Two thieves hung on crosses on either side of Jesus. They were paying the price for the crimes they had committed against the Roman government. Jesus, sinless, hung between them suffering and dying for their sins and the sins of the whole world.

One recognized his sinfulness and asked to be remembered by Jesus when he came into His kingdom. Jesus said to him “I tell you the truth, TODAY you will be with me in paradise” (emphasis mine).

He didn’t have a chance to live a transformed life, live to serve his Savior, or get baptized. Yet, Jesus tells him at the end of his suffering he will enter eternity and be with Jesus forever and that day was “TODAY”!

As the Intake Coordinator for the Colony of Mercy I have brought over 1,000 men through the Colony doors. This year Michael was brought in for intake by his sweet, godly grandma and two other family members. Michael was 39 years old, homeless for an extended period of time, and a dad of a teenage daughter. When he arrived he didn’t have much more than the clothes he wore. You could tell he was dearly loved and prayed for by his grandmother.

Michael wanted to turn his life around. He had been addicted to cocaine for many years and it robbed him of everything. But now things were going to be different. This was going to be his new start, a new beginning. His greatest desire was to be a good dad to his daughter.

Michael embraced the program….but more importantly he embraced Jesus as the Lord and Savior of his life after about five days in the Colony. I prepared a Spiritual Birth Certificate that declared Michael was truly a new creation is Christ. The old Michael was dead and a new Michael began a new life.

Then just a short ten days into his stay, Father God called Michael home suddenly after devotions, as Colony men and Colony staff prayed and asked God to spare his life. Yet this was not to be. Our hearts were broken and many asked that age old unanswerable question “Why?”

At his viewing, there in the coffin with him was a copy of Michael’s Spiritual Birth Certificate. As deeply as the family grieved at the loss of Michael as son, dad, cousin, uncle, friend . . .his grandma and grandpa, though deeply grieving their loss, found comfort that he was in the presence of his Savior Jesus . . .no more pain, no more struggle . . .fully healed. Michael didn’t have the time to be a godly father, grow in his faith, serve the Lord in his local church or even get baptized. But Jesus called Michael and said “TODAY you will be with me in paradise.”

Mary Ann Kiernan

Mary Ann serves as the Intake Coordinator for the America’s Keswick, Colony of Mercy and as a Biblical Counselor. She is a contributor to “Crossing the Jordan,” and “Real Victory Real life” Volume 2. She and her husband John have 2 grown, married sons and 6 wonderful grandchildren. Her life verse is Romans 8:28.

Recently, I was listening to a testimony from a dear sister and she spoke at length of all the ways the Lord has been working in her life – spirit, soul and body. He was making radical changes, which hadn’t come quickly or easily. In fact, as she began to experience victory after victory, physical healing as well as deliverance from emotional and mental hindrances, she questioned God.

Her question was, “Why now, Lord? I’ve been crying out to You for years and You would not answer me. I felt like You forgot about me. So, why now?”

His clear answer to her mind and spirit was, “I didn’t forget about your healing. I just wanted you to participate in your healing. I wanted you to have skin in the game.”

It made me think about the lame man that was healed by the pool called Bethesda. In John 5 it is written:
“Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.

Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.”

Did you catch that? Before his healing took place the man with the 38-year infirmity had to get skin in the game.

Please don’t misunderstand what I’m sharing with you today, sisters. I am not saying that our healing is dependent on us getting “skin in the game”. Nope. Not at all.

What I am saying is, in the case of my friend and in this account of healing in John’s gospel, there was something required before the healing came, and that was, participation.

Sometimes the Lord asks us to, “Rise. Take up our beds and walk.”

Stephanie Dale

Stephanie Paul serves as part of the Addiction Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Director of Women of Character. She has been married for over 30 years to Sesky Paul who is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. They have two grown children.
Her single focus in ministry at Keswick is to image Christ in grace and truth to wounded and hurting women, encouraging them to make Jesus the truest Lover of their soul and the One in whom all hope lies.

Well, it is that time again for our annual Family Freedom Walk (our 7th!!!), May 9, 2015. We are having a little staff competition to see who can raise the most money. We would like to invite you to support one of your Victory Call writers. Click on their link below and it will take you directly to their individual webpage for the walk. You can give directly through their webpage. If you prefer to send a check, just mail it to America’s Keswick 601 Route 530, Whiting, NJ 08759 ATTN: the person’s name – and mark your check FFW in the memo. Thank you for your support.
Mary Ann Kiernan
http://americaskeswick.donorpages.com/2015FamilyFreedomWalk/MaryAnnKiernan/
Stephanie Paul
http://americaskeswick.donorpages.com/2015FamilyFreedomWalk/StephaniePaul/
Dina Seaton
http://americaskeswick.donorpages.com/2015FamilyFreedomWalk/DinaSeaton/
Kathy Withers
http://americaskeswick.donorpages.com/2015FamilyFreedomWalk/KathyWithers/
Diane Hunt
http://americaskeswick.donorpages.com/2015FamilyFreedomWalk/DianeHunt/
If you would like to help us raise money for the Addiction Recovery Ministries – to help men, women and children, we would love to have you walk with us. If you are interested please go to our website and sign up today then start raising sponsors.
http://www.americaskeswick.org/christian-events/special-events/family-freedom-walk
Thank you so much for your support.

Israel

Psalm 135:4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure.

I was blessed last month to be able to go with Keswick’s Israel Tour to the Holy Land, “In the Footsteps of Jesus.” The trip is certainly a wonderful adventure to be able to see this beautiful country and the specific areas which are written and described in the Bible.

Israel is a very interesting country to observe the land’s structure and foundation. In Israel there are many rocks and stones which have been used for building; they built cities on top of cities. Our tour guide educated us by teaching us about various areas of the country and observing the distinguishing centuries of time, with the land that is preserved. We can clearly see the 1st century times of the Roman Empire with its pillars and markings. We also saw many places of the Byzantine century of its richly decorative architecture stones. I was standing in so many different places where specific events took place in the history of the Bible. The Bible comes to life and it’s a life changing experience and it has changed my perspective of reading the Bible.

Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “ Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily.

I prayed, “Lord, my life needs to be built on that solid rock, that precious cornerstone of the Lord, a strong foundation and may I always be seeking after you, Lord.”

Luke 6:48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.

Psalm 102:14 For your servants take pleasure in her stones, And show favor to her dust.

Glory to God
Sandra Valdes
Full Time Staff Member at America’s Keswick in Guest Services and a Servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Well, it is that time again for our annual Family Freedom Walk (our 7th!!!), May 9, 2015. We are having a little staff competition to see who can raise the most money. We would like to invite you to support one of your Victory Call writers. Click on their link below and it will take you directly to their individual webpage for the walk. You can give directly through their webpage. If you prefer to send a check, just mail it to America’s Keswick 601 Route 530, Whiting, NJ 08759 ATTN: the person’s name – and mark your check FFW in the memo. Thank you for your support.
Mary Ann Kiernan
http://americaskeswick.donorpages.com/2015FamilyFreedomWalk/MaryAnnKiernan/
Stephanie Paul
http://americaskeswick.donorpages.com/2015FamilyFreedomWalk/StephaniePaul/
Dina Seaton
http://americaskeswick.donorpages.com/2015FamilyFreedomWalk/DinaSeaton/
Kathy Withers
http://americaskeswick.donorpages.com/2015FamilyFreedomWalk/KathyWithers/
Diane Hunt
http://americaskeswick.donorpages.com/2015FamilyFreedomWalk/DianeHunt/
If you would like to help us raise money for the Addiction Recovery Ministries – to help men, women and children, we would love to have you walk with us. If you are interested please go to our website and sign up today then start raising sponsors.
http://www.americaskeswick.org/christian-events/special-events/family-freedom-walk
Thank you so much for your support.

While waiting for a family member to having a lengthy dental procedure, I couldn’t help but be disturbed in my spirit about the office chatter. They had their own commentary going; as people would call the office or leave after their procedure these women would discuss them. There were comments about patients, callers and even co-workers from another office. It did not take long to realize that this was a norm for them and it began to make me very uncomfortable. I am not sure if they were unaware of my presence in the office, if it didn’t matter to them or perhaps they saw nothing wrong with their behavior. Regardless of their motives, I was unsettled by it all.

After the procedure was over I went to the desk and took care of the details for the next visit. I knew as we left I would be the new conversation piece for these women and it bothered me. I kept thinking, “I can’t believe the money we spent there for that type of service.” I had angst in me for hours after we left the office and kept thinking these women need to learn to be quiet when people are in the office.

The Holy Spirit reminded me of a devotion I had read earlier that week by Sinclair Ferguson. It was, of course, about the tongue and power of our speech. It said control of our tongue is evidence of spiritual maturity. I knew that. It also said that, “Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent and discerning if he holds his tongue” (Prov. 17:28). I knew that. Sinclair went on to say, referring to James 3:2, that the person who tames the tongue is a mature Christian. I knew that. As I sat and thought of this I was reminded of the conviction I had had while reading this devotion. It is not merely enough to sit and be quiet (it’s a good place to start). Sinclair describes that, that very silence can be self-serving. I had never seen it like that. Our silence and suppression can and should not be mistaken for true transformation. That the taming of the tongue is far different than the mere holding of your tongue. Our tongue will do what it is prone to do…speak. The Word of God says out of the heart the mouth will speak. Therefore the conviction I had received was to not just be silent or refrain from saying something inappropriate. My goal should be true transformation and not suppression. My hope for others should not be in their merely performing, speaking and behaving appropriately but for pure hearts that motivates a genuine love for one another.

Because He Lives,
Kim M. Spicer
Women of Character Graduate and Volunteer

Recently I was sitting with a handful of sisters in Christ and we were having a follow-up discussion relating godly and worldly sorrow (which I wrote about a few weeks ago). I was sharing my struggle knowing that I lean heavily towards worldly sorrow rather than godly sorrow; and that repentance – turning away from my sin and not doing it any more – is a far too infrequent reality in my life and I have been a believer for 32 years.

My friends were nodding in agreement. I thought two things almost simultaneously
1. They can’t be a bad as me. 2. Whew! I’m normal.

A short time later as I was driving home it struck me. I can be normal without Christ. I can be normal in my own strength. I can be normal without yielding to Christ. I can be normal without dying to self. I can be normal independent of the Savior of the world. I can be normal all by myself. I DON’T WANT TO JUST BE NORMAL! I want to be abnormal. I want to be what I can be only IN CHRIST. I want to be what I can be only by yielding, surrendering, and dying to myself. I want it to be evident that I have been to the cross and that I am growing in Christ-likeness.

That can ONLY happen in Christ, by His grace, by His power, and by His strength and that is anything BUT normal.

Blessings,
Diane

Diane Hunt is a Biblical Counselor, Women’s conference and retreat speaker and author. She serves as the Director of Partner Care and Director of Women’s Ministries at America’s Keswick. She and her husband John have two married children and four grandchildren. She loves reveling in warm sunny climates and playing with her grandchildren.

…abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 1 Peter 2:11

Do you want to spend time with God or “do devotions?” Do you want to be in a living, vibrant, intimate relationship with God or “have a quiet time?”

Do you want to be a hearer of the Word only or a doer of the Word?

Do you meet with God each day with an expectation that He will speak to you? Do you prepare for action or is it simply a reading exercise?

Our time with God each day is our battle training. We need to pay close attention.

Peter warns that the passions of our flesh wage WAR against our souls. Left unchecked they will cause harm, great harm.

Let’s be honest, when we think of someone or something waging war against us, our defenses go up. We are at the ready, ready to ward off evil and harm against ourselves. Yet so often we don’t seem to have our defenses up against our own fleshly passions.

Do you want to reach old age only to realize our spiritual life has osteoporosis, that it is weak and thin and brittle? I don’t.

Are you armed and ready for battle today?

Show me Your way – O Lord, teach me Your path, guide me in your truth and teach me. For you are God my Savior and my hope is in You all day long.

Blessings, Diane

Diane Hunt is a Biblical Counselor, Women’s conference and retreat speaker and author. She serves as the Director of Partner Care and Director of Women’s Ministries at America’s Keswick. She and her husband John have two married children and four grandchildren. She loves reveling in warm sunny climates and playing with her grandchildren.

Recently I had reason to look into the scripture about what God’s Word reveals about His heart for mothers.  There are so many scriptures that reference the word “mother.” Here are just a few.

First of all I was very drawn to 2 Kings 4.  In this chapter we read the account of two different mothers with children.  The first is a widow who has creditors at her door who want to take her two sons as their slaves.  She has nothing in her house except a jar of oil.   The prophet Elisha tells her to borrow empty vessels for herself from her neighbors.  He tells her not to get only a few.  Elisha tells her to bring all of the vessels in the house, close the door and begin to pour the oil into the vessels.  She does so and the oil does not stop flowing until every vessel is full.  Elisha now tells her to go and sell the oil, pay her debt and live on the rest.  The Lord provided what this widowed mother needed to save herself and her sons.

Further in the chapter we read about another woman, the Shunammite woman.  This lady is married and her husband allows her to make a little walled upper chamber for Elisha so that he has a place to sleep when he comes into their region.  Elisha blesses the woman and she has a son.  But one day the boy became ill and died.  The woman laid him on the bed Elisha slept in, closed the door and went to get Elisha.  She was not satisfied with a visit from his assistant who took Elisha’s staff to the boy.  She insisted Elisha come himself.  Elisha stretches himself on the dead boy and the flesh of the child became warm and he lived.  God cares about the needs of our children.

Then there is the book of Ruth.  This is a story about a mother named Naomi.  Naomi’s husband had taken her to the land of Moab because of a famine in their homeland.  While in Moab her husband and two adult sons die leaving her with two daughters-in-law.  Although she tells the daughters to go back to their people one, Ruth, refuses to go.  Ruth travels with Naomi back to her homeland, making Naomi’s people her people, Naomi’s God her God.  It is there Naomi finds healing and restoration.  God cares about the mother who has lived through the death of her husband and children.

Lastly, I want to note that when Jesus was hanging on the cross He thought of the needs of His mother for He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”  Then He said to the disciple John, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household. (John 19:26-27)

It appears to me that God cares very much about mothers.  He is the one who will supply for the physical and emotional needs of a mother.  It is He who will care for our children.  As mothers let us fully put trust in the Lord our God.  No matter what this world may throw at you, you can always trust in the Lord our God.  He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

Blessings,
Patricia Wenzel

Women of Character Graduate

Well, it is that time again for our annual Family Freedom Walk (our 7th!!!), May 9, 2015. We are having a little staff competition to see who can raise the most money. We would like to invite you to support one of your Victory Call writers. Click on their link below and it will take you directly to their individual webpage for the walk. You can give directly through their webpage. If you prefer to send a check, just mail it to America’s Keswick 601 Route 530, Whiting, NJ 08759 ATTN: the person’s name – and mark your check FFW in the memo. Thank you for your support.
Mary Ann Kiernan
http://americaskeswick.donorpages.com/2015FamilyFreedomWalk/MaryAnnKiernan/
Stephanie Paul
http://americaskeswick.donorpages.com/2015FamilyFreedomWalk/StephaniePaul/
Dina Seaton
http://americaskeswick.donorpages.com/2015FamilyFreedomWalk/DinaSeaton/
Kathy Withers
http://americaskeswick.donorpages.com/2015FamilyFreedomWalk/KathyWithers/
Diane Hunt
http://americaskeswick.donorpages.com/2015FamilyFreedomWalk/DianeHunt/
If you would like to help us raise money for the Addiction Recovery Ministries – to help men, women and children, we would love to have you walk with us. If you are interested please go to our website and sign up today then start raising sponsors.
http://www.americaskeswick.org/christian-events/special-events/family-freedom-walk
Thank you so much for your support.

From time to time I am blessed beyond words by a devotional, post, blog or thought of a fellow sojourner to the degree that I want you to be blessed as well. Today’s post is an overflow of the heart and mind of Paul David Tripp from his devotional book, “New Morning Mercies.” This man’s words often strike a chord with my heart, challenge my mind and send zingers right to my soul. I think you will see what I mean. He shares a simple yet deeply profound thought in his March 28th devotional.

Read on and be blessed:
“You were hard wired for love, so everything you decide, think, say, and do is an expression of love for someone or something…You are a lover; we all are. We love. It’s what human beings do every moment of every day, in every location, and in every situation. You are never not loving…God created you with this capacity so that you would have what you need to live in a deeply loving, heart-controlling, motivation-producing, worship-imitating, joy-stimulating relationship with him.

Here is the tragedy. Sin causes us all, in some way, to turn our backs on the love of God and give the principal love of our hearts to someone or something else. We seek to have our hearts fulfilled by love for something other than God…We’re all spiritually promiscuous, running from lover to lover, giving the loyalty of our hearts to things other than God…

…God, who is love, sent the Son of his love to make the ultimate sacrifice of love so that we would become people who love him as we have never loved him before…he showers us with love that does not quit even on our most unloving day. And by grace, he transforms our hearts so that increasingly we are able to…keep the ultimate love of our hearts for him and him alone.”

Whew!!!!

Still got your socks on?

Allow that truth to bless your heart today… and tomorrow…..and the next day….

Blessings, Diane

Diane Hunt is a Biblical Counselor, Women’s conference and retreat speaker and author. She serves as the Director of Partner Care and Director of Women’s Ministries at America’s Keswick. She and her husband John have two married children and four grandchildren. She loves reveling in warm sunny climates and playing with her grandchildren.

Well, it is that time again for our annual Family Freedom Walk (our 7th!!!), May 9, 2015. We are having a little staff competition to see who can raise the most money. We would like to invite you to support one of your Victory Call writers. Click on their link below and it will take you directly to their individual webpage for the walk. You can give directly through their webpage. If you prefer to send a check, just mail it to America’s Keswick 601 Route 530, Whiting, NJ 08759 ATTN: the person’s name – and mark your check FFW in the memo. Thank you for your support.
Mary Ann Kiernan
http://americaskeswick.donorpages.com/2015FamilyFreedomWalk/MaryAnnKiernan/
Stephanie Paul
http://americaskeswick.donorpages.com/2015FamilyFreedomWalk/StephaniePaul/
Dina Seaton
http://americaskeswick.donorpages.com/2015FamilyFreedomWalk/DinaSeaton/
Kathy Withers
http://americaskeswick.donorpages.com/2015FamilyFreedomWalk/KathyWithers/
Diane Hunt
http://americaskeswick.donorpages.com/2015FamilyFreedomWalk/DianeHunt/
If you would like to help us raise money for the Addiction Recovery Ministries – to help men, women and children, we would love to have you walk with us. If you are interested please go to our website and sign up today then start raising sponsors.
http://www.americaskeswick.org/christian-events/special-events/family-freedom-walk
Thank you so much for your support.

“Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

The power of the truth lies in the Truth-Keeper. Jesus Christ is not just the Truth–Keeper, He IS Truth. “I am the way, the truth and the life…” John 4:6 AND HE never changes: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Truth does not change. Why is that important to know?

If truth was in the constant state of flux and change, how trustworthy could it possibly be? If truth was NOT UNCHANGING how could it possibly set anyone free?

For TRUTH to have the power it does it must be unchanging, secure, certain, sure and steadfast. We must know that truth is truth today and tomorrow and next year.

We can rest in knowing Truth does not change. “Your word, O Lord is forever settled in heaven.” Ps 119:89 “… comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:17

Blessings,
Diane
Diane Hunt is a Biblical Counselor, Women’s conference and retreat speaker and author. She serves as the Director of Partner Care and Director of Women’s Ministries at America’s Keswick. She and her husband John have two married children and four grandchildren. She loves reveling in warm sunny climates and playing with her grandchildren.

As I write this devotional it is the Hebrew month of Nissan. The Hebrew calendar is a little strange in that the first month of the calendar year is not the New Year. The New Year comes in the fall. However, it is in the spring, in the time of Passover, that the Hebrew calendar marks the first month. That month is Nissan. It is the month that is characterized by Passover, a time of repentance, redemption and miracles. The Jewish people remember that it was the blood of the Lamb that set them free.

It is the month for us to remember the blood of the Lamb of God who made a way that we may be delivered or set free from every hindrance that would be keeping us from our freedom in Christ. It is the month to seek God and to get aligned with His plan for our life.

Ecclesiastes 3 tells us there is an appointed time for everything. There is a time for every event under heaven –
“A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted”…..and so on.

It doesn’t do a farmer any good to plant seed in the winter or to try and harvest in the spring. If the farmer plants at the right time he will reap a harvest at the right time. A bar of iron is limited in power. It contains molecules that go all over the place. However, if the molecules are aligned it becomes a strong magnet.

Dear one, I am convinced that if we want to reap and stand strong in this world we need to align with God’s plan for our lives.

Joshua 1:8 gives us His plan for success: “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” NASB

Psalm 149:6 tells us how to live – “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand.” NASB (note: the two-edged sword is the Word of God)

So let’s go, dear one…….get into alignment so we too will reap what God has prepared for us for this season and we shall stand strong and courageous!

Blessings,
Patricia Wenzel
Women of Character Graduate