Freedom Fighters

Overwhelmed By Fear

04/08/201604/07/2016Leave a comment

Mark 10:32-34 (Matthew 20:17-19; Luke 18:31-33); Psalm 34:8; Philippians 3:10 (2 Corinthian 1:5; 1 Peter 4:12-14); Psalm 55:22

For Christians, fear is a two edged sword. There is the fear of amazement, astonishment, and awe; it is fear, as reverence, of, to, and for God. Then there is the fear between the known and the unknown. “The world behind me the cross before me”; the place between sight and faith.

This is exactly the place the disciples were as they were climbing the mountain road leading to Jerusalem. They had tasted and had seen the Lord is good but the total implications of following Jesus was not fully known. So step-by-step they went forward with Jesus. They may have been remembering what it was like before they met Jesus – the guilt, the shame, the scars the world system had left on them. And the fear of turning back. Now Jesus stops He gathers them together and tells them exactly what was about to happen to Him (Mark 10:33″,34).

What would happen to them? Would they suffer too? Would they be willing to join the fellowship of his suffering so the power of the resurrection could be manifested through them? These are the unknowns that cause fear. Suffering takes on a multitude of forms but a willingness to suffer carries with it assurance and a promise.- “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be gloriﬁed together” (Romans 8:16,17).

Will you join me and more importantly Jesus in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering?

Today’s Afﬁrmation: I will follow Jesus in the power of the resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering and no turning back no turning back.

Written by Pastor Bob Wood: Pastor Bob is a retired Pastor and a dear friend of America’s Keswick.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 99; Proverbs 8

Click Here to Download our 2016 Daily Bible Reading Plan

Daily Quote: “You must learn, you must let God teach you, that the only way to get rid of your past is to make a future out of it. God will waste nothing.” ~Phillips Brooks

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid? ~Psalm 27:1

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The Right Side

04/07/201604/07/2016Leave a comment

He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” (John 21:6a)

When Jesus appears on this seen he sees the disciples hard at work doing what they do best. He is clearly revealing to them that they have been fishing on the wrong side of the boat. Typical Jesus, watches and waits patiently to demonstrates His authoritarian position. As I read this passage this morning I realize that there are times that I’m casting my nets on the wrong side.

It is obviously before Christ we are on the wrong path, working for the wrong party, but have you ever been hard at work in the ministry and realize that you are doing it all wrong? Maybe not all wrong, but not as effective as you could be. Have you ever been right theologically, but wrong in your presentation and timing? Jesus mentioned to Martha, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41,42)

As men, or humanity in general, we tend to drive on autopilot, keeping busy doing stuff. In We pause an ask ourselves, am I doing the right stuff. The proverbs mentions, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart.” (Proverbs 21:2) Jesus Christ is helping us to not to lean on our understanding and trust His ways because His way is right; His Word is right, His love is right. And like the disciples the results of doing things right, “So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.” (John 21:6b)

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

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 98; Proverbs 7

Click Here to Download our 2016 Daily Bible Reading Plan

Daily Quote: Faith makes all things possible… love makes all things easy. ~Dwight L. Moody

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid? ~Psalm 27:1

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The Road less Traveled

04/06/201604/05/2016Leave a comment

Give ear, O my people, to my law; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. ~Psalm 78:1b

There are times in the symbolic wilderness of life that causes me to think negatively. When things are not going well and that “feeling” of being cast out and abandoned sets in, I tend to view life through cloudy lenses.

It can be in those times that I resort to walking in my own way of thinking and turn my back on God and the road he has laid out for me

In Psalm 78 we have a contemplation of Asaph, a word to the wise and a reminder of what lies ahead of the wide road.

Because there are scriptures that remind me of the path I’m capable of going down and examples of others, I can catch myself from making those same mistakes. There have been countless times that God spoke to me through His word and gave me a glimpse of what lies ahead on the road I’m traveling.

It’s the road less traveled that brings forth victory. It takes humility to turn around and set my mind of the things of God and reject what my situation is causing me to do. Too many times my pride got in the way and even though the sign said “dangerous road ahead” I went forward fueled by self-esteem only to get to the end of myself, turn around and get back on track.

The good news is I never have to go all the way back to where I went wrong, it’s usually that simple turn around and God meets me where I’m at.

The main ingredients that are missing at the start of my calamity are truth and thankfulness. It’s these missing ingredients that when added takes me back. In the letter to the Philippians Paul tells his readers in chapter 4 not to be anxious and to pray. He starts verse 8 out with “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true…” with a list of others and ends with “meditate on these things’.

It seems when life is uncertain my mind tends to create unhealthy scenarios that lead to that dangerous road. I can get caught up into thinking things that don’t exist are true. If I can focus on the things that are true it will lead to seeing that God is good and then thankfulness sets in and “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

So, if you’ve got yourself all worked up because of circumstances in your life and there is no evidence of thankfulness, learn from Psalm 78. Pick up a pen and piece of paper and jot down 10 things your thankful for. Then remember the truth of scripture and meditate on it. Put down your pride and go down that “Road less traveled”

Written by Rob Russomano: Rob is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a full time staff member at America’s Keswick

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 97; Proverbs 6

Click Here to Download our 2016 Daily Bible Reading Plan

Daily Quote: “Where Love is, God is.” ~Henry Drummond

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid? ~Psalm 27:1

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Prodigal Humility III

04/05/201604/04/2016Leave a comment

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“And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.” ~Luke 15:13 (NKJV)

Today I am picking up where I left off with humility. If you remember I had found some notes on my desk that I got some time ago concerning humility in the life of the prodigal son. Now within these notes is the term Colony 101. For any of you who know Chaplin Jim Freed, the parable of the prodigal son is one of his strong suits and he uses this parable to help us Colony guys get our heads around The Fathers forgiveness for us when we repent and turn 180* to Jesus and seek to live an exchanged life. Over the years I myself have seen the layers that is in this parable so I think this would definitely be Colony 101 stuff.

Now previously I suggested that this young man may have practiced some sorta pseudo-humility by asking for his inheritance before his father passed on. After all, just walking up to dad and saying, “Dude, I can’t wait for you to die so can I have my stuff now?” fly’s…right? Well in the 1^st century dem’s was fightin’ words and this guy would have gotten his tail kicked in or at the very least got nuttin’ when dad died (however in the 21^st century kids really do have the brass to ask for this thing to actually happen, just sayin’). But for the sake of illustration Jesus chooses to begin this parable with someone who is obviously morally wrong and this would have gotten their attention. (ya think?)

So there is no doubt that the prodigal was seeking instant gratification and from what I see in these notes I got there is this statement… “He was the Dead Sea of all his intentions”. Hmmm…that’s like saying he swims in “Lake Loser” right? But do you realize that there are contemporary counterparts to the prodigal and maybe you see them in your everyday? Those folks who are down on their luck riding the bus or the train, walking down the road with all their possessions in plastic Walmart bags, locked up in jail, on television running for president (oops let that one slip, sorry) or maybe they are like 40 totally different men at the Colony of Mercy. You could say that these people had their chance in life—like everyone else—but they threw their chance away. Maybe, in a way, they deserve to feel humiliated…

Well, when you look into Luke 15:15-16 you can see a movement to justify that statement. We tend to focus in what is going on to the prodigal but I see a fine display of attitude from people as well. I see man’s ability to humiliate in verse 15, I see man’s ability to exploit in verse 16 and what I don’t see is man’s ability to show grace and mercy. It’s at this moment in the parable that Jesus will flip the script on what should happen to us when we are in that spiritual “famine in the land” moment. It’s this moment in the life of the prodigal where humiliation becomes humility.

Now just because the prodigal finally comes to his senses, realizes that he has sinned against heaven, his father and isn’t worthy to be called a son doesn’t mean he got the whole idea of humility down. OH NO, because what it took was the father’s response to the very sight of him. Running down the road in a robe and sandals ain’t no easy task but for the “pater familias” to do this is unthinkable in the 1^st century…well in any century. If I do this, I feel that I’m falling flat on my face no matter overjoyed I would be seeing my son CHOOSING to come home. Choosing to come home is the humbling action that has the father showering his wayward son with love and grace. Putting better clothes on him, shoes and a ring on him is the father showering him with mercy.

So why is this a cool parable? Well I guess I’ll just have to take my shot at answering that the next time I am with you. But until then think about the audience that is hearing this parable…those wacky Pharisees. All the way up to this point everything that Jesus has spoken to has gotta be seething in the hearts of those men, after all, they have the ability to humiliate and to exploit just like those that done so to the prodigal when he became in need. And I wouldn’t be surprised if they hadn’t already done so to those people that YHVH Himself handpicked to bring into the Promised Land. Now does this stuff still happen in the 21^st century? You better believe it…Amen?

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

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 96; Proverbs 5

Click Here to Download our 2016 Daily Bible Reading Plan

Daily Quote: “Let us, from the beginning, admit that there is nothing so natural to man, nothing so insidious and hidden from our sight, nothing so difficult and dangerous, as pride. Let us feel that nothing but a very determined and persevering waiting on God and Christ will disclose how lacking we are in the grace of humility, and how weak we are to obtain what we seek.” ~Andrew Murray

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid? ~Psalm 27:1

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The Power of Forgiveness

04/04/201604/04/2016Leave a comment

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you. ~Ephesians 4:32

Yesterday I had the privilege of sharing a message with the residents of the Colony of Mercy at the morning worship service. The theme for this week is on forgiveness.

Some of you might be living in the dungeon of unforgiveness and need to be set free. True forgiveness is only possible as we yield to the control of the Holy Spirit.

I shared this story from the life of Corrie Ten Boom who was captured by the Nazi’s and held a concentration camp:

It was at a church service in Munich that I saw him, a former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the processing center at Ravensbruck. He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time. And suddenly it was all there – the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, Betsie’s pain-blanched face.

He came up to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing. “How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein.” He said. “To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!” His hand was thrust out to shake mine. And I, who had preached so often to the people in Bloemendaal the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side.

Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him. I tried to smile, I struggles to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so again I breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I prayed, I cannot forgive him. Give me Your forgiveness.

As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me. And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world’s healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself. – Corrie Ten Boom

My guess today is that there is someone reading todays post that needs to either accept forgiveness or extend it. If you choose to not forgive, I guarantee that your life will be impacted in a negative way. Unforgiveness leads to bitterness which ultimately leads to a hardened heart.

You can choose today to forgive or be held captive in the prison of unforgiveness. Has the Lord brought someone to your mind who you need to forgive? If so, don’t delay. You take that bold, courageous step and make it right. You will then experience freedom from this bondage in your life. I’d love to hear from you.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 95; Proverbs 4

Click Here to Download our 2016 Daily Bible Reading Plan

Daily Quote: I’m forgiven cause You were forsaken I’m accepted, You were condemned I am alive and well, Your spirit is within me ‘Cause You died and rose again. ~Chris Tomlin

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid? ~Psalm 27:1

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The Two Sides to Our Devastation

04/01/201603/31/2016Leave a comment

The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I’ve ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. You know – if you’ve ever picked the scab of a sore place. It hurts like billy, oh, but it is such fun to see it coming away. ~C.S. Lewis, Voyage of the Dawn Treader

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. ~Paul, The Least of The Apostles, in Colossians 3

Devastate

1: to bring to ruin or desolation by violent action

2: to reduce to chaos, disorder, or helplessness : Overwhelming, Overpowering, Irresistible

Oh beloved, it is true. Have no doubt, when we first became members of the family of G_d, there began an Act of devastation in our lives. Upon trusting Christ for His work on the cross, the Holy Spirit took up a dwelling place in our being. And in taking up residence He began a relentless pursuit of every aspect of our lives.

As needed, He will slash, burn, crush, ruin, and bring chaos to our lives in order to bring us into a right relationship with Him. Said simply, He devastates us. Oh, some of us fight it for years. But, He will be the Fire inside us burning away the dross of that old man. He will make us one with Him – or kill us in the making. It’s terrible. It’s awesome. It’s epic.

We whimper and cry. He comforts us for a moment, and then goes back to hammering away at ANYTHING that is not Him in our lives. “Oh G_D, PLEASE STOP!,” we say. But – thankfully – He will not and does not.

He kills us, and then He tears us out of ourselves… alive! We wake up panting as if having just run a sprint in a dream. And suddenly everything is so quiet, so beautiful. We simply understand the underpinning principle of the universe: It is all about Him. And HE is not only devastating, He is devastatingly beautiful.

Then, for each of us (if we live), the new creation we truly are comes to the forefront. We are called many things in the New Testament: Tents, Vessels, Jars, Ambassadors, Instruments, and Weapons. And all of these are for, by, through, and in Him. We become privileged creatures imbued with the very same devastating beauty that destroyed the old ugliness of the past. Our lives literally shine forth this devastation into the world. And it is a beauty against which the gates of hell cannot stand.

Can we see it? The devastated old man of Romans 7 becomes the devastatingly loved, devastatingly beautiful, Spirit-filled over-comer of Romans 8 that can never be separated from the One that has made him that way. It’s not even a contest any more.

G_d wins.

So the next time that old liar, the devil, the adversary tries to tell you that you are just a wreck; that your life is just devastated, tell him, “yeah, and i hope my Savior doesn’t stop. He’s kicking at the darkness in my life and it’s starting to bleed daylight! You don’t like light, do you devil? Go away now. you are dismissed. Christ is busy here and you are not welcome.”

G_d will do it beloved. Let Him! Don’t wait! You can literally shine forth the Light of Creation through every bit of you. It is devastatingly beautiful to a darkened world.

Written by Makala (Mak) Doulos: Makala Doulos is a child of God, 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, God’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 92; Proverbs 1

Click Here to Download our 2016 Daily Bible Reading Plan

Daily Quote: You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. ~Matthew 5:14-16

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
²Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
³Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah ~Psalm 46:1-3

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“Look Up To Him”…no seriously, look up to Him.

03/31/201603/31/2016Leave a comment

“No one has ever gone up into the presence of God except the One who came down from that Presence, the Son of Man. In the same way that Moses lifted the serpent in the desert so people could have something to see and then believe, it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up—and everyone who looks up to Him, trusting and expectant, will gain a real life, eternal life.” ~John 3:13-15 (The Message)

This week I am taking a break from my discourse on humility to share with you what Jesus said in the 3rd chapter of John’s Gospel. Actually I’m gonna focus on the part where He says “just as Moses lifted the serpent up in the desert…etc.” And since we are post Resurrection Sunday I think this is fitting for this week. So without any further ado…

A few Sundays back (at Trinity Alliance Church) Pastor John Mol gave one of his usual intense sermons and its basis can be found in this verse, “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3) Pastor John conveyed to us that God always has His eyes on us even when we don’t. Whenever we feel rattled by the world around us we need to look up at our God and not out across our horizon as it is obscured by our circumstances. Pastor John also said that we tend to look around at earthly things for peace as they come and go when we can find constant peace by looking up to our God. Good stuff to rest on a Sunday with…then came Monday morning’s drive to work.

While I was at my first red light I pressed the “POWER” button on my truck’s CD player and I hear a voice say “John Chapter Three”. The narrator goes on, then Nicodemus chimes in and then Jesus speaks. Then I hear verse 14-15, “But even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Now I hit the back space button and take another listen, then another. I say to myself “Jesus was always a Deuteronomical teacher” and then I thought about that brazen serpent on a pole and what it was meant for. Turn with me to Numbers 21:9, “And Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole. And it happened that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked upon the serpent of brass, he lived.”

The story here is like it always is in this part of The Bible. The people complained about Moses, manna, and what they thought was aimless wandering around. So in order to teach those rebellious Israelites, who murmured and complained a lesson, God sent fiery serpents into their midst to punish them. Then God told Moses to put a bronze serpent on a pole, with the promise that whoever looked up at it would live.

Hmmm…Look up. Pastor John said to look up. Hmm, anyway back to Jesus and to borrow a bit from R.C. Sproul.

If I take what is read in Numbers 21:9 and apply it what I come up with is even though you are receiving punishment for your disobedience you must look up to receive mercy. And God promised it so it has to be for real. And this is where Jesus is at…and the word “must” has to be discussed. Jesus said “so must the Son of Man be lifted up and the use of the word “must” carries a double meaning here. First in the sense of exaltation because He is The Son of The Most High God and the second is Christ’s death on the cross, His resurrection, and His glorification together reveal the glory of God. The word “must” points to God’s sovereign purpose. The crucifixion was the keystone of God’s eternal plan to save His people.

Now when we look at verse 15 in John 3 we see the same kinda promise that the Israelites got back in Numbers…all you have to do is believe, LOOK UP, receive mercy and live. But wait!!! This is New Testament stuff and we’re under grace so now we get to add eternal life. Why? Because of John 3:16-17, “For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.” Total promise!! Oh and by the way, the cross is not responsible for God’s love; rather it was His love which conceived the cross as the one method by which we could be saved. Tozer said that. LOOK UP!! Amen?

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 91; Proverbs 31

Click Here to Download our 2016 Daily Bible Reading Plan

Daily Quote: “The work of Christ on the cross did not influence God to love us, did not increase that love by one degree, did not open any fount of grace or mercy in His heart. He had loved us from old eternity and needed nothing to stimulate that love.” ~A.W. Tozer.

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

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The Face of Of God

03/30/201603/29/2016Leave a comment

There is interesting concept that seems contradictory, yet clear about seeing the face of God. God Himself, says, “You cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”(Exodus 33:20) But many writers of the Bible claimed to see God’s face indirectly in various accounts. Jacob claims this realty twice.

First, in his encounter with the angel, he declares, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” (Genesis 32:30) I’m sure we have been in situation where God manifested His presence and we can only trace back to His handiwork. But the second encounter lees popular but thought provoking.

It comes after the very familiar story of Jacob and Esau. We know that the brothers were born to Isaac, the son of Abraham. When Isaac is near death, he desires to give to Esau, the older of the two brothers, his blessing and the older would also have a birthright. However, like the rest of us Jacob had some issues and cons his brother of both.

Later in life Jacob is transformed into the man of God he was created to be and has a chance to make it right with Esau. He opens his heart and moves towards the encounter. Jacob bowed down to embrace the consequences. Ironically, his brother, like the prodigal son’s father, ran out to greet him with gladness. And, as they held each other, I’m sure that Jacob said, “Please forgive me, brother.” Then, Esau spoke those life-changing words, “Brother, I forgive you.”

After this encounter, Jacob said, “No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then take my present from my hand, for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably.” (Genesis 33:10)

Forgiveness is the face of God and is not optional in relationship. Yes it involves humility and yes it’s letting go, so you and others can live freely. The other option is to live in bondage and hold people in bondage. But remember, an essential theme of the Gospel is forgiveness.

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

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 90; Proverbs 30

Click Here to Download our 2016 Daily Bible Reading Plan

Daily Quote: “Where God’s grace takes you, grace will increase your capability and your capacity. Grace will empower you.” ~Edmond Sanganyado

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

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