"A WHACK ON THE SIDE OF THE HEAD" STORY

"A WHACK ON THE SIDE OF THE HEAD" STORY

I just finished reading a book that will go on my list of the most influential books I have ever read. The book was written by Rick Johnson, president of BETTER DADS. The book -- BETTER DADS, STRONGER SONS . . . How Fathers Can Guide Boys to Become Men of Character is a must read for fathers of any age. I am going to try and arrange for an interview with Rick on our KESWICK TODAY radio ministry.

Here's the story that "whacked me on the side of the head" . . .

A man came home from work late again, tired and irritated, to find his five-year-old son waiting for him at the door. "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"
"Yeah, sure, what is it?" replied the man.
"Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?"
"That's none of your business! What makes you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily.
"I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make and hour?" pleaded the little boy.
"If you must know, I make twenty dollars an hour."
"Oh," the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, "Daddy, may I borrow ten dollars, please?"
The father was furious. "If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is so you can borrow some to by a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you can march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you're being so selfish. I work long, hard hours every day and don't have time for such childish games."

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even madder about the little boy's questioning. How dare he ask such questions only to make some money!

After an hour or son, the man had calmed down and started to think he might have been a little too hard on his son. Maybe he really needed to buy something with that ten dollars, and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door." "Are you asleep, son?" he asked.

"No, Daddy, I awake," the boy replied.
"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier," said the man. "It's been a long day, and I took my aggravation out on you. Here's the ten dollars you asked for."

The little boy sat straight up, beaming, "Oh, thank you, Daddy!" he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled-up bills. The man, seeing the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at the man.
"Why did you want more money if you already had some?" the father grumbled. "Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied. "Daddy, I have twenty dollars now. Can I buy an hour of YOUR time?"

I don't think that I need to even make a comment. Rick makes this statement: "Your kids aren't impressed with all your accomplishments. The only thing that really impresses them is your time and attention."

A powerful reminder for Dads of ALL ages.

Why not bring your son or Dad to our Father Son Night this Thursday, June 1, 2006. A great evening has been planned for you. Former New York Giant, Keith Elias, is our speaker. Call today for reservations! Call 800-453-7942 today and make your reservation!!!

PLEASANT WORDS

"Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the mind and healing to the body." Proverbs 16:24

The Holy Spirit keeps hammering me on the power of my words. My words can be so destructive or they can build up. Think about some of the "destructive language" we use with ourselves and with others:

You never ...
There's no way ...
You should ...
I'm not good at ...
What's the point of ...
The problem with ...
You don't understand ...
That's stupid ...
Don't go there ...
It hurts to ...
You don't get it ...
We'll lose if ...
I'm better than ...
Listen to me ...
Don't start ...
It's depressing when ...
When I was your age ...
I'm afraid that ...
This is the worst thing that ...
I don't care about ...
You make me ...

Now here are some ways we can be positive and constructive with our words:

One possibility is ...
It would be good to ...
I love you because ...
Thank you for ...
I appreciate the ...
I like ...
I understand why ...
Your best quality ...
The best part ...
Have confidence ...
Please ...
We'll succeed if we ...
It's okay to ...
My reasoning is ...
I'm best at ...
The good news is ...
Let's make the best of ...
That's a good point ...
How can I help you with ...
I'm sorry ...
It's my responsibility ...

(from WHAT HAPPY PEOPLE KNOW by Dan Baker and Cameron Stauth)

Good words for me to consider today. Join us for our Father Son Night at America's KESWICK. Former New York Giant, Keith Elias, will be our speaker. 6:15 PM is a great dinner followed by the program. Afterwards, you can enjoy the pool, weight room and gym with your son or Dad. Make your reservation today -- 800-453-7942.

MEMORIAL DAY

MEMORIAL DAY

As we celebrate Memorial Day at America's KESWICK, I dedicate the words of this powerful hymn to two patriots who gave their lives on a field in Shanksville, PA on September 11, 2001 -- Don and Jean Peterson. Don served on the Board of America's KESWICK and joined his fellow patriots on Flight 93.

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 crow thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine 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
Thine 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.

Have a great Memorial Day!

THE VICTORIOUS CHRISTIAN LIFE

THE VICTORIOUS CHRISTIAN LIFE

"IN all these things we are more than conquerors though him who loved us." Romans 8:37

"Our Lord in the seven letters to the churches of Revelation (read Revelation 2 -3) concludes with a promise to each for those who OVERCOME. The phrase, 'he that overcomes" is repeated seven times; and with it some glorious promises are given. They were given to churches like Ephesus that had forsaken their first love, to Sardis, that had a reputation of being alive, but was dead, and to Laodicea with her lukewarmness and self-satisfaction -- as proof that if they would only repent, they might win the crown of victory. The call comes to every Christian to strive for the crown.

How do we attain victory? The answer is simple. ALL IS IN CHRIST! It all depends on our right relationship to Christ, our complete surrender, perfect faith, and unbroken fellowship with Him. Just as we had no rest until we knew He had received our conversion, so now we feel the need of coming to Him to receive from Him the assurance that He has undertaken to keep us by the power of His resurrection life.

Christ, the Victor, is your Lord, who will undertake for you in every thing and will enable you to do all the Father expects of you. Be of good courage. Trust Him to do this great work for you, who has so freely given His life for you and forgiven you of your sins. Only be bold to surrender yourself to a life kept from sin by the power of God. Along with the deepest conviction that in you dwells no good thing, confess that you see in the Lord Jesus all the goodness you will ever need for the life of a child of God.

Thank God, a live of victory is CERTAIN for those who are aware of their inward ruin and are hopeless in themselves but who have place their confidence in Jesus. They, by faith in His power to make the act of surrender possible for them, have done it in HIS strength and now rely on Him, and Him alone every day and every hour."

From the pen of Andrew Murray -- LIVING A PRAYERFUL LIFE

THOUGHT: The deeper we are willing to enter into the death of self, the more shall we know of the mighty power of God, and the perfect blessedness of a perfect trust.
Andrew Murray

Today is the Lord's day! Thank Him today that through CHRIST -- you are MORE THAN a conqueror.

This week on Keswick Today, Bible teacher and conference speaker, David Rich, shares 7 SECRETS YOU WON'T HEAR IN CHURCH. Don't miss the broadcast. You can listen right from the Keswick website: http://www.americaskeswick.org/

A LOOK INTO THE MIRROR LOOK IN THE MIRROR

A LOOK INTO THE MIRROR LOOK IN THE MIRROR

"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'" (Luke 18:13)

If you've ever wondered how far God would go to show His love, look in the mirror and wonder no more. We need not look any further than ourselves to find the most shocking and amazing displays of God's grace. If we think otherwise, it is only because we have not seen ourselves as we truly are.
It has been said and sung many times: "There but for the grace of God go I." At first this sounds grateful, but such sentiment masks a dangerous pride. It is actually not unlike the statement of a religious leader in Jesus' day as he looked upon a sinner on his knees crying out for God's mercy. "Lord I thank you that I am not like that sinner over there," the Pharisee prayed. It is a view that focuses on someone else's misfortune. Someone else is worse than I am. Much better to be thinking and praying, "Here, because of the grace of God, and for no other reason, am I." I am the only person I truly know about when it comes to sin. I am the authority on the subject.
The Pharisee hasn't a clue about the sinner-who he is or what he has done. Nor does he have any business making the assumption that the sinner is lot is any worse than his. The only prayer any of us can pray on the subject of sin is: "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner." This is the only prayer that sends heaven scurrying.
It is best to steer completely clear of the comparison game. Any attempt to better oneself at the mercy of someone else's failure will always bring a twisted view of both ourselves and others.
The immensity of God's mercy is not displayed in what He did for the world, or for someone else. Nor is it discovered through some theological understanding of the many nuances of His grace. The immensity of God's mercy is revealed finally-and only-in the incredible realization that, lo and behold, it found out the worst of the lot. It looked from heaven and found out me!

John Fischer

Scripture Reading: Genesis 29-30; Matthew 9:1-17

This morning's devotional is from the Keswick daily devotional, REAL VICTORY FOR REAL LIFE, soon to be released in it's second edition. Watch for details. To order a copy, call the KESWICK BOOKSTORE -- 800-453-7942 ext. 31.

Join us today for our Community Open House right on the beautiful grounds of America's KESWICK. 11-3!!! See you there. Please be sure to mention to me that you are a member of the Freedom Fighter family.

YOU TOOK SATAN'S BAIT

YOU TOOK SATAN'S BAIT

The following was given to me by one of my staff members. It was written by Mary Eldridge.

Sin will take you farther
than you want to go.
You will soon find out
that it becomes a foe.

The deeper you fall
into that old stuff,
Satan will laugh,
and call your bluff.

He'll get you so busy,
listening to him,
he won't be happy,
till you're on a limb.

Once you get there,
he laughs with glee,
he says, now boy,
it's just you and me,

He has stuff to offer,
he knows you're blind,
while he has you,
he'll play with your mind.

It's movies, porn, booze,
and pretty prostitute girls,
there's wining, and dining,
while your head swirls.

Can't you just see,
what sin does to you,
If you weren't so blind,
you'd know what to do,

You took Satan's bait,
You've fallen so low,
You're drowning in sin,
grief sorrow and woe.

There's hope for you,
you don't understand,
I know of someone
who'll take your hand.

He loves you no matter
what you have done,
And because of this,
God gave us His Son.

He surely can help you,
and set your soul free
The reason I know this
Cause He did it for me.

If you mean business,
and I sure hope you do,
Give everything to Jesus,
He gave His all for you.

Good words for you to consider today. Have a great Memorial Day Weekend. Coming in June, Pastor John Strain, Senior Pastor from First Baptist of Toms River, will be sharing with us some thoughts from the book of Proverbs.

If Freedom Fighter has been a blessing to you, share it with a friend. They can sign up right from our website: www.americaskeswick.org.

HELP FOR DISCOURAGEMENT AND DEPRESSION

HELP FOR DISCOURAGEMENT AND DEPRESSION

From the pen of Fenelon in his timely book, THE SEEKING HEART:

"You get discouraged because your mind wanders too much? What do you expect? Theresa of Avila says, 'The imagination is the fool of the house.' It concocts wild scenarios and takes you away from being aware of God in the present moment.

Go forward. Stop listening to all the horror stories your imagination whispers to you. Go forward. You feel sad because you look for God and do not FEEL His presence as much as you want. You tire of trusting God by faith. You tire of hanging in the air. You want to see progress! You make one mistake and fall into a depression. What pride! What self-obsession!

Love God and stay still before Him. You would rather punish yourself, and stir up a commotion, than forget yourself and look to God. Mourning your weakness will not make you better. It will only contribute to a good case of self-pity. The slightest glance toward God will calm you far more.

As far as a natural depression that comes from physical reasons, simply endure it in peace. Set your eyes on God. Do what He shows you to do. If He has need of you, fine. If He does not, then live and wait for Him in peace.

As far as being disappointed in others, you must learn not to expect so much from people. It is the only way to avoid disappointment. You must take the fruit that a tree bares -- but remember that some trees only put out leaves and caterpillars! God has an infinite amount of patience with YOU, as He does with all people. He is not even put off with your resistance to Him. Try to imitate HIS patience and mercy. Only imperfection is bothered by the imperfect. The more mature you grow as a Christian, the more patient you will be toward the faults of others.

When depression weighs you down, there are two things that might help you. First, relieve your sadness with the means that God gives you. Don't overload yourself with difficult things. Guard your strength of mind as well as your strength of body. Don't take more upon yourself than your courage can bear. Set aside time for being with God, for reading, and for good conversation. Take time for the harmless entertainment which will relax the mind with the body.

Secondly, bear in peace all the feelings of sadness which still remain with you after you have done all this things to help yourself. Don't fight with them and they will go away in due time." Pretty powerful words written over 400 years ago!

THOUGHT: "Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit you way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. And He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him." Psalm 37:3-7

Have you made plans to come to America's KESWICK for our Community Open House on Saturday? Visit our website for information: www.americaskeswick.org

HUMILITY

HUMILITY

"Everyone who has deeply walked with God knows that humility is the foundation that you build your spiritual life on. True humility comes from seeking the interests of God before your own. Humility comes in no longer living for yourself but in letting Jesus Christ live His life in/through you.

You are always trying to 'be something' or to be noticed for your spirituality. There are a lot of people who have an OUTWARD spirituality, but inwardly they still think too much of themselves. People who think they are lowering themselves have a lot of conceit. They think they are doing others a favor in 'getting down to their level.'

True humility is not like this. I know it sounds incredible but a truly humble person is content in ALL situations. He doesn't notice if he is being praised or blamed, and isn't always weighing if what is being said to him, or about him, is to his advantage. A simple person allows himself to be led by the Lord Jesus.

So let go of yourself with courage. Whether God lifts you up or lets you remain unknown, the glory is still all HIS!" from FENELON -- THE SEEKING HEART.

"Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and HE will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant]." James 4:10 The Amplified Bible

THOUGHT: "Peace of heart lies in perfect resignation to the will of God. What you need is true simplicity, a certain calmness of spirit which comes from entire surrender to all that God wills, patience and toleration for your neighbor's faults, and a certain candor and childlike docility in acknowledging your own faults. The trouble you feel about so many things comes from your not accepting everything which may happen to you, with sufficient resignation to God. Put all things, then, in His hands, and offer them beforehand to Him in your heart, as a sacrifice. From the moment when you cease to want things to be according to your own judgment, and accept unconditionally whatever He sends, you will be free from all your uneasy retrospect's and anxieties about your own concerns." Francois Fenelon

Join us at America's KESWICK for our Memorial Day Weekend conference with Drs. Jamie Mitchell and Les Ayars. For information about the weekend conference, visit our website: www.americaskeswick.org.

FIVE BENEFITS IF YOU LEARN TO WAIT

FIVE BENEFITS IF YOU LEARN TO WAIT

My good friend, Dr "B," president of INVEST IN A LIFE, sends me all kinds of encouraging notes throughout the year. She also has a resource equipping center (THE BEEHIVE) at Sandy Cove. Recently she sent me a bookmark that gives five principles of learning to wait.

SLOW ME DOWN, LORD . . .

1. Waiting is the key to PERCEPTION
"Show me your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in you truth and teach me for you are the God of my salvation; on you do I wait all the day." -- Psalm 25:4,5

2. Waiting results in PROTECTION
"My soul waits for the Lord; He is my help and shield. For my heart shall rejoice in Him because I have trusted in His holy name." -- Psalm 33:20-21

3. Waiting gives PERSPECTIVE
"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him: Fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices." -- Psalm 37:7

4. Waiting sees God's PROVISION
"The Lord is good to them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him." -- Lamentations 3:25

5. Waiting results in POWER
"But they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint." -- Isaiah 40:31

Good words for you to ponder today.

THOUGHT: God is looking for imperfect men and women who have learned to walk in moment-by-moment dependence on the Holy Spirit. Christians who have come to terms with their inadequacies, fears, and failures. Believers who have become discontent with 'surviving' and have taken the time to investigate everything God has to offer in this life. -- Charles Stanley

Join us this Saturday for our Community Open House at America's KESWICK from 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM. I'd love to see you! Games, great food, and helicopter rides! For information, visit our website (www.americaskeswick.org) or call 732-350-1187.

WHAT ARE YOU CRAVING?

WHAT ARE YOU CRAVING?

Having three of our kids pregnant is going to get interesting. They are all have their unique cravings for food right now. And being that I am still on this journey with my weight, I still have cravings for several things. In fact, after four years of this, I still crave those dumb Pepperidge Farm Gold Fish! And right now, the thoughts of a "Chunky" candy bar could push me over the edge.

Webster defines craving as "an intense desire for." What is it in your life that you crave? In my reading of Proverbs today (Amplified Bible) 21:21 (I am a day behind) jumped off the page: "He who earnestly seeks after and craves righteousness, mercy, and loving-kindness will find life in addition to righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) and honor."

The footnote for his verse led me to Matthew 5:6: "Blessed and fortunate and happy and spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born-again child of God enjoys His favor and salvation) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), for they shall be completely satisfied! Matthew 6:33: "But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His Kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be give you besides."

If today you are IN CHRIST -- you have been clothed in HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS and you are "right with God." Your righteousness are described in Isaiah, as filthy rags. Because of what Christ did on the cross for you, when God the Father looks down at you, He does not see you -- He sees Christ. Isn't that an awesome truth. Because of Christ, we have a right standing with God the Father.

But as we are growing IN CHRIST, are desire is to live a life THROUGH CHRIST that is pleasing to Him. Where we once craved sin, we now crave a life of purity and integrity in our walk. We look at life from a different perspective. Our new identity IN CHRIST causes us to act, speak, and think, very differently. I need to step back and ask the question: WHAT AM I CRAVING TODAY? Is it the desires of the flesh or is it RIGHTEOUSNESS, MERCY, and LOVING-KINDNESS?

Here's a suggestion: If you find yourself craving something today, take a moment to stop and talk to the Lord about it. Rather than seeking "it," why not seek HIM!

Good inventory questions for us to ask as we begin this new week. My friend, what are you craving today?

Thought for today: "When God is your Father, He never stops being your Father. To put it in theological language, not only is your justification (being saved) by grace, your sanctification (becoming more like Christ) is by grace too. The trouble is that most Christians think they're saved by grace but grow by sweat. Many of us believe that when we were saved, God took our slate filled with sin and rebellion and wiped it clean. That's a lie...Listen! God took our slate and He broke it in pieces and threw it away. He does not deal with His family by keeping track on a slate of how we are doing. The slate is irrelevant because of the blood of Christ." Steve Brown, When Being Good Isn't Good Enough

This week on Keswick Today, Dr. Scott Turanksy and JoAnne Miller share insights into parenting from their new book PARENTING IS HEART WORK. Listen right from our website: www.americaskeswick.org.

ANSWERED PRAYER

ANSWERED PRAYER

"BEFORE HE HAD FINISHED PRAYING, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder . . . Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord, saying, 'Praise be to the Lord, . . . Who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness.'" Genesis 24:15, 26-27

"Every godly prayer is answered BEFORE the prayer itself is finished -- 'BEFORE he had finished praying . . .' This is because Christ has pledged in His Word, 'My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name' (John 16:23). When you ask in faith and in Christ's name -- that is, in oneness with Him and His will -- 'it will be given you.' (John 15:7)

Since God's Word cannot fail, whenever we meet these simple conditions, the answer to our prayer has already been granted and is completed in heaven AS WE PRAY, even though it may not be revealed on earth until much later. Therefore it is wise to close every prayer with praise to God for the answer He has already given. 'Praise be to the Lord, who has not abandoned His kindness and faithfulness."

When we believe God for a blessing, we must have an attitude of faith and begin to act and pray as if the blessing were already ours. We should respond to God as if He has granted our request. This attitude of trust means leaning upon Him for what we have claimed and simply taking it for granted that He has given our request and will continue to give it.

When people get married, they immediately have a new perspective and begin to act accordingly. This is how it should be when we take Christ as our Savior, our Sanctifier, our Healer, or our Deliverer. He expects us to have a new perspective, in which we recognize Him in the capacity and the role we have trusted Him for, and in which we allow Him to be everything to us we have claimed by faith." from Streams in the Desert

Good words to consider as we worship the Lord together on HIS DAY!

TRACTORS

TRACTORS

Now is that an interesting title for a devotional? I just spent the last week with our grandson, Tanner, who is year and a half. He lives in Minnesota (soon to be New Hampshire) on the family farm. This little guy is obsessed with tractors. He has several videos/dvds about tractors, books, and of course, numerous toy tractors. For his age, he has a great vocabulary (proud grandpa, hey?) and one word that he says constantly is . . . You guessed it -- TRACTOR.

Everywhere we went this week, that is all he talked about. He would see a tractor and just flip. He'd get the biggest smile on his face just talking about a tractor. And when he saw one, well forget it ... he'd just about climb out of your arms to hop on board.

I thought about Tanner's enthusiasm for tractors and pray that one day he will have that same awe, wonder and enthusiasm for God. Think about it as we prepare our hearts for worship. We get obsessed with so many things. I did a quick search this morning using the word "obsessed" in THE MESSAGE. Here's what I found:
Job 36:17 And here you are laden with the guilt of the wicked, obsessed with putting the blame on God!
Psalm 37:12 - Bad guys have it in for the good guys, obsessed with doing them in.
Psalm 64:1 - Listen and help, O God. I'm reduced to a whine And a whimper, obsessed with feelings of doomsday.
Ec. 9:3 - I find this outrageous - the worst thing about living on this earth - that everyone's lumped together in one fate. Is it any wonder that so many people are obsessed with evil? Is it any wonder that people go crazy right and left? Life leads to death. That's it.
Eze. 22:3 - Tell her, 'This is what God, the Master, says: You're a city murderous at the core, just asking for punishment. You're a city obsessed with no-god idols, making yourself filthy.
Eze. 23:9 - "So I left her to her Assyrian lovers, for whom she was so obsessed with lust.
Hosea 12:1- Ephraim, obsessed with god-fantasies, chases ghosts and phantoms. He tells lies nonstop, soul-destroying lies. Both Ephraim and Judah made deals with Assyria and tried to get an inside track with Egypt.
Am. 6:6 - Woe to those addicted to feeling good - life without pain! those obsessed with looking good - life without wrinkles! They could not care less about their country going to ruin.
Luke 16:14 - When the Pharisees, a money-obsessed bunch, heard him say these things, they rolled their eyes, dismissing him as hopelessly out of touch.
Act. 22: 19 - "At first I objected: 'Who has better credentials? They all know how obsessed I was with hunting out those who believed in you, beating them up in the meeting places and throwing them in jail.
Acts. 26:11 - I stormed through their meeting places, bullying them into cursing Jesus, a one-man terror obsessed with obliterating these people. And then I started on the towns outside Jerusalem.
Romans 8:5 - Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them - living and breathing God!
Phil. 2:4 - Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.
2 Th 2:11 - And since they're so obsessed with evil, God rubs their noses in it - gives them what they want.
1 Tim 5:11 - Don't put young widows on this list. No sooner will they get on than they'll want to get off, obsessed with wanting to get a husband rather than serving Christ in this way.
1 Tim 6:17 -Tell those rich in this world's wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage -
I want to do a deeper search, but what amazed me is that there is no references to someone being obsessed with God. We get obsessed with TV shows, sports, food, cars, computers, and all kinds of things -- but there is ONE who desires that we become obsessed with Him and Him alone.

One thing for sure -- it isn't going to happen if we wait to Sunday to focus on HIM. Worship needs to be a part of the fabric of your life and mine each and every day. Kids do learn from us. The shoe is one the other foot though -- Tanner is teaching me a good lesson -- I want to be obsessed by God in the same way he is obsessed with tractors. Thanks, Tanner.
Now how about you?

GOD IS OUR FORTRESS

GOD IS OUR FORTRESS

"My soul followeth hard after you, your right hand upholds me." -- Psalm 63:8

"We cannot escape the dangers of this world without the continual and constant help of God. We experience many trials and difficult situations daily. When our problems overwhelm us -- when family, money, health, and work issues seem like they are going to crush us, this is when we must cling to God and put our trust in Him. God knows we cannot overcome these problems on our own. As Christians, God expects certain resolutions on our part. To depend wholly on Him and not on human beings or the material world is one of them.

No matter how strong we think out life in THE LORD is, He is the only one who can deliver us from evil. The trials God sends us are meant to make us, not break us. God demands us to look to Him for help in times of trouble. He removes all possible means of escape, save Him. He will teach us to lean on Him when we are at our weakest, if we let Him.

As Christians, we need to form a holy habit of appropriating Christ for our every need at every turn. In ourselves we are nothing; in Jesus we are everything. "Apart from Me, you can do nothing." (John 15:5d) Our Lord does not say, apart from me things will be difficult, or apart from me you stand a 50% chance of succeeding. He tells us we can do NOTHING. In order to live a victorious Christian life, we must have the all-sufficient hand of God upon us. Everything else in life pales in comparison. Everyday is a new opportunity for our soul to seek out and find HIM! This must be in our constant thoughts of God. If we do not know this, we must learn it. Today is the day to proclaim: JESUS CHRIST IS ALL MY LIFE -- THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ALL MY POWER."

I am a creature of God, and He has an undoubted right
To do with me as seems good in His sight,
I rejoice that I am in His hand -- that He is everywhere
Present and can protect me in one place as well as in another. -- A. H. Judson

Today's FREEDOM FIGHTER was written by one of our recent Colony grads, Chris Conners, who is now in our Discipleship program. Chris trusted Christ during his 120-day stay at the Colony of Mercy and has had no "church" background. It is a great reminded of how Christ works in a life -- transforming us from glory to glory!

PRESSURE

PRESSURE

"We were under great pressure ... so that we despaired even of life ... this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead." 2 Corinthians 1:8-9

Pressed beyond measure; yes, pressed to great length;
Pressed so intensely, beyond our own strength;
Pressed in my body and pressed in my soul,
Pressed in my mind till the dark surges roll.
Pressure from foes, and pressure from dear friends.
Pressure on pressure, till life nearly ends.
Pressed into knowing no helper but God;
Pressed into loving His staff and His rod;
Pressed into liberty where nothing clings;
Pressed into faith for impossible things.
Pressed into living my life for the Lord,
Pressed into living a Christ-life outpoured.

"The pressure of difficult times makes us value life. Every time our life is spared and given back to us after a trail, it is like a new beginning. We better understand its value and thereby apply ourselves more effectively for God and for humankind. And the pressure we endure helps us to understand the trials of others, equipping us for to help them and to sympathize with them.

Some people have a shallowness about them. With their superficial nature, they lightly take hold of a theory or promise and then carelessly tell of their distrust of those who retreat from every trial. Yet a man or a woman who has experienced great suffering will never do this. They are very tender and gentle, and understand what suffering really means.

Trials and difficult times are needed to press us forward. They work in a way the fire in the hold of a mighty steamship provides the energy that moves the pistons, turn the engine, and propels the great vessel across the sea, even when facing the wind and the waves." from STREAMS IN THE DESERT

Good word for today. Trust that it will encourage your heart if you are feeling PRESSED today.

AM I TOO BUSY?

AM I TOO BUSY?

Here are some additional thoughts on the verse I shared with you yesterday from Proverbs 16:3 -- "Roll your works on the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed."

One of the problems in our society is that we are way too busy. Sometimes our busyness keeps us from staying connected to the right SOURCE. Instead we are connected to sources that drain us and cause the T.I.R.E.D. Syndrome vs. living a life of resting and trusting the way God has designed us to live.

John Gordon in his book THE 10-MINUTE ENERGY SOLUTION says that the T.I.R.E.D. Syndrome "is a condition in which you feel worse and worse the more you use your computer, your cell phone, and the multitude of electronic gadgets that are supposed to make your life easier. Symptoms include feelings of increased stress, fatigue, depression, anxiety, isolation, and sleep deprivation. T.I. R. E. D. stands for TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION RELATED ENERGY DEPLETION."

Gordon goes on to say that "it seems every facet of our life is being replaced by electronic substitutes. Instead of exercising we're searching, responding to emails, playing on-line games, and watching TV. About 60 percent of adults don't get enough physical activity, and 25 percent don't get any at all. Our physical activity is declining -- and the average American spent about 1,669 hours (or 70 days) watching TV in 2004, according to USA TODAY. And instead of getting together with family and friends, we are spending more time on our cell phones and online. Studies now show that the average American spends 619 minutes a month on the cell phone and 3 hours a day on-line.

Our lives are always on and connected. Whether it's by phone line, cable modem, cell phone, or PDA, we are always connected to technology information. We're always plugged in, and instead of drawing power we are expending it, giving it away, or having it sucked from us -- costing us our health and our energy."

But Gordon hasn't touched on the major issue. We are so connected to the wrong source because of our crazy lifestyles that we don't have time to spend with Him. We don't even think of "rolling our works on the Lord" because we have crowded HIM out of our lives. If we are too busy for HIM -- we are way too busy and need to make a major adjustment in our lives. When we spend time alone with Him, He replaces the stress and strain of life with HIS rest. That is when we are restored.

How about it . . . Are you too busy this morning to spend time with the Lord? Maybe you are way too connected to the wrong source. Why not give Him 10 minutes each day for the next week. Some of you will say, "Just 10?" Well my guess is that if you haven't given Him ANY time, ten minutes is a good start. Don't wait until tomorrow. Start today! God bless you.

YOUR PLANS AND MINE

YOUR PLANS AND MINE

Our 2006 summer conference season is weeks away from beginning, and quite frankly, it has been discouraging to me to see the lack of interest in people registering for this summer. We worked hard at getting our brochure printed earlier, mailed out earlier, and in fact, even did a second mailing this year. The net gain has been incremental, and quite frankly, discouraging.

Yesterday I talked with a good friend who is a consultant with the Christian Camp and Conference Association, and while his news was not good, it was a help. The bottom line is that camps and conference centers are all experiencing low registrations this summer and they are trying to figure out what is going on.

Today's verses for me from Proverbs were "just what the doctor ordered" but came from the GREAT PHYSICIAN who knows exactly how to diagnose what is going on with my life:

" The plans of the mind and orderly thinking belong to man, but from the LORD comes the [wise] answer of the tongue. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits (the thoughts and intents of the heart). Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them WHOLLY to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable with HIS will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed." -- Proverbs 16:1-3

I love the word pictures presented in these verses. We had a systematic plan this summer. Brian Bitler, our Director of Marketing and Technology prepared a beautiful brochure (www.americaskeswick.org). From the "world's" point of view, it should "sell" our summer season. And yet for some reason, it hasn't produced the results "WE" have expected. So panic sets in and I begin to ask the question -- "What are WE going to do?"

Then the Holy Spirit this morning hit me over the head with the holy "two-by-four" -- the living, powerful, active, relevant Word of God: "ROLL YOU'RE YOUR WORKS UPON THE LORD SO YOUR PLANS WILL BE ESTABLISHED." The Holy Spirit reminded me that there are times that I have my plans and thoughts and they just don't work. All the marketing techniques and the things that are supposed to work are thrown out the window -- I need to "roll my works onto HIM" and allow Him to line up my thoughts with His will . . . THEN "my plans will be established and succeed."

Bottom line -- it is another example of this whole concept of "I am not, but I know I AM." It isn't all about me -- IT'S ALL ABOUT HIM." "Lord, I don't know how to 'fix" the summer season . . . So I am rolling my burden, concerns, works onto you . . . Without you, apart from you -- I can't do anything! Show me YOUR plans and purposes for this summer."

What are you struggling with today, my friend? Roll your plans on HIM. I will be praying for YOU today!

If Freedom Fighters bless your heart, why not invite a friend to join our growing family. You can sign up them up right from the homepage: www.americaskeswick.org. God bless you.

WILL I EVER GET IT?

WILL I EVER GET IT?

"Kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim." -- Proverbs 15:4 THE MESSAGE

Sometimes I wonder if I will ever get it. I know one day I will -- and that gives me hope. But until then, I need to constantly remind myself that my tongue is a powerful weapon. Too often I find myself speaking first and then thinking about what I said.

James gives an amazing word picture in James 3 about the power of this little member that could be classified as a weapon of mass destruction:

"A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word of our your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish anything -- or destroy it! It only takes a SPARK, remember to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell. This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue -- it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth." (from The MESSAGE)

How often my words have been a weapon of mass-destruction. Have you ever been there? It's like dropping the atomic bomb -- before you have a chance to think about what you've said, your word(s) have caused catastrophic destruction. I'm not proud to say that I have done that with my wife, my kids, my staff. I've seen that look in their eyes -- I drop the bomb and the hurt is there.

I need to prayerfully consider my words before I speak them. Play the tape to the final conclusion. I can understand now the cry of King David's heart: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my FIRM, IMPENETRABLE ROCK and my REDEEMER." Psalm 19:14 from the Amplified Bible. My prayer today is that my words will bringing healing and help not wound or maim.

Steve and Annie Chapman will be sharing about MARRIED LOVERS AND FRIENDS on this week's KESWICK TODAY broadcasts. Steve and Annie will be speaking at our June Couple's Weekend. Check out the broadcast right from the Keswick homepage: www.americaskeswick.org.

MOTHER'S DAY

MOTHER'S DAY

Today is the day we honor those special ladies in our lives -- our Mothers! One of the things that grieves my spirit is how many folks I meet who have absolutely no relationship with their Mothers. It is a hard thing for me to understand. My Mom was by no means the perfect Mom -- but our Dad adored her and from my earliest recollections, he made sure that my brother and me honored, respected and loved her.

When my Mom died, she didn't leave us anything of substantial monetary value. But what she left us was a legacy of what it means to love Jesus. She loved Jesus with all her heart. What she did leave me was a Bible filled with notes and dates of how God was at work in her life. She also left several very worn devotional books that contained notations of things that were taking place in her daily walk with God.

One of her favorites was a devotional written by Millie Stamm, BE STILL AND KNOW. Most of the pages are missing and I didn't know why until months after she died. My Mom had a very aggressive form of cancer and lived out her last weeks and days at the Cancer Treatment Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was unable to do much communicating verbally because her the cancer had affected her throat and voice box. But she was still able to radiate the love of Christ to those who cared for her. She communicated by writing notes to the nurses and doctors. When it was hard to even write, she would pull out the pages of her devotional book and give them to her caregivers.

Several months after she went home to be with Jesus, we received a note from a nurse who was touched by her life. This nurse was having a particularly tough time personally and my Mom was very sensitive to her need. What she pulled out of that worn and tattered devotional book, was just what God wanted this nurse to hear. This lady was touched by the love and concern of my Mom.

It's days like today that I really miss my Mom. We talked on the phone for a few minutes every day up until the day before she died. I miss hearing her voice. I miss chatting with her. But as I read her devotional books each morning, she still speaks to my heart. I'd love to be able to pick up the phone today and tell her that she has three grandbabies on the way! She would be so happy and proud of her granddaughters, Laura and Julie, and the daughter-in-law she never met, Jenny. Thanks, Mom, for the legacy you left us -- may my new grandbabies come to love Jesus the same way you did.

"The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the fear-of-God. Festoon her life with praises!" -- Proverbs 31 from THE MESSAGE

Guys -- if you are not going to be with your special Mom today -- pick up the phone and call her. Tell her you love her. You won't have her on this side of heaven forever. Don't spend a life of regret wishing you had made that call!

ONE OF THOSE DAYS

ONE OF THOSE DAYS

Yesterday was one of those days. It started out with a phone call that one of our Colony grads who was supposed to lead our prayer times for the conference this weekend, was taken to the hospital with stroke like symptoms. A half-hour after that, we received word that one of our precious donors had had a massive stroke and went home to be with Jesus at 4:30 in the morning. Not long after that while in our Board meeting, my wife came to the door and judging by the look on her face, I could tell there was a problem.

Our youngest daughter's baby (growing in her womb) had not moved in twelve hours and they were obviously greatly concerned. (Everything is fine, thank the Lord!). By the afternoon, we received word that the Director of our Keswick Institute of Biblical Studied had his good friend at the seminary die unexpectedly. Then I received word that the one of our staff baby's was diagnosed with pneumonia.

It sort of felt like one of those "JOB" days. If you've never read his story in Job 1, he continued to receive bad news all day long. The text says, " . . . And while they were speaking ..." more and more bad news was being delivered. In the course of several hours, this man, favored by God, lost all of his possessions as well as all his kids. What was so amazing, was at the end of a very, very, bad day, Job didn't run and hide -- he didn't crawl up in some corner and give up. The end of the first chapter says that "Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.' Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God." (Job 1:21-22)

Wow. Despite the way Job's day went -- HE WORSHIPPED! That's the heart of a worshipper! Not just worshipping when things go well, but worshipping even when it has been ONE OF THOSE DAYS. As you prepare for the Lord's day tomorrow, have you had ONE OF THOSE DAYS? WEEKS? MONTHS? May the song and praise from our lips be this -- BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD.

Have you made your plans to join us for our 2006 summer conference season? We have four great Adventure Weeks planned for you. For information, you can download our summer brochure at www.americaskeswick.org. Have a great day.

HEADQUARTERS

HEADQUARTERS

I was blest as a teenager to get to hear one of America's great preachers, Vance Havner, now with the Lord. Recently I was given a copy of a devotional thoughts, long out of print. Here is one of my favorites . . .

"Most of us report somewhere or other to headquarters. The soldier reports to his commanding officer. The clerk reports to the boss. The teacher reports to the principal. In the shop, in the store, in business and profession, we show up now and then at headquarters.

For a good many years I have been reporting to headquarters. But I go to no office building, I get in touch with no man. I can take my hat off while walking in the woods, or wake up in the middle of the night anywhere and report to the top command. For I was called and commissioned to preach the Gospel. Heaven is headquarters, and I do not have to wait in an anteroom nor take my place in a line or get by a secretary. There is a rent veil, and I can come boldly to the throne of grace. Anytime, anywhere, I can reach the Manager.

How good it is when puzzling problems arise, when difficult decisions must be made, to stroll into the woods and talk things over! Or if emergencies suddenly develop and quick action must be taken, I do not have to phone -- heaven is nearer than the next town.. There is glorious liberty in it, for, so long as I am on good terms with Headquarters, I need not worry about my popularity down here.

But while having one's headquarters in heaven gives blessed liberty, it also involves much responsibility. To our own Master we stand or fall, but there is law in liberty. We must give an account to Him for our stewardship, and it is required of stewards that a man be found faithful. Our Lord does not merely suggest it, He requires it. There is law in the New Testament as well as in the Old. We do not run loose under grace. But it is the law of Christ, the law of life and love. 'The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.'

So I shall continue to report to Headquarters here. And eventually I shall report up there. But I shall not turn in my credentials to retire. I shall be recommissioned for work in a new sphere. It is said concerning the Heavenly City, 'And His servants shall serve HIM.' That is why I need to keep in touch with Headquarters here:

Take time to be holy, be calm in your soul;
Each thought and each motive beneath His control;
Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,
You soon shall be fitted for service above."

When was the last time YOU reported to Headquarters? He is waiting to hear from YOU today!

Devotional thought from REST FOR THE WEARY by Vance Havner published by Revell

TAKING THE INITIATIVE

TAKING THE INITIATIVE

" . . . Add to your faith virtue . . . ' 2 Peter 1:5

Good words today from the pen of Oswald Chambers: My Utmost for His Highest . . .

ADD means that WE have to do something. We are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We cannot save nor sanctify ourselves -- God does that. But God will not give us good habits or character, and He will not FORCE us to walk correctly before Him. We have to do all that ourselves. We must 'work out ' our 'own salvation' which God has worked IN us (Philippians 2:12).

ADD means that we must get into the habit of doing things, and in the initial stages that is difficult. To take the initiative is to make a beginning -- to instruct yourself in the way you must go.

Beware of the tendency to ask the way when you know it perfectly well. Take the initiative -- stop hesitating -- take the first step. Be determined to act immediately in on what God says to you when He speaks, and never reconsider or change your initial decisions. If you hesitate when God tells you to do something, you are being careless, spurning the grace in which you stand. Take the initiative yourself, make a decision of your will right now, and make it impossible for you to go back. Burn your bridges behind you, saying, 'I will write that letter,' or 'I will pay that debt'; then do it! Make it irrevocable.

We have to get into the habit of carefully listening to God about EVERYTHING, forming the habit of finding out what HE says and heeding it. If, when a crisis comes, we instinctively TURN TO GOD, we will know that the habit has been formed in us. We have to take the initiative where we ARE, not where we have not yet been."

Wow -- I am always amazed how timely Oswald's writings are for today. God has so used his writings in my life. I trust that today these words will impact your life like they have done again for me this morning. What area of your life has the Holy Spirit pinpointed today where you must take the initiative? I'd love to hear from you.

Jennifer Sands continues to share lessons learned from the tragedy of 9-11. Hear her story today on KESWICK TODAY radio. Visit our website: www.americaskeswick.org

Shouldn't . . . Can't ... Won't

Shouldn't . . . Can't ... Won't

Three interesting words that went through my mind very early this morning. All three impact the choices we make in our lives. Yesterday we looked at the downward cycle in the lives of the children of Israel:

They forgot His works
They forgot their Savior
They did not believe His word
They grumbled
They did not listen to His voice

And as I read further in Psalm 106 today, I add to more to the list:

They provoked Him to wrath . . .
They became unclean in their practices.

What a downward spiral. If we are not careful -- we can follow the same downward path. And if we are honest with ourselves . . . At times, haven't we been there because of wrong choices we have made?

I have been on this journey with my weight loss for several years now and have been stuck. I know what I SHOULDN'T eat . . . I know what I CAN'T eat. But until I resolve that I WON'T eat the wrong things -- I will live in defeat.

All of us face temptations and those sins in our lives that the writer of Hebrews said are "besetting sins" -- "the ones that so easily entangle us." You know exactly what I am talking about because just now the Holy Spirit placed His finger on that area of your life. Think about that area -- Have you found yourself saying -- "I know I shouldn't do that" -- but you do. Then the conviction comes from the Holy Spirit and we tell ourselves -- "I can't do that again" and we promise ourselves, and often God, that we cannot go there again.

The Apostle Paul faced a similar struggle . . . "For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate . . . For I do not do the good I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do." (Romans 7:15, 19)

What the children of Israel couldn't get is what we need to remember. We need to move from I SHOULDN'T and I CAN'T to I WON'T. That is only possible THROUGH Christ. He gives us the power to make those choices.

I know what I need to do with my eating. I need to resolve today that WON'T eat those things that I KNOW are going to cause me to go backwards and fall. It is the same with those things I struggle with. I need to move from I SHOULDN'T . . . I CAN'T . . . To I WON'T.

I was reminded of an old hymn that I was taught as a child:
I am resolved no longer to linger,
Charmed by the world's delight,
Things that are higher, things that are nobler,
These have allured my sight.
Refrain
I will hasten to Him, hasten so glad and free;
Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to Thee.
I will hasten, hasten to Him, hasten so glad and free;
Jesus, Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to Thee.
I am resolved to go to the Savior,
Leaving my sin and strife;
He is the true One, He is the just One,
He hath the words of life.
I am resolved to follow the Savior,
Faithful and true each day;
Heed what He sayeth, do what He willeth,
He is the living Way.
I am resolved to enter the kingdom
Leaving the paths of sin;
Friends may oppose me, foes may beset me,
Still will I enter in.
I am resolved, and who will go with me?
Come, friends, without delay,
Taught by the Bible, led by the Spirit,
We'll walk the heav'nly way.
So what is it this morning with you? Is there an issue that you have been saying, "I SHOULDN'T?" Have you found yourself yielding to it and then saying "I can't do this again?" Purpose today . . . Resolve today . . . By God's grace you CAN say "I WON'T."
Hope my ramblings this morning made sense. Dialog with me about it if you'd like. I always enjoy hearing from you. Have a good day.

DON'T FORGET

DON'T FORGET

One of the things that plagues many older Americans is forgetfulness. We tend blame it on age. I hang out with a fair amount of senior citizens because of where God has placed us at America's KESWICK. Forgetfulness is an on-going problem.

But "forgetfulness" seems to be something we deal with since early childhood. Raising Zach has been fun even at this age, but as we do through these pre-teen years with him and still have some discipline issues to deal with (do they ever go away?) he will often say, "I forgot!" We scratch our heads as parents and say, "How can you forget? We just talked about this yesterday!"

The children of Israel, like you and me if we're honest, struggled with forgetfulness. They witnessed so many miracles, signs and wonders under the leadership of Moses and yet how quickly they forgot what God did for them. God would perform a miracle that would astound them, and then so quickly they went back into their sinful ways.

In Psalm 106 this morning, just in the space of several verses I read:

106:13 -- They QUICKLY forgot His Works
106:13 -- They forgot God their Savior who had done great things . . .
106:24 -- They did not believe His Word but grumbled in their tents . . .
106:25 -- They did not listen to the voice of the Lord . . .
106:32 -- They provoked Him to wrath . . .

This is certainly a "text that preaches" because we too so often fall into this pattern, don't we? We see God's amazing miracles. We are astounded and blessed, and then so quickly forget about it. Sometimes I find myself scratching my head when I am facing a "mountain" or a wall. How will we ever make it through? I have seen God do so many amazing things since coming to America's KESWICK, and yet at times it is like my ADD kicks in big-time and I forget that HE IS ABLE.

When we allow ourselves to wallow in unbelief it leads to a cynical spirit which then opens the door for us to be grumblers and complainers. We grumble at work. We grumble at church. We grumble at home. As a leader, I get discouraged sometimes when the "natives" start grumbling. Then I remember poor Moses -- 3 million of them! Wow!

Forgetfulness leads to unbelief. Unbelief unchecked turns to cynicalness which leads to a grumbling heart. But if we allow it to grow and fester, we close our ears to the voice of God. We ignore the promptings of His still, small voice. We read the Word, and yet ignore what He is saying. He speaks -- but we don't even hear.

The Lord got frustrated with the people. He was determined to wipe them out. But a man named Phineas stood up and "interposed" -- came between. And it says in Psalm 106:30 -- "And so the plague was stayed!" You can be a Phineas today -- at work -- at church -- at home! Maybe it means even being a Phineas in your own life. You can stop the cycle. We'll talk about that tomorrow.

Lord, help us to be "remembers" today instead of forgetters.

Jennifer Sands continues to share lessons learned after the tragedy of 9/11 on today's edition of Keswick Today. Listen to the broadcast right from our home page: www.americaskeswick.org

I CAN DO ALL THINGS?

I CAN DO ALL THINGS?

I have shared with you several devotionals reflecting on the topic of "I
am not but I know I AM" . . . And today in my quiet time, the Lord
reminded me of this powerful truth . . .

"Are spiritually minded people equipped with a stress exemption? Do they
ever burn out? These might sound like heretical questions. Nevertheless,
the issue is important to consider, because if we answer the question
wrongly -- in either direction -- there will be significant
consequences.

Many people with great faith assume that God gives them a special
exemption to stress, overload, and burnout. It therefore comes as a
great surprise when they, too, hit the wall. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN TO
ME? I MUST NOT HAVE HAD ENOUGH FAITH!

Disillusionment sets in. Then discouragement. They stop ministering.
They have no permission to tell others of their pain. What to do?
Unfortunately, they sometimes find themselves trapped in a system that
provides no comfort -- only judgment.

Overload, like influenza, is a non-sectarian pathogen; everyone gets a
part of this pain. It strikes indiscriminately. Believers and
unbelievers alike experience overload, just as they both experience the
flu when it comes to town. Christians have the same limits and
susceptibilities as everyone else.

Philippians 4:13 is a wonderful verse, where Paul writes, 'I can do all
things through Christ who strengthens me.' Can you fly? Can you go six
months without eating . . . Or sleeping? Neither can you live a healthy
life chronically overloaded. God did not intend this verse to represent
a negation of life balance. Jesus did not work twenty-hour ministry
days, and He did not fix every problem in Israel. Daily He simply loved
the person standing in front of Him.

Philippians 4:13 is completely true. But we need to re-understand it,
cleansed from our modern presumptive bias that God is suspending human
limits on our behalf. We cannot do 'all things,' but we can do
everything the Father has ordained for us, in the strength that Christ
provides.

As it turns out, salvation solves the lostness problem -- and that is of
incalculable value. But it does little to solve the overload problem.
This is not to say we don't have deep spiritual resources that are of
immense value. But is some ways we also have a heightened sensitivity to
the pain and brokenness of the world around us. And that often hurts
unbearably.

God had His reasons for not delivering us from this type of pain. It is
best to trust His heart in the matter." from Dr. Richard Swenson -- A
Minute of Margin -- Restoring Balance to Busy Lives.

"We give our family and ourselves an incredible gift when we make the
decision to live within God's limits. It opens the door to genuine rest
in our lives." -- Tim Kimmel

Listen to KESWICK TODAY and hear the powerful testimony of Jennifer
Sands. Her husband was the pilot of the first plane to hit the World
Trade Center. Jennifer's powerful testimony will bless your heart. You
can listen on-line @ www.americaskeswick.org.

INFLUENCE

FOR SOME REASON THIS DID NOT GO OUT YESTERDAY . . . SO I AM USING IT FOR
TODAY'S FREEDOM FIGHTER . . .

INFLUENCE

Have you ever stopped to think that YOU influence the lives of the
people you meet? On Thursday night I had the privilege of being a part
of a memorial service for a dear friend who greatly influenced my life.
She was 91 when she slipped into eternity last Saturday at 6:30 AM.

If I had to make a list of the people who influenced my life as a child,
this lady would be on the top three. She loved kids and had an
incredible ministry called Kids Korner that met on Friday nights at our
home church. As a young teenager, she pulled me aside and encouraged me
to be a "helper" on Friday nights -- setting up chairs, helping with
memory verses, learning to run a movie projector, and all other kinds of
fun jobs. She got us involved in helping with Vacation Bible School and
eventually had us teaching a class.

During my later teen years and while dating, she would send me notes of
encouragement always reminding me how important it was to serve the
Lord. She loved God and when you touched her she bled JESUS and HIS
WORD. After we were married and were in "full-time" Christian service,
she would invite me to sing and preach at the Sunday B Ladies Auxiliary
meeting. Her smile, her encouraging words, her notes reminding me of her
prayers influenced me in ways that she never could imagine.

Shortly after coming to America's KESWICK, we established a number of
off-campus prayer groups. One meets in Philly at a retirement community.
Much to my surprise, this grand lady was a resident and began attending
our prayer times. What I quickly discovered is that her love for Jesus
had only intensified even more! I loved to hear her pray and talk with
her Savior.

As I reflected this week on her life, I realized that had it not been
for Gertie Shoemaker, I may not be in ministry today. I am thankful to
the Lord that He brought her into my life. She has had a profound impact
on my life, family and ministry. It helped me to realize again that I
too can have an influence on the lives of others. That is an awesome
responsibility and privilege. May I never take that for granted. Thank
you, Gertie Shoemaker for influencing my life for Christ.

Pr 4:13 - Always remember what you have been taught, and don't let go of
it. Keep all that you have learned; it is the most important thing in
life.
1Co 2:13 - We don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions. We
didn't learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it
from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we're
passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way.
Php 4:9 - Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or
seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

2Ti 1:13 - Hold on to the pattern of right teaching you learned from me.
And remember to live in the faith and love that you have in Christ
Jesus.
2Ti 3:14 - But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have
become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it.

THE JOY OF CHRIST

THE JOY OF CHRIST

Growing up we sang a lot of praise choruses that had motions to them.
One of the songs was "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy -- down in my
heart" . . . to which was the echo -- "where?" -- "down in my heart to
stay!" One of the attributes of the Christian should be a life that is
filled with joy. A joy that is in the heart, bubbles up from the heart
and expresses itself on the face, which is then obvious to everyone
around them that there is something different about them.

Henry Blackaby, writes in his daily devotional EXPERIENCING GOD DAY BY
DAY: "If there is anything that ought to characterize the life of a
Christian, it is joy! Jesus spoke many times to His disciples about His
joy being complete and full in them. His disciples were filled with joy
as they realized who they were: children of God and joint heirs with
Christ (Romans 8:16-17). They had been dead in their sins but were now
made alive in Christ (Romans 6:4). They had once been helpless victims
of death, but now death had no hold over them (1 Corinthians 15:55-58).
With such a marvelous salvation experience with Christ, how could the
disciples be anything less than joyful?

Don't deny yourself that which is your birthright as a child of God.
Don't be satisfied with a joyless life. There ought to be in every
Christian a deep, settled fullness of the joy of Christ that no
circumstance of life can dispel. This comes as you allow the Holy Spirit
to express Himself in your life. One of the fruits of the Spirit is joy
(Galatians 5:22). This joy is unlike any happiness that is produced by
the world. It fills you and permeates everything you do.

Jesus did not pray that your would merely be happy or even that you
would escape grief. He prayed that you would have the same joy that the
Father had given Him: a divine joy, a joy that comes from a deep and
unwavering relationship with the Father. It is a joy that is grounded so
firmly in a relationship with God that no change in circumstances could
ever shake it. This is the kind of joy that Christ is praying will be in
you."

How about you this morning? Is your life characterized by the joy of
Christ? Good thought to ponder today.

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

"If my people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and
seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from
heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles
7:14

Today people will gather all across our nation to pray. God hears our
prayers. This is a day to pray for our President and those who serve
with him. It is a day to pray for our nation. The 2006 theme is
"America, Honor God." God called Israel to humble themselves and pray
and to turn from their wicked ways. I want to encourage you today to
spend some time before the Father and examine YOUR heart.

I share with you one of the prayers of the Puritans that deal with sin
in our lives. The words of powerful:

Merciful Lord,
Pardon all my sins of this day, week, year, all the sins of my life,
sins of early, middle, and advanced years,
of omission and commission,
of morose, peevish and angry tempers,
of lip, life and walk,
of hard-heartedness, unbelief, presumption, pride,
of unfaithfulness to the souls of men,
of want of bold decision in the cause of Christ,
of bringing dishonor upon Your great name,
of deception, injustice, untruthfulness,
in my dealings with others,
of impurity in thought, word and deed,
of covetousness, which is idolatry,
of substance unduly hoarded, improvident ally squandered,
not consecrated to the glory of thee,
the great Giver;
sins in private and in the family,
in study and recreation, in the busy haunts of men,
in the study of Your Word and in the neglect of it,
in prayer irreverently offered and coldly withheld,
in time misspent,
in yielding to Satan's wiles,
in opening my heart to his temptations,
in being unwatchful when I know him nigh,
in quenching the Holy Spirit;
sins against light and knowledge, against conscience and the restraints
of thy Spirit,
against the law of eternal love.
Pardon all my sins, known and unknown,
felt and unfelt,
confessed and not confessed,
remembered or forgotten,
Good Lord, hear; and hearing, forgive. Amen!

"Oh Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee;
Send a revival, start the work in ME.
Thy Word declares Thou wilt supply our need;
For blessings now, O Lord, I humbly plead!"

DYING TO SELF

DYING TO SELF

I recently spoke to a lady who is in her 90's. She has become a dear
friend to our ministry and I love her because she is really wanting to
see God work in her life. She recently shared with me that one of her
friends loved her enough to confront her about her attitude. She told me
that this friend told her she was a spoiled brat and needed to be put
over their knee and get paddled! Not that is bold words to tell someone
in their 90's!

But she asked the Lord to examine her heart and concluded that she was
self-centered and spoiled rotten. She was so wrapped up in herself and
her on little world, that she was actually miserable. Her prayer has now
been that she will "die to self" and allow Christ to live through her.

Louie Giglio shares that when we refuse to die to self we become more
interested in "the story of us." We try to become the I AM rather than
the "i am not!" Here are the signs that that he gives to demonstrate
that we have slipped back into the "story of us":

1. When I live like I am privileged, I have lost the plot. In other
words, when I start acting like I deserve a certain outcome or a higher
standard of life, I have failed to strike the fatal blow to self and am
living like I actually have rights in this world apart from God.

2. When I am demanding, I have lost the plot, insisting that God and
others meet my needs on the timetable that I see fit.

3. When I act pompous, I have lost the plot, thinking I am somebody
while only proving that I haven't had a good look at God today.

4. When I crumble under pressure, I have lost the plot, declaring the
outcome of life rests squarely on my shoulders, not his.

5. When I start protecting, I have lost the plot, marking turf as though
it were actually mine and forgetting that everything I have comes first
from above.

6. When I crave the spotlight for myself, I have lost the plot, losing
sight of the story line and the one true Star!

7. When I fail to celebrate the successes of others who are living for
HIS fame, I have lost the plot, thinking that possibly we are on
different teams when we actually share the same supporting roles in the
same story.

8. When I dwell on feelings of being unloved, unnoticed, or
insignificant, I have lost the plot, abandoning the miracle of knowing
God on a first-name basis.

"All of these privileged, demanding, arrogant, frazzled,
turf-protecting, glory-stealing, self-loathing moments are nothing more
that a clarion call alerting us to the fact that it's time to die again,
reminders that the life of smallness requires a vigilant watch and a
constant willingness to strike the fatal blow in the heart of me. To die
to self is to gain an unfathomable scale -- a daily funeral that is
nothing more than the doorway to a life filled with the matchless WONDER
OF ALL THAT HE IS!" -- Adapted from "i am not but i know I AM" by Louie
Giglio, published by Multnomah.

So how are you doing today? Good thoughts to ponder.

THE WORD

THE WORD

This morning I want to share with you the Psalm that I read in my quiet
time. It speaks volumes. Someone needs to hear these powerful words from
THE WORD this morning . . .

Psalm 103:1-18

Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless HIS holy
name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget NONE of His benefits;
Who pardons ALL your iniquities;
Who heals ALL your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit;
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is
renewed like the eagle.

The Lord performs righteous deeds, and judgments are for all who are
oppressed.
He made known His way to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel.

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, SLOW to anger and ABOUNDING in
lovingkindness.
He will not always strive with us; nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us
according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His
lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our
transgressions from us.
Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has
compassion on those who fear Him.
For He HIMSELF knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.

As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he
flourishes.
When the wind has passed over it, it is no more; and its place
acknowledges it no longer.
BUT THE LOVINGKINDNESS OF THE LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on
those who fear Him,
And HIS righteousness to children's children, to those who keep His
covenant, and who remember His precepts to do them."

May God's Word speak to YOUR heart today and transform YOUR life. Bless
the Lord with ALL your soul this morning and throughout the day.

It's not too late to sign up your wife for our Spring Ladies Day with
our good friend Annie Chapman.
http://www.americaskeswick.org/conf/evspladday.shtml Bless your wife for
Mother's Day. It will be a great gift! Call today and make her
reservation.

FAITH -- NOT EMOTION . . .

FAITH -- NOT EMOTION . . .

This morning was one of those "whack-on-the-side-of-the-head" mornings.
Everything I read had the same message for my soul today. I love when
God does that -- it is something that only HE can orchestrate. These are
"WOW" moments in helping build my faith. Oswald Chambers drove the final
nail in what I needed to hear this morning . . .

"We walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7

"For a while, we are fully aware of God's concern for us. But then, when
God begins to use us in His work, we begin to take on a pitiful look and
talk only of our trials and difficulties. And all the while God is
trying to make us do our work as hidden people who are not in the
spotlight. None of us would be hidden spiritually if we could help it.
Can we do our work when it seems that God has sealed up heaven? Some of
us always want to be brightly illuminated saints with golden halos and
with the continual glow of inspiration, and to have other saints of God
dealing with us all the time.

A self-assured saint is of no value to God. He is abnormal, unfit for
daily life, and completely unlike God. We are here, not as immature
angels, but as men and women, to do the work of this world. And we are
to do it an infinitely greater power to withstand the struggle because
we have been born from above.

If we continually try to bring back those exceptional moments of
inspiration, it is a sign that it is not God we want. We are becoming
obsessed with the moments when God did come and speak with us, and we
are insisting that He do it again. But what God wants us to do is to
'walk by faith.' How many of us have set ourselves aside as if to say,
'I cannot do anything else until God appears to me'? He will never do
it. We will have to get up on our own, without any inspiration and
without any sudden touch from God. Then comes our surprise and we find
ourselves exclaiming, 'Why, He was there all the time, and I never knew
it!'

Never live for those exceptional moments -- they are surprises. God will
give us His touches of inspiration only when He sees that we are not in
danger of being led away by them. We must never consider our moments of
inspiration as the standard way of life -- our work is our standard."

Powerful words for my life, and hopefully they will bless yours today as
well.

This week on KESWICK TODAY radio, Dr. Les Ayars and Robert Hayes share
what will be happening at America's KESWICK Memorial Day Weekend as we
count down the days to the official start of our summer season. Visit
our home page for details and listen to this weeks broadcasts.
http://www.americaskeswick.org/