We are celebrating our 114th Anniversary of the Colony of Mercy tonight at Masso's in South Jersey. It's not to late to make your reservation. I would love to meet you there. Call today -- 800-453-7942. There is no cost for the meal, but we will take a love offering for the ministry of the Colony of Mercy.
The Fellowship of the Burning Heart
I have been working through a book I read years ago, They Found The Secret, by V. Raymond Edman. The book contains stories of prominent Christian leaders who experienced the reality to the “Keswick” message, also known as the “exchanged life.”
One of the stories highlights the experience of Dr. Richard C. Halverson who after many years in the pastorate became the Chaplain of the United States Senate. During a retreat at Forrest Homes in California, Halverson penned what was to become the four commitments of The Fellowship of the Burning Heart. It was so powerful when I read it, I thought it would be worth sharing with you:
Having come to a personal belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and realizing the urgency of the hour in which we live demands the highest of Christian Discipleship, I wish to unite with a band of young people offering themselves as expendables, with a vision of evangelizing the youth of the world for Jesus Christ in the shortest possible time.
I AM COMMITTED TO THE PRINCIPLE that Christian discipleship is sustained solely by God alone through His Spirit; that the abiding life of John 15 is His way of sustaining me. There I pledge myself to a disciplined devotional life in which I promise through prayer, Bible study and devotional reading, to give God not less than one our per day (Psalm 1).
I AM COMMITTED TO THE PRINCIPLE that Christian discipleship begins with Christian character. There I pledge myself to holy living, that by a life of self-denial and self-discipline, I may emulate those Christ-like qualities of chastity and virtue which will magnify the Lord (Philippians 1:20,21).
Tomorrow I will share the 3rd and 4th principles. I think these are really good for us to put into practice. What do you think? – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Compass Pointers: If the children of God were always saved from floods like believing Noah and his family; if every time somebody pointed a gun at a Christian, the gun just turned to salami; if we really had a money-back guarantee against hatred, disease, and the acts of terrorists, then of course we wouldn't have to worry about church growth. Our churches would fill with people attracted to the faith for secondary reasons. These are people who want an insurance agent, not a church. Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.
Anchored to the Rock: Whether we like it or not, asking is the rule of the Kingdom. C. H. Spurgeon
No comments:
Post a Comment