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Contentment
Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
The following is taken from a message given by my pastor recently.
“All I want for Christmas is Contentment”
Why is it so hard to be content?
1) It’s part of our sinful nature to covet;
2) The world works hard to keep us discontent;
3) We keep falling for the same lie.
Paul tells us how to be content:
1) Strive to live with less rather than desiring more;
2) Give away your abundance rather than accumulate more;
3) Relish what we have rather than what we don’t have.
True contentment is relying on God’s sufficiency for my needs! One thing that stuck out for me in my pastor’s message is “Give away your abundance rather than accumulate more” – I am more blessed when I can give it away. My husband & I have downsized two homes and I’ve never missed one thing that I gave away. Of course I like getting gifts and I’m blessed when I receive, but I’m more blessed giving away my abundance.
I will leave you with asking God “what is it in your life that robs you of being content”?
Pat Spies
America’s Keswick Volunteer
Anna
“And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with a husband seven years after her marriage and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. And she never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. And at that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.” Luke 2:36-38. (NASB)
Have you ever known an elderly person who loves the Lord. I have known a few women and I just love being around them. They are bold in their faith. I remember a woman I used to go to Washington, DC with. We would walk into the Hilton and she would ask everyone we met if they knew Jesus. She would not let them get away with just a sweet smile. She would say it again, “Do you know Jesus?” Then she would boldly tell them of her Lord whom she loved. I think of her at this time of year when I once again read the story of Anna.
Anna’s name means grace and her Father’s name, Phanuel, means face of God.
This precious lady appears to have been married for only seven years when her husband died. It seems that after the death of her husband she dedicated her life to serving in the temple through prayer and fasting. She must have come to know the Lord intimately in that time. She knew Him so well she was able to speak words of knowledge and revelation. She is called a Prophetess. She took one look at Jesus and said that Jesus was the redemption of Jerusalem!! She became, to the best of my knowledge, the first evangelist as she spoke “to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.” I wonder if she continued to stay in the temple or if she went to the streets. Either way I would imagine no one got past her.
She was of the tribe of Asher. Asher means happy. In Gen. 33:24-25 Moses blessed Asher with the blessing of children and this tribe was one of the most numerous. According to Keil and Delitzsch commentary on the Old Testament this is “equivalent to the most blessed of all the sons of Israel, the one who peculiarly favored by the Lord.”
So here we have the elderly widow named Anna, a woman of the tribe of Asher, the daughter of Phanuel. She recognizes and proclaims Jesus, the redemption of Jerusalem!! In other words………a happy elderly woman who had dedicated her life to the Lord and who, by His grace, beheld the face of God, was the most blessed among women of the tribe of Asher to tell all the good news!!
Truly “…those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.” Is. 40:31(NASB)
Be encouraged ladies, be very encouraged!! You may have been waiting a long time for your miracle. You may have been in prayer and fasting and are getting weary. DON’T give in to that weariness!! In this New Year mount up on wings like eagles!! Be bold in your faith and expect the grace of God to be released upon YOU!! PRESS on toward the goal in Christ Jesus!! (Phil. 3:14)
Patricia Wenzel
WOC Graduate
References used in writing this:
A Time to Advance by Chuck Pierce with Robert and Linda Heidler, Glory of Zion International, Inc.
The Invitation
“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18 NIV)
An invitation arrives in the mail and it invites you to “come.” Most of the time when one arrives there is anticipation and excitement…who is it from? What is it for? We tear open the envelope and it invites us to come to…a wedding, a baby shower, a party, a fellowship night at the church or a hundred other occasions. I’ve noticed the Lord just loves sending out invitations to “come” as well. You know, He just loves us so much that He just keeps sending out those invitations to “come” even though too often the invitation is turned down. In Isaiah 1:18 (NIV) God gives an invitation for personal cleansing…come. “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
What an invitation this is! All we have to do is “come” and the Lord promises to bleach our “dirty laundry” (sins) whiter than snow, just as if they never were! In Isaiah 55:1, 3 (NIV) God promises to supply and satisfy…come. Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money…Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. Now this is some invitation! God says, “Come” and leave your wallets and credit cards at home because the price has been paid by God. These are top of the line, premium goods! There isn’t even a price tag that could be placed on it….it’s priceless, a picture of His grace! In Matthew 11:28 (NIV) Jesus promises rest for the weary soul…come. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Many of us tend to overload ourselves with worries, anxieties, things that we don’t have to carry but do…and there is Jesus, the perfect gentleman, offering to carry all that baggage and all we have to do is answer the call to “come.” In Revelation 22:17 (NIV), the Bible even ends with one final invitation…come. The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. God doesn’t wish for any to perish and through the apostle John makes this final appeal to “come.” God continually calls to the lost “come” and He does so over and over in His Word.
The Lord’s door is always open and the invitation stands…come. He is ready to receive any…come. The Lord accepts all who respond to His invitation…come. You hold His invitation in your hand…come. What will you do? Come.
Mary Ann Kiernan
Intake Coordinator for the Colony of Mercy. Her life verse is Romans 8:28. Writer for “Real Victory for Real Life” 365 Devotional Thoughts in the Spirit of America’s Keswick VOLUME 2 To order a copy of “REAL VICTORY For REAL LIFE” 365 Devotional Thoughts in the Spirit of America’s Keswick, forwarded by Dr. Joseph Stowell visit www.americaskeswick.org and click on store.
Part Two – Things Father Said and Says to Us
Let’s pick up from yesterday with the “Golden Rule”. In Matthew 7 verse 12 we read, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Growing up, my Mom would repeatedly tell us to “do unto others as we would have them do unto us. I knew the so-called “golden rule” was in the Bible but I didn’t have a clue where it was. All I knew was, as far as my Mom was concerned, it was a standard to live by. So, we basically grew up with the understanding of never doing anything to anyone that you wouldn’t want them to do to you.
This simple rule can keep one from a whole heap of trouble. Only God knows the grief we were spared by keep this simple command. Now let’s look at some of the things Father God says to us over and over again. One phrase we read repeatedly is “Do not be afraid.” In fact, it appears over 300 times in Scripture. Why? Do you think it’s something He might actually mean and expect us to listen to? How about this one in Philippians 4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” God knows that each and every one of us has moments when we are dense and knuckled-headed and – just like our children – we therefore needed to be reminded to rejoice in the midst of trials. So far we’ve only looked at 2, “do not be afraid’ and “rejoice”. The place I hear God repeating Himself most often is in the Old Testament. Sometimes the repetition is almost redundant and boring, and yet, God took the time to inspire the writing of it. Again my nature asks why?! Why?! Why?! One writer explains it like this: “When God repeats Himself, He does it for a reason…to begin with repetition was common in ancient literature. This was the accepted way to tell a good story. Repetition builds suspense…repetition also reinforces the memory.” Relative to the building of the tabernacle in the Book of Exodus, the writer says, “What better way to learn about the layout of the tabernacle and the structure of our salvation than to read about it more than once…When God repeats something, He wants us to pay more attention, not less.”1
A few more to ponder are:
* Isaiah 40:1 “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God.
* “I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, that they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other;” ~~ Isaiah 45:5-6
* O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD! ~~ Jeremiah 22:29
With this list too, I am sure I could go on, but I’ll leave that up to you to discover on your own. The last 2 I will leave you with are: I am the Lord Your God! And, I am Holy!
Selah
Stephanie Paul
Stephanie Paul serves as part of the Addiction Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Director of Women’s Addiction Ministry. She has been married for almost 30 years to Sesky Paul who is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. Stephanie serves alongside him as Care Group leaders in their church. They have two grown children. Her single focus in ministry at Keswick is to image Christ in grace and truth to wounded and hurting women, encouraging them to make Jesus the truest Lover of their soul and the One in whom all hope lies.
1http://books.google.com/books?id=gXk8HK3y9hIC&pg=PT1080&lpg=PT1080&dq=when+God+repeats+himself&source Exodus: saved for God’s glory, Volume 2 By Philip Graham Ryken, R. Kent Hughes
Things Mama Said – Part One
I’m a mom, so you know what that means. It means I say mom stuff. For example, I’m fifty-four and my mom is still here with me. Today it’s wet and rainy and windy and just plain yucky outside and while I was getting ready for work she called to chat a bit. True to her mommyness, she asked me if I had galoshes to put on. After I got over the shock of hearing the reference to galoshes, I said, “Huh? What?” This of course opened the door for her to repeat her question and add some further “mom stuff.” Ya gotta love it though. As a mom of a now 27-year-old son and almost 25-year-old daughter, I find that, in spite of their ages, I say all sorts of stuff to my kids that they now know as mom stuff – all the stuff I get to say just cuz I’m a mom and it needs/has to be said…well sorta.
And then, there are the times I say certain things just so I can sleep better at night. If you’re a mom and/or if you had a mom, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Here are a few examples of the sort of the things that I would classify as mom stuff:
* Don’t take any wooden nickels. (a favorite of my Mom’s.)
* Be sure and drive the speed limit or drive safely.
* Make sure you wear your seat belt.
* Be wise.
* Be careful not to trip.
* Make sure you wash your hands before you come to the table.
* Call me when you get there, just so I know you’re okay.
* Make sure you drink plenty of water and take your vitamins.
* Clean up after yourself!
* Did you flush?
* Be careful crossing the street.
* Make sure you hold on tightly to your purse.
* Make sure you don’t share anyone’s comb or brush or lip balm.
* Don’t go out with a wet head, you’ll catch cold.
* Don’t sit too close to the television it’ll ruin your eyes.
* Eat your vegetables, they’re good for you.
I could go on, but I’m sure you get the point.
What I find so amazing and fascinating is our Heavenly Father, the Sovereign God of the universe does the same thing with us. For no other reason than the fact that He loves us and has a plan for us (Jeremiah 29:11), He faithfully and consistently tells us stuff, and some of it He repeats to us over and over again.
The first thing that comes to mind are the commandments and statues of God. Most of us know the basic ten – “You shall have no other gods before Me. ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image–any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.’ ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image–any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.’ ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ‘You shall not murder.’ ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ‘You shall not steal.’ ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.‘1
One of the things my mother taught us growing up was something from Scripture but I always knew it as “the golden rule”. Tomorrow, we’ll look at that and then turn our attention to words that the Father repeatedly says to us.
Stephanie Paul
Stephanie Paul serves as part of the Addiction Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Director of Women’s Addiction Ministry. She has been married for almost 30 years to Sesky Paul who is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. Stephanie serves alongside him as Care Group leaders in their church. They have two grown children. Her single focus in ministry at Keswick is to image Christ in grace and truth to wounded and hurting women, encouraging them to make Jesus the truest Lover of their soul and the One in whom all hope lies.
1 Exodus 20 www.biblegateway.com
Forgiven Much
“It is when I am aware of sin that I appreciate grace the most.”1 ~~ CJ Mahaney
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. ~~ Romans 5:8 (NKJV)
Are you today, right now, in this present tense moment aware of how much you are and have been forgiven? Do you appreciate grace? Are you daily convicted of sin in your life? Are you passionate for God and His glory? Is your love for God evident? Growing? Increasing in its intensity? When you stand in church on Sunday morning, singing songs to the glory of God, are you affected? Do you daily express your appreciation to/for the Savior who hung as your substitute, receiving the wrath that you and I deserve? Do you lift up your voice and express your gratefulness to the One who not only hung on the Cross…but who rose again from the dead…who has ascended, who is seated at the Right Hand of the Father…who by His generous hand of mercy has regenerated your heart?2 These are the questions on my mind (for all of us to consider) as I conclude listening to part two of a three-part teaching by CJ Mahaney titled, The Idol Factory3.
I couldn’t begin to do justice to the richness of this teaching, so I encourage you to click onto the links at the bottom of the page and listen (be sure to listen to them in order). Your heart will be blessed and your soul convicted of sin… and that is a really, really good thing. We have been forgiven much by the Holy One, and this one true fact alone ought to humble our hearts before the Lord and cause us to lay down our idols and surrender all the things, the ways of being, which we cling to, and/or justify as “just the way I am” or “just the way I’ve always been.” God forbid that we should settle for less than His best for us. He was good enough to have mercy on all of us and He didn’t have to. “He paid a debt he did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay. I needed someone to wash my sins away. And now I sing a brand new song: ‘Amazing Grace.’ Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay.” ~~Unknown
Selah
Stephanie Paul
Stephanie Paul serves as part of the Addiction Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Director of Women’s Addiction Ministry. She has been married for almost 30 years to Sesky Paul who is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. Stephanie serves alongside him as Care Group leaders in their church. They have two grown children. Her single focus in ministry at Keswick is to image Christ in grace and truth to wounded and hurting women, encouraging them to make Jesus the truest Lover of their soul and the One in whom all hope lies.
1 http://www.sovereigngracestore.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=A1040-02-5
2 Ibid
3 http://www.sovereigngracestore.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=A1040-01-51
10 Days of Developing an Expectation for the Future
Below is a prayer focus for you that is meant to be completed over a ten-day period. It was not written by me alone. The material used was initially written by Dr. Chuck Pierce from Glory of Zion International. I have made a few changes to the original 50-day prayer focus Dr. Pierce prepared and released in his book, A Time to Prosper. It was my thought that many of you may want to set aside 10 days and do this in preparation for the New Year, 2014. I suggest that you keep a journal as you journey with the Lord over these 10 days. May these 10 days truly bring a blessing as Dr. Pierce said, “May this be a time of visitation where the presence and power of God invade your space and order your steps! May you be restored and healed – body, soul and spirit! Expect God to move.”
Day 1: Read Psalm 139; Ephesians 2. May the Lord show you who you are in Him. You are an original, fearfully and wonderfully made! Thank Him for forming you in your mother’s womb. Spend the day praising Him!! This is very important in the process of breaking old expectations and receiving a new expectation for your future.
Day 2: Memorize and speak forth 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24. Decree that your whole spirit, soul and body will be sanctified! Also read Joshua 3. Stand strong and courageous, the Lord your God goes with you wherever you go. Follow Him and move forward!!
Day 3: Sing or praise with Psalm 23. Agree with God for restoration of your soul. Soul is linked with “Breathing” and refers to the entire inner nature and personality of a person. Read Proverbs 29:18. Ask the Lord to open up new vision and revelation over your life.
Day 4: Ask the Lord to make your heart pure! Read the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12). Ask the Lord to align your feelings, desires, affections and aversions with Holy Spirit. Ask the Lord to send help or aid to you so that your heart and soul will be cleansed. Pray that your soul will begin to prosper in a new way. Now read… 3 John 2; Hebrews 13:17; James 1:21; James 5:20; 1 Peter 1:9 and ask the Lord to allow you to “see” Him (see Matt. 5:8).
Day 5: Memorize Proverbs 18:14. Ask the Lord to remove any vexation (frustration, annoyance, or worry) of your spirit and its influence on your spirit. Thank God that you are a spiritual being and that you will live eternally with Him if Jesus is the Lord of your life. If you do not have this assurance, stop and ask the Lord to forgive you of your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Invite Jesus to become the Lord of your life. Read Romans 6:23; 5:8; 10:13; 10:9. Receive your cleansing through the power of His blood. Read Hebrews 9. Ask the Lord to cleanse your conscience and restore it to full working authority. Ask the Lord to renew your communion with Him. Take communion with Him. (You may want to read Romans 8) Day 6: Read Romans 6. Make a list of any place that sin “has dominion” over you. Pray that by the power of Holy Spirit, you are freed and cleansed. Watch for sins of omission, such as gossiping, criticizing, judging and so forth. At times, these are hidden from us and can produce unbelief in us.
Day 7: The body is the lowest part of a person’s being; it’s where the soul and spirit reside. Honor the Holy Spirit who has chosen to dwell within you. Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. Thank Him that your body is His. Reread Romans 6:13, 19. Yield each part of your body, one by one, naming each part. Yield them unto God as instruments of righteousness rather than unto iniquity. If you have a part of your body that is not working properly, ask the Lord to heal and cleanse that part. Include any part of your body that you know has been affected by sin. Let old things pass away and let everything be made new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Day 8: Fast as the Lord leads you. You may be called to fast from a meal or for a day or even three days. However I suggest you do not fast from liquids and that you consult your health professional before fasting. No everyone can fast. If you cannot fast from a meal, you might fast from electronics for a few days. Imagine the blessing of no television, or no computer for even a few hours!! Read Romans 8 again. Give thanks to the Lord that he has adopted you and that His blood is flowing through you to restore you!! Glory to His name!!
Day 9: Declare all hope deferred, which makes the heart sick, is broken from you. It is removed from influencing your life. (You may want to read Ezekiel 36-37) Thank the Lord for a new heart and spirit. Declare a new door of hope is opening by the power of the Holy Spirit. Read Romans 15:13
Day 10: Read Psalms 32; 62. Declare your emotions healed and your spirit free. Worship throughout the day. Use praise music. If you have to drive somewhere, then sing with the music. Memorize Hebrews 11:6. Ask the Lord for your next measure of faith. Read and meditate on Isaiah 60. Arise! Shine! Decree that all depression and oppression must leave. EXPECT God to move on your behalf. EXPECT miracles and healing to begin to happen in you and through you not by might, not by power but by His SPIRIT!! (Zechariah 4:6)
Happy New Year dear sister-in-Christ,
Patricia L. Wenzel
WOC Graduate
Material taken from: A Time to Prosper, Finding and Entering God’s Realm of Blessings, by Chuck D. Pierce and Robert Heidler, Regal Books, 2013
Comfort Ye My People
Singing light songs to the heavyhearted is like pouring salt in their wounds. (Proverbs 25:20 The Message)
Have you ever been there? You are hurting and discouraged and someone comes along and tries to cheer you up. You know they mean well, but their insensitivity to where you are at makes it hurt all the more.
Most of us can remember what that is like – so the question comes – how do I comfort without hurting people even more. I found this quote once and it is probably true of most of us… “I would like to help. I really would. But I just don’t know what to say. I’m sure I say too much, and sometimes I think what I say hurts more than it helps. So, most of the time, I stay away and don’t do anything at all” (source unknown).
I am in almost daily contact with hurting people and most of you all know people that are hurting. The questions that always seem to come up are… How do I help and how do I give comfort? Let me first suggest to you what comforting is not, then ideas on what it might mean to be comforting.
Comforting is not having all the answers or being able to explain God’s will. Only God knows what is going on and the purpose for situations and suffering in our lives. As friends we can just remind them that God is on the throne and He knows. It is not about knowing the whys, but helping them walk through the pain (Isaiah 41:10, 43:2-3a). Comforting is not fixing the problem. Many of us are fixers, we want people to be all better and we want to get them better. Sometimes we fix it by trying to make people look on the positive side, or cheer them up. During times of pain and hurts, only time and God can truly heal the wounds. Our role is to listen, to allow them to cry, to help in ways that are practical which allow them to focus on their healing process (Psalm 147:3).
Comfort is making yourself available. As I already alluded to, the best things we can do for someone is be there (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). Maybe it’s doing tasks that are now hard for them to do, possibly it is bringing in food, or helping to drive them places. Often times we help by just being present – even without saying a word (James 1:19; Job 16:2). Maybe you are a shoulder to lean on or a listening ear. We can listen with compassion and nurture.
In John 11 Jesus allowed Martha to express feelings regarding the death of her brother Lazarus (vs. 21-22). He gave Mary the same courtesy (v. 32). He was Jesus, He knew exactly what was going on and going to happen, but He allowed them the freedom to express their heart. David expressed his feelings and thoughts often through his Psalms (Psalm 27:6 & 9; Psalm 34:6).
Comfort is letting them experience their pain. A key factor in moving on through our difficulties is to face them head on. In many ways we need to encourage others to feel the hurt, pain, and sorrow that is in their life at that point in time (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). God has allowed it to happen for some reason, and in order for the pain to accomplish its work it is important for them to move with the pain, not away from the pain (Jeremiah 29:11-14).
Most of all… Turn to God for direction and POINT THEM TO CHRIST… Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 32:8, Psalm 55:22. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted, (Matthew 5:4). May you and I serve to be Christ-like comforters not salt pourers…
Lynne Jahns
Christian Counselor
Writer for “Real Victory for Real Life” 365 Devotional Thoughts in the Spirit of America’s Keswick VOLUME 2 To order a copy of “REAL VICTORY For REAL LIFE” 365 Devotional Thoughts in the Spirit of America’s Keswick, forwarded by Dr. Joseph Stowell visit www.americaskeswick.org and click on store.
The Lord is Our Shepherd
Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Has the LORD your God been your Shepherd today? Are you tangibly aware of His mercy and His goodness leading you through the good and the bad moments of your day? Do you know that whether you walk in the valley or on the path, He, Your Abba, is leading you for His name’s sake? Dear ones, take time right now to pause and give audible praise to God for the specific ways you see His hand of goodness and mercy in your life today.
Stephanie Paul
Stephanie Paul serves as part of the Addiction Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Director of Women’s Addiction Ministry. She has been married for almost 30 years to Sesky Paul who is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. Stephanie serves alongside him as Care Group leaders in their church. They have two grown children. Her single focus in ministry at Keswick is to image Christ in grace and truth to wounded and hurting women, encouraging them to make Jesus the truest Lover of their soul and the One in whom all hope lies.
Victory Call 