What do we do after God saves the one we thought was un-savable? If it’s not someone we know on a personal level, we might be amazed and think how great is the love and grace of God. If it’s someone we know personally we might really be celebrating over this “lost” one who has been found. But what if the “one” who has come to know Jesus as Savior is someone who has hurt you or someone you love deeply? What if this person was responsible for the death or permanent injury of someone you love? What if God calls you to minister to this person in some way? It sure is easier to rejoice from a distance in that case. But it just may be that God calls you come along side this person in some way. Well, what then?

That is what happened to Ananias. We really don’t know much about him except that he was a follower of Jesus Christ. We also know that he was very acquainted with Saul and he was afraid of him because he knew that Saul was a ruthless persecutor of Christians. The Lord called Ananias to minister to this terrorist Saul.

Acts 9:10-12 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.

He must have been shocked, frightened and bewildered. And I’m thinking he wasn’t too happy that Saul was dreaming about him!

Acts 9:13-16 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

Then the Lord said “go!” It was one thing for Ananias to dream about Saul, it was another to actually go to him and minister to this murderer! I’m sure he personally knew of families that were forever changed by Saul’s persecution. Yet, he answers the Lord’s call to minister to Saul. But also implied in these verses is that the Lord is calling for Ananias to forgive and love Saul. There is no way Ananias would have the ability to serve Saul with unforgiveness or hate in his heart. Acts 9:17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord – Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here – has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Yes, this sure seems impossible…first for Saul to become a follower of Jesus and second for Ananias to love, forgive and be a servant to Paul.

The good thing is we don’t do this impossible work through our own willpower or strength. The only way we could ever do something like this is because as believers we have the Spirit of Christ in us and it is through that Spirit that we have the power to do the impossible that the Lord calls us to do.

At some point in our faith journey we will be called to do the impossible in some way. Although it may be frightening, we need to trust God and HIS promises that He will do through us what we could never do on our own.

MaryAnn

MaryAnn and John Kiernan have been married for 36 years, have 2 grown/married sons and are the proud grandparents of three grandsons and one granddaughter! She serves at America’s Keswick as a Biblical Counselor and also as Intake Coordinator for the Colony of Mercy. Her life verse is Romans 8:28.

DIGGING DEEPER
Psalm 100
3 Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

My apologies if you did you get Monday’s Victory Call. You can go to www.americaskeswick.org and click on “blogs” at the top of the page to read it.

There are some people that seem so hardened against the Lord it seems impossible that they would ever respond to the calling of the Holy Spirit. I’m sure each of us knows someone who is hostile to the Gospel of Jesus. It could be a friend, family member or even some public figure. Maybe this thought brings to mind some murderer, perhaps like a Susan Smith who drowned her two small boys or some terrorist, like an Osama Bin Laden. Yet are these people beyond the grace and mercy of our God?

There was a terrorist who called himself a devoted follower of God who believed he was doing God a favor by getting rid of as many Jesus lovers as he could find. He was ruthless and just the mention of his name made men and women tremble with terror. There wasn’t a soul who thought this guy would ever come to know Jesus as Savior…certainly not Christians…not even his family or friends. His heart was stone cold against Jesus.

But even when this terrorist wasn’t looking for Jesus, Jesus found him. Who was this terrorist? Saul of Tarsus.

Acts 9:1-4 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

The man, who was one of the greatest persecutors of Christians of his day, was just going around being his hateful self when he had a supernatural encounter with Jesus the Messiah. Saul was never the same. He was struck blind by Jesus and told to go to Damascus and wait to hear what to do next. Saul answered the call of Jesus and became a new creation in Christ. He became Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ.

Recently a young man brought another man into the intake office at the Colony of Mercy. He was weeping. He said he would never again say that God couldn’t “save this one.” This young man was a graduate of the Colony, who had gone on to serve the Lord in a powerful way through a recovery ministry. The man that he brought to my office was his former drug dealer…a really tough guy. This man had seen the transformation of his former client and showed up at his recovery meeting telling him that he wanted what he had. This former drug dealer sat in front of me and said “I want Jesus, I need Jesus.” Only God can take a heart of stone and transform it to a heart of clay.

This former drug dealer came to the Colony and smiled every day…he was the first to memorize his daily scripture passage…he devourered the Bible…he wanted all of Jesus and nothing less. Who is the man or woman who you think is beyond coming to know Jesus as Lord and Savior? Instead of doubting we should be trusting. Instead of thinking that God “can’t” reach “this one” we should be lifting them in prayer all the more. You may be the only one praying for them. So…Who is the Saul in your life? Pray, trust God and don’t doubt.

MaryAnn

MaryAnn and John Kiernan have been married for 36 years, have 2 grown/married sons and are the proud grandparents of three grandsons and one granddaughter! She serves at America’s Keswick as a Biblical Counselor and also as Intake Coordinator for the Colony of Mercy. Her life verse is Romans 8:28.

DIGGING DEEPER
Psalm 100
1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

If you have not yet joined our journey through meditation and memorization, let me invite you to do so this week. This is a brief Psalm, just 5 verses. If you memorize one verse a day, by Friday you will have memorized the whole Psalm. You may be thinking, I can’t memorize, I have such a bad memory. I understand, really I do. I have thought the same thing for a long time, but in January when Bill Welte put the challenge before the staff, I took the challenge and thus far, by God’s grace, I have memorized verses (some lengthy) for 25 weeks. Why memorize Scripture? Because we are supposed to? NO. Because we are better Christians? NO. Because we ought to? NO. Because others will be impressed with our Bible knowledge? NO. Because someone asked you? NO,NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! Memorize Scripture so that you may KNOW God more sweetly. It is the very Word of God, inspired by His Holy Spirit – God exhaled His Word.

Psalm 100
1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
3Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
5 For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

If you memorize this Psalm this week, would you zip me an email and let me know how your week went. I would love to hear how God is working in your life. My email is dhunt@americaskeswick.org.

Diane

Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries and Acting Director of Development at America’s KESWICK. In addition to her Keswick responsibilities which keep her busy, she loves to read, write and teach, travel and laugh with her grandchildren. Diane has been married to her husband John over 25 years. She has 2 children, 2+ grandchildren, 3 step-children, and 7 step-grandchildren.

Points to Ponder

God seems to be an All or Nothing God, in this sense.

Verse 1 Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Verse 3 Declare his glory … among all the peoples!
Verse 4 he is to be feared above all gods.
Verse 5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,

1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth!

Wow! Most gracious and glorious God, hear our worship this morning. Forgive our foolish wanderings and sin. Forgive the times we chose to worship self rather than You. You are high above the heavens, and You alone are most worthy of our praise and worship.

Diane

Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries and Acting Director of Development at America’s KESWICK. In addition to her Keswick responsibilities which keep her busy, she loves to read, write and teach, travel and laugh with her grandchildren. Diane has been married to her husband John over 25 years. She has 2 children, 2+ grandchildren, 3 step-children, and 7 step-grandchildren.

Quoting Wikipedia: “Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, difference or mistake, and/or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution.” The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness as “to grant free pardon and to give up all claim on account of an offense or debt.”

Is that the kind of forgiveness God calls us to when He says???: Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you Colossians 3:13 (NIV).

Yes, I believe God means what He says. We are to let go of resentments, anger, offenses and lay the one who has offended us before the Lord.

The longer I live the more I understand that when God tells us to do something it is totally for our own good. He calls us to forgive. It is a tall order. It does not come “naturally” to most people. It sure hasn’t come naturally for me. I would rather punish the one who hurts me or separate myself from that person so as not to get hurt again. But no matter what our flesh may want to do, there is no denying that God calls us to forgive.

In my personal walk I have found that, apart from God, there is simply no way I can forgive. When I was a new Christian attending a ladies Bible study I became very angry with someone from my neighborhood that had spread false rumors about me. I sought counsel from an older woman in the Lord from the Bible study. She wisely advised me to pray for that woman who was gossiping. Pray for her, what a crazy idea I thought, but praise God I did as she advised. Soon after on a Sunday morning pastor told every one in the congregation to think of a person who had wronged them and do a kindness to that person. Ugh!! Now I not only had to pray for her I had to do a kindness for her. I made banana bread and brought it to her home. I was thankful she wasn’t home, so I left the bread at her door. A few weeks went by and she came to my door. To my surprise I hugged her and welcomed her into our home. I knew then it was God’s gift to me. There was no anger, no resentment, I actually hugged her. It was a lesson I would apply many times over.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (NKJV).

Jesus took on our sin. Surely I can at the very least pray for the one who has sinned against me.

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing (NKJV).

I am called to bless the one who hurts me, and lo and behold it is I who inherit a blessing. However, let me be clear, if you are living with someone who is hurting you, God is not saying you must bless that person by staying in a place where you will continue to be in danger. Sisters, seek the Lord as to how you are to bless the one who has hurt you. For me, I have a husband who was active in his addiction. I blessed him by praying for each and every part of his body while I did his laundry, I prayed for his mind as I made the bed. When I cleaned the house you can just imagine the opportunities to pray for him throughout the house. Even when I cooked his meals I prayed that every morsel would bear good fruit in his members. Yet, for another person who hurt me, I never came in contact with him again but I faithfully prayed for his salvation.

Dear ones, allow your heart to be set free of bitterness, anger, resentments, trauma…….forgive, bless and you will be blessed with freedom.

I will close this Word from Romans 12:14-21: Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (NIV).

Patricia L. Wenzel
Graduate, Woman of Character

DIGGING DEEPER: Psalm 96:7-9
7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth!

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust. Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Psalm 91:1-7

One of my first thought the dozens of times I’ve read this in the past few weeks has been -“where is the secret place of the Most High?”

This is one of the answers I found: “The ‘secret place of the Most High is a place of intimacy where only you and the Lord can dwell. It is truly one of a kind. There is no other place like it. It is unique, because we are unique and our relationship with Him is unique. It is a place where we can come apart from the world, its cares and distractions, and concentrate only on being with Him. This place needs to be cultivated so it becomes a way of life, a lifestyle, to be in His presence continually. No matter what is around us or what we face, nothing will be able to break the intimacy that we have found in Him.”1

Many other thoughts have come to mind, but I seem to come back to this one regarding the “secret place of the Most High” and more than anything else today, I long for a deeper sense of Him that I believe will only come when I abide and truly dwell in that “secret place.”

Something else which draws my attention is the word “dwell.” It, too, keeps popping out at me. That word means: to live or stay as a permanent resident; reside; to live or continue in a given condition or state.2

Lord help me today to grasp how wide, how deep, how vast, how broad is Your love for me. May we, your daughters have intentional dwelling moments today in Your secret place. Selah

Stephanie Paul

Stephanie Paul, wife and mother of two grown children. An “intrument of change” in the Redeemer’s Hand, in the lives of wounded and hurting women. Currently serving as a part of the Addiciton Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Woman of Character Program Administrator.

1 http://www.ourchurch.com/member/g/GraceNglory/index.php?p=1_10_MEDITATION-ON-PSALM-91
2 http://dictionary.reference.com/

DIGGING DEEPER: Psalm 96:4-6
4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

As I have talked with hundreds of men and women, I have begun to realize that many people do not see themselves as valuable. But we are valuable to God whether we feel like it or not. And what could be more important than knowing we are loved by God?

What does it mean to be valuable, valued by others? It means that we matter. We matter to God, the Creator of the universe. WE ARE VALUABLE. We should require respect because we are valuable. We should not allow our bodies to be used or abused because WE ARE VALUABLE. And we are LOVED. The Bible tells us so:

I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness (Jeremiah 31:3).

The Lord tells us how valuable we are to Him. Remember the story of the ninety and nine sheep? We are so valuable as individuals that He would leave the flock to find us and restore us back to fellowship with Him because WE ARE VALUABLE.

Isaiah 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Take time to consider just how valuable you are to the Lord and please take time to consider what He has done for you because YOU ARE VALUABLE TO HIM!

Isaiah 40:3 He has given me a new song to sing, of praises to our God. Now many will hear of the glorious things he did for me, and stand in awe before the Lord, and put their trust in him.

Marilyn Willett Heavilin

Marilyn is a wife and mother, author, and international conference and retreat speaker. She and her husband, Glen, serve as Counselors-in-Residence at America’s KESWICK during the summer months.

DIGGING DEEPER: Psalm 96:1-3
1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!

We are approaching the half-way mark in our journey through Scripture this year. Have you joined us on that journey? I am surprised when I hear that so many followers of Jesus Christ do not spend regular time in the Word. Do I read daily? I wish I could say I do, but I miss days here and there. But, I desire to be a student of the Word. Do you?

I saw a church sign this morning that said, “Many books inform, only the Bible transforms.” Do you long for your life to be different? Do you long to be different? Then come join us. Pick up your Bible today. Select a verse from the several shared below and meditate on it and memorize it this week.

1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth!

Now, go back and slowly read these verses out loud several times and meditate on them. Consider the truth within and allow your heart to sing praises to our God, Who is most worthy of our worship.

Diane

Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries and Acting Director of Development at America’s KESWICK. In addition to her Keswick responsibilities which keep her busy, she loves to read, write and teach, travel and laugh with her grandchildren. Diane has been married to her husband John over 25 years. She has 2 children, 2+ grandchildren, 3 step-children, and 7 step-grandchildren.

Yesterday I shared the first portion of a brochure called Modesty Check written by Carolyn Mahaney, Nicole Whitacre, Kristin Chesemore and Janelle Bradshaw.

Today I share the remaining portion for your encouragement and challenge:Before you leave the house, do a modesty check. (What are some things you should look for as you stand in front of your mirror?)

Starting at the top…

* When I am wearing a loose-fitting blouse or scoop-neck, can I see anything when I lean over? If so, I need to remember to place my hand against my neckline when I bend down.

* If I am wearing a button-down top, I need to turn sideways and move around to see if there are any gaping holes that expose my chest. If there are, I’ve got to grab the sewing box and pin between the buttons.*

The same check is needed if I am wearing sleeveless. When I move around, can I see my bra? If I do, I need the pins again.

* Am I wearing spaghetti-strap, halter-top or see-through blouse? Not even pins will fix this problem! Most guys find these a hindrance in their struggle with lust. It’s time to go back to the closet.

* Can I see the lace or seam of my bra through my shirt? In this case, seamless bras are a better option.

* More key questions: Does it reveal any part of my cleavage? Does my midriff show when I raise my hands above my head? Is my shirt just plain too tight? If the answer is “yes” to any one of these questions, then I need to change my outfit.

Moving on down…

* Does my midriff (or underwear) show when I bend over or lift my hands? If so, is it because my skirt or my pants are too low? Either my shirt needs to be longer or I need to find a skirt or pants that sit higher.

* I also have to turn around to see if what I’m wearing is too tight around my derriere, or if the outline of my underwear shows. If so, I know what I have to do!

* And for my shorts – I can’t just check them standing up. I need to see how much they reveal when I sit down. If I see too much leg, I need a longer pair.

* The “sit-down” check applies to my skirt or dress as well. And I must remember to keep my skirt pulled down and my knees together when I’m seated.

* And speaking of skirts, watch out for those slits! Does it reveal too much when I walk? Pins are helpful here.

* Before I leave, I need to give my skirt a “sunlight check.” Is it see-through? If so, I need a slip.

* Finally, I must remember to do this modesty check with my shoes on. High-heels make my dress or skirt appear shorter.

* And don’t forget – this all applies to formal wear as well.

* A note on swimwear: It’s not easy but you can still strive to be modest at the pool or beach. Look for one-piece bathing suits that aren’t cut high on the leg or and don’t have a low neckline.

This is part two of a two part series from the Modesty Check (c) Sovereign Grace Ministries; Republished in Girl Talk: Mother-Daughter Conversations on Biblical Womanhood by Carolyn Mahaney, and Nicole Whitacre (Crossway Books)~~ used with permission.

If you are interested the Modest Heart Check brochure can be found in PDF form, as a free download at: http://www.sovereigngracestore.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=A1170-06-59.

I found this Modesty Heart Check brochure very insightful and helpful. I pass it along in two parts for your consideration and edification.

Modesty Heart Check By Carolyn Mahaney, Nicole Whitacre, Kristin Chesemore, Janelle Bradshaw

“…Women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness-with good works.” 1 Timothy 2:9-10

Start with a heart check…”How does a woman discern the sometimes fine line between proper dress and dressing to be the center of attention? The answer starts in the intent of the heart. A woman should examine her motives and goals for the way she dresses. Is her intent to show the grace and beauty of womanhood? Is it to reveal a humble heart devoted to worshipping God? or is it to call attention to herself and flaunt her beauty? Or worse, to attempt to lure men sexually? A woman who focuses on worshipping God will consider carefully how she is dressed, because her heart will dictate her wardrobe and appearance.” John MacArthur

* What statement do my clothes make about my heart?

*In choosing what clothes to wear today, whose attention do I desire and whose approval do I crave? Am I seeking to please God or impress others?

* Is what I wear consistent with biblical values of modesty, self-control and respectable apparel, or does my dress reveal an inordinate identification and fascination with sinful cultural values?

* Who am I trying to identify with through my dress? Is the Word of God my standard or is it the latest fashion?

* Have I asked other godly individuals to evaluate my wardrobe?

* Does my clothing reveal an allegiance to the gospel or is there any contradiction between my profession of faith and my practice of godliness?

This is part one of a two part series from the Modesty Check (c) Sovereign Grace Ministries; Republished in Girl Talk: Mother-Daughter Conversations on Biblical Womanhood by Carolyn Mahaney, and Nicole Whitacre (Crossway Books)~~ used with permission.

If you are interested the Modest Heart Check brochure can be found in PDF form, as a free download at: http://www.sovereigngracestore.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=A1170-06-59.