Recently I was blessed to attend a breakfast hosted by the ministry of a dear sister-in-Christ.  Her ministry is raising money to go to Uganda and dig a new well.

There is much involved in digging a well, most particularly in Uganda, which is a nation in the continent of Africa.  Apparently in the metropolitan areas there is running water, but in the remote parts of Uganda, where my friend is bringing a team, that is not the case.  At this time the people live 6 miles from the closest well.  Every day women carry their water container on their head to the well and return the same six miles with the heavy container filled with precious water on their head.  Those who know Jesus spend their time going and coming in worship and praise to the Lord our God.  WOW! It really gave me pause to consider the value of clean, available drinking water.  Let us consider what the Word of God says about a well.  God often used the symbolism of a well.

Moses reminded the people who was their source of water in the book of Numbers: “From there they went to Beer, which is the well where the LORD said to Moses, ‘Gather the people together, and I will give them water.’  Then Israel sang this song: ‘Spring up, O well! All of you sing to it!’… “  Numbers 21:16-17 (NKJV)

So certain were God’s promises of future blessing on Israel that Isaiah prophesied to the nation of Israel telling them that they will draw water from the springs of salvation.  “Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” Isaiah 12:3 (NKJV)

Who can forget when Jesus chose to reveal Himself to the Samaritan woman at the well?  It was in this place Jesus revealed Himself as carrying living water –

“but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14 (NKJV)

Dear one…perhaps just for today… each time you take a drink of water give thanks for the Word of God and Jesus, the Word of God that became flesh and dwelt among us. Give thanks for the well of salvation made available to you that can now be a fountain of living water within you.  Let Jesus fill you up to overflowing!  Praise His Holy Name!!

Blessings,
Patricia Wenzel
WOC (Women of Character)Graduate

I should have paid more attention in school.  When I was taking typing class (as in a typewriter) I wasn’t interested and I didn’t care how many words per minute I could type. I wasn’t great at Math either. Algebra? When on earth would I EVER use that or geometry for that matter. Here I am today pecking away at a keyboard to type this devotional. Here I am in a job that requires mathematical data, statistics and percentages. (I delegate – a lot) If only I knew that one day these skills would be my friend. At the time it was so useless.

So it is when we find ourselves in times of suffering. It doesn’t make sense. If there is a lesson to learn we either want to hurry up and learn just enough to pass the class or ignore it altogether. After all, when will we will ever need these lessons? Will I ever need these skills in the future?

“Before I became afflicted I went astray, But now I keep your word. You are good, and do good. Teach me Your statutes.” Psalm 119:67, 68

Our Teacher never gives a test for no reason. Even those unexpected “pop” quizzes are in His plan. He never assigns just the easy lessons but continues to challenge His students. It is worth our while to pay attention to our lessons. As we gain wisdom and skill we realize that our Teacher is good and what He teaches us is not useless but is invaluable.

“If we go through this school immersing ourselves in God’s Word, we develop real sensitivity of heart (verse70) and our eyes are open to see unthought-of-treasures in the Bible itself (verse 72). How remarkable that, with the Word of God, a sufferer can come through it all deeper, wiser, richer, more loving, and even happier.” Timothy Keller, The Songs of Jesus, page 312.

Perhaps, you are questioning the lesson God is bringing you to. Maybe in your opinion you can’t see any purpose in it. Don’t be so quick to skip your homework. Ask for extra help if needed. Stay after, in the quiet, just you and Jesus. What He is teaching us is of immense value that will be used and never wasted.

Art class. That’s where I preferred to be. I had great art teachers. Not easy teachers but teachers who stretched their students to learn more than just pencil on a paper. I learned all kinds of mediums and techniques. These lessons came easier to me. I rarely have time these days to practice what I learned. If only I knew that life wouldn’t be all about drawing, painting and sculpting……maybe when I retire? I hope so…I don’t want to waste my lessons.

Blessings, Kathy

Kathy Withers is on staff at America’s Keswick and serves as Director of Partner Care. Kathy has been married to her husband Dave for 30 years. They have two adult children. Kathy is active in her local Church and teaches a Bible Study for women. Her passion is to encourage women to deepen their walk with Jesus Christ by finding and living out the truths of God’s Word.

There’s still room – Call today for your ticket!

I am currently in a season of my life where I am “church shopping.” Since I moved out of my parents’ house, attending the church I had been a part of since childhood meant a 2 hour and 15 minute round trip every Sunday. I found that I became someone who sits in the chair on Sunday but has no involvement any other day of the week. I have a heart for service and being involved, and being an active member became harder and harder. So I visited a bunch of churches and I liked many of them, but I had this lack of contentment. I didn’t realize how difficult church shopping would be. I’m one of the biggest extroverts you’ll ever meet, but when I’m in a group of people I don’t know, I’m extremely shy.

These past 4 or 5 weeks I’ve been attending services at a local church and I’ve really been enjoying it. One thing I’m blown away by is their amazing outreach program. Last week, they participated in a “Love Week” where they just go out and bless people of the community. That really captured my heart. I have such a passion for outreach.

Did you know that in America less than 20% of people regularly attend church… and attendance is declining at a steady pace? Some churches may see their numbers grow, but it’s often because of people like me – Christians who move from one church to another instead of non-Christians who get saved and start attending church for the first time in their lives.

Outreach is so important. Last week I learned about this church’s missions program. I love the passion they have for reaching their Jerusalem, then extending their ministry to their Judea and Samaria, and they support people in nations to every corner of the earth (Acts 1:8). “Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter” – Charles Spurgeon. I’ve quoted this in a past Victory Call, but it applies here as well.

We are all called to share the gospel and make disciples. It’s not a suggestion or a job for only certain people. Biblical scripture tells us that Jesus commands us to do so. The Lord uses His people to be witnesses to the lost. The statistic that less than 20% of people regularly attend church (and the number is declining) is pretty upsetting. Now, we know that scripture tells us that more and more people will progressively turn away from Christ, but that shouldn’t discourage us, it should give us more motivation to witness to as many people as we can. We want our relationship with Christ to be rich and contagious and our goal is to live our lives in a way where people want what we have. What if we all made service a priority? Galatians 5:13, 1 Peter 4:10, Philippians 2:3, and countless other verses tell us that in humility, we should put others first and serve others. This provides opportunity to share why we live our lives the way we do.

This Victory Call may be a little scattered, but the point I’m trying to make is that we should make sharing the Word of God a priority, as we are commanded to do. A huge way of doing that is being involved in outreach and, in humble service, extending our arms to those who are lost. We need to serve others.

Here’s a challenge: Every day this week, let’s go out of our way to do something kind for another person, for no other reason than to bring God glory. It could be paying for someone’s groceries, cleaning the neighborhood, or bringing a home cooked meal to a neighbor “just because.” I think we would see a world of difference in church attendance if we truly made outreach and service a high priority.

Erin

Erin Culleny serves as a Marketing Assistant and Staff Writer. She had served on Summer Staff since 2011, and this past summer had the unique opportunity of co-directing Children’s Ministry with one of her best friends. She is very excited to continue to build relationships with the guests and be very involved in the ministry.

There’s still time!!!

“Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.” 1 Corinthians 15:36

Oh how we resist dying.  I don’t mean physical death, I mean the kind of death required to follow Jesus daily.

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23

Do you ever find yourself wrestling with what you know God wants which directly interferes with what you want? In other words – that moment when the Lord is calling you to deny yourself?

When you want to say what shouldn’t be said…
When you want to go where you shouldn’t go…
When you want to entertain thoughts that you know are not God pleasing…
When you want to do something else other than keep that commitment…
When you want to gossip rather than keep silent…
When you want to eat more than you know is healthy…
When you want to overspend your budget…
When you want to have the last word, win the argument, share your opinion, again…
When you want to pout when things don’t go your way…
When you want to be unkind and unloving…
We all know the right thing to do and if we don’t, we know the One to ask, yet we wrestle.  We resist death. We resist denying our self. We love our selves more than we love God.  We resist the cross.

“In the long run, the pain of resisting the cross is harder to live with than the cross itself.” (i)

What we so often fail to remember, because Satan doesn’t want us to remember, is that on the other side of death is life.

“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:11

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

Every day let’s embrace the cross in all the little details of life.  Let’s stop wrestling and allow God to accomplish His plan and purpose in our life, to make us more like Jesus.

As we become more like Christ, we will go willingly to the cross because of the joy on the other side. “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…” Hebrews 12:2

Look past death and the cross to the life that lies beyond.

Blessings, Diane

Diane Hunt served for 16 years on the staff of America’s Keswick until recently when she and her husband relocated to North Carolina. She now continues serving as a contributing writer and Partner Care consultant. Diane is also a Biblical Counselor, speaker, teacher, and author. She delights in the opportunities she has as a women’s conference and retreat speaker to share from God’s word.  Many of her illustrations are drawn from her relational experiences as a wife, mother, and mema. They are the very relationships that bring her the greatest joy and the most fun!

i Fenelon. The Seeking Heart. Pg. 4

The first Thursday in May marks the National Day of Prayer.  This year the first Thursday is on May 5th.  I am so thankful that our nation has a long history of setting aside one day of the year to pray for our nation and thank God for our many blessings.  

In 1994 New Jersey passed a law, which was signed by then Gov. Whitman, in agreement with the Federal law, naming the first Thursday in May a Day of Prayer in New Jersey.  Praise God!

This year the National Day of Prayer Task Force, led by Mrs. Shirley Dobson, has given us the theme for this year, Wake Up America.  They have also supplied the verse for this year – Is. 58:1a “Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet.”  Oh, I hope not one of us will hold back but will, with a strong voice, praise our God and with a desperate heart cry out to Him for our nation and its leaders.

A gentleman named Gary P. Berge developed a palm card with 30 ways to pray for people in authority.  I have always found it helpful.  Although there are many topics to cover on the National Day of Prayer, today I want to encourage you to pray for our government leaders.

Here are just a few suggestions from Gary Berge’s card:
1. That they be God -earing and recognize that they are accountable to Him for each
decision and act. (Prov. 9:10)
2. That they be granted wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. (Jas. 1:5)
3. That they be presented with the gospel and a loving Christian witness. (Ro. 10:14)
4. That, if unsaved, they be drawn to a saving encounter with Christ; if born again,
they be strengthened and encouraged in their faith. (1 Tim. 2:4, Eph. 1:17-23)
5. That they recognize their own inadequacy and pray and seek the will of God.
(Prov. 3:5-8, Lk. 11:9-13)

Blessings,
Patricia Wenzel
WOC Graduate

For more information on the National Day of Prayer go to: http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org

For Gary Bergel’s complete “Ways to Pray for People in Authority” go to:
http://www.getamericapraying.com/downloads/30%20Ways%20bookmark-FINAL8.pdf or at http://www.ifapray.org/

Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him.  And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. Luke 5:18-19

Recently, during a sermon from Luke 5, my mind wandered to a friend who experienced something similar to this in his own life.

In the midst of his addiction, his father dragged him to a men’s retreat.  He brought drugs and alcohol with him.  One evening he was intoxicated and high and was fighting, arguing and wrestling with others. The next morning some of the men at the retreat came into his room and picked him up limb by limb and carried him to the place they were meeting and laid him “at the altar” and prayed and prayed over him.   My friend experienced a dramatic conversion that week and is following hard after Jesus now.  He exudes love and faith to those that know him.  He has been radically transformed by the power of the cross.  God used those men that night to bring him, very much like a paralytic, to meet Jesus.

Why do we so often approach the unsaved as if they should know better?  They are blind but we expect them to see. They are deaf but we expect them to hear. They are mute but we expect them to speak. They are paralyzed but we expect them to walk. They are dead but we expect them to breathe.

Only God can restore their sight. Only God can cause them to hear.  Only God can give them a voice. Only God can heal their paralysis. Only God can bring the spiritually dead to newness of life.

But God may want to use us to lower them through the tile roof.

Don’t be deterred by the spiritually paralyzed friends and family in your life.  Be persistent.  By faith, keep taking them to Jesus and lower them down through the roof.

Blessings, Diane

Diane Hunt served for 16 years on the staff of America’s Keswick until recently when she and her husband relocated to North Carolina. She now continues serving as a contributing writer and Partner Care consultant. Diane is also a Biblical Counselor, speaker, teacher, and author. She delights in the opportunities she has as a women’s conference and retreat speaker to share from God’s word.  Many of her illustrations are drawn from her relational experiences as a wife, mother, and mema. They are the very relationships that bring her the greatest joy and the most fun!

Prayer has always been a part of my life growing up in a Christian home.  You pray before meals, you pray at bedtime, you pray when you are sad, etc…. I was taught to pray for many different reasons throughout my life but it never really became a real and true part of my life as it is today.

We all pray for different reasons. I find, as you probably do also, that most people pray when they are in need.  I am guilty of this, too.  I also find that many people will pray in a corporate setting for all the things they should have been personally praying about in their own quiet time.

What has happened to us that we are not praying in a deep-rooted prayer time? I look at my own life and have realized that I am a self-sufficient woman. I have always worked since I the age of 14, took care of myself, etc…. Not that I did not want the Lord to be a part of my life but I think that I just got caught up in me taking care of me without even thinking about HIM!

Where do you stand in your prayer life?  This subject came up for a very personal reason over the past few days. My husband has Epilepsy and this is something he has lived with since he was about 15.  It is something that as a family we live with daily, but not everyone knows this or how draining it can be for us.

Many years ago we allowed people into our life by sharing what we were going through and as a lot of good Christian people do….the advice and “Christian Wisdom” and “Christian Soul Searching” that could be offered to us was.  We know that many people were genuine with their concerns and advice. Yet we were also flooded with many negative comments that made us want to run and hide what we were going through.

The other night I posted on Facebook how we were living that night with three larger seizures and that my husband was feeling beat up emotionally and physically and that we needed prayer.  This was a big step for us to make since we were so gun-shy to expose this part of our life with so many people.  Well, the out-pouring of love, prayers and support was overwhelming and we truly can say that the next day we both had such a sense of peace.

I am not sure what the difference was but I can tell you from a wife, mother, and woman’s perspective, who’s living with someone with Epilepsy and someone with Autism, that I need prayer daily from my fellow saints.  I do not need unsolicited advice, stares, gossip, and remarks like, “Is there sin in your life?” from people who do not know anything about us.  What I do need is the prayer support that we find in Philippians 2:3-4

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Letting yourself be exposed and for people to really know what you are living with is not an easy journey.  I am teaching myself to not advise others, but to truly pray as in Philippians for friends that come to me and ask for prayer.  I am also learning to write it down when I say I will pray for you so that I don’t just say it and forget it.

Where do you all stand with your prayer life?  Do you have a special relationship with the Lord in the area of your life?  Do you go before the throne boldly for your friends?

I challenge you to pray over Philippians 2 and allow the Lord to work in this area of your life.

Lynn

Lynn Wilson has served on staff at America’s Keswick for the past 20 years. She has been involved in her local church in women’s ministries as well as speaking for other churches and retreats. Her mission statement would be to touch one life so in turn they can touch a life for eternity. Her greatest joy is to go home at the end of her work day and spend time with her family and enjoy her first ministry which is being a wife and mother. She has one teenage son at home, and one married son and daughter-in-law.

Early in April I had the opportunity to go to the Whitewater center in Charlotte to see some of the Olympic trials in kayaking. But that is not what this Victory Call is about. The focus of this devotional comes from the Rock Climbing Wall at the center. We were there with 6 of our grandchildren ranging in age from 20 months to 15. The four oldest wanted to try the Rock Climbing Wall – all girls.  The 11 and 15 year old had climbed before but the 8 and 9 year old had not.

It was interesting to watch their strategies. The two newbies made several attempts and got just so far and stopped, lowering themselves to the ground. They waited in line and tried again and again. As we sat and watched it became apparent they were making one tactical mistake that was preventing them from getting to the top.  They started out well enough placing a foot on a toehold and grasping other holds with each hand. The first few advances up the wall went fine but they reached a point when they would place their foot on the next foothold and r….e….a….c….h to grab the next handhold but couldn’t quite reach it.  They would give up and lower themselves to the ground.

From their position just inches from the wall they could not see their handhold options though we, from a greater distance, could see them clearly.  Their mistake?  They put their foot on the foothold but they did not put their weight on it to stand on the foothold. They stayed there with their knee bent dangling more from their hands than leveraging with their feet. From that position they could not see their options. As we encouraged them to put their full weight on the toehold to extend their leg and stand up, it was then that the handhold came into reach and they were able to progress up to the top of the wall.

I do hope you can visualize what I am saying because I think it is a good picture of our spiritual journey.  God can see the next foothold and the next handhold even if we cannot.  He may only give us our next toehold, not all the holds at one time.  Putting our foot on the toehold God shows us is only the beginning; by faith we must put our weight on that toehold, extend our leg and stand up. It is often only then that our next toehold comes into view.

Staying on the toehold with our knee bent is akin to unbelief.  We lack the faith to put our full weight on it to stand up. From that position we cannot see or imagine the next toehold so we stay immobilized right there, not progressing in our walk of faith.

We can trust God’s guidance and direction even if we cannot see the next toehold from where we are right now. It will come into view as we progress by faith.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Psalm 32:8

I thought about my ways, And turned my feet to Your testimonies. Psalm 119:59

Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. Psalm 119:105

So here is the question to ask yourself: Am I firmly standing on my current toehold and by faith trusting God to bring the next one into view?

Blessings,
Diane

Diane Hunt served for 16 years on the staff of America’s Keswick until recently when she and her husband relocated to North Carolina. She now continues serving as a contributing writer and Partner Care consultant. Diane is also a Biblical Counselor, speaker, teacher, and author. She delights in the opportunities she has as a women’s conference and retreat speaker to share from God’s word.  Many of her illustrations are drawn from her relational experiences as a wife, mother, and mema. They are the very relationships that bring her the greatest joy and the most fun

Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the LORD.  So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them. Joshua 9:14-15

How often do we fall prey to making decisions based on circumstantial evidence in our lives?  We hear often God opens and closes doors and I don’t question that but I wonder how often we check to determine WHO opened or closed the door before we decide to walk through it or to stop.

Joshua and the Israelites were fresh off a miraculous victory against Jericho and Ai “when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors.” Joshua 9:3

When the enemy seeks to throw us off track he works craftily and pretends that the way he is showing us is the right way and he often does it with circumstantial evidence.

And Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?”
So they said to him: “From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt, and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan—to Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.  Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, “We are your servants; now therefore, make a covenant with us.”’ This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you. But now look, it is dry and moldy. And these wineskins which we filled were new, and see, they are torn; and these our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey.” Joshua 9:8-13

All the evidence they presented made it appear as if they spoke the truth but that was the point. They intended to mislead Joshua to lure him into a misguided covenant.  That’s the problem with circumstantial evidence – it may be false and misleading.

Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the LORD.  So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them. Joshua 9:14-15

Joshua’s mistake was to fail to seek the counsel of the Lord.  Flying high from the victories at Jericho and Ai, he failed to bow low to humbly seek the Lord’s counsel.  We have all been there. We have failed to seek God’s counsel.  I think we tend to go to God for the big stuff but surely, since we don’t know what each day will bring, we would be wise to seek His face every morning for His guidance and direction so we don’t fall prey to being led astray through circumstantial evidence.

“Show me your ways, LORD,
    teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are God my Savior,
    and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 25:4-5

Did you seek God’s counsel today?

Blessings, Diane

Diane Hunt served for 16 years on the staff of America’s Keswick until recently when she and her husband relocated to North Carolina. She now continues serving as a contributing writer and Partner Care consultant. Diane is also a Biblical Counselor, speaker, teacher, and author. She delights in the opportunities she has as a women’s conference and retreat speaker to share from God’s word.  Many of her illustrations are drawn from her relational experiences as a wife, mother, and mema. They are the very relationships that bring her the greatest joy and the most fun!

 

 

But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. James 1:14-15

Sin doesn’t happen in an instant.  Rather it is a series of choices.

We each have our own unique flesh pattern.  What tempts me may not tempt you in the least, and vice versa.

We cannot stop all temptation from coming our way though we can reduce temptation by making wise choices to avoid putting ourself in tempting situations.

What things do you do, what places do you go, what things do you read or watch that naturally lead you into temptation?

Let’s start there. Doesn’t it make sense to stop it? In our fight against sin, let’s start by eliminating the easy targets.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. Romans 13:14

There are temptations that come that we cannot foresee or avoid – what then?  You cannot avoid the first thought, the first tempting opportunity – that is the nature of our flesh and our very real enemy.  But then what?

Then we must make a choice to not entertain that first thought, take a second look or consider or dwell on that enticing opportunity. Right there is where we command the victory or start to slide towards defeat and sin.  As Paul says, we really need to grasp and live out his warning to “make no provision for the flesh.”

What does it look like in your life to make no provision for the flesh? What does that look like in my life?  Thought provoking isn’t it?

Showers of Blessings,
Diane

Diane Hunt served for 16 years on the staff of America’s Keswick until recently when she and her husband relocated to North Carolina. She now continues serving as a contributing writer and Partner Care consultant. Diane is also a Biblical Counselor, speaker, teacher, and author. She delights in the opportunities she has as a women’s conference and retreat speaker to share from God’s word.  Many of her illustrations are drawn from her relational experiences as a wife, mother, and mema. They are the very relationships that bring her the greatest joy and the most fun!