pretending nothing happened—a head-in-the -sand posture that ignores the obvious. Some of us think of it as a never-ending series of second chances. Others view it as a fresh start with all the consequences and old baggage removed. Still others imagine it as the immediate and full restoration of a broken relationship, complete with the same level of trust and privileges that preceded the wrongdoing.” And then he goes to say… “But the goofiest idea of all is the widely held belief that genuine forgiveness means literally forgetting what happened—wiping the slate so clean that every memory of the transgression disappears.”

Now you’re probably thinking that those are exactly the things that forgiveness is about, but when you apply them to The Almighty I don’t think we hit the mark. It’s almost saying that even He gets “Spiritual Amnesia” when it comes to our wrong doings. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but an omniscient God just doesn’t forget stuff. If that were the case, Noah might still be floating around on The Ark somewhere wondering if he’ll ever be rid of these animals he’s carrying as cargo. Pets are nice to have around the house but two of everything is a bit much, isn’t it?

And I’m sure that the reason we think that when our wrongs are forgiven we are escaping consequence. AH-HA!! Now we’re getting somewhere. You see, I’m a guy who realizes that most of the rules that are made by men can be broken and the punishment for them can be “negotiated.” That’s why I entered into a “Plea Deal” or two in my past. I’d admit my guilt and the judge would be lenient with his sentencing. It may have gotten me outta some serious stuff back then, but it left a residue of consequence to the life I live today, none the less. And that’s how it really goes with God.

Most Christians know about King David’s little fling with Bathsheba. Once he confessed what he had done to God, God assured him that he was forgiven and David’s life would be spared but the residue of consequence wasn’t wiped away completely. The sword would never depart from David’s house and he would always be at war. He would not be allowed to build the Temple he desired to construct. The child that Bathsheba had as a result of this occurrence would die soon after its birth. An ugly calamite would happen with Tamar, his daughter, and Amnon, his son that would eventually lead to murder and David’s son, Absalom, to boldly revolt against his father’s rule over Israel.

Ya see, God can say to us, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” and we should hold on to that promise, but I can’t find anything in Scripture that says He’ll remove the residue of consequence from us. On the contrary, even He will show us that He isn’t above consequence. How can I say that? Look at The Cross of Christ and tell me that God the Father isn’t above consequence. As the Son of David hangs on a Roman Cross as an atonement for the iniquity of man, He will repeat what David wrote in Psalm 22:1, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” [“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”] (Matt 27:46)

So, in the big scheme of it all, does forgiving mean forgetting? Not really, but unless someone is willing to go the distance that God the Father did, we better look at the subject a little better. When God forgives and says He won’t remember, it doesn’t mean He’ll just get “Spiritual Amnesia” about what we’ve done. It just means that, through Jesus, He is willing to look past our guilt and begin things anew. And as we handle the residue of consequence we need to keep this in mind, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” Amen?

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

The Daily Bible Reading: Numbers 26-27| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “When we offer forgiveness to those who have no excuse—and for things most of the world would consider unforgivable—we become most like Jesus.” — Larry Osborne

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You. Psalm 39:7