True Worshippers 101!

06/03/201606/02/2016Leave a comment

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” (John 4:23)

In T-n-T, we are provided with an opportunity to give glory, honor, and praise to our God. There are times when it’s undeniable, that God’s presence is thick and other times where He is taking a more quiet approach. But regardless, I believe that when a person or people proclaim the work of Jesus, it is one of the richest way we give Him glory.

True worshiper 101: Individuals who decide to put themselves on the side and give Him, His praise. A true worshiper’s life is hidden in daily surrender and he will show up to service with a heart ready to praise, because it becomes an extension of his everyday relation with Christ. True worshippers are sincere in their spirit, and inwardly resolved in their minds and hearts.

Identifying true worships indicates that there false or deceitful worshippers. Jesus declares, “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” (Matthew 7:21) It’s a sad reality to think that you can be within the body of Christ worshipping, serving, even broadcast the name of Jesus, and be out of fellowship. Then she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” When he woke up, he thought, “I will do as before and shake myself free.” But he didn’t realize the LORD had left him.” (Judges 16:20) Sad!

So how do you know that you are a true worshipper?

True worshiper 201: It will be evident in your prayer life; true worshippers have a valid prayer life. They also have a boldness to confess wrongs, and to be transparent because they are concern with their relationship with God and loving their neighbor. The Word is esteemed, and the desire to be obedient to that Word guides the true worshippers. True worshippers proclaim and understand the love of God, and how that love is manifested through sacrificial work of Jesus. Are you a true worshipper?

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

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 2; Proverbs 3

Daily Quote: “We never grow closer to God when we just live life. It takes deliberate pursuit and attentiveness.” ~Francis Chan

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

3 You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
⁴Trust in the Lord forever,
For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength. ~Isaiah 26:3-4

Mathew 9 – Overflowing Compassion

06/02/2016Leave a comment

But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. ~Mathew 9:36

O’ that we might have compassion on him that is the natural man. Carnality is the sum of his being and his desires are solely fixed on the pleasing of his lustful flesh. There is no one more deserving of our pity and prayer. He boldly does what seems right to him, unaware that his path is leading unto death (Proverbs 14:12). He unknowingly demands the recompense of our Holy God and wouldn’t have it any other way. Why is it that as Christians we are so troubled by him? His insolence offends us and our judgments are made on his actions instead of his aims; yet all the while, we superficially choose to measure ourselves by our intentions rather than what we actually do. Our judgments are often far too harsh and the longer we stand before God on Christ’s merit, the less patience we seem to have for the rebellion of the unsaved. Let it not be!

“Biblical orthodoxy without compassion is surely the ugliest thing in the world.” -Francis Schaeffer

Never forgot the great depths of sin by which you came. Today, remember the low life that God has delivered you from. Let the compassion given you the hour you first believed be restored to full. If compassionate was the nature of our Saviour, then pray that His Spirit might fill you to the overflowing compassion He displayed at Calvary. He promises that it will be worth whatever sacrifice it costs and that is a promise you can take to the bank!

Written by Troy Fink: Troy is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and is a Urban Missionary at New Hope Philly in Philadelphia.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 1; Proverbs 2

Daily Quote: “Employ whatever God has entrusted you with, in doing good, all possible good, in every possible kind and degree…” –John Wesley

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

3 You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
⁴Trust in the Lord forever,
For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength. ~Isaiah 26:3-4

Caution, “God at Work”

06/01/201605/31/20161 Comment

“For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” ~Philippians 2:13

I remember as a kid seeing the sign “Men at Work”. The only thing that meant to me was a play zone when they left for the day. Especially trying to dismantle those big battery operated blinking lights for a trophy in our bedrooms. Today I realize how dangerous that was to be interfering where there was “Men at Work”

Being in full time ministry can be a challenge when it comes to hurting men at the Colony. My first instinct is to come to the rescue of a man who is going through it, as if I have all the answers. Another mistake I’ve made was giving a guy a ride as he walks the dirt trail around our lower lake. I received some good advice early on, “Be careful not to interfere when God’s at work”.

I do believe there’s a time for a word of encouragement or to ask if everything is all right but that usually comes in the beginning stages of a man’s stay at the Colony. After he’s been there a while I’m very careful not to give unsolicited advice.

I know from experience that it’s in those quiet times alone or walking to work on that dirt road which has numerous scriptures hanging from the trees that God does His thing.

Philippians 1:6 tells us “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ”. This concept doesn’t only apply to the men at the Colony, it is also a promise to anyone who is a follower of Christ. If you have a loved one who is not where they should be with the Lord, your first responsibility is to be praying for them. Then wait for God to do His thing and also make yourself available when the time comes to intervene.

Too many time has someone busted onto the scene to save the day only to interrupt the Holy Spirit’s work that was taking place. A good service to someone who is struggling is to let them know your there “IF” they need you. Having the discernment to know when to offer a word is the difficult task. I sometime wish there were those blinking barricades with a caution sign “God at Work”.

If you’re the one struggling today and your guilty of being dependent on others, maybe it’s time to set up a couple of “God at Work” signs around you and give Him a chance. If it is God who started a work, He is also faithful to complete it. Amen!

Written by Rob Russomano: Rob is married to Terri, he is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a full time staff member. He is also available as a speaker of the grace of God with a message of Hope for church events.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 150; Proverbs 1

Daily Quote: “I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help Him. I ended up by asking God to do His work though me.” ~Hudson Taylor

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

3 You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
⁴Trust in the Lord forever,
For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength. ~Isaiah 26:3-4

Examples and Warnings

05/31/201605/31/2016Leave a comment

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” ~Hebrews 12:28-29 (NKJV)

Every so often I have it brought to my mind those times when I grew up in South Philly and went to church. I was raised within the Roman Catholic Church and saw some stuff that I now can call the apostasy of people. It set me up for a decision that I’ll make by the age of 16 and have a deep impact on my life until the age of 40 when Jesus Christ will say “Enough is enough…come to Me you are heavy laden”. I can’t put it all down as waste because there was a lesson to be learned from it, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” (Psalm 118:8) Had I known this sooner…ah who I am kidding? There is no woulda, shoulda, coulda excuse to give. Anyway…

During a recent sit down with friend and Pastor, John Mol, I heard something that gave me that “AH-HA” finger to the air, there it is, moment. Pastor John talked about how God has given us examples and warnings in our churches in the forms of actual people. He told us of few those stories of people in his life who have been examples and warnings to him. And since we have people in the Bible to talk about let’s see a different take on two of them.

Mark 5…After Jesus calms a storm and lands on the shores of Gerasa, He is approached by a man who was tortured by an evil spirit named Legion. This dude ran around a cemetery, charged through the wilderness and did some serious damage to himself. But his encounter with Jesus changed all that. Jesus sends out the thousands of demons within our friend and leaves him a free man. This man is so grateful for what Jesus has done that all he wants to be is with Jesus but he is given a different assignment and was sent off into Decapolis to share what was done for him through Jesus. So…off he went to spread the Good News of Jesus!! People were left amazed!!

John 5…For 38 years a man lived with a disability…he can’t walk too well. It’s a sunny day by the pool of Bethesda and everyone who needs a healing touch is waiting for the bubbles of the pool to start. These waters are said to heal by the magical intercession of a heavenly messenger who stirs the waters. Jesus sees this man from a distance and approaches him. “Are you here in this place hoping to be healed” asks Jesus. Then the disabled man goes about no one is interested in helping him be first to get into pool so he can be healed. Well Jesus took care of that and he was immediately challenged by those wacky Pharisees. But even after he tells them Jesus heals him we don’t see him go anywhere to anyone else to tell them anything. POOF!!! This dude is gone. People were left annoyed.

So what is to be gleaned here? Just like those of us who needed Jesus’ healing touch in our lives we are excited we’re even healed like these two guys but ya gotta notice what they did with what Jesus did for them. One goes out to share his joy with others and one keeps it to himself. One did everything he could for Jesus and one did nothing. One walks into a city and one just walk away. One is set as an example and one is set as a warning.

This is still happening in our churches today. We have folks that are so overjoyed by what Jesus has done for them they can’t singing His praises and we have those that barely lift a whisper to be heard. What I hope I am conveying to you today is that if Jesus has touched you deeply He needs to be shared by you deeply. If all you have in your heart is “Jesus saved me” and not “Jesus saved me and He can save you too” then you’ve missed the boat. Make this day the day you go out among the people and share what was done for you by the healing touch of Jesus Christ. Amen?

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris, a graduate of The Colony of Mercy (11-2003) is married with two adult children and serves on the Deacon Board at Trinity Alliance Church in Cologne NJ

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 149; Proverbs 31

Daily Quote: “We humans “do what we are.” It is a statement that cannot be refuted. In other words, if we let ourselves go, giving up all outward pretensions, and live just from the desires within us, what we really are will come out. Basically, what we are is revealed by what we do, and what we do reveals what we are within.” ~A.W. Tozer

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

3 You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
⁴Trust in the Lord forever,
For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength. ~Isaiah 26:3-4

Never In Vain

05/27/201605/25/2016Leave a comment

Suffering, failure, loneliness, sorrow, discouragement, and death will be part of your journey, but the Kingdom of God will conquer all these horrors. No evil can resist grace forever… If you reject the ragamuffin gospel and turn your back on Christianity, do so because you find the answers of Jesus incredible, blasphemous, or hopelessly hopeful. ~Brennan Manning

Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain…. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me. ~Paul, The Least of The Apostles, in Galatians 2 and Philippians 2

Oh beloved, it is true. Everything we are doing in our service to our King is so backwards to the ways of the world. None of it makes any sense to those who see things only from the perspective of body and mind.

Even those around us who are somewhat (or very) religious, can look at a soldier of the cross, and begin to think that we are taking things just a little too far. Who do we think we are to be going off and actually believing that the Bible is to be taken seriously when it says that G_d wants everything?

Much of what we’ve done, much of what we were, and so many of our relationships seem in vain.

Some of us were so broken. And many of you brothers who are reading this were probably some of them. We were hopeless. Anything that might be done in our lives was going to be in vain. We were addicts who would rather stick things in our veins than be set free. We were (we thought) doomed. And yes, even we, many of us – have been set so free that we can hardly even believe it.

Many of us are were in family situations that were completely unfixable. Humpty-dumpty, and his shattered shell, looked like he was in much better shape than our relationships. And still, into this situation G_d did pour so much Love and grace that we have been restored.

Often, we are in jobs that we know have potential to feed us, but where we don’t feel we can make any difference in people’s lives. Sometimes we wonder how we are ever going to get out of the dead-end that we are in. And even here, G_d uses us in ways that we might not even expect. A co-worker finds Jesus. A boss is moved by the integrity of our work.

There are many other instances and examples here, I am sure you can name more areas where things seem hopeless and vain, and G_d shows up and shows off…. But this week, I was even more impressed at His ability to do things exceedingly, abundantly, beyond all we hope or imagine.

This fool of a writer is also an international educator. I teach Bible, Worldviews, Apologetics, and Honors Philosophy at a school in Northern China. That I even get the privilege of teaching subjects like this in a controlled country is a amazing! But has been even more amazing, is my lack of faith in my calling.

Christian Education seems so slow. It has little flash-bang. No altar calls. Not emotional pleas for kids to come to Christ. And yet, this week, I have been listening to some 12th grade seniors who grew up in Asia, in non-believing and Buddhist and Confucian homes declaring that they have embraced Christ and gave powerful arguments as to why this was true. I had honestly wondered if we were making a difference in so many of these kids lives. Were we just burning up a lot of Kingdom resources giving simply a quality education to kids?

Wow, was I wrong.

Can we see it? The beauty of this slow approach to presenting the Gospel is that many of the students have not made emotional decisions. They have, rather, decided with their heads and their hearts – based on the information they are

getting in their Biology, Bible, Science, Philosophy, PE, and Math classes. They are seeing that G_d is in all of the knowledge they are getting – and this makes all the difference.

So, are you feeling like the place where G_d has you is useless? Don’t. He has never done anything vain in your life till now. And nothing He is having you do is going to be in vain. Trust Him. Let Him pour you out as HE sees fit. We will see the fruit. Just give it time.

Tonight is your night beloved. Time to believe you are valuable in His Kingdom. No matter what you are doing for Him.

Written by Makala Doulos: Makala 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 145; Proverbs 27

Daily Quote: “My spirit turns to Thee and clings, All else forsaking, unto Thee; Forgetting all created things, Remembering only “God in me.” O living Stream; O gracious rain, None wait for Thee, and wait in vain.” ~Gerhard Tersteegen

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

²⁵I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread. ~Psalm 37:25

No Perishable Items Allowed

05/26/201605/25/2016Leave a comment

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.” ~Matthew 6:19

I spend most of my life fixing things that break of building things with the intention of making it last. I remember once someone was spending too much time on a project and when I asked what was taking so long their response was “This thing is gonna last forever” in which I reminded them “It’s all gonna burn one day”.

I wonder if there’s a sign at the door on the “Pearly Gates” that says “No perishable items allowed?”

When I think about the idea of a place where nothing will be worn out or rotting and there is no need for preservation or maintenance I have a hard time wrapping my head around that. On the other hand I also struggle with people who treat material possessions as if it will last forever and neglect the opportunity to invest in the eternal.

I have to categorize things as to what’s really important, material things are only for a short time but the human soul is eternal. How many times have I found myself with the wrong motive and having my priorities out of order? When for the sake of a perishable item I neglect to minister to someone and invest in the eternal.

When I look at the life of Jesus, who by the way was a carpenter like me, I never read about a single thing He made or fixed. Instead, He always references to the things eternal. We know why He came, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Jesus makes this statement to the jews in John 7:38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” To this the crowds were divided. I think the same is true today, the dividing line shows the strength of our faith and what we really believe.

Knowing we have life everlasting in the Kingdom of God should give us strength for today. The conversation that Jesus had with the woman at the well is a good picture of eternity, “Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water” John 4:10.

If I can make the distinction between just plain old water and Living water, my life will be much more fruitful for eternal purposes then just temporal.

This isn’t to say that we should neglect our earthly responsibilities but to put things in perspective and not to miss a chance to invest in the eternal.

I pray that today you would be able to see what’s really important and prioritize your life to make the most for the things that will last forever. If nothing you’re working for today will be in heaven then hold on to them loosely but hold on tightly to the things that matter.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 144; Proverbs 26

Daily Quote: “God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.” –Max Lucado

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

²⁵I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread. ~Psalm 37:25

Pioneering Dilemmas

05/25/201605/24/2016Leave a comment

“Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God Himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for Him.” ~Philippians 1:28-29 (NLT)

The last time I was with you I was all keyed up on a new phrase I learned—“Gospel Pioneer”. Gotta tell ya, I think it’s a really cool title to have because it says that you are for The Gospel and you’re willing to do some suffering for it…right? Because in the life of any good pioneer comes dilemmas. I mean our Bibles are printed in black and white until we get to Jesus and those red letters. When I see those red letters coming up in the four Gospels (a splash can be found in Acts and Revelation) I see the confrontation of a dilemma or two…or three…or four…just depends on what chapter of the Gospel you read. Even though dilemmas can suck the joy right outta us, if they are handled like Jesus much can be gleaned for the side of truth. This was something the Apostle Paul understood as well.

Now for any of you that are scratching your head wondering what dilemmas are they are like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. So what’s the prescription for you when you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place? (If any of you say “More Cowbell” we need to talk) Well I guess we start at this verse since this was Paul’s own personal dilemma…“For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.” (Phil 1:21) As in all dilemmas there are benefits and liabilities so we’ll look at this from Chuck Swindoll’s perspective

We have option 1: To Depart. “dying is even better” I could go into how Swindoll talked about the freedom from chains, imprisonments and stoning Paul would be free from as one of the benefits but we can see what he would experience being in God’s hands in Psalm 16:11: “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever.” The liability in this was this infant church would lose its pioneer and we’re not too sure who would have remained to champion it for the future. Let’s not forget those Romans guards either…the word of God had begun to pierce the hearts of these men.

Now we have option 2: To Remain. “living means living for Christ” By sticking around Paul could keep his writing ministry going. After all we do get alot of Christ-like application from his writings in the New Testament. Paul could also help nurture that infant church so that as they grew they would gain the security and hope for its future. But the liability was to stay chained to those Roman guards possibly not being released from his imprisonment. However, in both cases Paul’s joy was Jesus Christ and the sufferings that came with Him. “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.” (Phil 3:7) Mighty fine attitude to have for those of us that have experienced imprisonment of one kind or another huh?

So how are we to respond when we find ourselves between that rock and hard place dilemma? Do we really ask for more cowbell or do we put on a set of Biblical bifocals so we can properly see what’s in front of us affecting our today and what the ripple effect will be when it effects our tomorrow? Well since I already wear these fancy transition style bifocals that get dark in the sunlight I’d say my prescription is clear. Go back to those red letters, see how Jesus handled things (I believe He covered a lot of life’s dilemmas) and reconsider just how important it is for me to have Christ in my life.

Paul assured the Philippians there was no reason to be shy or hesitant when dilemmas occurred. They weren’t alone, Christ was for them. The victory was theirs, Christ won it for them. They were not alarmed by their opponents, Christ has them on the right path…it’s cool. Maintain hope and be encouraged, and know that you’re not alone in the battle to ensure that Gospel pioneering goes forward. AND GUESS WHAT? All four of these viewpoints for them are for you too. All you gotta do is allow it to work its way into your walk and when others see the joy of suffering for Jesus on your face they’re gonna know you’re different. Amen?

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris, a graduate of The Colony of Mercy (11-2003) is married with two adult children and serves on the Deacon Board at Trinity Alliance Church in Cologne NJ

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 143; Proverbs 25

Daily Quote: “The presence of opposition, Paul assures them (The Philippians), shows that they are on the right path in their active gospel witness. It is a token of salvation to them, as it is a token of perdition for the opponents: “they will lose and …you will win” God is the author of the Gospel: those who defend it may therefore expect deliverance and victory from Him as surely as those who resist it may expect to incur His judgement.” ~F.F. Bruce

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

²⁵I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread. ~Psalm 37:25

Living Water

05/24/201605/23/2016Leave a comment

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”(John 7:38)

In the midst of reading all the plethora of books, views, and perceptions, it’s really good to go back to the Words of Jesus. In addition, Jesus keeps His doctrine simple and clear to his listeners. In that, he shares great truths here using an example of creation to magnify His Glory.

Water is essential for the survival of all Creation. Water fills 90% of the earth and our human bodies are made up of 70% water. It evens is turn into power like the Hoover Dam. What a precious resource, or should I say necessity. The living water is refreshing, it’s alive, it’s living.

David prayed, “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Ps 63:1).

The sons of Korah sang, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Ps 42:1-2).

When a person chooses to believe, he becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit. That person has the ability to communion with Christ and allows Him in the center of his life. In Christ, Christ in you, and to be ruled by him. It fills the center of his being, from within him, his mind and heart is an out pour life. Out of this person comes a stream of living water. Life-changing obedience, life-changing testimony. Water; a great example of life. There is in him a power, by faith, which flows restoration and refreshment.

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: Psalm 142; Proverbs 24

Daily Quote: “Only God can turn a mess into a message. A test into a testimony. A trial into a triumph. A victim into a victory.”

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

²⁵I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread. ~Psalm 37:25

So What Have YOU Done About it

05/23/201605/22/2016Leave a comment

There is outrage at the President’ recent decision to mandate that schools provide rights that are putting our kids in jeopardy.

You’ve read it about it on the news. You have seen the posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This is serious stuff and we are seeing another freedom taken away from us and once again, we see Christianity under attack.

But let’s step back for a minute.

I agree that we need to let our voice be heard. But I am tired of people getting all up in arms and still never doing anything.

Can I be bold enough to ask you this question? Did you take the time to write to President Obama? Your Senator? Your Congressman? Your local officials?

If we are honest, really brutally honest, many Christians are lashing out on social media. Some are saying some really ugly, hurtful things. But my guess is that they didn’t make one phone call or send a letter to let their voice be heard.

Some of you will say, “It really doesn’t matter. The decision has been made!” Wrong! Pastor Jamie Mitchell shared last summer that for every call or letter made or written, it’s like getting a 100 calls or letters.

When prayer and Bible reading was taken from the schools, one lady mounted that campaign and made a difference. But we didn’t let our voices be heard until it was too late.

The rights that are being questions are being questioned by a small minority. But this small minority is letting their voices be heard. They are calling, writing, protesting, making a stink. It’s that old saying, “The squeaky wheel gets the oil.”

So I want to encourage you – it’s not too late to let your voice be heard. You can easily google the address and phone number for our political leaders. When you call and write, be straightforward and direct. Let the person answering the phone that whether they agree with your position, you want it to go on record that you called to voice your opinion and that you expect it to be recorded and reported accurately and fairly.

If you are going to use social media as a platform, then I would plead with you to do so in a Christ-like way. You can address issues without attacking someone’s character. Boldness is not the same as character assassination.

This year our theme has been FACING THE FUTURE WITH CONFIDENCE and I have been reading through the book of Daniel, amazed at the parallel to our current events.

We can take a stand. We can trust God to help us be courageous and strong. We can look for God to show up with the same power that He demonstrated to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

I love this verse: Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the King’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God.” Daniel 3:28

And I challenge you to read verses 29-20! God is able! So what are YOU going to do?

Written by Dr. Bill Welte is President/CEO of America’s Keswick: He 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: Psalm 141; Proverbs 23

Daily Quote: “Only God can turn a mess into a message. A test into a testimony. A trial into a triumph. A victim into a victory.”

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

²⁵I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread. ~Psalm 37:25

In case you missed them:

Crazy Old Fool

05/20/201605/17/2016Leave a comment

The Father says today go out in your day and overwhelm the enemy with your joy. My kingdom is righteousness, peace and joy. Your peace and your joy will cause the enemy to be bread for you. I will take that which the enemy has sowed in your life and grind it to powder and make him drink the dregs of his own assault against you. This is what your joy does. Your joy deflates every ambition the enemy has against you. Your peace wearies the enemy and causes his hands to hang down and his heart to sink. Your sense of entitlement in My kingdom absolutely terrorizes the enemy. Your joy, your peace and your entitlement keeps him awake at night. Your audacity robs the enemy of his initiative till he simply capitulates and throws in the towel. Go forth today and weary the enemy with your patience and your joy. ~Father’s Heart Ministries.

I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. ~Paul, The Least of The Apostles, in 1 Corinthians 15

Oh beloved, it is true. This fool of a writer is beginning to be an old man. He is 50, a father of 6, grandfather of 1, and a teacher to about 100 students. Normal days are long enough for an international Christian educator, but to add a little spice to the sauce, tomorrow, I am off to Inner Mongolia tomorrow with 40 9th graders from our school. This is the umpteenth trip like this that i have taken throughout the world… Crazy, right?

Crazy to be in the work we do.
Crazy in Love with Jesus.
Crazy to have lived in so many countries.
Crazy to share life with kids.
Crazy to believe that Joy will find a way.
Crazy enough to believe we might just make a difference.
Crazy enough to be looking forward to some Yak candy.

Yes, I am a fool. But there is a deep and magical wisdom in the foolishness of G_d. And He has put me into union with Him. In the natural, everything we do fails. Nothing works. Everything is broken. All we do is fail. The very things we try to put together are often the things that come apart the fastest. It seems, to keep trying to make any positive difference in the world, is just plain stupid.

I have lived in four countries in the past four years. And, I have been in 3 more than that in the past five. I am learning my fourth language (now Mandarin). My work in the past few years has had me personally responsible for well over 600 students in a number of different classes in different schools in different parts of Asia. I have preached the good news of Jesus Christ to students from every continent, and counseled and prayed people through some of the toughest trenches of their lives.

On top of this, though, the shadows of my past are long. And the wounds of my failures have not completely healed in many of the people that i have hurt around the world. Relationships that would normally bring great fulfillment to a family man are often a source of my greatest pain – and a drain to the normal energy one might have. The reality of sin and failure in my life has not just the effect of keeping me humble – it decimates my ego.

Further, G_d chose to give me incredible challenges in my new life. Some of the people closest to me are people who needed to be loved so intensely that it has threatened to utterly use me up. The fear and pain and need in their lives was deep. And so, again, intimate relationships that would have normally brought me strength, were a place where hope and just about everything else were faltering.

Beyond the relational issues, we have faced a number of sicknesses and I have been plagued with a yearlong battle with chronic nerve pain from a repetitive stress injury from riding motorcycles in the worst traffic in the world, in Jakarta. Oh yeah, add in the fact that our finances took a major beating with two international moves in 2015.

Said simply. This old fool is a bit tired and beat up. What keeps guys like us going? Why keep doing this?

The answer is even more foolish to those who in the world. The answer is Joy.

Joy is the real and overflowing emotional and spiritual strength that comes from living in close relationship with G_d. This same Person, Jesus, has already given His Life for me. He has conquered death. And He is very much in charge through the end of this chaotic age. And so now, in dwelling in a personal relationship with Him – I partake in the victory that is already won. Out from me (and can also from you) flows the energy of His Grace in infinite measure.

Can we see it? All the failure. All the pain. All the brokenness. All of it is real. And none of it is the point. No, all of the negative stuff in my life (and yours) is the stuff that gets us to understand and live in the point in time where things can be different. When we learn to live – right now – in intimate communion with Jesus, we begin to live a life that looks so different to the rest of the world that people actually begin to think we are crazy.

But may this old fool, preach for just a moment? Have you any idea what it is like to look into the eyes of a person you have just touched with the gospel and watched Jesus set them free? Have you ever seen the countenance of a student brighten when they finally discover that they have real and abiding Hope in this life – and the next? Have you ever experienced the joy in bringing water and food to those who just might die without it? Have you ever heard the whisper of His answer when you cry out in prayer, “Oh how I Love you child!”?

Tonight is your night beloved, time to live crazy.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 138; Proverbs 20

Daily Quote: “Fire of love, crazy over what You have made. Oh, divine Madman. ~Prayer of Catherine Siena

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

²³The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
²⁴Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand.

~Psalm 37:23-24

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Crazy Old Fool