Asking Questions

I was never one to raise my hand in class to ask a lot of questions. I don’t remember being shy and I don’t remember being so smart that I understood all my lessons either. But as a student of Jesus Christ, I ask my Teacher a lot of questions! As I read the book of Habakkuk I find that he asked some questions we may be familiar with. In Habakkuk 1: 1-2 we read his questions. As he sees all the sin and trouble around him his first question is, “How long?” and the second is, “Why?” In my times of trouble my hand quickly raises and these two questions are first and foremost in my mind. Usually the “why?” is first and the “how long?” is second. Even if I don’t find out why I just want to know how long it will be! Is this a quick lesson or this going to be a long, drawn out process?

How about you? Do you find that you are too shy, too scared or too proud to ask God questions? As I read the Bible I see many godly people who dared to ask these questions and more. Moses, David, Hagar, and Hannah all prayed boldly and honestly. They were unafraid to approach God with their questions. Habakkuk’s name means “to embrace” but more literally it means “wrestler.” It is okay to wrestle with God and ask Him questions. This may seem irreverent to you. Believe me, I am not asking you to go shake a fist at God nor can you go to God and blame Him for your circumstance. But even with our hurt and our emotions pouring out we can approach God and ask Him “Why?” and “How long?” He is not offended. The key is that when we wrestle we know up front who is going to win the match. Our hearts must know and trust that God is sovereign and in control of all that we see happening around us. We must be prepared to know that God doesn’t owe us an answer. Why bother asking then? Because even in our asking we are drawing close to Him and He promises to draw close to us.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

Would you bring your questions boldly and honestly to your Lord and Savior? He knows you. He welcomes you. He is waiting for you to ask.– Kathy Withers is on staff full-time at the Keswick Book and Gift Shop. She is married to her husband, Dave, and has two adult children. Kathy is active in her local church. Her passion is the Word of God and encouraging women to dig deeper into the truths of the Bible.

Heaven V

Friday’s Truth: We will be fully satisfied in Jesus Christ, forever.

As I was preparing this lesson I came across this verse: Revelation 7:16 “They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat;”

Which reminded me of this verse:

Psalm 63:1 “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.”

It made me realize that when we get to heaven, we will no longer be longing for God, thirsting for Him as in a dry and thirsty land where there Is no water because:

Revelation 7:17 “the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters.”

For all eternity we will be fully satisfied in Jesus Christ alone. Never hungry, never thirsty, neve in want. Fully satisfied. Even so, Come Lord Jesus. — Diane Hunt is Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries at America’s KESWICK

Heaven IV

Thursday’s Truth: What is heaven like?

There will be eternal praise-

Psalm 148:2,4 “Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts!… Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens!”

Revelation 5:8,9 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints….And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation…'”

There will be no hunger or thirst-

Revelation 7:16 “They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat;There will be no more tears- NO sorrow, no pain, no death.”

Revelation 21:4 “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

There will be no sun or moon – God illuminates heaven-

Revelation 21:23 “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.”

It will be eternal-

Revelation 22:5 “There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.”Some day…heaven. — Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries at America’s KESWICK

Heaven III

Wednesday’s Truth: God will create new heavens and a new earth.

Isaiah 65:17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.”

Isaiah 66:22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the LORD, So shall your descendants and your name remain.”

2 Peter 3:13 “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

Revelation 21:1 “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.”

The heavens and the earth, impacted by the fall of man, are in the process of decay and destruction. They will not be cleaned up, but destroyed and replaced by new heavens and new earth that will not deterioate nor decay but will remain perfect forever.

Hang in there… it gets even better. — Diane Hunt is Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries at America’s KESWICK

Heaven II

Tuesday’s truth: The present Heavens and earth shall be destroyed.

Job 14:12 “So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, They will not awake Nor be roused from their sleep.”

Psalm 102: 25-26 “Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed.”

Isaiah 34:4 “All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, And the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; All their host shall fall down As the leaf falls from the vine, And as fruit falling from a fig tree.”

Isaiah 51:6 “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner;”

Revelation 21:1 “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.”

The heavens and the earth, as we know them, will pass away.

Stay tuned…it gets better.– Diane Hunt is Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries at America’s KESWICK

Heaven

In July, I wrote a 3 part series on the reality of a literal hell. I received numerous responses and wrote a follow-up Victory Call in the beginning of August. It sparked such interest that I taught on the topic of hell at Higher Ground (women’s support group) and followed it up with a teaching on heaven. I would like to share with you some basic thoughts and relevant Scriptures.

Monday’s Truth: God created the heaven’s and they display His glory.

Genesis 1:1, 2:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.”

Job 9:8 “He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea;”

Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.”

Psalm 97:6 The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples see His glory

Nehemiah 9:6 “You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.”The heavens were created by God. “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

John 1:3Stay tuned…it just gets better. — Diane Hunt is Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries at America’s KESWICK

Joking, Kidding, or Coarse Jesting?

To joke or not to joke…ah, that is the question. Are you a joker? What I mean is, are you prone to joke or poke fun at other people? Do you have a tendency to point out characteristics which other people possess? If so, maybe you should ask yourself, “why? Why do I tend to or need to make comments that are at the expense of others?”

I find it very helpful and necessary to ask myself this question from time to time. In part because, all too often, I find myself the target of such comments, and also because I find myself hyper-aware of this tendency towarding “poking fun” when other people are doing it…and even when they are not.

Hopefully, at this point, you aren’t thinking, “O, brother, what’s the big deal?” Whether or not you are, let me share “the big deal.” The big deal is L-O-V-E. The even bigger deal is we are ALL made in the image and likeness of a Holy, Holy, Holy God!!

“…neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.” NKJV “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving…” ESV “Don’t talk dirty or silly. That kind of talk doesn’t fit our style. Thanksgiving is our dialect.” The Message1

What is the point and does it matter? After all we ought to be able to take a little joking and jesting — right? On the one hand maybe, yes, and on the other hand maybe, no. God’s Word is clear that we speak gracefully to one another, that thanksgiving be our dialet.

After all, what is coarse jesting? Coarseness is “without fineness or refinement, rudely, inelegantly, meanly, uncivilly, without art or polish”…and a jest is “a witty saying, the object of laughter or sport, one given to sarcasm…jesting is talking for diversion or merriment.”2

“…I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,” 3

Let it be said of us that the Lord is our passion….and with that being said and true…

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen…Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.”4 Stephanie Paul is Director of Women’s Addiction Recovery Ministries at America’s KESWICK

1 Ephesians 5:4 2 www.dictionary.com 3 Matthew 12:36 4 Ephesians 4:29 ESV and The Message

The eviction notice

Over the years our houses have ranged from an 8′ by 28′ mobile home to a 2400 square foot house, and now we live in a 38′ motor home. All of these houses have had several characteristics in common. We purchased each house, we furnished it, we cared for it, and each dwelling was our HOME, a safe haven, a place where we could take our shoes off and just be us.

Recently we discovered our house had been invaded…..there was a MOUSE in our HOUSE! Before we entered the motor home, we made lots of noise to make sure our invader was duly warned. No more taking our shoes off. No more nonchalantly walking around in the dark. At least one light stayed on all of the time. We did not feel comfortable until the varmint had been evicted.

When sin enters our Christian life, it has the same effect as the unwelcome mouse. Our peace is gone. Church or times of worship are no longer our safe haven. Our fellowship with God and with Christian friends is broken. Guilt causes us to look over our shoulder to make sure we aren’t being observed in our sinful acts or that our secrets are not being uncovered. Our prayer life and communication with God are hindered.

We do not feel comfortable until the sin has been confessed and evicted from our lives.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Marilyn Heavilin is a speaker, author, and friend of America’s KESWICK. Marilyn and Glen serve as Counselors-in-residence each summer at America’s KESWICK and will be returning in February 2009.

No matter what

Fifty-nine years ago today, my mother and father said their “I do’s.” I remember, growing up, how I used to love to look at my parent’s wedding picture. There were 2 brides and 2 grooms since mom and her sister chose a double ceremony (unheard of today). Dad and Uncle Prunes (not sure where that came from) were decked out in their tuxes. On that day, September 10, 1949 these two couples vowed before God and friends to love and honor one another in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, till death.

For my aunt and uncle, they kept that vow right up until Uncle Prunes died of cancer many years ago. For Mom and Dad, 59 years of life have come and gone and many joys and trials have become part of our family story, and they continue to honor their vow (a rarity these days). I can’t even begin to recount all that life has brought across their path. Besides, it would only have meaning to us who know them.

I will say this: as they celebrate 59 years together, life has taken a difficult turn over the last number of years as Dad suffers from dementia. Some days are painfully difficult for both of them. As I watch them, I see 2 people committed to one another for life. I see Mom choosing to keep her vow to Dad, NO MATTER WHAT. I see Dad keeping his vow to my mother even when it is more to the memory of his bride than the woman standing before him.

Mom and Dad have taught me much over the years, but one thing I continue to admire is their commitment to one another, to keep that vow they made 59 years ago. When they vowed to love and honor one another in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, they were not saying that is was their preference to stay together, but that it was their commitment. NO MATTER WHAT.

In my opinion, in my generation, more often than not, what we think is commitment or conviction is really nothing more than preference. When things become difficult or painful, we look for a way out. Does this characterize our relationships? Does our word hold any weight because others know we are committed to keep our word, NO MATTER WHAT? Does this characterize our relationship with Jesus? Are we fully committed to Him? NO MATTER WHAT?

2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” (NIV)

Give some thought today as to what your convictions are, what are you committed to NO MATTER WHAT, and what truly are just your preferences. — Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries at America’s KESWICK

Competitive or Not

I’m not usually a competitive person. However, I do have moments when I feel compelled to win. It’s in those sometimes moments when, for the pure delight of shutting the bragging mouth of a fellow game player, that the competitive edge comes out and I want to win because the game is no longer fun.

The context for this competitive display is most likely some sort of board game which I may be playing but NOT winning. (99% of the time I play for fun. I usually quit if it gets ugly, because I don’t like ugly.)

In the case of this game the person winning is -in my opinion- talking way too much (bragging if you will) and carrying on some verbal nonsense, at the expense of everyone else in the game.

Something rises up in me (my flesh perhaps) and I want to win in a really big way…and when I do, the feeling of satisfaction is oh, so sinfully sweet. My desire, in this situation, is to hopefully get back to the fun of the game. It is, after all, just a game. One of Webster’s definitions calls games “an amusement or pastime”.1

What is my point here? Sometimes in life we can feel the need to compete against others, be it to get ahead for a job position, to prove something to ourself or others, etc. The reasons can be as varied as we all are in personality OR by what rules our hearts.

One question I often have is, “Is being competitive a godly attribute?” And to flip the coin, “is it godly to be uncompetitive?”

Any number of scenarios can present themselves that may have an impact on our sense of worth, or value. I think it’s vitally important that we regularly examine who we are, whose we are, and why we are. Then, with our true identify firmly in place, make decisions about why we are going to pursue a particular course of action.

I should never pursue any venture or expansion of ministry to prove my worth to another human being. To do so is to allow that individual’s value system to define who I am and thus influence the decisions and choices I make. For example, the way I allowed myself to be influenced by a simple game was pitiful to say the least.

Sisters, let it be said of us – whether we are competitive or not – that we pursue growth, change, expansion, promotion, for the glory of the Lord and the prize that is set before us; and not for any prize or kudos “the game” may offer.

“Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.” 1 Corinthians 9:23-25

Stephanie Paul is Director of Women’s Addiction Recovery Ministries at America’s KESWICK

1 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/game 2 www.biblegateway.com