Coming Down to the End of the Lessons Learned …

Coming Down to the End of the Lessons Learned  …

I shared the lesson yesterday, BUILD CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY INTO YOUR LIFE …

Here are three more points about integrity:

3. Integrity at must take place at home before it moves into the marketplace.
“I will walk in my own house with a blameless heart (a heart of integrity).” Psalm 101:2

We ought to so live our lives that we would not be afraid to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.”

-- Dr. Charles Swindoll

4. Integrity is a life-long commitment.
“Far be it from me that I should declare you right; Till I die I will not put away my integrity.” – Job 27:5

“Leaders with integrity will not only know in their hearts how they ought to live; they will steadfastly live out their convictions throughout their lives.”

-- Henry Blackaby

“Compromise … it starts small, and then builds until our integrity is completely overtaken by whatever evil we surrender to in the first place.”  -- Wayne Hastings

“Our spirituality cannot be divorced from any aspect of life; it infuses and permeates all aspects of our being. Our work, our play, our sexuality, our prayers, our humor, our passion, and our aggression are all a part of our spiritual life, this being a relationship with God that allows us to find our true identity, our meaning, and our life. -- Dallas Willard

“Behavior has a price tag. If you choose to be untrue to yourself and dishonest with others, the initial cost will be a worried mind, troubled heart, and restless body. However, the final payment for the shortcuts of life can be a lot higher when caught in the web of self-destruction.” -- Richard K Biggs, Burn Brightly Without Burning Out

5. Integrity matters to God.
“God can’t stand deceivers, but oh how he relishes integrity.” – Proverbs 11:20

“When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.”  Proverbs 16:7

“Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.” – Proverbs 13:6

“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”  -- Proverbs 11:3

Are you building a life of character and integrity? Tomorrow we will look at an examined life. – Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: 2 Chronicles 13-14; Proverbs 31; John 12:1-26

Motivations: Feeling better has become more important to us than finding God.

Larry Crabb

Practice to Remember: Level 1: Ephesians 6:18; Level 2: Ephesians 6:21-24

Powered Up:  The power of prayer rests in the faith that God hears it. The moment I am assured that God hears, I feel drawn to pray and to persevere in prayer. Andrew Murray

15, No 17 Lessons -- Winding Down

15, N0 17 Lessons:

14. Build character and integrity into your life.

If you want to take a good look at this lesson, check out the story of Joseph in Genesis! You’ll love it. It is a great character study. Talk about a guy who knew what character and integrity was all about.

Here is some things I have gleaned about integrity:

“Integrity is completeness or soundness. You have integrity if you complete a job even when no one is looking. You have integrity if you keep your word even when no one checks up on you. You have integrity if you keep your promises. It is the absence of duplicity and is the opposite of hypocrisy. If you are a person of integrity, you will do what you say. What you declare, you will do your best to be. Integrity also includes financial accountability, personal reliability, and private purity. A person with integrity does not manipulate others. He or she is not prone to arrogance or self-praise. Integrity invites constructive and necessary criticism because it applauds accountability. It’s sound. It’s solid. It’s complete. Integrity keeps one from fearing the white light of examination or resisting the exacting demands of close scrutiny. It’s honest at all costs. Integrity is having the guts to tell the truth, even if it may hurt to do so. Integrity is having guts to be honest, even though cheating may bring about a better grade.

1.     Like excellence, integrity is a moving target.

“You cannot maintain your integrity 90 percent and be a leader. It’s got to be 100 percent.”  -- Executive Leadership Magazine

“One of the realities of life is that if you can’t trust a person at all points, you can’t trust him or her at any point.”  -- Philip Brooks

“Integrity means being consistent in one’s behavior under every circumstance including those unguarded moments.”  -- Henry Blackaby

2. Integrity begins with our own hearts.
“Surely You desire truth (integrity) in the inner self (heart), and You teach me wisdom deep within.” (Psalm 51:6)

“Our worth to God in public will always be determined by our own lives in private.” – Oswald Chambers

“If I am what I think, then the obvious conclusion is that I do what I think.” – Kenny Luck, Every Man, God’s Man

“When the mirror of truth is turned on a man, he will either face it or flee. If he chooses to flee, it’s because the reality of his life, with all its destructive behavior, seems too fearful to face head-on.”  -- Kenny Luck, Every Man, God’s Man

“Integrity is about having sound, moral character. It's having your heart in the right place. It means you won't compromise your principles for any reason, including the overpayment of travel reimbursement from your employer.”  --  Richard K. Biggs, Burn Brightly Without Burning Out

“A person of integrity shows no difference between who they are on the outside as opposed to what they are on the inside.  They are completed and not divided.”
        Wayne Hastings

I’ll share the rest tomorrow. Sorry for the delay! – Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: 2 Chronicles 10-12; Proverbs 30; John 11:30-57

Motivations: The three most important ingredients in Christian work are integrity, integrity, integrity. – Charles Colson

Practice to Remember: Level 1: Ephesians 6:18; Level 2: Ephesians 6:21-24

Powered Up:  If you can’t pray a door open, don’t try to pray it open. – Lyell Ryder.

15, No 17 Lessons

15, No 17 Lessons I Wished I Had Learned Before Turning 50

We are winding down this study, so let’s dive right in …

13. Take care of your finances. There are so many lessons that Jan and I have learned in this area. But let me talk about one big one. Tithing! Don’t shoot the messenger – it is biblical.

Someone recently said that if every believer started to tithe 10% we would be able to take care of the national debt.

Don’t get hung up on the amount – the question is are you tithing? If not, you are being disobedient. So many believe that they can avoid this clear principle from God’s Word and miss the blessing of God on their finances.

Are you daring enough, bold enough to give above and beyond what you normally give? I could tell you hundreds of stories confirming the fact that you cannot out give God. Almost every time Jan and I have felt led to give to someone/something which is a stretch, God has not only returned what we gave but often multiplied it.

I remember a time when we attended a church where they had a faith promise campaign. A friend who was unemployed took a step of faith to make a pledge above and beyond the norm. He was willing to trust God to supply the funds to fulfill that pledge.

One day he visited the local public library and they were having a used book sale. He perused the rack of books and purchased a book for under a $1.00. Weeks later, he picked up the book and when he started to read it, he came to a page where there was a crisp new hundred dollar bill. He leafed through the book and you guessed it, there was enough cash in that book to cover the faith pledge!

I believe that God wants to demonstrate to His kids that when they are obedient in the matter of tithing, He will bless us in ways that will just blow our minds. Freely give – freely receive.

Do you need to learn this lesson? Is the Holy Spirit tapping on your shoulder to take this step of faith? If so, don’t delay! Start today. Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: 2 Chronicles 7-9; Proverbs 29; John 11:1-29

Motivations: Men may for a time be hearers of the gospel, men may for order's sake pray, sing, .... but if it be without joy, will not that hypocrisy in time break out? Will they not begin to be weary? Nay will they not be as ready to hear any other doctrine? Good things cannot long find entertainment in our corruptions, unless the Holy Spirit hath changed us from our old delights to conceive pleasure in these things. Richard Greenham

Practice to Remember: Level 1: Ephesians 6:18; Level 2: Ephesians 6:21-24

Powered Up:  "Most men pray for power, the strength to do things. Few people pray for love, the quality to be someone."
Robert Foster

15, No 17, Things I Wished I Had Learned Before Turning 50

15, No 17, Things I Wished I Had Learned Before Turning 50 (Part 6)

Thanks for dialing in with me on this new week of Freedom Fighter blogs. If you have been reading lately, I have been sharing lessons I have learned that I wished I had learned earlier in my life.

Here’s 11 & 12 …

11. Encourage more and criticize less.

Have you figured out that for some reason it is so much easier to criticize than encourage. Criticism seems to roll off our tongues so easily, while encouragement takes intentionality and thought.

For those of us who are Dads, we really need to be much more intentional about criticism and encouragement when it comes to our kids.

When coming to America’s Keswick, my spiritual Dad, Pastor Bill Raws and I had a great relationship. We met every Tuesday morning to pray and think through the ministry. For five years every time we met Pastor Bill shared all the things I was doing wrong and his frustrations with the ministry.

I would hear positive things about my ministry and the things I was doing right from others that Pastor Bill shared with. While I appreciated the encouragement from the backdoor, but it was really important for me to hear the encouragement from him. It was oxygen to my soul to know that the things I was trying to accomplish were in line with his. I still needed to hear the criticism, but hearing the encouragement made the criticism easier to handle.

Criticism will help us grow and be more effective in our leadership. But I am convinced that it would have much more of a positive impact if we coupled it with encouragement.

Be liberal and intentional with encouragement. Be cautious and balanced with criticism.

12. Become a good listener. The Scriptures remind is to be quick to hear and slow to speak. Notice how often we flip the verse. We are quick to speak and slow to listen. If you want to know if you are a good listener, listen to how many times people say to you, “You are not hearing what I have to say,” or hear the statement, “He doesn’t hear a word I am saying.”

Listening involves giving the one speaking our undivided attention. I used to pride myself on being able to multi-task. Now I understand from experience that this is not something to be proud of. 

My son Zach caught on pretty quickly as a young child that I wasn’t hearing him. One day he placed his little hands on my face and said, “Dad, look at me and listen.” Ouch!

It took me a long time to understand that sometimes (most times) Jan wants me to just listen and hear her heart when she needs to vent or talk out something. We men want to FIX IT – our mates want us to just listen.

By the way – much of our prayer life is like this – we do most of the talking and very little listening!

If you have lessons like this that you have learned, please share them with me. We are winding down with this series, and after I finish my list, I will post some of the lessons you have share with me.  Have a great week, men. – Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: 2 Chronicles 4-6; Proverbs 28; John 10:22-42

Motivations: We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts. A. W. Tozer

Practice to Remember: Level 1: Ephesians 6:18; Level 2: Ephesians 6:21-24

Powered Up:  Mark this! Make your amen strong, never doubting that God is surely listening to you. This is what amen means: that I know with certainty that this prayer has been heard by God. – Martin Luther

15, No 17 Things I Wished I Had Learned (Part 5)

15, No 17 Things I Wished I Had Learned (Part 5)

Today is the official kick-off of our 2012 Summer Bible Conference Season. It's not to late to plan to visit us this weekend for our Memorial Day Weekend conference featuring Dr. Phil Tuttle and Dr. Jamie Mitchell. Remember you can watch live: www.americaskeswick.org.

Thanks for the feedback on this series of blogs … I have received some good comments from someone of you … keep responding … it’s an encouragement (whether it is positive or negative …)

Here are a couple more lessons …

9. Rest and Relax! I know that my wife Jan reads my Freedom Fighter blogs, so I can’t be covering up. She knows the real me. So if I told you that I have learned this lesson, I would be hung up the flag pole!

The bottom line is that I am a terrible “rester” and “relaxer.” My idea of relaxing and resting involves doing work at a different location! J I grew up in a home where you always had to be doing something. Sitting and doing nothing was not an option. My Mom in particular, was always on the move. I think that I inherited most of my genes from her gene pool.

My Uncle on my Dad’s side was just the opposite. His motto was “Why run when you can walk – why walk when you can sit – why sit when you can lie down.” Totally opposite perspective.

I am not proud of the fact that I am a poor rester and relaxer and I am trying to learn that DOING NOTHING is really OK! Vance Havner, a profound Bible teacher and conference speaker used to say, “If you don’t come apart, you will come a-part!

10. Find a hobby and do it. Again, many leaders struggle with thinking that this is a waste of time – but it is great therapy. I love to read, play the piano and play in the garden. Right now I am obsessed with my backyard. It is very therapeutic for me to dig, transplant and then watch things grow. It is very relaxing for me and it helps me clear my mind. I can sit at the piano and get lost for 10, 20 to 30 minutes in my music. And reading – I have books everywhere so that whenever I have a few minutes, I can pick up a book and read a couple of chapters. While the Smartphone and Ipad can be a painful necessity, I have my Kindle Apps installed on both and can read books that I have downloaded electronically. Remember: John C. Maxwell says, “Leaders are readers!”

I will try and finish the list next week and then share some new insights I have received from you. If you haven’t written – don’t procrastinate. We are all learners on this journey. Have a blessed weekend. – Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: 1 Chronicles 25-27; Proverbs 25; John 8:42-59

Motivations: I daresay we've heard a bit about original sin, but not nearly enough about original glory, which comes before sin and is deeper to our nature. We were crowned with glory and honour. Why does a woman long to be beautiful? Why does a man hope to... be found brave? Because we remember, if only faintly, that we were once more than we are now. John Eldridge

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Ephesians 6:13 ; Level 2: Ephesians 6:14-21

Powered Up:  Prayer is asking for rain. Faith is carrying the umbrella. Robert C. Savage

15, No 17 Things I Wished I Had Learned Before Turning 50

Here’s number 8 – we may not get to number 9 … J

Take care of yourself: physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

There’s much dialog and writing today about the care for our souls. That really ties into #1 – making your quiet time a non-negotiable. If you are doing number one consistently, you are nourishing your soul and that’s a good thing.

We men do not take care of our emotions very well. Typically we don’t cry well. I read a book by a good friend many years ago and one of the chapters was “REAL MEN CRY!” We tend to think that crying makes us weak (or appear weak). But if we really want to be Jesus followers, remember that Jesus cried. There are several times in the gospels where it mentioned that Jesus cried.

Tears are ok! Besides helping out our eyes, they are the relief valve to emotions that sometimes get bottled up. I have learned so much from men who have been in our 120-day addiction program. Some of the biggest, masculine, macho men have had the tenderness of heart and have not been afraid to shed tears in front of their peers.

As men we often do anger well! How about joy and laughter? There is way too much pain and suffering in this world. We’ve forgotten how to laugh. One of my fondest memories of my grandmother is one night when I was home sick. My parents were at church and my grandmother was babysitting me. I cannot remember what prompted this, but I can remember very vividly something making her laugh and for the next hour we were both doubled over in pain laughing hysterically. When my parents came home, we couldn’t pull it together to tell them what had happened. It’s ok to cry – it’s ok to laugh.

Now comes the painful part. Taking care of ourselves physically. This hurts because it is where I am right now. I am not talking about yearly physicals and all that fun stuff. I am talking about caring for the bodies we have.

Years ago we hosted a conference for Christian Camping leaders at America’s Keswick. At the end of the conference, the President of our organization had 100+ men join hands to pray for each other. Bob had recently had a heart attack and was concerned for the rest of us. He lovingly but firmly asked as to look around the room at each other and then carefully chided us and encouraged us to take responsibility for the dealing with the “battle of the bulge.” Most of the men gathered in that circle had bellies that hung over their belts.

I have struggled with weight my entire life. Jan and I made a commitment this year to work on this area of our lives. It is tough! It is hard work! But it is worth it. We rebuke men for dabbling in addictions to alcohol, drugs, tobacco, gambling, and porn. But what about gluttony? The Bible had lots to say about that issue.

For some of us, this is a REALLY tough issue. It’s hitting below the belt (no pun intended)! But we do need to take a look at this as leaders and men of God. I will never look like Johnny Atlas at this stage in my life. But I know that in order to finish well, I have to take the painful steps of changing my lifestyle.

If you are thin – remember at the rapture (if you believe in one) there is a grand reversal – the thin will be fat and the fat will be thin! Oh I think that is wrong theology – it says we shall all be changed! J

Seriously, if you are thin, don’t look down your noses and the men who are struggling. Come alongside them and encourage them.

Ok. I have to end this for today. I trust this helps. If you are in the battle with me, let me know – I want t pray for you and encourage you. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: 1 Chronicles 22-24; Proverbs 24; John 8:28-41

Motivations: There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken.

If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket - safe, dark, motionless, airless - it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell. C. S. Lewis

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Ephesians 6:13 ; Level 2: Ephesians 6:14-21

Powered Up:  Prayer is more than a wish; it is the voice of faith directed to God. – Billy Graham

15, No 17 Things I Wished I Had Learned Before Turning 50 (Part 2)

15, No 17 Things I Wished I Had Learned Before Turning 50 (Part 2)

Here are the next several lessons that I have learned, and in fact, I should clarify – I am still learning:

6. Choose your battles wisely. Do you remember these words? 1 TO EVERYTHING there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted, [Heb. 9:27.] 3 A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build up, 4 A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, 6 A time to get and a time to lose, a time to keep and a time to cast away, 7 A time to rend and a time to sew, a time to keep silence and a time to speak, [Amos 5:13.] 8 A time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. [Luke 14:26.] – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (Amplified Bible)

The point I think is obvious. There is a time to speak and a time to listen. There is a time to shut up and a time to speak up. Some things are not worth quibbling over.

Our friend, Betsy Shoppy, said that God invented duct tape for parents with grown kids. If you are a parent, you understand that there are times you need to speak – but there are times when you need to shut up and pray.

I think that is true in leadership. Ask God to give you the discernment to know what battles to choose.

7. Guard your time with your family. I remember years ago a lady from our home church pulling me aside right after Jan and I were married. She said, “Learn from our mistakes.” Our church was wonderful. But there was stuff going on every night of the week, and some of the men were there for everything, and that caused them to neglect their families. She wisely said, “What will it profit a man if he serves the Lord every night at church and loses his own family.”

Several weeks ago I was placed in a quandary. We had planned a special time for our family to get together with Jan’s sister and her family. Jan’s sister has been battling cancer and her niece’s family had been in a tragic accident with Megan’s husband, Richie, dying on impact.

The week before we were to get together a prominent Christian leader died and I was asked to participate in the Memorial Service. For America’s Keswick, this would have put me in front of some very influential movers and shakers in ministry.

When the invitation came, I was in a Board meeting and shared my dilemma with the Board. It was really cool – the Board made it very plain – my responsibility was to be with my family as planned.

I made lots of mistakes in this area over the years, guys. Learn from my mistakes!

Well I said way more today than I had planned. I will address the next ones tomorrow. Thanks for listening. And several of you have written with YOUR lessons. I plan to share them next week. So if you haven’t sent yours, please share your lessons. – Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: 1 Chronicles 19-21; Proverbs 23; John 8:1-27

Motivations: No literature is more realistic and honest in facing harsh facts of life than the Bible. At no time is there the faintest suggestion that the life of faith exempts us from difficulties. What is promised is preservation from all the evil in them. All the water in the oceans cannot sink a ship unless it gets inside. Nor can all the trouble in the world harm us unless it gets within us. That is the promise of Psalms 121. The Lord will keep you from all evil. Eugene Peterson

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Ephesians 6:13 ; Level 2: Ephesians 6:14-21

Powered Up:  God doesn’t demand that we pray in King James English, or even with eloquence. Every feeble, stumbling prayer uttered by a believer is heard by God. Billy Graham

15, No 17 Things I Wished I Had Learned before Turning 50

15, No 17 Things I Wished I Had Learned before Turning 50

Last week I was privileged to address 45 international ministry leaders serving around the world in third world countries. I was asked to talk about leadership lessons I have learned in ministry.

Since I just celebrated my 58^th birthday yesterday, I thought I would share these lessons with you …

1. Make your personal time with God a non-negotiable daily priority. Identify the reasons why you are NOT having a consistent quiet time. My guess is that you know the things that you need to do to make that happen.
   
2. Plan your day! My personality type has obviously changed over the years as I have continue to learn to be a leader – not their yet – have lots to learn yet. I would get NOTHING accomplished if I didn’t take time to plan my day. For me, that means doing a “brain dump” a couple of times during the week at the end of the day. Get the stuff you need to do down on paper. I am using a simple program available on IPAD which can we synched to your computer: Wunderlist. It is free and worth your looking into.
   
   
3. Learn to simplify your life. Simplify more not complicate it! You’ve seen the bumper sticker – “The one with the most toys wins.” I have change it – “The one with the most gadgets loses!” Think of all the gadgets we end up purchasing that are supposed to make life less complicated. Does it work? NO! For some of us, “de cluttering” needs to be on our to-do list weekly. Go through your stuff regularly and get rid of what you don’t need. It will be very helpful in simplifying your life.
   
   
4. Delegate as much as possible. One of my weaknesses!!! You’ve heard it said – “The only way to get the job done right is to do it yourself?” Well if you want it done YOUR way – that’s absolutely right! But if you want to set yourself on a fast-track for burnout as a leader, you better learn that you can’t do it all, and that means letting go – to the point of understanding that while you can lay out the parameters, your staff will never do it the same way you did it. And don’t be at all surprised if they end up doing it better!!!

I’ll share some more tomorrow. Trust this helps. If you have additional lessons, throw them my way. At least I will know you are reading! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: 1 Chronicles 16-18; Proverbs 22; John 7:28-53

Motivations: When circumstances seem impossible, when all signs of grace in you seem at their lowest ebb, when temptation is fiercest, when love and joy and hope seem well-nigh extinguished in your heart, then rest, without feeling and without emotion, in the Father's faithfulness. C. Tryon

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Ephesians 6:13 ; Level 2: Ephesians 6:14-21

Powered Up:  We see the hypocrisy of those who profess to be praying for revival while they are doing nothing to promote it. There are many who appear to be very zealous in praying for revival while they are not doing anything at all for one … What would you think of a farmer who should pray for a crop, and not plow or sow? – Charles Finney

In Christ Alone

In Christ Alone

The other day I was riding in the car and heard this song – the other “In Christ Alone.” I first heard this song when I was serving at Sandy Cove Ministries and directing the Sandy Cove Choraliers. I fell in love with the lyrics and tune and had our brass director, Jeff Vogan, do the solo. It is a power song and I trust the words will help set the tone for this new week.

The words and music are written by Brian Littrell, who is the lead singer for the BackStreet Boys:

In Christ alone will I glory
Though I could pride myself in battles won
For I’ve been blessed beyond measure
And by His strength alone I’ll overcome
Oh, I could stop and count successes like diamonds in my hands
But those trophies could not equal to the grace by which I stand

Chorus:
In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope

Is Christ alone!

In Christ alone do I glory
For only by His grace I am redeemed
For only His tender mercy
Could reach beyond my weakness to my need
And now I seek no greater honor in just to know Him more
And to count my gains but losses to the glory of my Lord

Chorus:
In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope!

I pray it will be true of you and me today – May your source of strength, your source of hope be IN CHRIST ALONE! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: 1 Chronicles 13-15; Proverbs 21; John 7:1-27

Motivations: It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad. C. S. Lewis

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Ephesians 6:18 ; Level 2: Ephesians 6:21-24

Powered Up:  When the Lord is to lead a soul to great faith he leaves his prayers unheard! – Andrew Murray

The Five-Fingered Prayer

The Five-Fingered Prayer

As we bring this week to a close, I found this great little took for prayer in a resource called The Speaker’s Quote Book by Roy Zuck (Kregel):

1. Your THUMB is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a “sweet duty.”
   
   
2. The next finger is the POINTING finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct, and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.
   
3. The next finger is the TALLEST finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God’s guidance.
   
   
4. The fourth finger is our RING finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble, or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.
   
5. And lastly comes our PINKIE – the little finger, which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, “The least shall be the greatest among you.” Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

I thought that was really good. Good tool to use to strengthen our prayer life. Have a great weekend. Have I told you lately … I appreciate you being on this journey with me. God bless you, friend. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: 1 Chronicles 4-6; Proverbs 18; John 6:1-21

Motivations: Learning to live by every word that comes from God was never meant to be a test of spirituality or a merit badge for maturity it's just the way Father wanted his kids to live. If you realize you're accommodating yourself to living without that, maybe now is a good time to remind yourself how involved he wants to be with you.

Wayne Jacobson

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Ephesians 6:13 ; Level 2: Ephesians 6:14-21

Powered Up:  Prayer is request. The essence of request, as distinct from compulsion, is that it may or may not be granted. And if an infinitely wise Being listens to the requests of infinite and foolish creatures, of course he will sometimes refuse them. C. S. Lewis

Grace to Help Ahead of Time

GRACE TO HELP AHEAD OF TIME

“…and find grace to help in good time for every need – appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it.” (Hebrews 4:16b, Amplified)

          The time – almost fifty years ago

          The place – Aroostook County, Maine (bordering Canada)

          The event – we were entering a three-church field that would be our first pastorate.  My wife, Kathleen, and I were excited.

          But – there was another event.  We were also awaiting the birth of our third child.  We knew what that would be like.  A daughter and a son had come along just fine in their time.  We could not have known but God knew.  Jimmy came into this world on January 5, and suddenly our world would never be the same.  Jimmy suffered anoxia in the process of being born.  The doctor tried to say all the right things, but there was no comfort in what he had to say.  Jimmy’s brain had been permanently damaged.  He would never be like his brother and sister.

          We were three weeks away from entering the ministry.  Very suddenly our lives were forever changed.  Jimmy would never be able to speak and express himself.  He would walk – only haltingly – and then not until he was four years old.  Did God have a purpose?  Was there a reason?

          There was no time to search for God’s grace.  Life was a whirlwind of activity.  Three churches, three children (one very special), cold (40 degrees below zero), snow (piling up to the cross-bars of the telephone poles) – and so little money to even buy food or heat a drafty parsonage.  No, there seemed to be no time to search for God’s grace.  But there it was – always sufficient and always on time.  All we had to do was drink deeply of that grace and testify to its sufficiency.

          Was Jimmy our cross to bear?  No!  He became our bridge to hurting hearts for fifty years of ministry.  “Pastor,” they’d say, “you don’t know anything about trials.”  And then the Lord would whisper, “Tell them about Jimmy,” and suddenly their hearts were opened to drink of that grace.

          God’s grace continues to be in large supply.  Thirteen years about Jimmy became a resident of Echoing Hills Village in Ohio – a Christian ministry for very special people like Jimmy.

          My counsel: come often to that throne of grace.  It will be appropriate and well-timed – just when you need it. Rev. John Goodhart is retired and lives in Whiting. He is a good friend of the ministry of America’s Keswick and has been one of the contributors of our Real Victory devotional

Team YOU: 1 Chronicles 1-3; Proverbs 17; John 5:25-47

Motivations: Come now, turn aside for a while from your daily employment, escape for a moment from the tumult of your thoughts.  Put aside your weighty cares, let your burdensome distractions wait, free yourself for a while for God and rest awhile in him.  Enter the inner chamber of your soul, shut out everything except God and that which can help you in seeking him, and when you have shut the door, seek him.  Now, my soul, say to God, 'I seek your face; Lord it is your face that I seek.'  Amen. Anselm

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Ephesians 6:13 ; Level 2: Ephesians 6:14-21

Powered Up:  The great tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer but unoffered prayer. F. B. Meyers

We Can Depend on His Word

You Can Depend on His Word

Four years ago today we thought God would bring healing to our precious granddaughter through open heart surgery. But God had other plans for her healing.

After many weeks of suffering through two open heart surgeries and a cardiac arrest, God chose to heal Lindsay by giving her a new heart. If you read yesterday’s blog, God led my daughter and wife to the same passage of Scripture which they circled as God directing that Lindsay would be healed. They thought the healing would come through her surgery.

When Dr. Green laid Lindsay on the table after we all went through the process of saying goodbye to her, he told the kids that she was now with the Lord and the time of her death was 1:00 PM.

That moment, like many others, is freeze-framed in my mind. Laura standing on one end of the bed and Jan on the other. Laura looked at her Mom and said, “God’s Word was true! He healed Lindsay at 1:00 PM!”

The outcome was not what we wanted. But a powerful reminder that WE CAN DEPEND ON HIS WORD. God has blessed Laura and Jon with three children since Lindsay’s home-going. The third child was born this March – and he blessed us with a precious little girl – Sydney Lin.

Kathie Lee Gifford wrote a song that Robert and Joyce Hayes sing. These words echo what we felt during those difficult days four years ago:

The Skies growing darker as the evening draws near

Storm clouds have gathered and shadows are gone

When all hope has faded replaced now with fear

Tell me what can we depend on?

We can depend on His word- when all hope is gone

We can still depend on – We can depend on His Word.

When troubles grown deeper and the desert is dry

And our hearts are so broken – that we can’t even cry

When our faith is wounded and our joy is gone

Tell me what can we depend on?

(Bridge)

When the rain comes and the pain comes,

And we know that it will

We can still trust – He is still just the same

He still call us by name

When our faith is wounded and our joy is gone

Tell me what can we depend on?

We can depend on His word – when all hope is gone

We can still depend on – we can depend on His Word.

Team YOU: 2 Kings 24-25; Proverbs 16; John 5:1-24

Motivations: Prayer is exhaling the spirit of man and inhaling the spirit of God.

Edwin Keith

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Ephesians 6:13 ; Level 2: Ephesians 6:14-21

Powered Up:  I am often praying for others when I should be doing things for them. It’s so much easier to pray for a bore than to go and see him. C. S. Lewis