2 Corinthians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort…”

Life without mercy would be a world hard to imagine. We often say or think “life is not fair” somehow imagining fairness is a good thing, and of course, in one sense it is. But, if all of life was fair, not just a few parts – the parts WE want to be fair – that would be a world painfully difficult to endure, IF we survived at all.

To begin with, redemption would not be a part of the picture. Salvation would not be available. Hope would evaporate completely. There would be no forgiveness of sins; our sins would not be cast into the deepest part of the sea or as far as the east is from the west. Instead, our sins would be a constant, increasing burden that would be unbearable. Guilt and shame would be our constant companions.

A world without mercy would be a world without justification; there would be no declaration of righteousness and we would not experience being a new creation nor enjoy the newness of life.

NO MERCY? None would be called because God’s purpose would not be to express His gracious mercy in and to us.

Without mercy, no one would experience conversion, regeneration, sanctification or life transformation.

If life was fair, it would be a life void of mercy. Without God’s mercy, the world and life would be….death.

Diane

Have you noticed how many “makeover” shows there are on television lately? There are home makeovers, body makeovers, style makeovers, children discipline makeovers…it seems that everyone is trying to take what they have and have someone else make it better or make it totally new. Everyone is searching for the perfect makeover to make their life complete or perfect. I’m just wondering how long it takes after the makeover is complete and the cameras are no longer rolling when the realization that the new look may have made a more attractive appearance or a more comfortable life but that it is all just the “faÁade” that had been altered. The hole is still there and dissatisfaction with self or circumstances still exist even if the outside package looks prettier. The heart is still empty. There is a longing for true change from the inside out…the kind of true change that only comes from a heart transformed by Jesus Christ.

Don’t get me wrong… I’m not against makeovers per se, but if it is only the outside that is changed then what is rotten on the inside will eventually make its way back to the outside.

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees because they were so concerned about outward appearances. And from that perspective, the outside, they looked great. Jesus was much more concerned with what was on the inside.

Matthew 23:25-26.”Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.”

Jesus could see the “inside.” He could see their hearts and from that perspective it was pretty ugly in there. All Jesus could see was self-centeredness and greed. All they could think about was “self” and how they could get more of whatever their hearts desired. Jesus had the answer for making the inside beautiful, clean and satisfied. I remember all too well how I used to be only concerned with the “outside,” with the appearance of things, yet my insides were so disgusting….until I invited Jesus in to occupy my heart. Therein is the true “makeover,” the only “makeover” that really matters. This “makeover” is not a temporary fix or window dressing but a change from the inside and lasts for eternity.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old had gone, the new has come.”

MaryAnn

MaryAnn and John Kiernan have been married for 35 years, have 2 grown/married sons and are the proud grandparents of two grandsons. 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.

I have personally been attempting to read Proverbs on a daily basis, and I admit that I am fluctuating in my faithfulness to that task. My goal is to read daily the Proverb that matches the day of the month. Each time I read one of the Proverbs I am challenged in a new way. It would be great if I could do this to the point that I actually had them memorized. Having to admit my lack of discipline at times, I doubt that I can get to that place. So, I just continue to challenge myself to read them and receive my lesson for the day from Solomon. Let me share some thoughts from Proverbs 19 with you today.

Today, the media and Hollywood regularly attempt to define the “good life” philosophy and push it on each of us. Scripture has a whole different approach to living the “good life.” Solomon had it all, but that’s not what he attributed to the “good life.”

Proverbs 19

1. Listen to instruction: vs. 16, 20, 27

2. Be kind to those less fortunate: v. 17

3. Discipline your children – help them stay on the right path: v. 18

4. Don’t hang around with those that have no personal discipline in their lives: v. 19

5. Follow in God’s ways, contrary to the view of finding your own path and making your own destiny: v. 21

6. Kindness and honesty are to be the norm in our lives rather than the exception: v. 22

7. Walking in the “fear” of the Lord leads to the “good life” and keeps us from evil: v. 23

8. Be diligent in all you do: vs. 15, 24

Are you experiencing the “good life?” Often we think or believe that the “good life” should just come to us, yet that is not what Scripture says… it tells us basically “if you do this… then you will know the ‘good life’.” Many of us are well acquainted with the verse in Romans 12, but repetition is good for us… it constantly reminds us that if we want to know what is “good” then we need to not follow the way of the world, but follow the ways of God.

Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Lynne Jahns

One thing that makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck is how often Christians will say “Oh, my God.” And they aren’t praying or talking to Him either. It is so common today for God’s name to be used flippantly and in casual conversations. I hear callers on Christian radio who learn they have won a prize just scream these words. I hear the mis-use of God’s name in this way from so many Christians and I have to wonder if we realize what we are saying. The last straw for me was seeing a necklace in a local department store with a charm that reads “OMG.” Are you kidding me? I know that if I were to use the name of some other religious gods or leaders like this I would offend others and certainly would hear about it. Christians and non-Christians are getting into this habit of misusing God’s name and few seem offended. Why is it OK to misuse the name of God?

Malachi 1:6 says the priests of Israel treated God’s name with no honor or reverence and they even went so far as to despise the name of God. The third commandment reads: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain” Exodus 20:7 (KJV). Our English word for “vain” is the Hebrew word “shaw.” It means “emptiness, nothingness, or vanity, in the sense of being ineffective or lacking in purpose.” The English word “take” is the Hebrew word “nasa.” This means “lift, lift up, to bear, carry support, sustain (can be literal or figurative).” To lift up the name of God in an empty manner or without purpose is taking God’s name in vain.

If we want to develop a healthy fear of God we need to understand that God’s name is not to be used as empty slang. He will hold us accountable. Malachi 1:14 ends on how God’s name is to be treated – “For I am a great King” says the Lord of hosts, “And my name is to be feared among the nations.”

Taking God’s name in vain can be even broader then just our speech. As servants and representatives of Jesus Christ everything we do is a reflection of God’s name. Every action and attitude represents the name of God. “Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed” 1 Timothy 6:1 (NKJV).

Is God worthy of your honor? Today will you and I work on honoring His name in speech, thought and action?

Kathy Withers

Kathy serves in Guest Services. She is married to Dave and mom to Michael and Kerri.

Sitting under the teaching of Dr. Steve McVey is always refreshing and often startling. This year as he spoke for Victory Week 4 it was no different. *

Monday evening, 8.10.09, Dr. McVey said he had a word for us (the audience), seriously, a word from our Father for each one of us. There were snickers and chuckles and shifting in the seats. He said, “I’m serious. I believe God wants me to tell you this. Are you listening?” Pause.

“YOUR FATHER IS PROUD OF YOU. HE ADORES YOU.”

That truth struck me at my very core. My heavenly Father is proud of me. WOW. I was startled. Could it be? Is He proud of me? I immediately thought of my earthly father – they were not words I remember hearing from his lips to my ears but oh, how he told others, who would tell me, “Your father is so proud of you.” I distinctly remember coming home from school one day after being surprised to receive an award for soccer that season to find a poster prepared by my parents sitting on the kitchen table. The only statement I remember seeing (among the others) was: “We are proud of you.” That is the one time I ever remember “hearing” those words from either of my parents. Don’t get me wrong, I grew up in a great loving and supporting “normal” family. No complaints. But I do not recall having those words in particular spoken to me.

Fast forward to my time at America’s KESWICK. Pastor Bill Raws bore a striking resemblance to my dad. He “adopted” me, in a manner of speaking, and would come up to me after I spoke during a service, give me a hug and say, “I’m proud of you.” It brought tears to my eyes every time.

Pastor Bill has graduated to glory and my own dad continues his ongoing struggle with Alzheimer’s BUT MY HEAVENLY FATHER IS PROUD OF ME. Dr. McVey’s words struck a cord in my heart. As I retold a friend of McVey’s word from God, tears instantly sprung to her eyes for she, too, needed to hear, “YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS PROUD OF YOU.”

How about you today – as you consider the truth that God is proud of you – does it minister to your soul?

As you go through your day today, allow this thought to marinate in your mind: My Heavenly Father is proud of me.

Diane

*All of the speakers during our summer conference season are excellent and well worth the time to join us in person or watch live on-line. To watch on-line, log into our website http://www.americaskeswick.org at 7:00 pm (Sunday-Thursday), or 9:30 am (Monday-Thursday) and scroll about half-way down the page in the center column and select the WATCH LIVE button.

O Lord, My God, How my heart yearns for more of You…or at least that’s what I say. I believe I do and yet, my actions speak otherwise. I understand that to reap the benefits of a strong devotional life, I must actually have one. Though I read the Bible pretty regularly, I often fail to get much out of it. Yet I do not tarry until I do.

Lord, I know only the Holy Spirit can illumine Your Word to my heart and mind but I honestly must ask, do I give Him opportunity to do so? I fail to exercise the discipline necessary to drink of the sweet nectar of Your Word.

O Lord, change me.

Diane

“He who grows in grace remembers that he is but dust, and he therefore does not expect his fellow Christians to be anything more. He overlooks ten thousand of their faults, because he knows his God overlooks twenty thousand in his own case. He does not expect perfection in the creature, and, therefore, he is not disappointed when he does not find it. When our virtues become more mature, we shall not be more tolerant of evil; but we shall be more tolerant of infirmity, more hopeful for the people of God, and certainly less arrogant in our criticisms.” – C.H. Spurgeon

I read the above quote today, immediately after entering my office in a huff over the glaring fault of another Christian. His flesh and my flesh had collided (in my head) and I found myself angrier than I have been in a long time.

It’s just like Father God to use that occasion to teach me something about me and to remind me – once again – that IT AIN’T ABOUT ME! Now surely we all agree that is a no-brainer. Of course it’s not about me. Yet, here I am, annoyed, irritated and hindered by policies and/or procedures that don’t make sense. Top that off with here is Father reminding me that I am but dust, dust in need of a spiritual, Holy Spirit vacuum.

So what is today’s encouragement toward living in visible victory? Simply this:

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” ~~ Philippians 2:1-131

“But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” ~~James 4:6-102

Stephanie

1 http://www.biblegateway.com (bolded emphasis mine)

2 http://www.biblegateway.com (bolded emphasis mine)

A “fool” isn’t something we are supposed to strive to be. It’s not something that I want to be called. The online dictionary defines a fool as: 1: a person lacking in judgment or b: one who is victimized or made to appear foolish …3 a: a harmlessly deranged person or one lacking in common powers of understanding 1

This certainly is not very flattering. The Bible has much to say about fools as well…and 99% of what it has to say is not complimentary either. Here are a few examples from scripture:

Psalm 14:1 “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”

Proverbs 10:14 “Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.”

Proverbs 24:7 “Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the assembly at the gate he has nothing to say.”

I read many verses in regard to the “fool” and the Bible has many warnings against fools and foolishness. And then I came across the Apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 4:10: “We are fools for Christ…” In this verse Paul is proud of being a “fool” but not just any old fool but a “fool for Christ.” It may have appeared to the “world” that Paul and the followers of Jesus were fools. They were made to be “spectacles” or jokes to the world (vs. 9). They appeared to be “weak,” and without honor (vs. 10). They were homeless, starving, thirsty and wore rags for clothing (vs. 11). They had been mistreated and tortured. What was their response to their circumstances and the way were treated?

They worked hard, blessed those who cursed them, they endured hardship and answered cruelty with kindness (vs. 12,13). Yes, to the world it would appear that these followers of Jesus Christ were indeed fools to continue in their faith. But for Paul, it was a badge of honor to be called “a fool for Christ.”

When I think about it, there are some non-Christian friends and family members of mine who may not have spoken the words “you are a fool!” to me but have conveyed it in other ways. I have not endured the hardships that the early Christians endured and hopefully I never will. I don’t want to be known as a fool but….

If I’m known as a “FOOL FOR CHRIST” I will wear it as a badge of honor following in the footsteps in a long line of “fools.”

“A FOOL FOR CHRIST.”

I think that would make a great bumper sticker! Don’t you?

MaryAnn

MaryAnn and John Kiernan have been married for 35 years, have 2 grown/married sons and are the proud grandparents of two grandsons. 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.

1 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fool retrieved 7/9/09

I love to camp and hang out in the outdoors. Recently, I was cleaning out my trailer and I found a flyer from a campground in Florida. It was apparently left there from the previous owner, since I haven’t been to Florida with my RV yet. To be honest, it’s old and I don’t know if it would make it there and back. Anyway, that’s a whole other subject…

I was reading this flyer and noticed that they listed “The Seven C’s of Camping.” As I was reading them, it dawned on me that although they applied to camping, they really applied to all aspects of our life. So, I share them with you along with Bible Verses that give them credibility and application to our lives.

Care: “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” (Psalm 55:22) “After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church.” (Ephesians 5:29)

Caution: “Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16)

Courtesy: “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;” (1 Peter 3:8)

Cleanliness: “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.” (Isaiah 1:16)

Cooperation: “for as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of the one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ…. that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another” (1 Corinthians 12:12 &25).

Conservation: “Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow.” (Exodus 23:10-11) – Creation praises God (Psalm 148)

Common Sense: God created people with a natural ability to make sound judgments based on facts. It’s a form of wisdom that’s part of God’s grace to humans everywhere (Prov. 1:1-3; 3:5-6; 4:11). “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of Truth.” (2 Tim. 2:15)

So how are you doing? Is there a “C” you need to work on?

Don’t forget the most important “C” in our lives…

“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” John 20:31

Lynne Jahns

My husband, Dave, is always freely telling me that he loves me. I don’t know when it began but I started to reply to his “I love you” with “How much do you love me?” I just wanted sweet and creative answers but after awhile he would just roll his eyes because he had nothing new to say and it would frustrate him to have to try to come up with another clever response. I still like to ask just to pick on him!

Malachi 1:2 says this: “I have loved you,” says the Lord, “Yet you say, ‘In what way have you loved us?'”(NKJV). I began to wonder had I ever presented this question to the Lord myself? I know that I have. Especially when trials and tribulations have come my way it is a question that, if not spoken, I certainly have thought. How can you love me and let _____ happen? If you loved me then you would do ____? I also know that the love of God is easy for me to take for granted. I can also minimize His love by defining love by the standards of this world. (God’s love is based on action and fact. Is Christ’s shed blood and death for you and I not enough for us to know how much He loves us?)

Sometimes hearing “Jesus loves you” has become so familiar I have to question whether you and I hear it or know it anymore. For example, in my Bible study of Malachi I was asked to note the nature of God revealed in a series of verses. The first verse was John 3:16. I hate to admit that the first thing that went through my head was – I have read that a million times! But I opened to John 3:16 and in line with the question found out several things about God’s nature and character. John 3:16 revealed to me that God is love. He is giving, a redeemer, Savior, and provider of eternal life. WOW! That was a sweet way for God to remind me of all He is to me and all He has done for me! In this familiar verse I found a new way of seeing God’s magnificent love and He told me just how much He loves me! I just needed to come to that verse asking a new question. Approaching a verse while questioning who, what, where, when and how often will reveal new insights.

Are you deep in the midst of trials and tribulations and questioning God’s love for you? Has your quiet time and Scripture reading become dry and dull? Have you forgotten your First Love? Let me encourage you to read a verse or two that mentions God’s love. Go ahead and ask Him, “How much do you love me?” but then also ask “What does this verse tell me about God’s love for me?” “How is God’s love revealed to me in this verse?” “Who is God showing Himself to be in this verse?” God has never been stingy about telling us how much He loves us. He never tires of telling you just how much He loves you. AND He can be very creative with His answers!

Kathy

Kathy Withers serves in Guest Services at America’s KESWICK. She is married to Dave and has 2 adult children, Michael and Kerri.