Confirmation

Confirmation

"I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." Isaiah 48:10

Last week I sent out an email about being overwhelmed and worn down. Remember? It was one of those kick in the pants moments for me. I needed to be reminded that the enemy hates praise.

Yesterday was one of those moments where it just seemed like things went from bad to worse. While I certainly am not facing the horrific stuff that dear old Job went through with losing his possessions, family and health within hours, it seemed like in my little world, everything was going from bad to worse. Equipment breakdowns when money is so tight. Summer conference numbers low and you can advertise because money is tight. People at each other. Pastor Bill's life is still hanging in the balances. Losing him, if God is going to take him, is like losing my Dad all over again, and on the heals of Lindsay's home-going, it hurts.

I guess if I am honest, I was falling right back into the trap of "stinkin' thinkin'" Then God spoke to my heart again this morning as I spent time in His presence. Here were the words from STREAMS IN THE DESERT (Zondervan) that spoke to my heart today:

"Doesn't God's Word come to us like a soft rain shower, dispelling the fury of the flames? Isn't it like fireproof armor, against which the heat is powerless? Then let the afflictions come, for God has CHOSEN me. Poverty, you may walk through my door, but God is already in my house, and He has CHOSEN me. Sickness, you may intrude my life, but I have a cure standing ready -- God has CHOSEN me. Whatever occurs in the valley of tears, I know He has CHOSEN me.

Dear brother and sister, do not be afraid, for Jesus is with you. Through all your fiery trials, HIS presence is both your comfort and safety. HE will NEVER forsake those He has CHOSEN for His own. 'Do not be afraid, for I am with you' (Genesis 26:24) is His unfailing word of promise to His CHOSEN ones who are experiencing "the furnace of affliction ... The burden of suffering seems to be a tombstone hung around our necks. Yet in reality it is simply the weight necessary to hold the diver down while he is searching for pearls."

Thanks, Lord, for speaking to my heart. I will also be praying for my Freedom Fighter brothers who may be experiencing tough times. Let me know what is happening in your lives and I will add you to my prayer list, guys. -- Bill Welte is President and CEO of America's KESWICK

God's WORD for YOU: Job 38-40; Acts 16:

Think About This: There is a big difference between mishearing and hearing only what we want to hear, right? We, the people of God, seem to have chronic 'itching ears,' and we can usually find somebody to scratch till we say 'Aaahh' (2 Tim. 4:3). Given the option, we will usually choose bigger barns to serve ourselves over bigger hearts to serve others (Luke 12:13-21)." Scotty Smith

Winning With Encouragement

WINNING WITH ENCOURAGEMENT

"So, when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. And when they read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement." Acts 15: 30-31

Yesterday I shared with you a devotional written by my friend, Walt Wiley, the President of Winning with Encouragement. Walt LIVES the name of his ministry. He is MR. ENCOURAGEMENT.

On Saturday I received a note from Walt letting me know that even though he was out of the country and in Israel, he was praying for me and my family every day. That little note caused me to rejoice and be encouraged.

While Lindsay was in Children's Hospital, we encouraged people to write notes to the four major doctors who were providing her care. The day before Lindsay went home to be with Jesus, this doctor was chatting with me and during the conversation, he pulled out a pile of notes he had received. He said, "Bill, this is just a few of the hundreds of notes I have received from 'your' people." He was beaming from ear to ear. Another doctor said, in my 25 years of practice, I have never received a note of thanks. I have received hundreds of notes from your friends.

Years ago I wrote a thank you note to the Pastor, that along with my Dad, led me to the Lord. I will never forget his response to my letter. In his 30 years of ministry, mine was the first letter he had ever received thanking him for his ministry.

One little word of encouragement could make the difference in someone's life today. Someone may be dying on the vine, feeling like nobody cares or even gives a rip about them. It could be that YOUR note of encouragement could be the catalyst to bring them back the abyss of despair. Today you could win a battle through a simple word of encouragement, recorded on paper, that I believe could be the "oxygen to the soul" that someone needs today.

Take some time to write to someone who has impacted your life. Then step back and see what God will do in that person's life. Win today with encouragement. -- Bill Welte is President of America's KESWICK

God's WORD for YOU: Job 36-37; Acts 15:22-41

THINK ABOUT THIS: The proof that you love someone is not that you have warm affectionate feelings toward them. The proof is in your actions, your words and your sacrifice, your willingness to give the best of yourself and your willingness to get nothing in return.-- Katherine Walden

Look Who He Called

LOOK WHO HE CALLED....

"Then Jesus said to them, Come after Me, and I will make you become fishers of men"
Mark 1:17

Shortly after Jesus went public with His reason for being on earth He uttered His first words by announcing the time was here, the kingdom of God was at hand and people needed to repent. Immediately after that He did something rather strange; He called for help. Strange because why would the person who could speak the world into existence ever need help?

Here are a few observations about this story:
Notice who He was talking to: They weren't preachers, teachers, counselors, missionaries, politicians, policemen, and people of wealth or influence. Today I guess we would call them local businessmen. That's interesting!

Notice how He called them: "Follow Me!" He didn't have a deal for them, He wasn't laying a new philosophy on them, and there was no theological debate, just "Follow Me. They did what He asked not because of what He offered but because of who he was. That's cool!

Notice what He said: Did you catch it? He wants them to start working with Him to impact others with the message of salvation He is bringing. But wait a minute, what does a fisherman know about that? Had any of them been trained, how many of them had gone to seminary?

No they hadn't and that is the point; He want to use everyone, even me. That's encouraging!

Notice how they were to do that: He said "I will make you...." You don't become what He was asking without total reliance on Him. He would make them into what He was calling them to. That's a relief!

Notice one other thing: He said "I will make you become...." What He was asking them to do would happen over a period of time. They would spend time with Him, observe Him and in due time they would become what He was asking them to be. That's comforting!

Notice this: No matter who you are, if you know Him He wants to and will gladly use you, yes, even you, and me.-- Walt Wiley is the President of Winning With Encouragement and serves on the Board of Reference of America's KESWICK. He was our speaker for our Memorial Day Weekend Conference. I'd love to send you Walt's two part message of Stewardship. If you'd like to have it, please respond to this email and please include your mailing address.

God's WORD for YOU: Job 34-35; Acts 15:1-21

Think About This: "If we but knew what irreparable damage is often caused by idle gossip, cruel criticisms, wicked exaggerations, or jealous sarcasm, how stunned we would be! On the other hand, if we knew what lovely harvests of blessing often grow from seeds of good, kind, wise words and deeds, how eager should we be to sow only the good seed!" -- Dr. J. Sidlow Baxter

Good News for the Idolatry Struggle

Good News for the Idolatry Struggle (Ezekiel 14:1-11 & 2 Thessalonians 3:3)

Reading Scripture is exciting! I love watching God's Spirit tie things together from different sections of His Word in ways that teach and encourage me. It doesn't matter how long or how often we read the Bible, God still shows up to give us new insight and encouragement.

I had planned to go back to Ezekiel for today's Freedom Fighter. I didn't plan to find "collateral" material from Paul's writings. That is what happened, though.

Yesterday we thought about the danger of idolatry. In that same section of Ezekiel God tells Ezekiel what He (God) is going to do to resolve the idolatry problem in Israel. Look at vs. 5. ". . . that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols." Even when the children of Israel (and we) refuse to listen and avoid the danger of idols, God proactively intervenes to turn our hearts back to Him! He loved Israel (and loves us) that much.

Let's learn the lesson, Freedom Fighters. We know, love and serve a God who refuses to give up on us. We may walk away. We may struggle with the world, the flesh, and the devil. We may think we will never win lasting victory. Even when we feel overwhelmed, we must remember God's gracious love for us. He will not give up on us even when we give up on ourselves.

The devil does not want us to believe that. He wants us to think we are hopeless failures. The lies and deceptions keep coming; they are endless. Satan will bombard us with every trick he has to keep us from God's proactive "seizing of our hearts." During Ezekiel's day, Satan had false prophets, false priests, and ungodly leaders who convinced the people to pursue idolatry. God kept sending genuine prophets. He did not give up. He did not quit. He determined to "seize the house of Israel by their heart" because He loved them. He loves us no less!

This is where 2 Thessalonians comes in. My reading in that little letter yesterday morning brought me to chapter 3, verse 3. "But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one." Do you see the pattern? Even when we struggle with the temptations to idolatry, the Lord is at work establishing us and protecting us from Satan's tricks and deceptions.

America's Keswick has a slogan they use a lot. It's simple: "Think Victory!" Because we walk with a God who refuses to let idolatry rule our lives, we can think victory. Because we belong to the true and living God who establishes us and guards us from the evil one, we can think victory. I urge you to allow God to do His work in your life this week. Think victory! -- John Strain is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Toms River

God's WORD for YOU: Job 32:33; Acts 14

Think About This: What is meant by "follow"? To follow signifies that the way I tread and the place where I go are all decided by someone else. We are following the Lord; therefore we have no authority to decide our own path. The body in its relation to the Head can only obey and follow. If we wish to live out the life of the body of Christ we must cover our own head; that is to say, we must not have our personal opinion, egoistic will or selfish thought. We can only obey the Lord and let Him be the Head. -- Watchman Nee

The Danger of Idolatry

The Danger of Idolatry (Ezekiel 14:1-11)

God's Word confronted me yesterday as I read Ezekiel. This section of Ezekiel's prophecy addresses the idolatry of Israel, but I don't think idolatry ended with the Old Testament. As I read his words, I had to ask myself if their idols that estrange me from God (see vs. 5). As I thought about it, it occurred to me that I cannot think of anything worse than estrangement from God.

Simply defined, an idol is anything that comes between God and me. It is anything that "estranges" me from God. It might be something tangible . . . material. It could be an attitude or some private sin that no one else knows about. Whatever that idol might be, we need to understand that idols are dangerous. When I find myself estranged from God, I am in danger. When your particular idol estranges you from God, you are in danger.

Throughout Scripture, the writers warn us to guard our hearts, to examine our lives, to beware our adversary. Those warnings come because all of us face the idolatry challenge. Not even a single one of us is immune to the allure of idols. They sneak up on us. We usually will not know we are dealing with an idol until it has already arrived. They don't often, if ever, give us warning of their arrival.

Freedom Fighters know, or want to know, the danger of idolatry. They choose to guard their hearts and examine their lives because we know there is nothing worse than estrangement from God. May God help each of us understand the danger of idolatry, whatever form it takes, and avoid it at all cost. -- John Strain is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Toms River

God's WORD for YOU: Job 30-31; Acts 13:26-52

Think About This: We are so utterly ordinary, so commonplace, while we profess to know a Power the Twentieth Century does not reckon with. But we are 'harmless', and therefore unharmed. We are spiritual pacifists, non-militants, conscientious objectors in this battle-to-the-death with principalities and powers in high places. Meekness must be had for contact with men, but brass, outspoken boldness is required to take part in the comradeship of the Cross. We are 'sideliners'---coaching and criticizing the real wrestlers while content to sit by and leave the enemies of God unchallenged. The world cannot hate us, we are too much like its own. Oh that God would make us dangerous! -- Jim Elliot

What Price Freedom

WHAT PRICE FREEDOM

"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36)

There is a story about a pig and a chicken that were walking by a church where a grand party was taking place. The pig was quite thrilled about the celebration and suggested to the chicken that they each make a contribution.

"Great idea!" the chicken cried. "Let's offer them ham and eggs?" "Not so fast," said the pig. "For you, that's a contribution. For me, it's total commitment."

For our founding fathers they were not just looking at making a contribution when securing our freedom on July 4, 1776 -- they made a total commitment. The fifty-six men who signed their names to the Declaration of Independence did so knowing he risks that they would face.

Five of the men were captured and tortured before they died. Twelve of the men had their homes looted or destroyed by the enemy. Nine of the fifty-six died in the war from its hardships and bullets. One was harassed and forced to move his family five times in five months.

Thomas Nelson Jr. laid his life on the line by raising two million dollars on his own signature to help our allies. After the war he wiped out his entire estate paying back the loads. He was never reimbursed by his government and died bankrupt and was buried in an unmarked grave. Historians tell is that Thomas Nelson Jr. pledged his life, his fortune, his sacred honor. All that for our freedom!

But One greater than our founding fathers gave an even greater sacrifice so that we could be FOREVER FREE and a part of God's FOREVER family. God the Father gave His precious Son, Jesus Christ to secure our freedom from the bondage of sin. Jesus died on the Cross to purchase your freedom. His was not just a "contribution" but a total "commitment." He gave His life so that you could live victoriously in this ever changing world.

Take some time today as we celebrate our freedom as a nation to thank HIM for securing your freedom for all eternity. "He sealed your pardon with His blood - Hallelujah! What a Savior."-- Bill Welte is President and CEO of America's KESWICK

God's WORD for YOU: Job 28-29; Acts 13:1-25

Think About This: Lord Jesus, thou who art the way, the truth, and the life; hear us as we pray for the truth that shall make all free. Teach us that liberty is not only to be loved but also to be lived. Liberty is too precious a thing to be buried in books. It costs too much to be hoarded. Help us see that our liberty is not the right to do as we please, but the opportunity to please to do what is right. -- Peter Marshall

Pizza Dough

PIZZA DOUGH

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)

I have just spent some time being stretched. Every part of what I think I am about has been pulled like pizza dough. And when I thought the stretching was done someone had to add some sauce, cheese, and various other ingredients that make no sense putting on pizza. There is a pizza place in my area that makes pizza with eggs, potatoes and asparagus. These ingredients should not and do not belong on pizza. And to top this all off I have been wondering and praying for someone who turned back to his own vomit and is being detained over it. Even as I write this I shake and scratch my head. (heavy sigh!)

The past week was full of deadlines barely made and equipment failure. And because we live in an America that seems to have gone from "good old fashioned craftsmanship" to a McDonalds " Two all beef patties, special sauce ,lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun in under thirty seconds" mentality, some things just were not as good in quality as they should have been. And I heard about it. Actually I am still hearing about today. Oh well!!

I also spent my evenings helping out with Vacation Bible School at our church. Very hard to shine a light let alone show the face of Christ. But I did what I did through Christ who gave me the strength to bear it. I pray that the children who attended were fertile soil. I had a blessed weekend. But then came another Monday morning. The battle waged on and it seemed to have picked up right where it left off. But I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!!

Lately I have been reading the writings of Fenelon and I came across this passage from "Spiritual Letters". It is letter number three. "I cannot but wonder at the virtue that lies in suffering-we are worth nothing without the cross. I tremble and am in an agony while it lasts, and all my conviction of its remedial effects vanish under the pain. But when it is over, I look back at it with admiration, and am ashamed that I bore it so poorly. This experience of my foolishness is a deep lesson of wisdom to me."

So what lesson am I learning from all this "stretching"? That as a child of the Most High who do I think I am to complain about what ingredients He puts on my slice of pizza? Yes Brothers I forgot to mention the major amount of complaining I was doing. The weight at times had become unbearable...but I kept looking towards the cross and tried to shut my mouth. I am still trying. What about you? Are you bearing weight? He will take it from and give you rest!! -- Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy

God's WORD for YOU: Job 25-27; Acts 12

Think about this: "God wants to cultivate within us the adoration and admiration of which HE is worthy. He wants us to be ASTONISHED at the inconceivable elevation and magnitude of Almighty God." -- A. W. Tozer