“That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith…” (Ephesians 3:17a)

Years ago, my wife and I were in an agreement that we would not move in together or move any of our stuff until we got married. We didn’t want to position ourselves as a married couple until we were actually married. After our big day, we merged our stuff and began to make reasonable decisions on living arrangements; we made a home for ourselves.

Our position went from single to married and things were different. Life as we knew it changed.

Alike, Christ is making (or I should say has made), His home in our hearts. Literally, not figuratively, I believe with a strong conviction that he is dwelling in the believer’s heart. He came to rest in our Spirits, the most intimate part of our being. We might be experiencing defeat in particular areas, which is our condition, but it doesn’t change our position.

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17)

By faith, embrace your new position in Christ. And watch how it changes your condition. The second part of the verse, “that you, being rooted and grounded in love.” (Ephesians 3:17b)

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: Exodus 30-32| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “I believe that the Holy Spirit is indispensable for an interpreter’s reaching a correct interpretation of the text. The Spirit must work in the interpreter’s heart so that he or she welcomes the biblical message that one’s egotistic, sinful heart otherwise hates with a vengeance.” – Daniel Fuller

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Psalm 33:17

Men’s Fellowship Night is TONIGHT February 8 at 6:15PM. Call us at 800.453.7942 for tickets!

What matters is the truth and not what you think you’re firmly standing on.

When the Israelite spies showed up in Jericho to survey the city, they ended up at the home of Rahab the harlot. It was this unlikely woman who protected these men from those who would kill them in the city. Why she do it? It was because of what they had heard, and knew to be true about Israel’s God. She testified, “We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” (Joshua 2:10-11) So… if those inside the walls of Jericho knew ‘nothing’ could stand before Israel’s God, why did they willfully reject this truth and stand against Him? Was it not because they trusted the wall they stood on more than the truth that they knew?

It is true that you can live according to a lie for some time. ‘Ideas’ can be maintained until they must contend with reality. Those who stood on the walls of Jericho were quite confident for the first 5 days of Israel marching around the city and leaving. Probably by day 3 they could be found tossing down insults and garbage upon those who were acting in obedience to God’s Word. But on the 7th day things began to change… Israel didn’t go home after the first trip around the city… they continued for a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th… can you imagine the uncertainty that crept into their hearts as Israel turned the corner on the 7th trip and the trumpets blew and the people shouted! And then… all that they had placed their faith and trust in began to crumble under their feet…?

What do you trust in? What are you basing your choices on? If it is not the Truth of God’s Word, which has consistently corresponded with reality, for all time and in all circumstances, what you are ‘standing on’ will come crumbling down around you. If not in this lifetime, then when you stand before God and must account for your choice to willfully and knowingly reject Jesus and His gracious offer of salvation.

The truth is powerful because it is what corresponds with reality. The lies that you believe are like the sand under your feet; unstable in every measure, causing everything built on it to come crumbling down.

Choose wisely….

“Therefore, since we ‘have awesome examples of lives lived by faith and in obedience to God’s Word’, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him (not trusting in anything but the Word of God) He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners (from those trusting in the own wall), so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” — Hebrews 12:1-3

Praying U 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: Exodus 28-29| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “Trials should not surprise us, or cause us to doubt God’s faithfulness. Rather, we should actually be glad for them. God sends trials to strengthen our trust in him so that our faith will not fail. Our trials keep us trusting; they burn away our self confidence and drive us to our Savior.” – Edmund Clowney

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, Psalm 33:18

 

 

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16

We are kicking off a special time of prayer beginning March 5 through April 13^th. I am going to be encouraging our America’s Keswick Board, staff, and partners in joining me on a 40-Day Prayer Challenge as we prepare for our summer season.

Since making that decision, I have been digging deeper into my prayer life, and in my Bible and devotional reading, the topic of prayer keeps coming up.

I read this powerful story about prayer this week in the Our Daily Bread devotional, Great Is Thy Faithfulness.

While crossing the Atlantic on a ship many years ago, Bible teacher and author F. B. Meyer was asked to speak to the passengers. An agnostic listened to Meyer’s message about answered prayer and told a friend, “I didn’t believe a word of it.”

Later that same day, the agnostic went to hear Meyer speak to another group of passengers. But before he went to the meeting, he put two oranges in his pocket. On his way, he passed an elderly woman who was fast asleep in her deck chair. Her arms were outstretched and her hands wide open, so as a joke he put the two oranges in her palms.

After the meeting, he saw the woman happily eating one of the pieces of fruit. “You seem to be enjoying that orange,” he remarked with a smile. “Yes sir,” she replied. “My Father is very good to me.” “What do you mean?” pressed the agnostic. She explained, “I have been seasick for days. I was asking God somehow to send me an orange. I fell asleep while I was praying. When I awoke, I found He had sent me not only one but two oranges!”

The agnostic was amazed by the unexpected confirmation of Meyer’s talk on answered prayer. Later, he put his trust in Christ!

Yes, God answers prayer!

Do we really believe that God answers prayer? Sometimes He answers immediately. Sometimes He answers with a “no.” Sometimes he answers our prayers with a better “yes” than we could have even imagined.

God delights when His kids pray. Don’t miss out of the blessing of seeing God work in your life. Prayer is worth it. Have you taken time to pray today? If not, now is a great time to start.

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: Exodus 19-21| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Think About This: God always gives us what we ask – or something better. — Our Daily Bread

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, Psalm 33:18

 

 

Where are the young men and women of this generation who will hold their lives cheap, and be faithful even unto death, who will lose their lives for Christ’s, flinging them away for love of him? Where are those who will live dangerously, and be reckless in this service? Where are the men of prayer? Where are the men who count God’s Word of more importance to them than their daily food? Where are the men who, like Moses of old, commune with God face to face as a man speaks with his friend? Where are God’s men in this day of God’s power? ~Howard Guinness

I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor Me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you…. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. ~ Jesus, King of The Universe, in portions of John 16

Oh beloved, it is true.

Fear, I feel it gnawing at the edge of my heels, but the beautiful part is where it is biting. What kind of joy is this? To actually not care where one lives, or what one does, as long as it is in accordance with His will; this is true freedom.

“What?” you say. “What are you talking about, you fool of a writer?”

Just 13 days ago, my wife and I walked into work. This is quite normal for a Monday, but what was not normal was that we were scheduled to talk to the Head of School at 8:30am – together. And, when we arrived, the Headmaster dropped a bomb on our lives.

She got straight to the point. The regulations surrounding our permit to work in China were now being enforced in a different way than before. And, all bureaucratic gobbledygook aside, my wife was out of a job, and my job will end at the end of the school year.

Surprised is way too small of a word. We had thought that we were to come to work in China until, perhaps, the end of our race. We were both studying the language. And my Chinese was getting better. I had mastered nearly 600 characters, and felt like I was actually starting to ‘get it’ a little bit. Further, we were doing jobs that mattered, and we were helping to advance His Kingdom, in the Middle Kingdom of 中国。

And, basically, what we are beginning to see, is that this beautiful nation is undergoing a tightening of restrictions on sharing His Great Love, and doors are closing for many in this country. So, it is time to honor the wishes of our host government and bid farewell in June, 2018

Stuck, in so many ways, on the other side of the planet – is a very uncomfortable place to be.

Can we see it?

Jesus already told us that weird stuff is going to happen to people who serve Him and, in all of this, we have not even been counted worthy of suffering physically, or giving our lives. When we are doing good, when we are following His will – we will encounter resistance.

But, that’s not all. In the midst of the dark and confusion and pain about decisions on visas and work permits and learning impossible languages, He does speak to us. This makes all the difference. His Word is always full of guidance, and, in the stillness of our inner man, His Spirit also speaks and tells us of the next steps.

So, just as surprisingly as us losing our jobs, is the calling He has for us now. He is leading us to move to Arizona and to bring His message of His Great Love to people there in that dry and dusty land.

So again, are you wondering why something just happened? Are you honestly trying to listen to Him and follow His lead? Good. You are probably in just about the right place. Let the bombs go off. He will protect you. And then… be ready to hear His Voice. He will tell you of things to come.

Tonight is your night. Wait. Listen. Obey.

The soul that loves God has its rest in God and in God alone. In all the paths that men walk in in the world, they do not attain peace until they draw nigh to hope in God.
~St. Isaac the Syrian

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: Exodus 10-12| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him alright.” – Blaise Pascal

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, Psalm 33:18

When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.

Psalm 63:6

There are some interesting answers to the questions I often ask men who are struggling in life, “Do you know where you want to go” is one of them. The inquiry usually causes some conflict because most men don’t know the answer. However the pondering of the question can begin the journey. If I can challenge you to consider the path of your life, then the journey becomes defined.

I was always told one of the biggest reasons to work hard and lead a good life was the reward of being able to “put your head on your pillow at night.” For me the path of life is usually pondered in my bed, that special time of lying awake and considering where I am and where I should be going. The time lying awake could be a beneficial time or a time of torment. Most of us have trouble sleeping because of the conflict that we have concerning life. Sleepless nights are usually the symptoms of a troubled soul.

It’s funny how when my wife and I go to bed she will often take that time to get my attention. The posture of lying down and quieting my spirit tends to give way to a deeper thought process. Pillow talk with God is also a time for Him to get my attention. The difference between a good night sleep and a restless night depends on the conversation. In Psalm 63, David is running for his life from Saul because of the great success God gave David in battle. The greeting David received from the women coming out to greet King Saul started a resentment from Saul towards David, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”

There was probably a big contrast between the sleep David was having compared to Saul. We read later on that the troubled spirit that haunted Saul caused him to seek mediums and fortune tellers, at one point there is a strange account of Saul summoning Samuel from the dead (1^st Samuel 28).

Psalm 63 reveals a pattern that David followed that kept him in perfect peace. He was able to consider the goodness of God by seeking Him.

So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,

​​To see Your power and Your glory.

​​​Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

​​My lips shall praise You.

David’s recognition of God is a key ingredient to a good night’s sleep. The counsel I often give a man who is having trouble sleeping is the read some of David’s other writings; “Read Psalm 51 and 139 and call me in the morning.” These meditations lead us to focus on God and the necessary steps to peace with God. Confession, repentance and the acknowledgement of who God is brings us to a place of rest for our souls.

So, if you’re having trouble sleeping, “meditate on Psalms 51 and 139 and call me in the morning.” Amen!

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: Exodus 4-6| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “An unschooled man who knows how to meditate upon the Lord has learned far more than the man with the highest education who does not know how to meditate.” – Charles Stanley

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, Psalm 33:18

 

 

 

 

And he [Abram] moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. Genesis 12:8

I have been reading through the 2018 America’s Keswick Bible Reading Plan, and I trust you are joining me on the journey. This year we are reading through the Bible chronologically. I was going to use the One Year Bible hard copy, but I have been enjoying reading through the plan using my YouVersion app. Great way to keep track of your reading plan.

As I have been reading through the Genesis stories, there is a phrase that has jumped out numerous time so early on in the book – “and he pitched his tent.” This phrase is used about Abram, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and then Moses will say the same thing.

I began to meditate and think about this phrase. I haven’t followed the phrase all the way through the Bible, but in biblical times a tent was one’s dwelling place. Some tents were quite simple, and some were quite extensive. One account said that they were little apartments with different rooms.

I have never been into camping. My Board Chairman has often said that his definition of camping is staying in an upscale Marriott Hotel.

First of all, I am mechanically challenged, so for me, even the thoughts of trying to erect a tent gives me the shivers. In fact, last summer our Minnesota grands wanted Jan and me to help them with their tent (which had no directions). It never happened.

Obviously pitching a tent means that an individual and his family have decided to camp out there for more than just a couple of days. It needed to be convenient to a well or other water supply as accessible to a place to secure one’s food.

But thinking about this further, I wondered if there is a spiritual significance to this phrase that goes a little deeper. Another word connected with “biblical tenting” is the word “dwell.”

So I ask the question, where have you and I pitched our tents?

Where have we pitched our mind-tents? Have we settled in a place where we are thinking about godly things? The Apostle Paul wrote this: “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and in anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8

So looking at that list, where is my mind dwelling these days? Am I camping out in the world (the lust of the flesh, the lust the eyes and the pride of life) or I am dwelling in what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, etc.?

What am I watching on TV? I have friends who won’t have cable in their homes because of the junk that is one there, but yet spends hours looking at YouTube and other questionable sites.

Am I dwelling or camping out in the Word or am I reading everything but the Word? Books are great. Devotionals are helpful.  Commentaries can be very helpful. But how much time do we spend digging/dwelling/camping out in the Word?

Pretty interesting question to ask. I guess that you can think of other places, situations, activities where you may have pitched your tent in a not so good place.

Take a few minutes to ask the Lord if it is time for you to move your tent from a not so good place to a place that would be a greater benefit to your daily spiritual walk. I am doing that too.

I’d love to hear from you.

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: Genesis 48-50| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Think About This: “If you look for God’s working in your life, if you thoughtfully trace it out and reflect on it, you will be surprised by how much you begin to see.” Mark Dever

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, Psalm 33:18

 

 

In following the coverage of Hurricane Harvey, much has been said of the devastation left in its wake… ruined homes, stranded families, and impoverished communities. One would think that the need of the hour is money… and many have answered that need with millions giving to help. But is money enough to meet the need of the heart? One video that brought tears to my eyes was of a shelter with families covering every inch of space, clutching what little they had left of their lives… yet they were singing praises to our God. It reminded me of Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail singing and praising their God!

Many of those interviewed about their losses in the hurricane said that it was just ‘stuff’ which they can purchase again, but they were really thankful that their families were still together. This is true and something we usually only realize in ‘the storms of life,’ so yes money is needed, but it’s not the ‘need of the hour.’ The Word I began thinking about was ‘perseverance.’ I remember during ‘Sandy’ we lost power for a week. I think back to what it took to maintain the generator and house both day and night, and the perseverance it took to press forward as the days dragged on. I am thankful we didn’t lose the house as many in ‘Harvey’ have, and it seems to me that they will need a greater perseverance to press forward in the aftermath of that storm. So maybe the ‘need of the hour’ is what will give us Hope to sustain our perseverance…? If you have ever lived through a tragic situation, an acute or terminal illness of a loved one, a loss of life or property, or a severe conflict, you know how draining it is and how tired and ready to give up you become; the central or core ‘need of the hour’ then must be what gives and sustains Hope, that which lifts our spirit and makes us able to sing in ‘the midst of life’s storms.’

Dawson Trotman wrote that what generates the kind of hope that will energize perseverance is, “an army of Believers, dedicated to Jesus Christ, who believe not only that He is God, but that He can fulfill every promise He has ever made, and that there isn’t anything too hard for Him.” It is on this sustaining truth “that our God is able to fulfill every promise”, that we are able to press on, knowing with certainty that He will meet the needs of our heart, by which we can also then face every other circumstance.

The promises of God trump the problems of life, and it is when I am certain of who God is and what He has promised, that I am able to stand firm in any storm or battle, obeying His Word, and doing what pleases Him… living by faith.

The ‘need of the hour,’ no matter the circumstance, is then to ‘know’ the One who created and sustains all things; who knows your heart and ‘has provided’ for your every need… even at the cost of His Son as payment for your sin; and who has promised to never leave you nor forsake you.

Jesus has set the example we are to follow here, for the writer of Hebrews tells us, “for the Joy set before Him (that is obeying the Father), He ‘endured’ the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has ‘endured’ such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

(Heb 12:2-3)

What is the ‘need of the hour?’ It is ‘to trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on our own understanding. And in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” (Prov 3:5-6)

Choose wisely….

Praying U 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: Genesis 38-40| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “I’d rather die in the will of God than to live outside of it.” – Jack Hyles

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Psalm 33:17

“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” –Deuteronomy 31:8

With all this Armor of God, why do I feel like a failure?

The Key to effectively taking up God’s armor and using it correctly, or according to its design, is taking it up and receiving it “through all prayer and supplication praying at all times in the Spirit, and in regard to this same, watching in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints–” (Ephesians 6:18). Prayer is the key… and not just mouthing off some memorized lines, prayer is not a magic potion, it is intently seeking the heart of God with a desire to know His will (or to understand His operating manual). James tells us “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may ‘use God’s provision’ on your pleasures” (James 4:3).

Repeatedly, God has reminded us throughout His Word that ‘if I regard wickedness (that is anything against God’s nature like selfish desire for revenge, manipulation of others, or pride) He will not hear us’ (Psalm 66:18) and unless we ‘seek Him with ALL our hearts, humbling ourselves and putting off all self driven motivation, we will not find Him’ (Prov 1:28). John puts us in the right path to effectively seeking God when he writes “we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight (or according to His will)’ (1 John 3:22) and we can be ‘confident before Him, if we ask anything according to His will, He will hear us” (1 John 5:14). So the answer to our being weak and ineffective is that we are not connecting with the power source through prayer, and our motives are self centered, and for the purpose of meeting our own pleasure. Consider yesterday’s quote, do you desire God to just remove the pressure of the situation like an illness, or do you desire to remain in His will… even if that means staying sick?  This is reminiscent of Jesus’ prayer in the garden; ‘take this cup from me’ or ‘take off the pressure!’ But Jesus didn’t stop there, He continued, ‘But Thy will be done!’ or ‘I will go forward in your will even if it means suffering a cruel death… I trust that you know what is right and good.’ Here in the garden, Jesus is taking up the Armor God has provided Him in prayer, not in his own strength.

Paul mentions just before listing the Armor God has provided that the Believer is able to ‘take up the full armor of God and resist in the evil day’ because they ‘had down everything TO stand firm’ (6:13), this meaning the Believer is already ‘keeping His commandments and doing what pleases Him.’ Jesus didn’t just blurt out that prayer in the garden, His life was already marked by the desire to walk in God’s will and keeping Gods Word for the purpose of Glorifying the Father. So we too must follow His example if we want to be effective and not weak failures. Stop now and ask God to show you how to pray… even if that prayer is simply ‘help’, He will hear it and come to you when your desire is to walk in His way and not your own. God knows we struggle with this and has provided His Spirit to assist us in prayer. Paul tells us, “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.” (Romans 8:26-27)

You can know God’s strength today… you can effectively wear His armor, resisting evil and standing fast in His will. Help is only a prayer away…

Choose wisely….

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:5-6)

Praying U 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: Genesis 16-18| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “Believers are encouraged to put on the full armor of God in order to deal with our common enemy: Satan.” – Crystal McDowell

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24

 

 

 

 

Just as those who are deprived of light cannot walk straight, so also those who do not behold the ray of the Holy Scriptures must necessarily sin, since they walk in the deepest darkness.
~St. John Chrysostom,

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take what is Mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is Mine; therefore I said that He will take what is Mine and declare it to you.
~ Jesus, King of The Universe

Oh beloved, it is true. 

Anyone who has ever tried to just follow Him as He leads, will come up on some times where things just don’t make sense. It is as if we have been following a clear path of His leading, but suddenly we feel like we are losing the trail.

This fool of a writer has been flung out into three countries in the past nearly 6 years. We are currently in Northern China. And it was in this place that we thought we might finish out our life’s work. I have been studying Mandarin, and just beginning to get a feel for this beautiful language. I was just promoted into a position where i was helping other teachers become better teachers. And my beautiful wife was making a difference in kid’s lives with her counseling work.

And this last week, the wheels came off.

We found out that there were some very significant problems with our paperwork that allowed us to work in China. And, for those of you who have never lived in a foreign country, one finds that the path to the right paperwork can be dark as well. It is often hard to even know what to do, or how to assure things are going properly.

Anyway, for whatever reason, we will be needing to leave in June of next year.

Where are we going?  I have no idea.

Nor do i care.

What?

Can we see it?

Read the passage, beloved. It was never up to me to declare what or where i needed to go in the future. It is up to Him to decide this. And, for us to live any other way, is for us to basically be telling G_d that He does not know how to do His own job.

Now, have no doubt. We feel the stresses. We feel the angst that wants to creep in. We are experiencing stress nearly beyond our ability to cope. But, what we don’t have is fear. There is no need to be fearful, and it simply doesn’t help, even if we chose to succumb to that temptation.

No, what is more important is to simply obey. If i am honestly identified with Christ, then my life is going to be taking on His nature. We, in Him, begin to take on His way of doing things. Notice how submissive and obedient G_d is, even amongst His interrelationship. One part of the Trinity does not presume to speak without the guidance and permission of the other. It is the loveliest of Loves. Pure giving. Pure submission. Pure obedience.

And it is this place, this place of willing, loving submission, and obedience that we find what He would have us do. Stay in His Word. Listen to His Voice. Wait for Him to tell you.

So, are you wondering what is next in your life? We are. But, we know that the location is not important. He is already there. We have but to wait on His guidance. He will tell us. And, He will tell us in His time.

Tonight is your night. Time to obey. Even if it’s dark.

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: Genesis 12-15| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: Every wise workman takes his tools away from the work from time to time that they may be ground and sharpened; so does the only-wise Jehovah take his ministers oftentimes away into darkness and loneliness and trouble, that he may sharpen and prepare them for harder work in his service. ~Robert Murray McCheyne

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24

 

The Lord greatly loves the repenting sinner and mercifully presses him to His bosom: “Where were you, My child? I was waiting a long time for you.” The Lord calls all to Himself with the voice of the Gospel, and His voice is heard in all the world: “Come to Me, My sheep. I created you, and I love you. My love for you brought Me to earth, and I suffered all things for the sake of your salvation, and I want you all to know My love, and to say, like the apostles on Tabor: “Lord, it is good for us to be with You.”
~St. Silouan the Athonite

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
~ Jesus, King of The Universe, in Matthew 18

Oh beloved, it is true.

We all want to grow up. But, the problem is that the world only tells us how to get bigger, and more sophisticated. And in going this route, we actually miss adulthood. For getting larger does not mean getting better.

Oh, the world will continue to pound us with the lie-laden messages bound up in its cosmotic, toxic roux. And most of us will listen.

> We will trade away our strength for thrills.

> We will give away our peace and exist soaked in anxiety.

> We will give away true wealth in our pursuit of fiat currency.

> We will abandon our dignity for some artificial position.

> We will lose our heart in the pursuit of some tiny little hill that seems worth the climb.

And then, death will come after a few short years. We may only have a little pile of that fiat security. But, in all of it, we will find that the promise was nothing but wind and vanity, and vainglory never found.

Can we see it?

The adulthood we seek is never found in the world, because true maturity has nothing to do with what the world has to offer. True maturity is bound up in the strange, but totally true economics of the Kingdom.

In the Kingdom,

> We forgo earthly thrills to find the eternal joy and strength of His Presence.

> We cast our anxiety and cares upon Him, and He Himself becomes our Peace.

> We spread our cash to those in need, and store up eternal wealth in The Kingdom.

> We humble ourselves in every situation, and find honor and strength and exultation in Him.

> We abandon the world, and find a path towards the very mountain of G_d.

Hopefully, beloved, we can see the difference. Because actually, the first list is the immature of this world trying to act like what they think a grownup is. But, the second list actually describes a true adult. A truly human being, grown large in Love – instead of in stuff.

So, are you trying to grow beyond your immaturity? Many of us in the Colony really never grew up. We were always chasing the wind in our foolishness. Maybe tonight is your night: Time to abandon the pursuit of nothing. And time to allow Him to replace that pursuit with the very heart of a child that you might mature into who you were ever called to be.

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: Job 29-31| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote:

Unction comes to the preacher not in the study but in the closet. It is heaven’s distillation in answer to prayer. It is the sweetest exhalation of the Holy Spirit. It impregnates, suffuses, softens, percolates, cuts, and soothes. It carries the Word like dynamite, like salt, like sugar; makes the Word a soother, an arranger, a revealer, a searcher; makes the hearer a culprit or a saint, makes him weep like a child and live like a giant; opens his heart…as gently, yet as strongly as the spring opens the leaves.
~EM Bounds

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. — Psalm 16:9