The Art Of Being Out-Gunned Part #3

10/25/201610/24/2016Leave a comment

“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives His best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.” ~Matthew 5:43-47 (The Message)

So, with all that debating nonsense finally done and over with let me ask you this question…You still gonna vote? At first I thought it would be funny and write in a President that already has been (like Theodore Roosevelt) just to show them but in reality, I am really vexed by the whole thing. I see the ads on the T.V. and wonder who they are trying to fool. I, for one, don’t think that the laws of this land are actually geared towards one special individual or another and yet because of the mindset and strayed moral compass of the masses these T.V. ads want you to think yourself more highly thought of than you actually are…now anybody can that without an impending election, so who are they fooling?

As I have been going through the Sermon on The Mount and trying to run it through this election season I am having a hard time seeing any shred of it and, to be honest, why should I? Kingdom principles and Democracy don’t mix very well. You can’t vote for a Messiah. There’s only one and His party affiliation doesn’t cater to the masses simply because it is about saving the masses for Kingdom purposes, it’s for peacemaking and not peacekeeping. So, the real question is where can we find peacemaking in this coming election? The answer is simple here too…it starts with you.

Let’s go back into the Babylonian Exile for a moment. It is popular to believe that The Exile was punishment for the nation of Israel’s disobedience to a lot of what YHVH told them they shouldn’t be doing and that is a truth here. However, if we were to take a peek into Jeremiah 29:7, “And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace.” What I hope you see here is that the nation of Israel is given a purpose within its punishment. Now we all fall upon Jeremiah 29:11-13 for strength but we seem to leave out the condition that will bring that strength. So, what is that condition? Love your enemies…and pray for them. Easy to say, hard to do.

Here is a little something that brother Ray Pritchard noticed about Jeremiah 29:7. “Shalom, the Hebrew word for peace, is used three times in this verse. Besides peace, it means blessing, wholeness, completeness, the absence of conflict, prosperity. Here is the shocking fact—at least it would have been shocking to the Jewish exiles. God ties their blessing to the blessing of the Babylonians. This seems counterintuitive since the exiles were God’s people and the Babylonians were pagans. He is really saying they were better off in Babylon, and Babylon is better off because they were there. Said another way, we can summarize this verse this way: You need Babylon! Babylon needs you!”

Today’s media would have us think that a wide road is necessary to peaceful “Co-existence” (like the bumper sticker displays), but what it leaves out can only be found in a peace that is surrender to a crucified life (easy to say, hard to do). What we do see today is a people spending too much thought on “what they’re doing” and not enough on “what I should be doing”. It brings to mind this dialog found at the end of John’s Gospel…” Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” (John 21:20-22)

There’s more to come, until then…pray for Babylon/Rome/America. Amen?

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

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 144; Proverbs 25

Daily Quote: “Christian love draws no distinction between one enemy and another, except that the more bitter our enemy’s hatred, the greater his need of love. Be his enmity political or religious, he has nothing to expect from a follower of Jesus but unqualified love.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ~Philippians 3:7

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Longing for Real Home

10/21/201610/20/2016Leave a comment

For the story is about hell and heaven, trauma, shame, and finding love—the real Jesus accepting a broken man; and it is about the Father, Son, and Spirit finding us in the far country of our terrible and powerless mythology—to share their life with us. For the truth behind the universe is that God is Father, Son, and Spirit; and the one unflinching purpose of the blessed Trinity is that we would come to taste and feel, to know and experience, the very trinitarian life itself. ~ C. Baxter Kruger

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. ~ Paul, The Least of The Apostles, in Romans 7 & 8

Oh beloved, it is true. We long for Home. We long for a place where we belong. And, our whole lives we have been willing to do almost anything to get the sense that we were there. The problem though, is in our thinking that home is simply a place.

Yes, it is a place. And it is more. For the place Which is Home is quite large. It is Alive and It has made eternity His own home. Home is the context of the Life of

G_d. Home is family. Home is a Father and Son, and the Spirit of unity between the Three of Them.

But… back to the thing about us being willing to do almost anything to get the sense we were there…

In our fallen understanding we miss that home is indeed a location, but that that location is larger than the intersection of four dimensions (up/down, left/right, back/forth and time). And in our flat-landed and fleshly view, we try to set down stakes and bring the pleasure of home to ourselves. But, in attempting to draw life towards ourselves, we actually just wall ourselves in.

We do worse than just walling ourselves in. We block the flow, really, of anything good in our lives. As we try to set up our own homesteads, we push life away. And the harder we try, the more we circle the wagons in defeat, the more we feel home slipping away.

Oh… this is not as mystical as it sounds. To get a sense of the comfort of “home,” addicts do it by shoving people away and shoving chemicals into their bodies. We have all been there. Some of you, beloved, are still there. But, it never works.

What to do?

Go Home. It is simpler than we make it.

How?

We are already there… Actually, He is already here.

Can we see it? Read the passage. Jesus made this possible when He condemned sin to death, by His own death. In His infinitely powerful work on the cross, He tore the veil that had confined His presence to a locality in a temple in Jerusalem – and burst out across the entire planet. This symbolic act of tearing a big curtain was made a tangible reality when His Spirit came to stay, at Pentecost, a mere 50 days later.

And, each of us never has to long for home in the way that we have done it in the past. We are Home, when we live in the infinite Spirit. There are no boundaries to His Presence. He is with us wherever we go. There is no place He is not. This is the freedom we have always been looking for before, but always found ourselves in – instead – a trap of our own making.

So, are you longing for real home? Just look away from that point inside of you. That place is just an empty spot that you are trying to make feel like home. And in turning away, realize that the full heart, the sense of wellbeing, and the deep awareness of belonging is something we are drawn into – by being drawn away from a focus on our own self – and put directly onto Him.

Tonight is your night beloved. Time to walk in The Spirit. He is the Home you have been longing for.

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

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 140; Proverbs 21

Daily Quote:

Holiest Trinity, perfect in unity,

Bind in thy love every nation and race;

May we adore thee for time and eternity,

Father, Redeemer, and Spirit of grace.

~Patrick Appleford

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

¹⁷For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, ¹⁸while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. ~2 Corinthians 4:17-18

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Hard, but not Difficult

10/20/201610/19/2016Leave a comment

“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” ~Genesis 4:7

We have a term in the construction field for labor work especially when it is drudgery, it’s called “Neck Down”. It can be a derogatory term but the meaning is this, stop thinking and work, stop using your head, just use everything from the neck down. Most labor detailed work is not difficult, but it’s hard.

The meaning of difficult I am referring to would be something that is hard to understand or figure out. I think we would all agree that although there are portions of scripture that can be difficult to understand, the basic meanings to living a sanctified life is simple but hard. I know what I should do but it’s not always easy.

When I find myself having to make a choice as to how I am going to act, the battle or conflict begins. There’s the flesh that wants what it wants and it wants it now. Then there’s the Spirit that speaks truth and the conviction that comes with it and leads me towards God. It reminds me of when I was a kid, we used to trade things a lot, whether baseball or football cards, lunches and even sometimes our bikes. The issue always was “am I willing to give up something I have for something I may want”? Am I willing to trade pleasing my Father in Heaven for the fleeting pleasure or comfort of my flesh?

When it comes to our walk with Jesus, He will never give up loving us but I believe our choices can disqualify or we can forfeit the blessings and the peace and joy that comes with obedience. Am I willing to trade sin and pleasure (death) for joy and blessings (life)? For a more complete list see Deuteronomy 29 and 30.

The choice isn’t always about action but sometimes it’s what we don’t do that becomes sin. It’s not difficult to figure out how to witness to someone or resolve a conflict, but it’s hard. And who feels like calling a brother out for sinful behavior? Not me. The problem is James makes it very clear in chapter 4 verse 17 “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin”.

I have found that even though it is hard and can be very uncomfortable, when our motives are right and God’s word is honored the results are worth it.

So, yes, our walk with the Lord can be hard, but it’s not difficult. Don’t get caught up thinking about not obeying, remember “neck down”.

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 139; Proverbs 20

Daily Quote: Prayer is the link that connects us with God. ~A.B. Simpson

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

¹⁷For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceedingandeternal weight of glory, ¹⁸while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. ~2 Corinthians 4:17-18

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Mind Over Matter

10/12/201610/11/2016Leave a comment

“I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.” Romans 7:25

So, here’s the scene, me, the Teacher and the Principle. The question is posed to me, “don’t you see what you did wrong?” Of course I shrugged it off. This is the question the Holy Spirit asks me today. There seems to be a disconnect at times between what I know to be right and what I do.

The beautiful thing is thanks be to God my mind is now subject to the Spirit of God and I’m able to overpower the flesh. This idea is only possible when I choose to listen and I have been in God’s word in order for my mind to be convinced that I am an overcomer.

Paul sets up Romans 8 perfectly by spelling out the system in which God works. He is able to write Romans 7 from a firsthand account because that is his testimony. Don’t you see the set up? “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit”. When I understand that by responding to the Spirits prompting I agreeing that what I do is sin and He is not there to condemn but to restore. Going back to the scene in the Principles office I was defending myself because I didn’t see the good only the condemnation.

The word “mind” here is referring to “reason in the narrower sense, as the capacity for spiritual truth, the higher powers of the soul, the faculty of perceiving divine things, of recognizing goodness and of hating evil” (Blue Letter Bible).

Paul will tell us in chapter 12, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”. Each time I miss the mark and respond to the rebuke of the Holy Spirit I prove what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God.

So, the next time you mess up you have the opportunity to agree with God, isn’t that cool? I hope it helps you to know that God can be glorified even in our “mess ups”, just don’t make a habit of it, Amen!

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 131; Proverbs 12

Daily Quote: I would have no desire other than to accomplish thy will. Teach me to pray; pray thyself in me. ~Francois Fenelon

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. ~2 Corinthians 4:16

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The Confidence to Witness

09/29/201609/28/20161 Comment

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

There’s a deeply spiritual lady in our church called Caroline. Sadly, she has a social phobia (the exact opposite of confidence) that cripples her life. In spite of this, she has brought more people to church and to ‘Alpha’ courses than anyone I can think of. I find that inspiring. She recently told me that at a conference two years ago someone shared a word from God that ‘Two men will pull you out of this.’ She’s been waiting for these two men. I told her that she should really only be waiting for one because her husband, Steve, is the other. Steve is a convinced atheist but he’s also a wonderful guy. He teaches college math. He’s kind and funny. He loves his wife deeply and has hung in there for all this time. Then it occurred to me that as her pastor, I must be the other. So I got Steve to meet me for coffee.

I shared testimonies of God working in my life in ways that are unexplainable apart from the supernatural. I told him that there was power in togetherness and that my idea was to pray together with him for his wife. He said, “You’re asking me to pray to a brick to make my wife better and in all sincerity I can’t do that.” I asked him if he would do anything to make his wife better including praying to a brick. In the end he said, “I’ll do it for you, Chris. It’s not for Caroline and it’s not for me, but I can see that it’s important to you.” So right then and there I prayed a short prayer and squeezed out an ‘amen’ from Steve. The next day I heard from Caroline. In her e-mail she said:

“Thank you for meeting up with Steve. I’m so glad he was able to talk to you about my illness. He said he’s never had anyone to talk to and it felt good to open up. He also came away questioning himself about what makes him so sure that there is no God, and that if God was to reveal himself to Steve, then he would accept him.”

This testimony is still unfolding but I believe in Caroline’s healing. I believe in Steve’s salvation. I believe in God’s goodness and power, and I believe that if we boldly witness, then we can not only have confidence in our own futures, we can even change the future for others.

Written by Rev. Chris Thompson: Chris is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and Pastor of Enderby Mission Church in Leicester, England.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 121; Proverbs 29

Daily Quote: Fervent prayers produce phenomenal results. ~Woodrow Kroll

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

⁸We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— ¹⁰always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. ¹¹For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. ~2 Corinthians 4:8-11

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Praying Powerfully – Part #1

09/28/201609/26/2016Leave a comment

And the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God…” (1 Samuel 7:8a)

This verse speaks to a people that were in dire need of their God; and they prayed. Prayer is powerful, a vital part of our Christian walk. We need it, and if we claim that we are in an intimate with relationship with Him, it shouldn’t be burdensome. In this first Power of Prayer, I want to share the power of praying for our wives or significant other. The power here starts by being intentional.

“Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.” (1 Peter 3:7)

I first started this with a counselee, to encourage him to change his perception on his wife. But God! He showed me it was me that needed adjustments. Prayer is where the real fights are won. This is the channel that allows to us to express our love and protection over the women God put in our lives. It reminds us that God, and Him alone, is center of the relationship f

Is it hard to pray for your wife, or do you struggle what to pray for, or are you praying for her in a way that would benefit you? Try taking her needs to the altar.

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 120; Proverbs 28

Daily Quote: Time spent in prayer is never wasted. ~Francis Fenelon

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

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For 3, Not 4

09/27/201609/26/2016Leave a comment

“The Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” ~Matthew 18:21-22 (NASB)

Don’t go grabbing your calculator I’ll give you the answer right here. 490. Yeppers you can forgive someone 490 times before you get to say, “Sorry but you’ve used up all my forgiveness towards you. Now please exit the room and consider yourself dead to me.” If you really think that then maybe today’s Freedom Fighter is not for you…just kidding it is for you and for me as well. This past Wednesday night’s Bible study was an eye opener to something that I haven’t seen in Scripture before. The concept of forgiving someone 3 times but after that you’ve used up all your “get outta jail free” cards.

Pastor John Mol has been in Matthew for quite some time and he’s just getting done with chapter 18. So we stopped in to see what the parable of the unforgiving servant was all about. Basically when it’s condensed we see that this is a message for Christ’s church. Yes, it deals with the topic of forgiveness and I’ll get to that but it is a huge glimpse into how Christians should treat Christians…and dare I say how we should treat Secular Lands citizens.

It all starts when Peter, possibly thinking himself more highly than he ought, approaches Jesus and, possibly stroking his beard, asks Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Now Peter had been taught by the Jewish leaders of his time that you can forgive your brother 3 times and things were to be cool between you and he but that 4th incident occurring meant you could after him. Now Jesus being Jesus, sees right through this and wants Peter to change his thinking from one that keeps account of forgiveness to one that forgives unconditionally. But what’s up with the 3 times stuff? Got your Bible? Then let’s go to Amos 1.

When you look at verses 3,6,9,11,13 and even continuing into chapter two we see this written; “Thus says the LORD, “For the three transgressions of (fill in the blank) and for four I will not revoke its punishment,” and then we read why the LORD is doing what’s He is doing to the ENEMIES of His people and for the reason’s He is carrying it out. Guess those wacky Pharisees saw this as a way to punish their own. After all, we shouldn’t be sinning against our own people anyway and if we do and we go too far with it…like 4 times, they are no longer with us but are against us (ENEMIES) and we should be allowed to “send a fire upon the walls of (my brother), And it will consume her citadels.” Seems kinda extreme but those filthy sinners need to learn their lesson!! After all, do they not know who I am? Hmm…

When we look at the parable that Jesus teaches in Matthew 18:21-35 things should be quite clear to us. If a certain KING has forgiven YOUR huge debt who are you to not forgive a smaller debt owed to you by others. By the way, that dollar amount forgiven by that certain king in the parable was about $16,000,000 in today’s money…I ain’t got that kinda pocket change laying around, do you?

See the bottom line here is that whatever we think is a great offense done to us isn’t even measurable to the sin we commit against a holy and righteous God. But for some dumb reason we think it is and what is even more troubling is we tend to wanna punish our own when it’s done by our own. Now we can rest on Jesus’ words “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” when it comes to those in Secular Land but we forget to say this when it comes to those folks that are in The House with us on Sunday morning. What a wretched bunch we are, huh?

Here’s something to glean from this as well…even though the unforgiving servant got his just desserts, he wasn’t cast out of his master’s kingdom. Why? For the same reason he wasn’t punished for not having $16,00,000 in hard currency…LOVE. The king loved him, just as our King loves us. As the writer of Hebrews puts it, “After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as His children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline, and don’t give up when He corrects you. For the LORD disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.” (Hebrews 12:4-6) Pretty cool stuff, Amen?

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

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 119; Proverbs 27

Daily Quote: We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. —Oswald Chambers

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

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119 Years

09/26/201609/25/2016Leave a comment

And the Lord, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee; fear not, neither be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8

Yesterday was a very important day in the life of the ministry of America’s Keswick. 119 years ago tomorrow William Raws, his family and a small group of staff gathered on these grounds, and after a short Bible study, pooled their resources and discovered they had $1.87 and that was the beginning of the America’s Keswick story.

119 years later, the vision of William Raws is still very much alive and well. His passion for investing in the lives of men and now women was a baton that was passed to his son, Addison, the his grandson, Pastor Bill, then to Roger Williams, John Bryant and then to me.

Last week we gathered at Shady Maple, America’s Keswick and Dock Woods Community to celebrate God’s faithfulness to this ministry.

From its very inception the plan was that God would get all the glory, the Word of God would be preached to the men (and now women) and that pray would be a driving force of all we do.

While the buildings don’t look the same as they were in 1897, the program has been through many changes, the core message has never changed. The message we share today is the same one that William Raws taught when God allowed him to see the birth of his vision.

119 years later and 20,000+ men and now women who have graduated from the program, we are even more committed to share with men and women that life-transforming truth that Jesus Christ is the ONLY answer to addiction, and that through Christ, a man, woman, teen or child can live a life of victory.

Thirteen men who have graduated from the program now serve on our full-time staff which is 20% of our staff. And who knows – somewhere down the road I can see a graduate of Barbara’s Place serving full-time on our staff.

The need for the ministry of addiction recovery is greater now than it was in 1897. Heroin is talking our country by a storm. By the end of this calendar year we may see more deaths to heroin overdoses than what we experienced during some of our wars.

Addiction is tearing apart families. Addiction seems to pass down from a parent to his kids and grandkids. Addiction is not only impacting kids in non-Christian homes – it is happening to Christian kids.

The sad thing is that the enemy is going after our kids and grandkids. The average age right now is 8 years old!!! That is frightening to a man who has grand kids are close to that age group.

With your prayers and your financial support, we will continue to do what God has called us to do. Thank you for being a part of the Freedom Fighter blog family. As God brings this ministry to your minds, please pray for us. May God bless you. Happy 119 year anniversary to America’s Keswick.

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 118; Proverbs 26

Daily Quote: Not only does honest confession of sin lead to fresh experience of His forgiveness, but it also helps you let go of the chains and walk in greater freedom in the future. From Living the Battle Plan

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

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Don’t Assume Jesus is with You: Luke 2:41-51

09/23/201609/19/2016Leave a comment

“43 But when the feast was over, as they were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but (because they assumed that he was in their group of travelers) they went a day’s journey. Then they began to look for him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” (Luke 2:43-46)

It is understandable that Jesus’ parents lost track of Jesus given they were most likely travelling in a large caravan full of family and friends from Nazareth to Jerusalem and back. If Jesus was hanging out with His cousins (possibly playing tag) then His parents could have easily lost track of Him. However, it is interesting that the text says that “they assumed” Jesus was still with their group. And this should be familiar to us all. How many times have we as Christians in America ventured off with our plans, and our goals, all while assuming that Jesus is with us? It is as though we presume that whatever we do Jesus will automatically endorse, offering His divine stamp of approval.

This can be seen in big and small decisions we make every day or through the materialistic and financial focus we operate by. We often are trying to climb the corporate ladder or accumulate more toys, like big houses and fancy cars. We just chase after our dreams and take for granted that God also wants that path for our lives.

Jesus’ parents are disrupted from this assumption when they realize that Jesus indeed was no longer journeying with them. How devastating it must have been to realize their child had been left behind in the big city (remember, they are small time country folk from Galilee), and they have no clue as to where He is. As a father myself, I can only assume that they felt helpless, vulnerable, broken, and scared. It is no coincidence that they must go three days in Jerusalem, because for them the loss of their child would have begun to feel like God had abandoned them in their despair.

After three days of searching, they finally decide to look in the Temple. Contrast the parents with Jesus. The parents are anxious and frantic while Jesus is hanging out, seemingly un-phased by this familial separation. Like any Mom, after realizing that their child is fine, Mary digs into Jesus, disturbed with how their child could put them through such agony. Jesus simply says “didn’t you know” that I had to be “in the things of My Father” (that’s the literal Greek translation). Again contrast the parents’ posture and approach with that of Jesus. The parents began assuming that Jesus was journeying with them. However, Jesus had actually intentionally aligned and arranged His life with, and around, the things of His Father. And there we find a timely challenge for us to follow after. May we, like Jesus, surrender our will to the Father and rearrange our lives and decisions around the Lordship of the Messiah. And may we join God in His radical in-breaking kingdom rather than assuming Jesus will go along with all of our pursuits.

Written by Dr. Drew Hart: Dr. Hart is a professor in theology at Messiah College, author of “Trouble I’ve Seen”, and an activist with ten years of pastoral experience. Dr. Hart recently spoke at a America’s Keswick this past summer with his father, Dr. Tony Hart.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 115; Proverbs 23

Daily Quote:God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing. ~C.S. Lewis

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~Romans 8:38-39

A Bit Clearer

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“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” ~1 Corinthians 13:12

While watching my wife upgrade her prescription for her glasses I tried on her old pair of glasses. Wow! For a person that never checked his vision I was blown away at how much clearer the world appeared. The details, the rich colors, the ability to read a bit better. Then she received her new glasses, which were HD lenses, and just when I was captivated with the clarity of the sight from the first pair of glasses, these enhanced every element further. It was like transitioning from an old tube TV to LED flat screen or VCR tape to Blu-Ray disc.

This is a glimpse of how our walks unfold. By faith, We move through our Christian life growing more aware, more clearer, from the world and sin, to kingdom living and peace, from selfish ambitions to Christ centered love, from lovers of evil to loving God and His people.

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

“I have found a desire within myself that no experience in this world can satisfy; the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” C. S. Lewis

I thank God that his promises are not limited to the world or elements that are seen, but our hope rest in a greater more eternal glory. We can only imagine!

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 114; Proverbs 22

Daily Quote: True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. ~C.S. Lewis

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Freedom Fighters

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A Bit Clearer