PSALM 27 . . . a paraphrase

"You, O Lord, are my might and my salvation.
You are my refuge and my strength.
No evil can befall me.
No foe can overcome me.
No disaster overtake me.
Though I am surrounded by dangers,
nothing really frightens me.
Though I am engulfed by uncertainty,
I am confident in Your presence.

I have one desire --
that I may live victoriously with You all the days of my life!
I want my eyes to look upon Your glory.
I want my steps to take me to Your presence.
I want to rest securely in Your holy dwelling place.
You shelter me from the sun and the storm;
You protect me from adversity;
You lift me up toward the high places,
where I look down on my enemies from a vantage point of strength
and security.

I want to sing YOUR praises, Lord.
I want to shout for joy.
I want to make music of adoration.
Hear me when I pray, O God.
Forgive me and heed my request.
I want to seek YOUR approval.
I want to know YOUR presence.
I want to experience YOUR approval.

Please, Lord, do not turn away from me.
Don't be angry at my waywardness.
You are my constant help.
Stay with me, O Lord.
Accept my praise and love.
You are faithful.
Though everyone else in the world may abandon deserts and abandons
me,
YOU WILL STILL HOLD ME AND DRAW ME TO YOU.

Help me to know You as You are, O Lord.
Keep me on the straight and narrow path.
Don't let me depart from Your will.
Don't let the enemies of my soul prevail.
Don't let falsehood and violence overpower me.

There is much I don't know,
but I am confident of one thing --
I CAN TRUST MY PRESENT AND MY FUTURE TO YOU, O LORD!
You will bless me with long and satisfying life.
I will look EXPECTANTLY for what YOU will bring about, O Lord.
I will wait patiently for Your will to be done.

Make me strong, brave, stouthearted, courageous, and FAITHFUL."

from Under His Wings by Ward Patterson published by Accent Books.

As one of my mentors would say . . . "that is a text that preaches!"
Good words for today.

Tomorrow is the premiere edition of VICTORY CALL -- a Monday through
Friday email of encouragement for women. To sign up, visit our website:
www.americaskeswick.org

AMERICA, THE BEAUTIFUL

O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

O beautiful for pilgrim feet, whose sterned impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thane every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness and every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years
Thane alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea!

Good words for this Memorial Day! May God bless America. Take time with
your family to remember and pray!

CRIES OF THE HUNGRY

"Radical praise brings radical presence. Never underestimate the power of one moment in His presence. Thirty second in the manifest presence of God turned a murderer named Saul into a martyr named Paul.

Worship comes in many forms. It can touch him through the slightest brush of a finger against the hem of a garment. It can reach through the hoarse-voiced cry of the vocal cords, or it can traverse time and space without a sound as a silent scream of passionate desperation from a
broken heart.

In the city of Jericho, the hunger of a wealthy but rejected businessman, named Zacchaeus, dangling from a tree and the unashamed cries of worship from a heart of a desperate beggar in the dust captured Jesus' heart. Desperate worship stops God in His tracks no matter what social strata it comes from. All are equal in His sight. If God would stop the parade of the universe long enough to change these two human destinies forever, what could He do for you?

I wish more of us in the church would get tired of standing on the sidewalk of spectator Christianity while the 'Jesus parade' goes by. Somebody needs to get hungry enough to cry out. Somebody needs to get desperate enough to arrest the attention of heaven and say, I'm not
going to let You pass me by, Lord. I thank You for what you HAVE done, but I am desperate for what you CAN do.'"

from Tommy Tenney THE GOD CATCHERS published by Thomas Nelson

Pass me not, O gentle Savior -- Hear my humble cry!
While on others Thou are calling, Do not pass me by!

Let me at a throne of mercy find a sweet relief!
Kneeling there in deep contrition -- help my unbelief!

Trusting only in Thy merit, would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded broken spirit, save me by Thy grace.

Thou the spring of all my comfort, more than life to me!
Whom have I on earth beside Thee? Whom in heav'n but Thee?

Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry!
While on others Thou art calling -- Do not pass ME by.

FAILURE

"Attitude is a the determining factor of whether our failures make us or break us. The persistence of a person who encounters failure is one sign of a healthy attitude. Winners don't quit! Conquerors don't quit! Failure becomes devastating and causes our attitude to crash when we quit. To accept failure as final is to be finally a failure. In times of failure we need to look to God, our Creator and chief motivator.

WHEN IT LOOKS LIKE I HAVE FAILED . . .
Lord, are you trying to tell me something?
For . . .
Failure doesn't mean I'm a failure;
It does mean I have not yet succeeded.
Failure does not mean I have accomplished nothing;
It does mean I have learned something.
Failure does not mean I have been a fool;
It does mean I had enough faith to experiment.
Failure does not mean I've been disgraced;
It does mean I dared to try.
Failure does not mean I don't have it;
It does mean I have to do something in a different way.
Failure does not mean I am inferior;
It does mean I am not perfect.
Failure does not mean I've wasted my time;
It does not mean I have an excuse to start over.
Failure does not mean I should give up;
It does mean I must try harder.
Failure does not mean I'll never make it;
It does mean I need more patience.
Failure does not mean YOU abandoned me;
It does mean YOU must have a better idea. Amen."

from the pen of Dr. John C. Maxwell in his book THE WINNING ATTITUDE . .
. YOUR KEY TO SUCCESS

Someone needs to hear this today. I would be happy to hear your story. Have a blessed day. If you haven't made plans to join us this weekend, our Memorial Day Conference is underway. Dr. Richard Allan Farmer will be sharing God's Word at 9:30 AM followed by our Community Open House from 11:00 - 3:00. Tonight at 7:00 PM, Dr. Jim Jeffery, President of Baptist Bible College and Seminary, will be sharing God's Word. Join us for this great weekend. For information, call 800-453-7942.

KEEP IN CONTACT WITH THE CONTROL TOWER

"Every pilot knows the value of communicating with knowledgeable men during times of trouble. The natural reaction when having difficulty in the sky is to radio for help. We do not always do this in our daily living.

Our daily tendency is often to try and make it on our own. We admire the rugged. independent individual who 'pulled himself up by his bootstraps.' That is the American way. At times we are all a little like Frank Sinatra's belting out for all to hear, 'I did it my way.'

Jesus sings another song. Its words speak about fullness of joy and fruitfulness. The thesis of His song states, 'Apart from Me you can do nothing' (John 15:5). The title of His song is 'Abide in Me and I in You', or more modernly stated, 'You'll Be Fine If You're Connected to the Vine.'

Stanza 1 says, 'Abide in Me, and I in you. As the the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.' (John 15:4)

Stanza 2 says, 'I am the Vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.' (John 15:5)

Stanza 3 says, 'If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.' (John 15:6)

Stanza 4 says, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.' (John 15:7)"

from the writings of Dr. John C. Maxwell in THE WINNING ATTITUDE published by Thomas Nelson

What are you facing today? I am reminded of the the bumper sticker I have seen from time to time -- "God doesn't need a co-pilot!" Are you in contact with the control tower today?
Good words to contemplate on this beautiful Friday, May 27, 2005.

INTEGRITY

The world needs men who cannot be bought;
Whose word is their bond;
Who put character above wealth;
who possess opinions and a will;
who are larger than their vocations;
who do not hesitate to take chances;
who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;
who will be as honest in small things as in great things;
who will make no compromise with wrong;
whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires;
who will not say they do it "because everybody else does it";
who are true to their friends through good report and evil report, in adversity as well as in prosperity;
who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning and hardheadedness are the best qualities for winning success;
who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;
who say "no" with emphasis, although the rest of the world can say "yes."

from Ted Engstrom, The Making of a Christian Leader

"God can't stand deceivers, but oh how he relishes integrity." Proverbs 11:20

Good words for you to contemplate today. Have a blessed day "IN CHRIST."

FROM THE PEN OF OSWALD CHAMBERS -- May 20th Reading from MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST . . .

"Many of us prefer to stay at the entrance to the Christian life instead of going on to create and build our soul in accordance with the new life God has placed within us. We fail because we are ignorant of the way God has made us, and we blame things on the devil that are actually the result of our own undisciplined natures. Just think what we could be when we are awakened to the truth!
There are certain things in life that we need not pray about -- moods, for instance. We will never get rid of our moodiness by praying, but we will by kicking it out of our lives! (Ouch!) Moods nearly always are rooted in some physical circumstance, not in our own true inner self. It is a continual struggle not to listen to the moods which arise as a result of our physical condition, but we must never submit to them for a second. We have to pick ourselves up by the back of the neck and shake ourselves; then we will find that we can do what we believed we were unable to do. The problem that most of us are cursed with is simply that we WON'T. The Christian life is one of spiritual courage and determination lived out in our flesh!"
Good words to contemplate on this Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Join us at America's KESWICK for our COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE . . . this Saturday, May 28, 2005 from 11:00 - 3:00! Games, food, helicopter rides, pony rides, and lots of great fellowship. For information . . . call
800-453-7942 or visit our website -- www.americaskeswick.org.

THIS IS MY DESTINY

We had the privilege of having Dennis Jernigan at America's KESWICK for an evening concert. This song is the theme song of the ministry of America's KESWICK. Please do duplicate these words. May they encourage your heart!

THIS IS MY DESTINY
All I was I lay aside now dead to sin,
To God alive! Born again into a new identity!
Once asleep to God in sin,
now wakened by the blood and cleansed!
Born again to be who he called me to be!
All I have I lay aside, run the race to gain the prize For the sake of knowing Jesus Christ in me!
I cannot yet fully see all I'm truly called to be, Knowing Christ reveals my hope and destiny!
He calls me child! He calls me to His side eternally!
He calls what once was lost now found, once bound to sin -- now free!
He calls me holy! Calls me righteousness! By the blood redeemed!
He calls me overcomer, crowned with victory!
This is my destiny!
What once bound me is no more! What was stolen is restored by the resurrection power of the King!
What was all old has been made new; lies and doubts replaced by truth!
What was silent now resounds, "I am redeemed!
He calls me servant, calls me warrior;
Calls me royalty!
He calls me resurrected one! He calls me His redeemed!
He calls me higher, calls me far beyond my wildest dream!
He calls my heart to come and be all he can see!
This is my destiny!
He calls me chosen! New creation! Trophy of His grace!
He gives me strength to fight the fight and run to win the race!
He tells me he delights in me while singing over me, Accepting me as his beloved bride-to-be! This is my destiny!
THIS IS MY DESTINY!
Shepherds Heart Music, Inc.
>From the Dennis Jernigan CD THIS IS MY DESTINY!

PSALM 8 -- A paraphrase Part #2

It amazes me that YOU who made the whole universe,
with its infinite miles of space
and its gigantic celestial bodies,
are interested in my affairs/
But amazingly, You are!
You have given me a high position in Your concerns.
You have made me just a little lower than the angels.
You have given me worth and dignity
and afforded me a place of significance
in Your divine scheme of things.
You have given me a mind to reason,
plan, discover, analyze, and predict.
You have made me in Your image,
a creating, responding, living, and loving being.
You have given me a hand with dexterity,
and a mind to overcome physical limitations.
You have given me the capacity
to transform the raw materials of this world
into instruments for my use.
I sometimes take undue credit for my technologies,
not acknowledging that all my inventiveness depends on You.
and on the raw materials You have placed in this world.
Thank You, Lord, for the wonders of the heavens and the earth.
Thank You for the reminders they are of Your greatness.
O Lord, my Lord, how wonderful You are!
Your majesty is in everything I behold.
Your glory is proclaimed in the whole of creation.
The heavens and the earth combine to proclaim Your greatness! AMEN
from UNDER HIS WINGS by Ward Patterson ACCENT BOOKS.
Rejoice today, my friend, in who you are IN CHRIST.

PSALM 8 -- A Paraphrase -- Part 1

O Lord, my Lord, how wonderful You are!
Your majesty is in everything I behold.
Your glory is proclaimed in the whole of creation.
The heavens and the earth combine to proclaim Your greatness.
You establish Your granduer from weakness and dependecy.
From the lips of infants and children
expressions of praise spring forth.
How often I have heard the profoundest wisdom
from the lips of small children!
Your glory puts to shame those who oppose You
and silence those who mock.
I see it in the heavens
where the vast expanse of space proclaims Your enormity.
Billions of stars proclaim Your workmanship,
moving in their galaxies,
sending forth their light,
and illuminating my night sky.
You have set the moon in it's orbit,
reflecting into my night a message of Your glory,
sending onto my shores the surging tides,
and directing my thoughts to love.
Everything moves according to Your plan.
Everything hangs in space by YOUR Word.
Everything holds together by YOUR might.
When I look up, I feel so small.
I'm just a little human on the face of a tiny planet!
And yet, sometimes I think that everything
in the whole universe revolves around me.
I fix my own ambitions,
my troubles, my accomplishments, and my failures,
and I act as if the universe is holding it's breath in expectation.
But the heavens put me in my place.
They remind me of how insignificant I really am.
They reduce me to realistic proportions
and remind me that I am unworthy of Your lovingkindness.
It amazes me that You who made the whole universe,
with its infinite miles of space
and its gigantic celestial bodies,
ARE INTERESTED IN ME!
O Lord, MY LORD, how wonderful YOU are!
Good words to prepare your heart for worshipping HIM today.

PSALM 1 -- A Paraphrase

PSALM 1 -- A Paraphrase
"Father, fill me with Your blessings,
for You alone can satisfy the longings of my heart.
Help me to walk in Your counsel,
to know Your ways and follow them,
not haphazardly or spasmodically,
but patiently, consistently, fully.
Help me to block out the voices that urge me to disobedience.
Help me to recognize that sin is an abomination to You.
Help me to rein in my desires for the forbidden,
my longings for the deceits of this world.
Help me to live a separated life
without being cut off from those You have called me to love in Your name.
Help me to know what to shun,
what to do,
what to say,
where to go.
Help me to direct my thoughts to You.
I am prone to dwell on the destructive and harbor hurt
rather than fix my mind of You.
Help me to delight in Your Word to me.
Help me to pause in the hurry of my life
to reflect on Your promises,
Your provision,
And Your presence.
I know that when I meditate on Your Word,
You refresh me.
You relieve my pressures.
You make life fruitful.
You keep me from spiritual drought.
You give me ease in my tasks and the joy of accomplishment.
But I forget this too soon
And I fall back into spiritual slothfulness.
My life becomes dry and lifeless.
I am beset by doubts,
defeats and enemies.
I feel condemned,
guilty, useless, and crushed down.
I just don't feel comfortable with Your people anymore.
You know EVERYTHING, O God.
You know the way of truth and righteousness.
Let me walk with YOU!
I don't want to walk the way of futility and death.
I want to walk with You by my side,
trusting You,
and knowing You as my Lord and Master."
from UNDER HIS WINGS by Ward Patterson published by Accent Books
Good words to consider and ponder as you prepare for the Lord's Day tomorrow.

SEEING AND HEARING GOD

"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." -- Matthew 5:8
"Seeing God means much more than perceiving traces of Him in nature, in the Scriptures, and in His church. Seeing God means that the pure in heart begin to discern something of God's true character. Anyone who is caught in a thunderstorm and hears the crash of thunder and sees what havoc the lightning flashes work, perceives that God is mighty. But to perceive God is eternally just and yet infinitely tender and that He is sternly severe and yet immeasurably gracious and to see the various attributes of Deity all blending into one another as the colors of the rainbow make one harmonious and beautiful whole -- this is reserved for the person whose eyes have been first washed in the blood of Jesus and then anointed with heavenly eye salve by the Holy Spirit.
It is only such a person who sees that God is always and altogether good and who admires Him under every aspect, seeing that all His attributes are beautifully blended and balanced and that each attribute sheds additional splendor upon all the rest. The pure in heart shall in that sense see God, for they shall appreciate His attributes and understand His character as the ungodly never can.
When a man's heart is clean, he will also hear God's footfall everywhere in the garden of the earth in the cool of the day. He will hear God's voice in the tempest, sounding in peal from the tops of the mountains.
He will behold the Lord walking on the great and mighty waters or see Him in every leaf that trembles in the breeze. Once the heart is made right, God can be seen everywhere. To an impure heart, God cannot be seen anywhere, but to a pure heart, God is to be seen everywhere -- in the deepest caverns of the sea, in the lonely desert, in every star that germs the brow of midnight."
Good words for us to ponder on this May 20th, 2005. Our Community Open House will be held on Saturday, May 28th from 11:00 - 3:00 PM. Great food, fun activities for all ages, helicopters rides and much more.
Bring your friends and enjoy a day at America's KESWICK . . . "Where God speaks to hearts and transforms lives . . ."

HOLY LONGINGS

"One of the best test's of a man's character will be found in the deepest and heartiest longings. You cannot always judge a man by what he is doing at any one time, for he may be under constraints that compel him to act contrary to his true self, or he may be under a temporary impulse from which he will soon be free. He may for a while be held back from that which is evil, and yet he may be radically bad; or he may be constrained by force of temptation to that which is wrong, and yet his real self may rejoice in righteousness.

A man may not certainly be pronounced to be good because for the moment he is doing good, nor may he be condemned as evil because under certain constraints he may be committing sin. A man's longings are more inward and more near to his self than his outward acts; they are more natural in that they are entirely free and beyond compulsion and constraint. As a man longs in his heart, so is he. I do not mean every idle wish, but I refer to the strong desires of his heart. These are the lifeblood of a man's nature.

You can know whether you are good or evil by answering the questions, 'To which do you have the greatest desire? Do you continually long after selfish pleasures?' Then you are evil beyond all question. Do you sigh to be and do that which is good -- is this the great aim of your life?
Then in the core of your being there is some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel. Your heart-longings may furnish you with excellent helps for self-examination, and I beg you to apply them at once. The things of the heart touch the root of the matter." from the writings of Charles
Haddon Spurgeon -- A PASSION FOR HOLINESS IN A BELIEVER'S LIFE published by Bethany House.
Have a blest day in Christ!

MORE THOUGHTS ON HOLINESS FROM THE PEN

of Charles Haddon Spurgeon
"I gather that in the church of God it is not merely her ministers that are to be most holy, but all her members -- not her sacraments only, but her ordinary meals; not her Sabbaths only, but her workdays; not her worship only, but her daily labor.
Conspicuous holiness should be the mark of the church of God. We should not be noted for talent or wealth or loud professions but for holiness.
Somehow or other true holiness is sure to be spied out or remarked upon.
Like the violet, it tries to hide itself but is betrayed by its perfume.
Like the star, it twinkles with modesty but it is discovered to be sheltered from its enemies by its obscurity, but the holy city evermore stands on a hill and cannot be hid. Would to God that whenever people speak of the church to which they belong that may acknowledge its holiness! Would to God that whenever they speak of you or me they have no evil thing to say of us unless they lie. The world does not know how to name the thing it both admires and hates, but it soon perceives its existence and owns its power -- the thing I mean is holiness, which is at once the glory and the strength of the people of God. Mo
Morality is a clean outside, but holiness is being clean within.
Morality is a dead body washed and laid in clean white linen; holiness is the living form in perfect purity. To be just to man is morality, to be hallowed unto God is holiness. The church of God must not be reputedly good, but be really pure. She must not have a name for virtue, but her heart must be right before God -- she must have a clean inside.
Our lives must be such that observers may peep within the doors and see nothing for which to blame us. Our moral cleanliness must not be like that of a housewife who sweeps the dirt under the mats. We must be so clear of the accursed thing that even if they dig in the earth they will not find an Achan's treasure hidden there. 'Behold, thou desires truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part you shall make me to know wisdom.'" (Psalm 51:6)
Very powerful words this morning from A PASSION FOR HOLINESS IN A BELIEVER'S LIFE by Charles Haddon Spurgeon, published by Bethany House.
America's KESWICK is a faith ministry and depends on the prayers and gifts of God's people to carry out its mission and purpose. If you have been blessed by the daily ministry of FREEDOM FIGHTERS, why not consider a gift to America's KESWICK. You can send your gift to 601 Route 530 WHITING, NJ 08759. When you send your gift, let us know that you are a FREEDOM FIGHTER PARTNER! May God bless you. To unsubscribe, visit www.americaskeswick.org.

THE HOPE THAT PURIFIES

from the pen of CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON in book THE PASSION FOR HOLINESS IN THE BELIEVER'S LIFE. This powerful resource is published by our good friends at BETHANY HOUSE.
"Every man sees morally what he is himself. A man who is bad sees evil and is blind to good. The man who is partially like Christ has only a partial view of Christ. If your eye does not see inexpressible beauty in Him, it is your eye that is to blame, for He is altogether lovely. And when the eye of our inward nature shall come to see Jesus as He is, then we may depend upon it that we are like Him. It is the pure in heart who see God (Matthew 5:8) because God, the inexpressibly pure One, can be seen only by those who are themselves pure.
When we shall be perfectly pure, we shall be able to understand Christ; and when we understand Christ, or see Him as He is, as we shall do at His appearing, then we shall be like Him -- free from sin, full of consecration to God, pure and perfect. Today, He is Conqueror over sin and death and hell; He is superlative in His virtue and His holiness; He has conquered all the powers of evil; and one day we too shall put our foot on the old dragon's head, we too shall see sin crushed beneath us, and we shall come off "more than conquerors through him that loved us."
(Romans 8:37) This, then, is our hope, that we shall be like our Head when we shall see Him as He is."
Good words for us today.
VICTORY CALL, an email of encouragement for women, will be available Monday - Friday, beginning June 1, 2005. To sign up for this inspirational challenge from Diane Hunt, Director of Women's Ministry and Family Counseling, respond to this email and we will had you to the list.
Freedom Fighter's is a ministry of America's KESWICK -- "where God speaks to hearts and transforms lives." To unsubscribe, visit www.americaskeswick.org.

CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST

"This wonderful life, resulting in the blended personality of the believer and the Son of God, is a true life. This is expressed in the text, 'Nevertheless I live' -- yes, live as I never lived before. When the apostle declares himself as to be dead to the world, he would not have us imagine that he was dead in the highest and best sense. No, he lived with a new force and vigor of life. It seemed to me that when I came to know Christ, I was just like a butterfly newly burst from the cocoon. I then began really to live. When a soul is startled by the thunder claps of conviction and afterwards receives pardon in Christ, it begins to live. The worldling says he wants to see life, and therefore plunges into sin! Fool that he is, he peers into the sepulcher to discover immortality.
The man who truly lives is the believer. Shall I become less active because I am a Christian? God forbid! Should I become less industrious, find fewer opportunities for the manifestation of my natural and spiritual energies? God forbid! If ever a man should be like a sword too sharp for the scabbard, with an edge that cannot be dulled, it should be the Christian. He should be like flames of fire burning his way. Live while you live. Let there be no frittering away of time. Live so as to
demonstrate that you possess the noblest form of life." Charles Haddon
Spurgeon A PASSION FOR HOLINESS IN A BELIEVER'S LIFE. Bethany House
Publishers
Good words for you to ponder today. Have a blessed day.
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& 4:25 PM
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NEW BEGINNING MAY 23, 2005
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AM, 6:00 PM
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GOD KNOWS IT ALL

"Even hell knows no secrets from God -- do you think he can't read human hearts? -- Proverbs 15:11
If we are really honest with each other, there are times that we live our lives just like Adam and Eve did -- thinking that we can hide from God. Remember after they both took of the forbidden fruit -- they heard the voice of God and hid from Him -- the One who created them -- the One who knows all . . . they really did think that they could pull the wool over his eyes . . .
Be honest . . . haven't you found yourself believing the lie . . .
Well, we need to be reminded that NOTHING escapes His eyes.
David reminds us in Psalm 139:
He knows when I sit and rise
He knows my thoughts
He knows when I go out and when I lay down He knows my words There is no place we can go that He doesn't know where you are
"For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps."
Job 34:21
"From the heavens the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watIches all who live on the earth -- He who forms the hearts of all, who considers EVERYTHING they do." Psalm 33:13-15
"For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every HIDDEN thing whether it is good or evil." Ecclesiastes 12:14
"For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light." Mark 4:22
"Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God." 1 Corinthians 4:5
"And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." Hebrews
4:13
Good words for you to ponder as you worship our AWESOME GOD this morning. HE KNOWS ALL -- NOTHING ESCAPES HIS EYE!
Freedom Fighter is a daily ministry of AMERICA'S KESWICK . . . "Where God speaks to hearts and transforms lives . . ."

FIVE THOUGHTS TO CONSIDER ABOUT YOUR WORDS

Here are some thoughts for you to ponder about the use of your words:
1. God knows all your words: "Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all." (Psalm 139:4)
2. Your words reveal your heart: "For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man out of his good treasure brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth what is evil." Matthew 12:34-35
3. You will be accountable for your words: "And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned." Matthew 12:36-37
4. You will be remembered for your words: "I'll quote your own words back to you: "'This is how God treats the wicked, this is what evil people can expect from God Almighty." Job 27:13
5. Your words can make a difference in someone's life:
"The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life." Proverbs 10:11 "There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of wise brings healing." Proverbs 12:18 "Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstance." Proverbs 25:11
Good words to ponder on this Saturday, May 14th.
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A PASSION FOR HOLINESS

"Many people are violent against one sin, but the true saint hates ALL sin. You may not allow the sin of drunkenness to have dominion over you, but are you selfish and stingy? What have you done? You have only changed your idols. You have dethroned one usurper to set up another. If you were profane and are now hypocritical, you have only changed iniquities.
It is a very curious thing how one sin feeds on another: the death of of extravagance may be the resurrection of greed; the flight of pride may be the advent of shameless folly. The man who was lewd, riotous, and brawling has killed those sins, and on their graves he has sown a handful of poisonous weed called pride, and it flourishes amazingly. It may be London pride, country pride, English pride or American pride, but it is rare stuff to grow, and to grow over the rotting carcasses of other sins.
Unbelief may dethrone superstition, but its own reign may be no real improvement upon that of credulity. If you have only thrown down Baal to set up Ashtaroth, what progress have you made toward God? Little does it signify which of the false gods is set up in the temple of Jehovah, for He hates them all. The right prayer is, 'LET NOT SIN HAVE DOMINION OVER ME!'"from the writings of CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON -- A PASSION FOR HOLINESS IN A BELIEVER'S LIFE published by Bethany House
Good words to ponder today. Have a blessed day.
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THE VICTORY OF FAITH

"For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith." I John 5:4
Dr. Charles Haddon Spurgeon writes that "People who are born again really do overcome the world. How is this brought about? The text says, 'This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.'
Christians do not triumph over the world by REASON. Reason is a very good thing, and no one should find fault with it. Reason is a candle, but faith is the sun. While I prefer the sun, I do no put out the candle. I use my reason constantly, but when I come to real warfare, reason is a wooden sword. It breaks, it snaps, while faith, the sword of true Jerusalem metal, cuts to the dividing of the soul and body.
Those who do something significant in the world are always men of faith.
The person who wins the battle is the one who knows he will win and vows to be the victor. Those who never get on in this world are those who are always afraid to do a thing for fear they cannot accomplish it. Who climbs to the top of the Alps? The person who says, 'I will do it, or I will die.'
Let such a person make up his mind that he can do a thing, and he will do it if it is within the range of possibility. Those who have lifted the standard and, grasping it with a firm hand, have held it up in the midst of the stormy strife and battle are the men of faith. Men of fear and trembling run, but men of faith, whose boldness us etched on their foreheads like brass, lift their eyes "unto the hills, from whence cometh my help' (Psalm 121:1), believing in God."
from THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH IN A BELIEVER'S LIFE, by Charles Haddon Spurgeon and published by our good friends at BETHANY HOUSE.
Good words to ponder today. Have a blessed day IN CHRIST.

A GODLY HERITAGE

I was blessed with a godly heritage and had the privilege of growing up in a Christian home. My Dad was born in Philadelphia and before meeting my mom he was addicted to alcohol. The day that he was saved, he was set free from his bondage to this addiction and never had the desire to use alcohol again. He never tired of sharing the grace of God in his life with others.
>From the world's perspective, my Dad was nobody. He was a carpenter by
trade, and believe it or not, he made caskets for Atlas Casket Company in Philadelphia. He loved to sing and share his testimony, and over the years he did that faithfully at his home church, as wells as traveling with the Salvation Army to the Philadelphia prisons. For 25 years he was a featured soloist at the Boardwalk Chapel in Wildwood, NJ. Because of the intensity of his addiction, he took its toll on his body and he suffered several heart attacks, mini-strokes and colon cancer.
Dad's last ministry on earth was at the Boardwalk Chapel. He gave his testimony and sang one of his favorite hymns, WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS. The last line of the hymn says, "Love so amazing, so divine!
Demands my soul, my life, my all!" Those were the last lines he ever sang. Taking his seat, he had a major heart-attack and stroke and never regained consciousness. Two weeks later he was in the presence of Jesus at age 64. That was over 19 years ago.
My Dad modeled many things for me. But most of all, he taught me the importance of loving and serving Christ. He went home over 19 years ago and I still miss him! Today he would have been 83! Thanks, Dad for the godly heritage you gave me.
Have a blessed day!
Freedom Fighter is a ministry of America's KESWICK . . . "Where God speaks to hearts and transforms lives!"

SOME ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ABOUT SIN

from the pen of Charles Haddon Spurgeon
"Sin shall not have dominion over you," is a very needful assurance . .
. Stand in the strength of faith and in the power of the precious blood of Christ, and though you are beset with evil suggestions a thousand times a day and every sense is assailed by the witcheries of evil, yet 'sin shall not have dominion over you.' Cheered by such a word as this, we remain on our watchtower and are not overcome by evil.
Sometimes sin forces its way into our souls and rouses our inward desires to an awful degree so that imagination sets fire to our lusts and the smoke of the conflagration blows in the eyes of the affections and almost chokes the understanding. Yes, sin may invade your soul so as to be your plague and torment. Yes, sin may crush you down, rob you of your comfort, injure your graces, and wreak havoc upon your peace, BUT IT SHALL NEVER HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU!
Sin may haunt your home and follow you down the street in your walks, entering the very room into which you withdraw to pray, but your inmost self shall still cry out against it, FOR SIN SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU. Sin may trouble you and thrust itself upon you, BUT IT CANNOT BECOME YOUR lord. The devil has great wrath and rages horribly for a while, knowing that his time is short (Revelation 12:12), but he shall be subdued and expelled for the Lord our God gives us the victory THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
The child of God when he falls into the mire is like a sheep that gets up and escapes the ditch as quickly as possible; it is not his nature to lie there. The ungodly man is like the hog that rolls in the filth and wallows in it with delight. The mire has dominion over the swine, but it has none over the sheep. With many bleatings and outcries, the sheep seeks the shepherd again, but not so the swine. Every child of God weeps, mourns, bemoans his sin, and he hate it when for a while he has been overtaken by it. Sin has an awful power, BUT IT HAS NO DOMINION; it casts us down, but it cannot make us take delight in its evil."
from A PASSION FOR HOLINESS IN A BELIEVER'S LIFE by Charles Haddon Spurgeon/Bethany House
Good words to remember on this May 10th, 2005.

THE BAD NEWS AND GOOD NEWS ABOUT SIN

"Sin is a domineering force. No one can sin up to a fixed point and then say to sin, 'This is a far as you go.' Sin is an imperious power, and where it dwells it is hungry for the mastery. Just as our Lord, when He enters the soul, will never be content with divided dominion, so it is with sin. Sin labors to bring our entire personality under subjection.
Hence, we are compelled to strive daily against this ambitious principle. According to the working of the Spirit of God in us, we wrestle against sin that it may not have dominion over us. Sin has unquestioned dominion over multitudes of human hearts, and in some it has set up its horrid throne and keeps it seat with force of arms so that is empire is undisturbed. In others, the throne is disputed, for the conscience mutinies, but yet the tyrant is not dethroned. Over the whole world, sin exercises its dreadful tyranny. It would hold us in the same bondage were it not for the ONE who is stronger than sin who has undertaken to deliver us out of its hand. Here is the charter of our liberty, the security of our safety: 'Sin shall not have dominion over you!'"
"For sin shall NOT have dominion over you; for you are NOT under the law, but under grace!" (Romans 6:14)
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THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS

One of the dangers that I see in the current church growth movement is a moving away from preaching that talks about sin. They tend to go through hoops trying not to offend and package the gospel and the Cross in a way that will not be offensive in the hopes of winning people to Christ.
God hasn't changed His position on sin. He still hates it! In his book RUMORS OF ANOTHER WORLD . . . WHAT ON EARTH ARE WE MISSING, Philip Yancey writes that the seven deadly sins might be renamed the seven seductive virtues:
Pride: In music, sports and business, we reserve our applause for winners, and those who flaunt it with an attitude tend to garner the most publicity. We strut our medals at the Olympic Games, lavish rewards on winners, and read management books patterned after Machiavelli and Attila the Hun.
Envy: Our entire advertising industry is built on inciting envy of colleagues and neighbors, so that whatever new electronic marvel or body shape my neighbor has, I want too.
Anger: We must get in touch with and express our anger, counselors tell us. Encounter groups, television trash-talk shows, town meetings, and political debates offer ample opportunity to do so.
Greed: The economic engine of our nation, and indeed the world, depends on a constant sense of discontent that motivates each consumer to desire even more.
Sloth: Find an island with a beach, retire early, relax, slow down, feel good -- it's all a part of the American dream.
Gluttony: Every year the "big gulp" drinks and super-size French fries get bigger, as do our waistlines. Currently 64% of Americans are overweight, with half that percentage qualifying as obese.
Lust: From Lycrad-clad professional cheerleaders to dancing babes on MTV videos, lust is ubiquitous in modern America, the single most profitable industry on the Internet."
Not quite the biblical view on the seven deadly sins. Yancey goes on to say that "we miss the hidden dangers that prompted the ancients to regard these sins as deadly. These sins diminish me and bring disorder to my life. Pride is a kind of addiction, a yearning for ego strokes that will never be satisfied. Greed tempts be to move my focus from people to things. Lust keeps me from connecting in the most meaningful way, diverting that desire in a direction that ultimately does not satisfy. God wants to set me free; evil attempts to enslave!"
God hasn't changed His position on sin. Get back to the Bible and allow His Spirit to talk to you. Are you enslaved to one of the seven deadly sins?
Good words to ponder on this Saturday, May 7, 2005.

GOD LEAVES YOU ON EARTH TO KNOW HIM

"God in His mercy does not keep us alive because of some mission we have to perform, but rather because He desires to reveal Himself to us on earth in ways impossible in heaven.
We are not left here on earth because we have a job to do, but because we have a God to know. And because knowing Him is the purpose of our existence here, we need not frustrate ourselves trying to identify our slot of service or qualifying gifts.
You remain on earth to know God. If your heart is set on knowing Him, all else will fall into place. Every experience in our lives is necessary preparation for the revelation of Him! Do not get caught up in an activity that promises spiritual fulfillment. Do not be deceived. Far more than any job to do, far more than any work to accomplish, we have a
great God to know!" from LETTERS TO THE THIRSTY ... For Vision, For
Life, For Rest, by Ed Miller published by our good friends at Waterbrook Press.
Need a great Mother's Day gift? Why not send you wife and/or Mom to our Spring Ladies Day on Wednesday, May 18th. Our special speaker will be Nancy Mankins. See our website for details or call today to make
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"A Prayer for Guidance"

Today is the National Day of prayer and I want to encourage you to take time today to pray for our President, Vice-President and our nation.
"A Prayer for Guidance"
"O eternal and everlasting God, I presume to present myself this morning before thy Divine majesty, beseeching thee to accept of my humble and hearty thanks, that it hath pleased thy great goodness to keep and preserve me the night past from all the dangers poor mortals are subject to, and has given me sweet and pleasant sleep, whereby I find my body refreshed and comforted for performing the duties of this day, in which I beseech thee to defend me from all perils of body and soul.
Direct my thoughts, words and work, wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the lamb, and purge my heart by thy Holy Spirit, from the dross of my natural corruption, that I may with more freedom of mind and liberty of will serve thee, the everlasting God, in righteousness and holiness this day, and all the days of my life. Increase my faith in the sweet promises of the gospel; give me repentance from dead works; pardon my wanderings, and direct my thoughts unto thyself; the God of my salvation; teach me how to live in thy fear, labor in thy service, and ever run in the ways of thy commandments; make me always watchful over my heart, that neither the terrors of conscience, the loathing of holy duties, the love of sin, nor an unwillingness to depart this life, may cast me into a spiritual slumber, but daily frame me more and more into the likeness of thy son, Jesus Christ, that living in thy fear, and dying in thy favor, I may in thy appointed time attain the resurrection of the just unto eternal life bless my family, friends and kindred.
Unite us all in praising and glorifying thee in all our works begun, continued, and ended, when we shall come to make our last account before thee, blessed Savior . . . " From the prayer journal, Mount Vernon, un-dated.
May God bless America this day!

Thoughts on Confession and Forgiveness

"You can confess your sin without ever repenting, but it is impossible to repent without confessing! And confession doesn't bring about forgiveness! The blood of Christ has done that for us.
True confession agrees with God not only concerning sin, but also with the truth that we ARE forgiven not that we WILL BE forgiven. Then it goes a step further and agrees with God concerning the proper attitudes and actions that need to be taken in order to 'work out what has been worked in.' True confession focuses our mind not on our failures, but back to the finished work of Christ on the cross, which leads to a thankful heart. From God's perspective, confession isn't meant to be a sporadic, mechanical response. Instead, it's to be a continual, dependent attitude pulsating through the life of every believer walking in the truth.
When we learn to agree with God concerning forgiveness, our minds begin to see the totality of grace that God has for us in Christ Jesus.
Understanding God's grace changes the way we live." from the pen of of author, Bob George in his book, FAITH THAT PLEASES GOD, published by Harvest House.
Good words to ponder on May 4, 2005. God bless.

FAITH: INITIATOR OR RESPONDER?

"Faith is man's response to what God has already imitated on his behalf.
God is always the initiator. We are the responders. Our faith responds to the totality of what God has accomplished on our behalf through Christ Jesus, but our faith is never the cause of it.
The faith that pleases God recognizes that there's no area of our life that God hasn't recognized. He knows our past, He knows our present, and He knows or future. He knows every hidden motive of our heart and every thought. And because He is a God who loves us, He has initiated a unique plan for our happiness. When we RESPOND to God and learn to walk by faith in Him, we live contented, productive lives -- even in the midst of seeming adversity.
Faith is believing that God knows best and is faithful even when we are faithless. The Christian life is not to be lived through self-effort in obedience to the law, but by faith as we are led internally by the Spirit of God. The reason people insist on hanging onto the law is that they have never experienced being led by the Spirit. It thus becomes easy to fall into the trap of being an initiator instead of a responder.
But that's not God's plan nor His desire for us. He will not keep us wandering in the wilderness if we allow ourselves to be led by Him.
The Christian life is a life of faith from beginning to end. The faith in Christ that first saved us is the same faith by which we grow and live. Our proper response of thankfulness to God's gift of grace changes as we see how grace provides for us what we could not provide for ourselves."
--adapted from THE FAITH THAT PLEASES GOD, by Bob George published by Harvest House.
Good words for us to ponder on this May 3, 2005

BELIEF OR TRUE FAITH?

"There are few things quite so boring as being religious, but there is nothing quite so exciting as being a Christian. Most folks have never discovered the difference between the one and the other, so that there are those who sincerely try to live a life they do not have, substituting religion for God, Christianity for Christ, and their noble endeavors for the energy, joy, and power of the Holy Spirit. In the absence of reality, they can only grasp at ritual, stubbornly defending the latter in the absence of the former, let they be found with neither!
They are lamps without oil, cars without gas, and pens without ink, baffled at their own importance in the absence of all that alone can make man functional; for man was so engineered by God that the presence of the Creator within the creature is indispensable to His humanity.
Christ gave Himself for us to give Himself to us! His presence puts God back into the man! He came that we might have life -- God's life!
There are those who have a life they never life. They have come to Christ and thanked Him only for what He did, but do not live in the power of who He is. Between Jesus who 'was' and the Jesus who 'will be'
they live in a spiritual vacuum, trying with no little zeal to live for Christ as life that only He can live in and through them, perpetually begging for what in Him they already have." foreword written by Major Ian Thomas, (author of the classic, THE SAVING LIFE OF CHRIST) in Bob George's book CLASSIC CHRISTIANITY, published by Harvest House.
Good words for you to ponder on May 2, 2005. Have a blessed day IN CHRIST.

WORSHIP IS FUNDAMENTALLY AN OFFERING ...

"It's more giving than receiving . . ." so writes Anne Ortlund in her book, UP WITH WORSHIP.
"Back in the Old Testament days, it was clear to see that worship meant giving. You came to the tabernacle with your offering in your hand or in your arms, perhaps lugging or dragging it. It might have been wheat or oil, but often is was sheep or goat or a young bull.
Worship and giving blurred and blended. In fact, God told the Jewish people, ' No one is to appear before me empty-handed.' (Exodus 34:20)
David wrote, 'At his tabernacle will I sacrifice,' and it was to be truly a sacrifice. No sick sheep or lame cows; his gift had to be in perfect condition -- something he'd like to have kept for himself. When David was once offered a 'freebie' to use as a sacrifice, he wouldn't take it (2 Samuel 24:24). The point of the sacrifice was to give up by faith in order to see God supply -- and so give him pleasure.
This is what worship still means today. Hebrews 13:15 says, 'Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise
-- the fruit of our lips that confess his name.' The praise is to be continuous, which sometimes means inconvenient. It will take effort to be with your local family of God Sunday by Sunday, lifting up 'together'
commitment.
Sometimes you can be critically busy -- when every minute of the day is precious -- to get something done. Well, drag that lamb of two hours'
time, and come to God's house.
Sometimes you may be drained of emotion. Just the same, drag that lamb of verbalized praise to church, and offer it there.
Sometimes you'll be low on finances. Get together your sacrificial gift, and drag that Lamb to the Lord's house. You say you don't GET anything out of church? Well HE'S supposed to, more than you! Bring to him your consistent, sacrificial gift of worship! Drag that lamb!"
Good words to ponder on this first Sunday of May . . .
Coming soon . . . VICTORY CALL . . . a five day note of encouragement for women (Monday-Friday). Watch for details! Freedom Fighters is a daily ministry of America's KESWICK . . . where God speaks to hearts and transforms lives!"