Promises To God

For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. (2 Corinthians 1:20)


I spent years making promises to God. I would promise to read my Bible more, to pray more, and to witness more. I'd promise to sin less. My life was filled with promise after promise which I would always end up breaking. Consequently, I constantly felt like God must be disappointed with me. I just couldn't seem to get it right, no matter how hard I tried.

If I had only understood then what the Bible says about the subject, I could have saved myself a lot of stress and strain. We're never told in Scripture to promise anything to God. In fact, the Bible is full of promises that God has made to us. That's the part of grace that people find so hard to accept - it's one sided. He gives and we get. He promises and we believe. We have nothing to offer in return nor is there anything He wants or needs from us. Our only role is to believe Him.

Paul said that the promises of God are all "Yes!" in Jesus Christ. That means He is the embodiment of God's promises. What's our part? Again, Paul says it is simply to say "Amen!" That's a word which, in the southern lingo of my roots, means "ain't it the truth!" The bottom line is that there's never a need for us to promise anything. It is to the glory of God that we simply rest in the finished work of Christ and know that in Him God's promises to us have all been fulfilled.

Whatever God has promised us, we have it in Christ. We are "children of the promise" (Romans 9:8) and as "heirs of the promise" (Hebrews 6:17) we can relax and know we don't have to do anything to gain God's blessings in our lives. Everything He has ever promised to do on our behalf has been accomplished and given to us in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)

When God got ready to enter into covenant with Abraham, Abe went to work to prepare for the ratification ceremony. (See Genesis 15) He prepared the sacrificial animals by filleting them and laying the halves on two sides with a bloody path down the middle. Normally, when two people entered into covenant together they would walk arm in arm down that bloody pathway together. In so doing, they were promising that they would each keep their part of the covenant, even if it meant shedding their last drop of blood to do it.

But when the time came for the covenant to be ratified with Abraham, God caused him to fall into a deep sleep and God walked alone down the bloody pathway. What did that mean? It meant that there was no need for Abe to make any promises. The only thing he would have ended up doing was breaking them anyway. So God walked the path alone, and in so doing, proved that He would keep the terms of the covenant for both He and Abraham. The only thing Abe had to do was believe it. When it was all said and done, Abraham did believe it and "it was counted to him for righteousness." (Romans 4:3)

That's all we have to do too. Just believe God. Legalism insists that we "do our part" by making promises to Him about how we'll do better and try harder, but grace tells us that He has done it all. We don't have to promise anything. In fact, when we do we are insinuating that the finished work of the cross wasn't enough to seal the deal (ratify the covenant) and it was. So let's rest in what He has done and give a loud and hearty "Amen!" to Jesus. That and that alone is what brings the highest glory to God.

In Savannah, GA For A Family Emergency - 10/7 Update

Wednesday, 10/7
My Aunt, Elizabeth McVey, is getting better. She is still in Intensive Care, but we hope that won't be for long. They did put the tube in her trachea and now attach the respirator on it only at night while she sleeps. The goal is to wean her off the respirator completely and then wean her off the trach tube over the next week. She is alert now and interacting as much as possible. She can't talk, but sometimes wants to write notes to us. I've kidded her that she "writes in tongues" and I don't have the gift of interpretation. She seems in good spirits, at least as much as anybody could be in her situation.

Our plan is to go to Atlanta at the end of the week. We fly out on Sunday for our GW International Leadership meeting in Canada next week. I canceled a ministry trip I had last weekend, but can't cancel this one. We'll have about 60 people coming in from six countries. I would appreciate your prayers that my aunt will continue to improve while we're gone.

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Saturday 10/4
I'm still in Savannah with my Aunt, who is still in Intensive Care. At this point, her biggest problem is her physical weakness. She has been on a respirator for days and doesn't have the strength to breathe on her own. She will wake up when she is roused up and she understands what's being said to her, but sleeps most of the time otherwise. Today they will put a tube in her trachea in hopes that it will make it easier for her to breathe on her own. They will be able to connect oxygen to the tube if/when she needs it but they'll attempt to have her breathe more and more on her own. We would appreciate your prayers that she will gain physical strength. Tomorrow is her birthday. What a lousy way to spend your birthday. Thanks again to those who are praying with us.


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Wednesday night - 10/1:
Thanks to those who have expressed that you've prayed for my Aunt. I had to return to Savannah today because they have learned that her lung has had blood clots and one dislodged, apparently causing a heart attack. She'll have a heart cath tomorrow morning (Thursday)which will show the cause and extent of damage to her heart. I realize some who are new to my blog may wonder why the personal info, but from the beginning I've indicated that I would use this blog for both public and personal blogging. Close friends and family members read this to stay abreast of what's going on in our personal lives. Others have expressed their interest too. So I post the highs and lows here. This is a trying time for our family and we appreciate the concern and prayers of those who have responded.

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Monday 9/29:
I wrote the post below a few days ago. My Aunt improved and Melanie and I returned home. After we came back, she declined again and is back in Intensive Care on a respirator. The doctors are saying she is improving though. We are waiting now to see if the improvement continues before making a decision about whether to go back to Savannah immediately.
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Melanie and I are in Savannah, Georgia to be with my Aunt, who had an accident that required emergency surgery. She was walking for exercise, stumbled over a root growing out of the sidewalk, and fell to the ground. She fell face first and broke her nose and her neck. While it was a horrible accident, we are very thankful that the surgery was a success and she will fully recover. We thank God that there was no paralysis. The situation could have been much worse.

Her husband (my Dad's brother) died exactly 100 days after my dad died a few years ago. They never had children, and she has no family here in town. We would appreciate your prayers for our Father to make clear how to best move forward as she leaves the hospital and recovers. She's a strong and godly woman who we love much and want to see the best scenario unfold for her.

Our Father's Love

What a great picture of how God can use our lives regardless of our limitations or how long we are in this world. The parents also give us a great example of agape love.

Home From Melbourne

I arrived home on Thursday after a 26 hour trip, worn out but thankful for a wonderful time in Australia. I still haven't adapted back to Eastern Standard Time yet. For the past two days I've become very sleepy in the afternoon and woke up early in the mornings. Since it's a weekend, it's not a problem. Hopefully by Monday, I'll be back on track with the change in time.

I don't know when I've enjoyed being with people anymore than I enjoyed the two pastors there who hosted the conference. Silas Issa and Robert Albano were gracious hosts and their congregations were so responsive that they nearly "preached me to death." I also enjoyed the time with my friend, David Billings, who traveled with me and shared his own grace walk story both in public and one on one while we were there.

I was struck by how diverse the ethnic culture is in Melbourne. There are Christians in both of the churches we attended from all over the world. Apart from the conference, one highlight for me was to share an authentic Lebanese meal in the home of a dear Lebanese couple. I'd never eaten Lebanese food but am determined now to find a restaurant here who serves that food. Another highlight was when Rob took Dave and me to see kangaroos in a national park area. I climbed the fence and got as close to them as I dared.

The people in Australia were very friendly, both inside and outside the church. Plans are to return there in 2010, when we hope to speak at conferences in a number of cities around the country.

Thanks to each of you who prayed for the meetings there.

Report From Melbourne

Wednesday Afternoon, 5:00

Last night I spoke on the subject of our freedom from religious rules and the freedom to live godly lives because of the outflow of the Christ who indwells us. The church was packed and the response was good.

Today we went to what is the equivalent of a national park where we saw kangaroo. I took pictures from a distance, wanting to get closer, but afraid that the kangaroos might charge us. They aren't typically known to be aggressive, but can be if they become afraid. Having never seen a kangaroo and not knowing where their "fear level" may be and considering I'm not confident that I could outrun a kangaroo, my great wisdom advised me to keep my distance :) Would you want to try to outrun this bad boy?

Tonight I'll speak on the love of God and then tomorrow our flight leaves for the long journey home. It has been awesome to be here. I've been invited back for the "Uncensored Grace Conference" in 2010 and am already looking forward to it.

Update From Australia

Melbourne, Monday night, 12:30

Today was a busy day. I spoke this morning at a conference for pastors and leaders and then tonight at the Uncensored Grace Conference. Our hosts are Pastor Silas Issa of the International Baptist Church and Pastor Robert Albano of the City Wide Christian Church. It is a great testimony to the unifying grace of God that an independent, fundamentalist, Baptist church and an Assembly of God church can unite together for a conference like this. Both pastors are grounded in grace and are leading their churches forward in admirable ways. It is a joy to be with these men and their churches.

On Sunday morning I spoke at one church and David Billings at the other. Below is a short segment of Dave speaking at City Wide Christian Church with Pastor Robert Albano.

Thanks for praying!

Arrived In Australia

Sunday morning,5:45

We arrived in Melbourne yesterday morning, tired but excited to be here. My travel time from door to door was 25 hours with 19 of that being in the air. When we arrived our host pastors (Silas and Rob) took us to a nice breakfast at the top of a downtown hotel so that we could see the city. Melbourne is a beautiful town Afterward we came to the hotel where I took a wonderful nap for a couple of hours.

We had dinner with these two pastors and their wives last night before coming back to the hotel for a great night's sleep. I woke up at 4:30 this morning,which is typical for me even at home.(It's 14 hours later here than Eastern Standard Time at home.) I'm rested and ready to speak. I'll be at one church this morning and Dave Billings will be speaking at another. We've both been very encouraged by the enthusiasm of these two pastors and look forward to the ministry time here.

Check back here often and I'll try to post blogs as time permits. Please pray for the "Uncensored Grace" conference here. The hosts have been told that people are flying in from a number of places across Australia and even from outside the country. Pray that many will be set free during these meetings.

Leaving For Australia Today

I am leaving this afternoon to go to Melbourne, Australia where I'll share the message of the grace walk. Dave Billings (Director, GW California) will be going with me and we'll be sharing the message there for the next week.

This trip is particularly encouraging to me because once we teach the message there, I will have shared the grace walk on every continent of the world (except Antarctica, where no people live). I want to give our Father the glory for what He has done during these years I've been sharing the grace walk message. Only He could have opened the doors we have seen open and only He could open the hearts and minds of people all over the planet to have responded to this ministry the way they have done. Thank you, Father!

I've been told by our hosts that people are flying to Melbourne from other places all around Australia. Others are flying in from Myanmar and from New Zealand to attend the meetings.

Please pray that hearts will be open to the message and that this trip will be highly productive. I am praying that this will be the first step in establishing a network of people in Australia who will continue to work together with us to saturate that continent with the message of the grace walk.

I leave this afternoon and arrive there on Saturday morning at 8:00 (14 hours time difference). It's a 24 hour trip for me from home to Melbourne. Pray for Dave and I to have physical strength and great effectiveness as we share there.

I'll post blogs from there as, and if, I'm able.

What Do You See?

I put this online a long time ago, but enough time has passed that I want to use it again. What do you see?


This sketch has been around since the late 1800s. It's a picture of both an old woman and a young woman, depending on your perspective. If you're having a hard time seeing both -- the necklace on the young woman is the old woman's mouth. Beneath the necklace of the young woman is the old woman's chin. The ear of the young woman is the old woman's eye. (If you can't see it from those descriptions, it'll take divine revelation for you to see it :)

The Lord spoke to me through this picture a few years ago when I was struggling with a situation that looked very "ugly" to me. He showed me that it wasn't the picture that needed to change. What needed to change was my perspective. Since that time, the situation that I initially thought was ugly actually turned into something I see now as beautiful. Our Father's plan is often not to change our circumstances, but to change how we see and respond to those circumstances.

Do you see other applications that could be made from this picture?

Our Grace Walk Groups Are Reaching Out!

Bill and Sybil McIlhatton have been impacted by the message of the grace walk and decided to start a Grace Walk Group in northern Ireland. Do you have friends you'd like to see understand the message? Why not start a group in your own home and share the message through the videos and printed material we are using? If you're interested, email me at gracewalkgroups@gracewalk.org

It's exciting to hear of lives being transformed by God's grace! Like me, Bill was a Christian many years before understanding the grace of God for the Christian life.

Bill writes:

Some details about myself, I was born in 1945 in Ballymena Co Antrim, brought up in a traditional Christian home. Attended church at the Gospel Hall.

I put my faith in Jesus Christ at the early age of 13 years. Church was a place where I was taught that the way to gain recognition was to obey all the rules and regulations, on doing that I would live closer to God. I tried for 30 years and miserably failed. On moving away from the area I attended a more open Gospel Hall, I started to enjoy a little freedom, but this was short lived. New people came and started to change the whole structure back to what I had left.

My wife Sybil and I decided to leave and search out a new church, we found A Christian Fellowship in the town of Coleraine, we started to attend and found more freedom to worship God, but also found a church that showed a love that we never experienced before. That was 10 years ago, and I am now an elder in the church.

I am going through The Grace Walk Experience and will soon finish. It has given me an insight into living the abundant Christian life that I have been searching 50 years for. To realise that Jesus has completely done everything, the old me is dead, the new me is Holy and Righteous because I have the life of Christ living in me. I can now live the abundant Christian Life I have been searching for. When I found this truth out I jumped for joy and praised my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Brother Steve, I praise God tonight that I ever came across the work book on the Grace Walk, I will never be the same again.

I am so excited about being part of this ministry, to have the opportunity of telling others about the way the Grace Walk experience has changed my life.

May God bless your Grace Walk Ministries, and that millions of Christians all over the world will find this God given freedom found only in Christ.

Urgent: Please Help This Christian Man

Please respond to this appeal. I've known this man for many years and he needs our help. Forward this information to as many people as you can and ask them to help too.


Beijing Book Store Owner, Shi Weihan, Barely Recognizable to Close Friends due to Extreme Deterioration of Health
Posted Sep 04 2008

China Aid Association, Inc.
Tel: (267) -205-5210
Fax: (432)-686-8355
E-mail: info@ChinaAid.org
Website: http://www.chinaaid.org/
http://www.monitorchina.org/
Contact: Daniel Burton (432)-689-6985

September 4, 2008

Beijing- CAA has learned that Christian bookstore owner and house church leader, Mr. Shi Weihan, was transferred to the Beijing Haidian District Detention Center. Shi’s case has been transferred from the Public Security Bureau to the Beijing Procurator. According to personal acquaintances who have visited Mr. Shi, his health has degenerated to the point that he is hardly recognizable to his closest friends. Shi was first detained on November 28, 2007 then acquitted of charges on January 4, 2008. On March 19, of this year he was detained for the second time and has been incarcerated until now.

CAA President Bob Fu, strongly condemned the Beijing authorities for their cruel and unjust treatment of Shi Weihan. Mr. Fu urged Beijing authorities to release Mr. Shi as soon as possible to avoid adversity amongst the international community.
To express your concern over the unjust treatment of Shi Weihan, contact:

Tang Long, City of Beijing Deputy Secretary General of the Municipal People’s Government.
Phone: 011-86-10-62362008

Liu Jianchao, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Director of Information Department.
Phone: 011-86-10- 65963342

Issued by CAA, September 4, 2008

Headed Home From Winnipeg

I'm leaving Canada today and headed back home. My time here in Winnipeg was productive. I enjoyed being with my friends, Willard and Betty Thiesen and Bob and Audrey Meisner, who lead the station. We recorded five programs with Bob interviewing me. The shows will air the week of November 17. You can watch them online that week on their web site at www.newday.org. The programs will be available on demand so you don't have to watch while they're actually broadcasting on TV.



On another note, I recently received a copy of Grace Land (now called Grace Amazing), printed in Mandarin. It's exciting to see how the Lord continues to multiply the message through my books. Keep praying for Christians in China. The message that religious freedoms are growing there is a complete and absolute lie.

From Canada

I spoke three times yesterday at Niagara Celebration Church and Toronto Celebration Church. It’s always a pleasure to speak in places where the congregations are already grounded in the truths of grace and identity.

I spoke on the topics “The Greatest Sin of the Modern Church: Self Righteousness” and “It’s Been Jesus All The Way.” The first message was the seed for the blog article below:

Decadent Sins of Dedicated Saints

For years I lived a lifestyle of decadent sin. I was a pastor who could not find freedom from my sin. I didn’t want to be free. In fact, I didn’t even know I was living deep in sin. What did my lifestyle look like then?

I would arise early, very early in the morning to read my Bible. I believed that the earlier I got into the Bible, the more pleased God would be with me and the more I would be blessed. “Early will I seek thee” was the verse I would think of at times when I was up at five in the morning, pouring over the Scriptures.

Sometimes I would pray for extended periods of time. Once I went into my office to pray on Sunday night and didn’t come out until Wednesday afternoon. I wanted “power from on high” the way I’d read that people like Charles Finney and E.M. Bounds had known because of their great prayer lives. I just knew that if I “paid the price” in prayer I could have the same power.

I would evangelize anything that moved. Being a soul-winner was what I lived for. One time I decided that I wouldn’t eat until I led somebody to Christ. After three days, I got a young boy on a bike at the park to pray “the sinner’s prayer.” I knew God had to be pleased with me when He saw my commitment to witnessing for Him.

Hideous. Vile. Enslaving. Sad. Those are the adjectives that would describe that lifestyle of sin in which I was trapped. Religious sins can be the most addictive and the most destructive.

Does this description of my sinful lifestyle surprise you? You may disagree or you may be confused and wonder, “What’s he saying? I don’t understand. Is he saying that his sins were reading the Bible, praying and witnessing to others?” Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying and here’s why: It wasn’t what I was doing that caused it to be sin. It was why I was doing it. I did these things to become more holy, to make spiritual progress, to see God’s blessings in my life.

To do anything in an attempt to make ourselves more holy or to earn God’s blessings is a sin because it denies the finished work of Jesus on the cross. The fact is that God blesses us because of what Christ has done on our behalf, not because of anything we do. We all get that when it comes to salvation, so why do we so easily miss it when it comes to sanctification?

Every blessing you have in life is because of His grace, not your works. Remember, I said that I thought if I paid the price, I would be blessed and make spiritual progress. That is not why we are blessed. We are blessed because Jesus has already paid the price! We can’t earn anything from God and don’t need to because Jesus has already done everything necessary and we’ve been given everything we need. (See Ephesians 1:3, Romans 1:30, Romans 5:17)

So, my religious activities were sin because they reflected my belief that the finished work of Christ was not enough for my sanctification and that I had to add something to what He did in order to become more holy or to be blessed. The Bible says, “Whatever is not of faith is sin.” That’s true even if it’s reading the Bible, praying or evangelizing. When we don’t do those things as an outflow of faith in Christ, but because we’re trying to earn merits with Him, we’re sinning. That kind of self-effort can only produce one thing: self-righteousness The righteousness of God comes to us apart from the works of the Law. The Apostle Paul said that it is not to him that works, but to the one that believes.

Do you see the point? What I was doing was wrong because of why I was doing it. Anything we do to earn something from God insults what Jesus did on the cross because what He did is enough and if we deny that by our actions, what else can it be called than “sin?” Sin is missing the mark and we never miss it more than we’re trying to work our way into something (righteousness) that He has already provided as a free gift.

Self-righteousness doesn’t always look smug and condescending toward others. It exists anytime we rely on self-effort to become righteous. Sometimes that can look spiritual to other people or even to ourselves. That’s why self-righteousness is such an insidious sin. It’s stealth in the modern church and only God’s Spirit can reveal it to us in our own lives.

May the Holy Spirit deliver us from self-righteousness that we try to achieve by what we do and cause us to understand Christ’s righteousness, that can never be achieved but can only be received by faith.

. . . I’m in the Toronto airport as I write this, about to leave for Winnipeg where I’ll record five TV programs tomorrow. Thanks for checking in on my blog today.